iPhone 5 rattling noise [MERGED]

I have this really bad on mine, my Fiancee's also has it but its less pronounced. When I simply set the phone down there is a loud audible "tacky tack" sound. My fiancee doesnt have it just from setting it down, but if you tap the top of the phone you hear the same.

My question is - is this effecting the camera performance in anyway? I can deal with this rattle (it is annoying) as long as I know I am having no adverse effects from it.

Cali3350 said:

I have this really bad on mine, my Fiancee's also has it but its less pronounced. When I simply set the phone down there is a loud audible "tacky tack" sound. My fiancee doesnt have it just from setting it down, but if you tap the top of the phone you hear the same.

My question is - is this effecting the camera performance in anyway? I can deal with this rattle (it is annoying) as long as I know I am having no adverse effects from it.

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My personal opinion is no, it's not having an adverse effect. I think time is the only thing that will tell. The fact that every single 4s that I put my hands on (haven't had my hands on any 5s yet) has done it, tells me that if it were going to cause a long-term issue, we would have seen/heard of it by now. Even the 4 (with less internal lenses) did it to some degree, just not as bad.

Camera auto focus. My 3Gs and 4S did the same thing. Also check the display models at the store, they all probably do the same thing.

My power button and camera both rattle if I tap or shake it. My iPhone 4 did the same thing. I wouldn't care if this was the only issue I had with the phone.

After trying all of the above solutions myne still rattles and its basically the whole top half of the phone not just near the camera as I first thought.

pretty much every phone out will rattle in the camera if u tap it near it. This comes up every year now. Started in the 3GS and is a problem every year for some

I've been with iPhone since the first one. Never had this problem until my 5. It is quite annoying.

Every iPhone I have owned since the 3GS, which was the first with autofocus, have done this. If you never noticed it on yours, you either didn't notice it or your autofocus didn't work correctly.

Pooliekaty said:

After trying all of the above solutions myne still rattles and its basically the whole top half of the phone not just near the camera as I first thought.

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well, unfortunately there's no solution for a design implication.

ive tryed turning on camera ... holding buttons down etc, still there ...

tbh id love to know if its anything major ... dont really wanna go thru the hassle of going the genius bar etc ...

Called apple about the problem and they are sending me out a new one, they seemed quite surprised at the problem as if they hadn't heard about it before, as I said before myne is the full top half.

zildMacjian said:

ive tryed turning on camera ... holding buttons down etc, still there ...

tbh id love to know if its anything major ... dont really wanna go thru the hassle of going the genius bar etc ...

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My 4s has been doing it for over a year now and has had zero problems with the camera or pictures or phone.

zildMacjian said:

thats what a few said, my 4 never had that problem

p.s as for the scuffs etc, ive looked at mine in a light and its seems ok.

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I was a rattle denier previously, but now I can hear it by the camera on my 4S. It is a very quiet/faint rattle. Anything more than that is likely
a defect.

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darngooddesign said:

Every iPhone I have owned since the 3GS, which was the first with autofocus, have done this. If you never noticed it on yours, you either didn't notice it or your autofocus didn't work correctly.

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I just find it shocking that it took until the 3rd iPhone for something as basic as autofocus to come out. Shakes head.

Upon reading the OP I shook my phone. The only rattle is coming from the top. I placed my finger on the power button and shook again. No rattle. It's was fairly obvious what caused it.

kas23 said:

I was a rattle denier previously, but now I can hear it by the camera on my 4S. It is a very quiet/faint rattle. Anything more than that is likely
a defect.

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Also keep in mind though that the sleep/wake button sits just above the camera and can also cause a very similar rattle. These two things combined can sound worse from phone-to-phone but are likely still within spec.

Are you guys trying to exchange your rattling phones? I just realized mine is rattling also

aquadisiac said:

Are you guys trying to exchange your rattling phones? I just realized mine is rattling also

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Mine and my wife's are both rattling. Debating trying to exchange.

FotoPhocus said:

Mine and my wife's are both rattling. Debating trying to exchange.

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Just set up a genius appointment for this evening. i will have to shake every phone they bring out for me.

My white iPhone 5 is completely silent when I shake it, in any direction. Why is it some have this rattle noise and others don't? Seems like if it was normal, mine would also be rattling.

aquadisiac said:

Are you guys trying to exchange your rattling phones? I just realized mine is rattling also

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still about 55/45 on return/keep for me...

I'll wait till two co-workers get theirs and see how they are compared to mine.

Reasons to keep (in no particular order):
-- The hastle of returning/exchanging.
-- Your chances of getting one 100% rattle-free are zero. (flame away but go play with some 4s and 5 modles in a store) It may decrese in audibility but it will NOT go away.
-- The camera was designed with a floating lens for auto-focus. This makes the sound "normal" to some degree.
-- everything else about the phone is perfect (black anodizing, screen, etc).
-- returning opens up the door for another more critical defect.
-- Based on my experience, the camera rattle has zero impact on usability of the camera. My 4s has the rattle (to a lesser degree) and has been fully functional for over a year with no signs of degredation.
-- I have an applecare + warranty so if something happens down the line, I can exchange (but it'll cost me $50).


Reasons to exchange (also in no particular order):
-- It is an $850 device and perfection is somewhat expected. On the same token, it's a mass-produced product and some variance is expected.
-- It's annoying to ME because I notice it (nobody else seems to even notice).
-- I KNOW there are other phones out there that don't rattle as much as mine (like my 4s) but will still rattle a tad.
-- Since it's not just my camera but ever-so-slight play in my sleep/wake button, I wonder if the button will hold up for 2 years.

I've still got a week or so to decide...

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Ahonen said:

My white iPhone 5 is completely silent when I shake it, in any direction. Why is it some have this rattle noise and others don't? Seems like if it was normal, mine would also be rattling.

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shaking it should not cause the rattle. To reproduce:

Hold phone vertical.
Place your finger just below the camera lens on the back.
Hold phone up to your ear.
Tap finger on the back.

Again, shaking it should NOT produce an audible sound from the lens. On mine, shaking it VOILENTLY will cause a tiny sound that is muted when I lightly touch the sleep/wake. That's how I know my sleep/wake jiggles a smidge too.

my home button is rattling when shaken and the camera lens also rattles when tapped.

aquadisiac said:

my home button is rattling when shaken and the camera lens also rattles when tapped.

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sorry to be a stickler... do you mean "HOME" button as in the round button at the bottom of the phone or do you mean "sleep/wake" as in the button that sits on top of the phone?

The HOME button at the bottom should be firm from my experience. I've seen more loose sleep/wake buttons however.

Probably the motor.

The rattling on mine is the power button. Hold it and it stops unless i shake the phone violently like im 'special'

The other rattling is probably the VIBRATION motor.

It's bound to make some noise if you shake it. This thread is crazy.

If your old phone didn't well the iphone 5 has a different of motor.

On a side note, i always disable the motor as vibrations are bound to cause issues with things coming loose in the phone or any electronics for that matter

crunchie said:

the rattling on mine is the power button. Hold it and it stops unless i shake the phone violently like im 'special'

the other rattling is probably the vibration motor.

It's bound to make some noise if you shake it. This thread is crazy.

If your old phone didn't well the iphone 5 has a different of motor.

On a side note, i always disable the motor as vibrations are bound to cause issues with things coming loose in the phone or any electronics for that matter

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thiss!!!

Leonard1818 said:

To reproduce:

Hold phone vertical.
Place your finger just below the camera lens on the back.
Hold phone up to your ear.
Tap finger on the back.

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I just did this test on mine, and all I hear is the power button. I place a finger on the power button and do the test, and no rattle at all.