Are the iPhone 5 buttons weak?

merrickdrfc · Jan 10, 2013, 01:19 PM

Purchased my iPhone 5 (32 GB, White) in early November last year, had absolutely no problems with it, loved using it. Came to about 2 weeks ago and the lock button started playing up, only slightly, but this worsened as it always does and it eventually became unusable around last weekend so I booked into a genius appointment on Monday.

Went to the appointment, got my phone replaced no questions asked. And now I sit here 3 days later with a phone that I want to throw against a wall. This time, the home button has stopped working all together. This wasn't a gradual problem, worked fine one minute and then not at all after. I've got another genius appointment tomorrow for my mac, so going to see what they say tomorrow, will be asking for a refund if they do not replace it. Trekked to my nearest Apple Store 3 times the last week for genius appointments, really not amused!

Has anybody else had any problems with the buttons on the iPhone 5 or have I just been unlucky?

aerok · Jan 10, 2013, 01:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by merrickdrfc

Purchased my iPhone 5 (32 GB, White) in early November last year, had absolutely no problems with it, loved using it. Came to about 2 weeks ago and the lock button started playing up, only slightly, but this worsened as it always does and it eventually became unusable around last weekend so I booked into a genius appointment on Monday.

Went to the appointment, got my phone replaced no questions asked. And now I sit here 3 days later with a phone that I want to throw against a wall. This time, the home button has stopped working all together. This wasn't a gradual problem, worked fine one minute and then not at all after. I've got another genius appointment tomorrow for my mac, so going to see what they say tomorrow, will be asking for a refund if they do not replace it. Trekked to my nearest Apple Store 3 times the last week for genius appointments, really not amused!

Has anybody else had any problems with the buttons on the iPhone 5 or have I just been unlucky?

First time I hear of this for an iPhone 5, I had the same issues with my iPhone 4 in the past.

ericg301 · Jan 10, 2013, 01:48 PM

I literally just got back from replacing my iPhone 5 for a broken wake/sleep button.

Ntombi · Jan 10, 2013, 02:55 PM

I haven't had a problem with it, and I haven't heard of anyone else having trouble either.

Minhimalism · Jan 10, 2013, 03:06 PM

Two of the past iPhone 5s I've had prior to replacement had power/lock buttons that were sunk in. They literally were sunk in to the phone. Then the last one had a home button that would only press on the left side, the right side was jammed. On my fourth replacement now and the phone is flawless, finally. Really not what I expected a $750 phone to put me through.

uscmba02 · Jan 10, 2013, 03:13 PM

Got a new iPhone 5 today from apple. Lock button gradually quit working. First I had to push it at an angle to get it to lock, then it quit working completely.

On the upside, Apple was great. Sent me another phone in 2 days.

Menel · Jan 10, 2013, 04:05 PM

Yea, I had to have mine warrantied.

Seen a lot of problems with sleep/wake button on forums.

chumawumba · Jan 10, 2013, 04:22 PM

JoeG4 · Jan 10, 2013, 04:27 PM

If it makes you feel any better, this is a pretty common problem with smartphones in general. It's kinda ironic considering they have just one or two buttons to function, and yet somehow they screw that up anyway. xD

The power and home buttons on smartphones should be extremely durable and made to outlast the phone, not some piece of junk. Sorry to hear you had to deal with that, and unfortunately nobody yet makes phones with good power buttons.

zamudiovsky · Jan 10, 2013, 10:24 PM

I got mine replaced for the lock button too.
It gradually stopped working until it just wouldn't do anything, got it replaced no questions asked!

SomeDudeAsking · Jan 10, 2013, 10:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoeG4

If it makes you feel any better, this is a pretty common problem with smartphones in general. It's kinda ironic considering they have just one or two buttons to function, and yet somehow they screw that up anyway. xD

The power and home buttons on smartphones should be extremely durable and made to outlast the phone, not some piece of junk. Sorry to hear you had to deal with that, and unfortunately nobody yet makes phones with good power buttons.

