Existing users, 
The quiet riot: iPhone volume complaints continue to pour in
Posted 10 August 2007 @ 5pm in Troubleshooting
Weeks after we initially reported the issue:
- iPhone, earpiece, speakerphone too quiet for some users
- iPhone too quiet? Software fix likely coming, restore may help
complaints about the iPhone’s volume continue to pour in. Users by the dozen report that any or all of the following iPhone auditory components:
- earpiece
- speakerphone
- ringer
- alert sounds (including voicemail and text messages)
are well below the standard, in terms of volume, established by other mobile handsets. To make matters worse, when the volume on the earpiece is set to a maximum level, severe echoing can ensue.
As previously reported, there are a few lukewarm solutions:
- iPhone Update 1.0.1 may have provided a volume boost to some users.
- Performing a restore process can sometimes result in at least a temporary boost in volume. To perform a restore, Connect your iPhone to your Mac or PC and, in iTunes, click the Restore button under the Summary tab. Restoring the phone will erase contacts, calendars, photos and other data on the phone, but will restore automatically backed-up information including text messages, notes, call history, contact favorites, sound settings, widget settings, etc.
- You can use the included stereo headset or a Bluetooth headset, which will usually result in higher volume for phone calls, but does nothing to address the problem at its core.
It appears that this is a problem afflicting specific iPhones rather than one endemic to every unit (though some readers have received replacement models that exhibit similarly low volume).
It’s also highly unlikely that this is simply a matter of personal taste or individual hearing deficiency. We’ve received far too many reports from readers who directly compare their iPhones against other handsets, finding the former to be unacceptably quiet.
Here’s a smattering of the reader testimony we’ve received:
- “(Dear Apple): What about addressing the real problems — such as the ringer being way too low, the speakerphone being practically unusable due to pathetically low volume, — just to name two obvious ones that everyone who has an iPhone complains about?”
- “This is a big problem - how can a fix be expedited?”
- “The iPhone sounds way too low for text messages and voice mail alerts.”
Apple’s Discussion baords continue to be flooded with similar complaints. This thread harbors laments such as:
- “I have the volume cranked on the phone and I still can’t hear anyone on the other line.”
- “So i got the iPhone yesterday….couldn’t hear anything and took it back to the store. The genius was really surprised at how low the sound was coming through the phone even though the volume was all the way up. They gave me a brand new one, and guess what, same problem.”
- “Speakerphone volume on my phone is definitely too low. I had a razr before and am used to being able to sit phone in lap or on console while talking hands-free. I’ve replaced my first iPhone, but new phone is the same.”
So far Apple’s statements on the subject have been almost insolently facile. Knowledge Base document #305689 states: “Sound from receiver is muffled or too low: Make sure the receiver is over your ear. Move it around until it is in a spot that produces the clearest sound.”
At this point, short of returning your too-quiet iPhone to Apple (assuming it’s accepted), the only options are to hope for a firmware update that boosts sound output on a broad scale — not altogether unlikely, since Apple has modified the volume of Macs with software/firmware updates — or use one of the aforementioned workarounds.
Feedback? info@iphoneatlas.com.
Print This Post
11 Comments
Posted by kingblind
10 August 2007 @ 5pm
Yes, But WHEN are they going to do anything about the volume.. My god.. This is taking WAY too long.
Posted by halverg
10 August 2007 @ 6pm
The 1.0.1 update fixed the volume problems on my iPhone.
Posted by pwsloss1
10 August 2007 @ 7pm
Proximity of the speaker and microphone at the same end of the handset will lead to feedback if the speaker gain is too high. This may be considered a basic design flaw, with the only viable solution in hands-free use being a BlueTooth earpiece. In that mode, the user can hit the Sleep button and blank the display backlight and save a lot of battery in the process. I have found that custom ringtones with boosted gain help make incoming calls more apparent (and intrusive). The PC App “RingToneMaker” from efiko.com makes addition of new rings easy, although you still can’t change some of the defaults for other functional noises yet. The only inconvenience there is switching between OS-X and Vista via BootCamp on my laptop. On either platform, you can adjust the audio gain on any sound .mp3 or .wav file in an app like the freeware Audacity.
Posted by tsfreedman
11 August 2007 @ 5am
I use the included headset and have no problem with the volume. As for the speaker in the device, it is no worse, IMHO, than the one I had in my Treo. The Treo had to be positioned exactly right or you couldn’t hear a thing. I resorted to using a headset with the Treo as well.
