Posted on 07/01/2010 9:10:32 AM PDT by PugetSoundSoldier
I'm having an issue with the Proximity Sensor not properly detecting when i'm holding my phone to my ear. I can confirm that the iPhone sensor is working by covering it with my finger, but when held to my face, the screen blinks as if it cannot decide to disable the screen or enable it. It results on me hanging up, putting calls on mute, and dialing numbers accidentally while i'm on the phone. This occurs on 90% of my calls. Is anyone else experiencing this issue. I would like to confirm whether this is a software issue (Proximity Sensor sensitivity too low) or a design issue (sensor now placed towards the end of the phone).
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39 pages (and counting) in this support thread, lots of folks getting hit with this problem.
(Excerpt) Read more at discussions.apple.com ...
marked for reference.
Thanks guys for the tips about Android and WinMo solutions! I hope Apple exposes an API to adjust the sensitivity (if it’s not already exposed) so some apps can be created to allow users to adjust as needed.
Thanks guys for the tips about Android and WinMo solutions! I hope Apple exposes an API to adjust the sensitivity (if it’s not already exposed) so some apps can be created to allow users to adjust as needed.
Notice that results vary. Droid customers were the ones complaining about sideburns, long hair, phone position and shoulder calling messing with the sensor. But it doesn't happen to everybody. With a million+ phones you have a lot of room for varability of a lot of different factors.
It’s Apple’s self-righteous attitude towards the problem. Apple blames the USERS for holding the phone wrong, even when the USER owned previous iPhones and didn’t have the problem.
HTC didn't fix any proximity sensor "problems" either. Guess what, sometimes what you do differently than others that causes you problems can't always be compensated for by the manufacturer.
The issue is that people, including you, have much higher expectations for Apple than for other manufacturers. Some of the higher expectation is deserved, since Apple does tend to do more innovative stuff than the others, and puts a lot of care into the design and manufacturing of the products. But that doesn't mean Apple or Apple products are perfect.
But I’m just a hater, like those hundreds of people in the Apple Support Forum.
Do you have an iPhone 4 that is acting up on you? You seem to be an HTC EVO fan, so why don't you post entire threads about the faulty grounding on the HTC EVO 4G causing the touch screen to register touches inconsistently, or the glass of the touch screen starting to fall off the case?
Why did you stay away from the thread about Sprint bricking EVO phones with an update? At least instead of just trashing a platform it did have the usefulness of warning any EVO owners here not to accept the update until any issues are worked out.
I bought one of the first macs. Then the fat mac. Then the mac II.
The tenor of their customer support and their attitude toward customers is emblematic of the type of company they try to be: Product Excellent.
Product Excellent disciplines are companies that have version five of a product in prototype as they release version one. You can’t have that attitude and actually care about the customer. Caring for the customer is part of the Customer Intimate discipline. Comcast aspires to Customer Intimate, and in some parts of the country they do very well at it.
Notice that with an Apple product nowadays, you can’t change the battery. It’s sealed. This isn’t a ‘long-haul durability’ type product. You can take pretty much any model blackberry and make it work for years. There is, in most cases, little reason to upgrade to a newer BB that has to do with core functionality.
Apple depends upon you paying a premium for their release product, using it until its no longer fashionable, and then literally tossing the phone. Why make the battery accessible in that case?
What Apple’s trying to tell you bleeding-edgers is, “Wait six months and their will be an Iphone 4.1 that we’ll pimp you at a discount. Trade in the old one and we’ll give you a new one for $149.”
And most of you will do it, because you’re their demographic.
You can’t change the world with a Mac, or an Iphone for that matter - the platform doesn’t stick around long enough for you to do something like that.
Programmers are jumping from the Iphone because of their weird C-like language they still insist on.
Apple’s platforms are so short lived, Jobs has the temerity to tell third parties what apps they can and can’t sell for it.
Jobs is, and always will be, a despot. Lefties adore the guy. Show me a dictator, and I’ll show you millions of rich lefties ready to throw their panties at the guy.