That's dishonest what you said. It's not a general smartphone issue, it is poor design and workmanship by Apple. It is common knowledge on this forum that the iPhone buttons fail very easily, something not seen commonly in other phones. There are lots of threads here that pop up every week about failed iPhone buttons.

androcathr · Jan 10, 2013, 11:53 PM

I haven't heard of anyone else having trouble either.[img]http://www.**********/a13.jpg[/img]

itzAstonish · Jan 11, 2013, 01:18 AM

Got one on Craigslist with the lock problem. Saw three people in line that day with the same problem, so it doesn't seem to be uncommon. Thankfully apple offers great customer service

JoeG4 · Jan 11, 2013, 03:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SomeDudeAsking

That's dishonest what you said. It's not a general smartphone issue, it is poor design and workmanship by Apple. It is common knowledge on this forum that the iPhone buttons fail very easily, something not seen commonly in other phones. There are lots of threads here that pop up every week about failed iPhone buttons.

Hang out at xda or search google for broken power button. It happens a lot on all kinds of smartphones, which is really screwed up. I also agree it's unacceptable, and that was the tone of my post actually.

decafjava · Jan 11, 2013, 07:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoeG4

Hang out at xda or search google for broken power button. It happens a lot on all kinds of smartphones, which is really screwed up. I also agree it's unacceptable, and that was the tone of my post actually.

Ignore him, this "Dude" takes every opportunity to trash Apple (and this is a problem for them as you indicated) and play up the competition even when they have the same problem.

tstathakis · Jan 11, 2013, 08:52 AM

OP I had the same issue, the power button just randomly started acting up. Like most said before, get a Genius appointment and get it switched out. I just did this yesterday and they swapped it no questions asked.

bsmith4832 · Jan 11, 2013, 09:57 AM

Stumbled on this thread because just this morning my Sleep/Wake button started acting up.

Worked 100% flawless since launch day, then randomly this morning if I press on the right side of the button, nothing happens. Left half of the button works fine.

These are the times when I'm glad Apple is always pretty good with warranty issues.

I've had Home button issues with multiple iP4's in the past... I'm not that worked up about it... they get used hard.

Sir Ruben · Jan 11, 2013, 11:18 AM

Same here, launch day phone, perfect condition, Sleep/Wake button has started not responding and is getting gradually worse.

Funny how these threads have started to pop up now.

Have a genius appointment on Monday. Saying that if the Sleep/Wake button fails every few months that means I'll keep getting a mint condition replacement every so often. Great for resale value IPHONE 5 ONLY 2MONTHS OLD!

maxosx · Jan 11, 2013, 11:23 AM

IPhone 5:

Excellent buttons, even better phone.

That's my experience

merrickdrfc · Jan 15, 2013, 04:47 PM

Just to say the genius took one look after hearing my story and replaced the phone, he did however tell me that they now repair home button issues on the 5.

Got a flawless replacement with both buttons behaving up to now. Absolutely love the phone except for the issues I had.

ElectroGeo · Jan 17, 2013, 12:43 AM

My iPhone 5 started having this problem about a month ago. Got it on release day. Left side of button works fine and the middle to right doesn't work at all. Should I get it replaced or should I wait until they fix the issues with the refurbs too?

Or have they fixed this hardware problem already on the newer models?

greaneto · Jan 17, 2013, 01:37 AM

Lock button gradually quit working.

JoeG4 · Jan 17, 2013, 02:43 AM

Yea, I kinda like the idea of them fixing them. If you have an otherwise flawless phone, that's ok.. I dunno about the 5, but the 4 unscrewed apart. Does the 5?

When my first Note 2's power button stopped working I REALLY wanted to just replace the button since the phone was great otherwise, but since it was so new I didn't want to do that...

kinda wish I had now lol.

