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iPhone 5s accelerometer/gyroscope/compass values incorrect
- Thread starter tharepairguy
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Replacement
My first 5S showed -6 on a level surface. Factory C3, week 37.
But it had a much worse problem: The accelerometer reported constant motion. If I zeroed the compass, it would slowly drift to -1, -2, -3, and so on at the rate of about 3 degrees per minute. If I pointed "Star Walk" at the sky, the sky would continue to move in the direction of the Home button (i.e., as if I was slowly turning in a circle -- with the direction determined by whether I had the Home button on the left or right).
Restore and setup as new had no effect. So I took it to the genius bar on Wednesday. They confirmed the problem and swapped it for a "plain box" replacement 5S. It does NOT have the constant motion problem. (Yay!)
My replacement 5S reports -2 on a level surface. Factory DN, week 35.
My wife's 5S also reports -2 on a level surface. Factory F2, week 38.
My first 5S showed -6 on a level surface. Factory C3, week 37.
But it had a much worse problem: The accelerometer reported constant motion. If I zeroed the compass, it would slowly drift to -1, -2, -3, and so on at the rate of about 3 degrees per minute. If I pointed "Star Walk" at the sky, the sky would continue to move in the direction of the Home button (i.e., as if I was slowly turning in a circle -- with the direction determined by whether I had the Home button on the left or right).
Restore and setup as new had no effect. So I took it to the genius bar on Wednesday. They confirmed the problem and swapped it for a "plain box" replacement 5S. It does NOT have the constant motion problem. (Yay!)
My replacement 5S reports -2 on a level surface. Factory DN, week 35.
My wife's 5S also reports -2 on a level surface. Factory F2, week 38.
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Just a heads up I returned 3 phones, all being 2 degrees off!!!! I was finally able to get customer care to direct me to an engineer. They are looking into the problem and have no time frame for when this will be fixed. So don't bother returning your phone because more then likely it will have the same problem. I will keep you all posted when I get more info. They would not let me know if this is a software issue or hardware.
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Also when I was at the 5th ave store I looked at the display 5s phones 9/10 phones showed any where from 2degrees to5 degrees off. One 16gig space gray was perfect.
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Also when I was at the 5th ave store I looked at the display 5s phones 9/10 phones showed any where from 2degrees to5 degrees off. One 16gig space gray was perfect.
It could be fixed by software via calibration but not sure how they will do it. My bet is they will fix something at the factory and silently replace them unless this makes much bigger news.
Hang in there I am sure it will get fixed eventually.
Hang in there I am sure it will get fixed eventually.
Just tested the level on my phone and its -1 deg. Dont' really have a legit Compass to test that out.
As an electrician I use this feature a lot . It also effects games that use the gyroscope.
You may not use the app but many other apps use the gyroscope which appears to be the problem here as other apps are affected too.
I actually use it a lot, via the "Star Walk" astronomy app.
Even -2 degrees off is annoying (but not catastrophic) as when you hold the phone up the horizon is noticably tilted. To get the horizon straight (relative to the display), you have to move one end of the phone about 5-6mm (almost 1/4 inch) higher than the other. Otherwise, it looks like the horizon is "uphill" because it is 1/4" higher at one edge than the other.
My first 5S was -6 degrees off. To get the horizon straight with that one, I had to hold one end of the phone about 14mm (over 1/2") higher than the other to get the horizon straight.
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Oh man...THAT explains it. I tried using my Star Walk app after upgrading to iOS7 and I could NOT get the horizon to work right and for things to align. Drove me crazy so I quit the app and thought it was just me.
I really hope Apple acknowledges this and finds a real remedy.
Hey Jets fan, were you there on Tuesday??? I think I was in front of you and tried to give you the spot but they wouldn't allow us to swap spots.
When they offered you the replacement phones, did it come out of those "plain-box"??
Thanks
I put my 5s and a 5, both running ios7, on my bed, about eight inches apart, and lined them up against a book spine. Compass heading was exactly the same, and there was a 1 degree delta on the level (well, it IS a bed...). These devices do give off electromagnetic radiation, so if you have them close they will affect each other's magnetometer, as well as any other electronic devices which may be nearby.
I don't know, man. One of the phone's advertising points was the motion processor. It's a bit like saying that the camera doesn't work well, and that if you wanted a photo, you should get a camera.
iPhone 4
Laying flat: -1
On left side:-1
On right side: 0
On top side: -1
On bottom side: -1
iPhone 5s
Laying flat: -1
On left side: -1
On right side: -1
On top side: 0
On bottom side: -1
This way done in the middle of my computer desk. No idea if that's perfectly flat though.
Edit: Another test but on a wood floor.
iPhone 4
Laying flat: -1
On left side: 1
On right side: 1
On top side: 1
On bottom side: 1
iPhone 5s
Laying flat: -2
On left side: 2
On right side: -1
On top side: 0
On bottom side: 1
Laying flat: -1
On left side:-1
On right side: 0
On top side: -1
On bottom side: -1
iPhone 5s
Laying flat: -1
On left side: -1
On right side: -1
On top side: 0
On bottom side: -1
This way done in the middle of my computer desk. No idea if that's perfectly flat though.