I am neither a “hater” nor a fan. I have an iPhone 3GS and like it. It’s the only Apple product I own. The products should be judges on their merits, not their label. Having said that, it seems to me people are making too big a deal about these iPhone 4 issues. We have:
1) Reception problems when the phone is held a certain way *without a case*, when nearly everyone with an iPhone does in fact use a case.
2) Someone having problems with dialing when they squeeze the phone between their shoulder and their ear. Hmmm. Yeah, I’m sure that’s unique to the iPhone right there :-)
Much ado about nothing so far.
I do also, but probably for different reasons.
Don't take this as gospel, but when I was researching my HTC Droid proximity sensor problem, I seem to remember something about HTC and Apple using the same sensor, and that the sensor issues a simple "there" or "not there" indicator to the system, not a flow of sensor information that can be analyzed and compensated for.
Being purposely obtuse now? But now that you mention it, Microsoft probably wouldn't have released the failed Kin if that were the case.
And that sounds like a bit off topic and trolling. I thought you didn't like such posts.
The possibility that this supposed problem is because Apple rushed the iPhone 4 to market has been mentioned. This is a refutation.
That may be the case; however, since you can adjust the sensitivity on many HTC phones (I know my Touch Pro2, and for-q-clinton’s Tilt 2) that might not be the issue.
My guess is they are using a simple photodiode, and looking at the output to determine when to dim. Much like my screen will dim when I turn the lights out of the room, and gets brighter when I walk outside (backlight adjusts for ambient levels).
So hopefully it’s a quick software fix, and hopefully the API to adjust the backlight will be exposed for future developers.
My HTC phones with light sensor can tell me how much light is hitting the sensor. So my HTC phones have been adjustable.
Yes kin was a joke, but why are you trolling for kin comments? Is that the topic of this thread. Once again aren't you the one saying that posts such as yours should be pulled from the thread?
Or is that only when others posts similar things but counter to your views?
You have a little Hugo Chavez in you don't you?
Are you really trying to convince people (or yourself) that you’re just trying to help iphone 4 users? LOL!!
You have already proven by your previous posts on other threads that you’re on some childish crusade against Apple products and users.
You attacked others personally, recklessly and crudely, made posts that had to be removed by the moderator, told Swordmaker that his natural position was facing Steve Jobs on his knees, etc.
You’re more pathetic than the supposed “fanbois” (your spelling) that you attack. HINT: Most people who use the spelling “fanboi” are most likely fanboys themselves. Or pathetic, obsessed creatures who crusade for or against products, fanbases, etc.
Your obsession is creepy. Feel free to continue on your super nerd crusade if you must, I and others will continue reading...and laughing.
There may be some confusion here. There is an infrared sensor that registers triggered/not triggered based on proximity, and a separate ambient light sensor that registers the strength of light hitting it in order to control the brightness of the screen. If you use the light sensor to control proximity, as in lack of light means you have it up to your ear, you can probably imagine the problems you'd get relating to changing ambient light intensity during a call.
And you’re just now figuring this out? Read the intial post...it’s about light.
Absolutely. Apple has already dropped support for first generation iPhones and iTouches, which are less than 3 years old. You cannot get OS updates to cover security holes. In Apple-time, anything more than 12 months old is antiquated, anything more than 24 months old is obsolete, and anything more than 36 months old should already be dead and buried.
Programmers are jumping from the Iphone because of their weird C-like language they still insist on.
Objective C deserves to die quickly; I don't know anyone who would freely choose to use that abomination of a language.
More importantly, Apple should let developers use the language of their choice to create their applications. Free the developers, you free the innovation.
Read the previous post, it explains. It's not about backlight for brightness, it's about locking the screen to avoid inadvertent touch events.
My HTC Touch Pro2 does both - turns off the screen so it doesn’t blind you AND locks it so you cannot press buttons with your cheek.
I don’t think I ever had a post removed by the moderator; that was someone else.
However, thank you for your support, and your general lack of addressing the issue at hand: the failing nature of the proximity sensor for the iPhone 4 (something that worked in previous iPhones).
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