Posted by mfoto
11 August 2007 @ 6am
my iPhone volume has been superb since I bought it on June 29th - when I use the included headphones with the phone or the ipod I need to lower the volume to the middle because it is too loud… a check should be done to see if the iPhones with volume problems all come from the same ‘batch’…
Posted by spammdecoy
11 August 2007 @ 6am
The main issue with the iPhone volume (in my opinion) is the volume of the external speaker on the bottom of the unit. This speaker is used for the speakerphone, ringer, music, voicemail, and email and SMS alerts. The volume of the headset speaker (if positioned properly over your ear) and earphones appear to be adequate.
Contrary to reports here and on other sites, performing a restore DOES NOTHING to fix or change this issue nor does the software update 1.0.1. The variation in reports, IMO, is solely due to differences in user’s perception. Recently I visited three apple stores in my area (Chicagoland) and compared external speaker volumes on all of their display phones (20-30 display units at each store). To my surprise, the speaker volume on ALL of the display units was virtually identical to each other and identical to mine - and was LOW. There were *very slight* variations of volume levels among these units, but the differences were barely perceptible weren’t significant enough to identify certain units as “faulty” and others as “normal”.
When I inquired with my local genius about the speaker volume level, I was told that the “14-day limit” was passed, and that I could not get a new unit, but they did offer to have my unit sent in for “repair” (I thought that the 14-day timeframe referred to my ability to return the phone for a refund and cancel my account but it has now been co-opted by Apple as the limit for getting a replacement unit). I declined.
I am of the opinion that the volume of the ringer, voicemail, and eMail/SMS alerts could definitely be increased via a software update. The proximity to the microphone is not an issue for these sounds since the microphone isn’t even active while the phone is ringing or playing voicemails and alerts (thus no feedback issues). However, the speakerphone volume may be another issue. It may be up as high as it can go considering proximity to the microphone, and may actual require reengineering of the unit to fix.
Currently I am waiting for a software update that will fix the the volume of the ringer, voicemail, and eMail/SMS alerts. If one does not arrive soon, I am reluctantly considering altering (hacking) my iPhone to upload some louder ringtones and alerts, although this is a last resort.
Apple knows about this issue and definitely could and should issue a software update to boost the aforementioned volume levels. As for the speakerphone volume, I would hold my breath.
PS. Where is the ringtone that is used in all the Apple iPhone commercials??? I would like to have at least one ringtone available (other than Old Phone) that sounds like an actual phone and not like other ambient noises.
Posted by docholaday
12 August 2007 @ 12pm
I’ve had no problem with volume on my iPhone. But I *would* like to assign different sounds to the various alerts [voice mail, text msg, etc].
Posted by MAC_1984
13 August 2007 @ 8am
This is a first-run, first-generation iPhone…it is pretty darn good even given these caveats. The third generation iPhones’ should be outstanding!
Posted by thomasgreco
21 August 2007 @ 9pm
Having had a definitive SPEAKERPHONE low volume problem a week or so after buying the iphone, I discovered that the 23 tiny SPEAKER HOLES at the bottom left of the phoned were PLUGGED UP!
I very carefully cleaned them out with a fine Pin, being careful not to put the pin in too far and puncture the internal speaker within. I repeat - do this at your own risk - carefully!!!
Well, for me, IT WORKED and immediately the volume was significantly increased. I now clean those holes about once a week as I suspect that normal grime from my hand is either occluding the holes or the moisture picked up from my palm is causing dust or debris to get stuck in them.
Let me know if anyone else has success with this. Dare I say it might be an Apple design defect? Kind of kidding because I love Apple stuff, but as much as I love the phone, I do find the volume issues disappointing.
Posted by hanhookie305
22 September 2007 @ 7pm
I agree. Way too soft. Ridiculously soft. Why oh why place a microphone right next to the speaker? Obviously there are not any audio savvy humans over @ apple anywhere. This is an obvious recipe for feedback. The Genius of apple…. amazing.
At any rate, the system sounds are suuuuper weak (in quality and perceived loudness), So I made them louder… I also made some other ringtones and system sounds as well. All of them are way loud so you can actually hear some sort of alert coming from your iphone. Hope you enjoy.
http://iphonesounds.googlepages.com/home
Posted by dogwonder
18 December 2007 @ 5am
My speaker phone is still useless. This is the 4th iphone I have used since “I Day” and none have had usable speaker phone volume. The recent update changed nothing. This faulty design is pathetic for any major company, let alone apple. Whether it is software or hardware, they should have a recall and fix the lame phones.