Edit: Another test but on a wood floor.
iPhone 4
Laying flat: -1
On left side: 1
On right side: 1
On top side: 1
On bottom side: 1
iPhone 5s
Laying flat: -2
On left side: 2
On right side: -1
On top side: 0
On bottom side: 1
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To those with Gyro issues..
Ive not got my 5S yet, but just wondering for everyone with gyro issues, can you post your device details?
Factory / Week etc...
Also some of those who dont have any issues, maybe see if its a bad batch from a particular factory.
This link will help find your info, just pop in your serial number
http://www.chipmunk.nl/klantenservice/applemodel.html
Ive not got my 5S yet, but just wondering for everyone with gyro issues, can you post your device details?
Factory / Week etc...
Also some of those who dont have any issues, maybe see if its a bad batch from a particular factory.
This link will help find your info, just pop in your serial number
http://www.chipmunk.nl/klantenservice/applemodel.html
Oh man...THAT explains it. I tried using my Star Walk app after upgrading to iOS7 and I could NOT get the horizon to work right and for things to align. Drove me crazy so I quit the app and thought it was just me.
I really hope Apple acknowledges this and finds a real remedy.
this appears to be more of a hardware thing with the 5S not an ios 7 thing. Updating the OS should not have affected you unless there are other issues going on.
I may be going nuts here...but after finding some old threads where people with 3GS's complained they were off after updates...I tried a DFU restore and upgrade to 7.0.2. My gyro still isn't correct but it went from reading -4 to -3 on the same table in the same position.
Is it possible it is initialized during a restore and the periodic recalibration the engineers attempted isn't working like it should? And yes, I'm positive it is in the exact same position. My 5 reads 0 on the table and I can visually see the 5S is off but its better than it was. It was sitting level but on its side during the restore.
Can anyone else try this and confirm?
Edit: Also, for those with compasses that are off, you can apparently do the old figure-8 unprompted with the compass app open and it will correct at least large errors. I messed mine up with a magnet and then tried and it worked. The two phones do throw each other off though so you can't place them too close when comparing.
Is it possible it is initialized during a restore and the periodic recalibration the engineers attempted isn't working like it should? And yes, I'm positive it is in the exact same position. My 5 reads 0 on the table and I can visually see the 5S is off but its better than it was. It was sitting level but on its side during the restore.
Can anyone else try this and confirm?
Edit: Also, for those with compasses that are off, you can apparently do the old figure-8 unprompted with the compass app open and it will correct at least large errors. I messed mine up with a magnet and then tried and it worked. The two phones do throw each other off though so you can't place them too close when comparing.
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iPhone 5s compass/accelerometer is a joke, if you ask me. It's the only major flaw in the device
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Which one is right? I have no idea .
All I know is, the -6 degree iPhone 5s is mine, and it's impossible to play accelerometer-based games. The -1 degree is a new iPhone 5s picked up today. The -4 degree 5s is my wife's, picked up the same day as mine.
BEFORE anyone says anything, those results are the same whether the phones are next to each other OR NOT!!!
If they are reading the same without being next to each other, its because they are calibrated off (once they are placed next to each other, they are off). You can do this yourself with a magnet. Do the old figure-8 motion on each with the compass app open and then get a reading on each without placing side by side.
I tried a full restore and no effect. Im still thinking this is some sort of factory calibration issue. The circuits boards and tolerances are very tight on the 5S like the 5 and maybe only a very very small 5's had this issue. Most of the 5S's have this issue. For the ones off 6 degrees it would have to be a pretty crooked chip board if it is hardware. The only other variable could be the motion chip.
What is interesting is you used to do a figure 8 to calibrate the compass which I still do after the circle. The ball going around the circle is controlled by the accelerometer/gyro on how you tilt the phone. I wonder if Apple can somehow use this method to help level the phone. buy doing it several times and taking an average (I tried this many times and nothing changed). Maybe that method is supposed to calibrate the compass and accelerometer/gyro but Apple forgot to set something in the software.
For the compass I recommend people do the figure 8 after the circle and test it away from other devices etc. Do not compare them side by side etc.
What is interesting is you used to do a figure 8 to calibrate the compass which I still do after the circle. The ball going around the circle is controlled by the accelerometer/gyro on how you tilt the phone. I wonder if Apple can somehow use this method to help level the phone. buy doing it several times and taking an average (I tried this many times and nothing changed). Maybe that method is supposed to calibrate the compass and accelerometer/gyro but Apple forgot to set something in the software.
For the compass I recommend people do the figure 8 after the circle and test it away from other devices etc. Do not compare them side by side etc.
Im pretty certain the erase didn't fix it. I tried it with a couple of devices and so have others with no change.