Jan 10, 2013, 01:19 PM	#1
merrickdrfc macrumors regular Join Date: Jan 2011	Are the iPhone 5 buttons weak? Purchased my iPhone 5 (32 GB, White) in early November last year, had absolutely no problems with it, loved using it. Came to about 2 weeks ago and the lock button started playing up, only slightly, but this worsened as it always does and it eventually became unusable around last weekend so I booked into a genius appointment on Monday. Went to the appointment, got my phone replaced no questions asked. And now I sit here 3 days later with a phone that I want to throw against a wall. This time, the home button has stopped working all together. This wasn't a gradual problem, worked fine one minute and then not at all after. I've got another genius appointment tomorrow for my mac, so going to see what they say tomorrow, will be asking for a refund if they do not replace it. Trekked to my nearest Apple Store 3 times the last week for genius appointments, really not amused! Has anybody else had any problems with the buttons on the iPhone 5 or have I just been unlucky? __________________ Help to support the worlds last flying Avro Vulcan! XH558 for iOS
	0

Jan 10, 2013, 02:55 PM	#4
Ntombi macrumors 68020 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Bostonian exiled in SoCal	I haven't had a problem with it, and I haven't heard of anyone else having trouble either. __________________ 2.53 GHz 13" MacBook Pro iPod Classic 64GB Black iPhone 5 Switching to AT&T? PM me for a $25 gift card!
	0

Jan 10, 2013, 03:06 PM	#5
Minhimalism macrumors 6502a Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Texas	Two of the past iPhone 5s I've had prior to replacement had power/lock buttons that were sunk in. They literally were sunk in to the phone. Then the last one had a home button that would only press on the left side, the right side was jammed. On my fourth replacement now and the phone is flawless, finally. Really not what I expected a $750 phone to put me through. __________________ White iPhone 5 iOS 6.1 (T-Mobile) Twitter Instagram Flickr deviantART
	0

Jan 10, 2013, 04:05 PM	#7
Menel macrumors 68020 Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Atlanta	Yea, I had to have mine warrantied. Seen a lot of problems with sleep/wake button on forums. __________________ iPhone 5 AT&T, iPad (3rd gen), iPod Nano (4th gen), AppleTV (2nd gen), iTunes Match
	0

Jan 10, 2013, 04:22 PM	#8
chumawumba macrumors regular Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: In a box	Attached Thumbnails
	0

Jan 10, 2013, 01:48 PM	#3
ericg301 macrumors 6502 Join Date: Jun 2010	I literally just got back from replacing my iPhone 5 for a broken wake/sleep button.
	1

Jan 10, 2013, 03:13 PM	#6
uscmba02 macrumors newbie Join Date: Mar 2012	Got a new iPhone 5 today from apple. Lock button gradually quit working. First I had to push it at an angle to get it to lock, then it quit working completely. On the upside, Apple was great. Sent me another phone in 2 days.
	0

Jan 10, 2013, 04:27 PM	#9
JoeG4 In Time-Out Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Bay Area, Ca.	If it makes you feel any better, this is a pretty common problem with smartphones in general. It's kinda ironic considering they have just one or two buttons to function, and yet somehow they screw that up anyway. xD The power and home buttons on smartphones should be extremely durable and made to outlast the phone, not some piece of junk. Sorry to hear you had to deal with that, and unfortunately nobody yet makes phones with good power buttons.
	0

Jan 10, 2013, 10:24 PM	#10
zamudiovsky macrumors member Join Date: Sep 2012	I got mine replaced for the lock button too. It gradually stopped working until it just wouldn't do anything, got it replaced no questions asked!
	0

Jan 10, 2013, 11:53 PM	#12
androcathr macrumors newbie Join Date: Jan 2013	I haven't heard of anyone else having trouble either.[img]http://www.**********/a13.jpg[/img]
	1

Jan 11, 2013, 01:18 AM	#13
itzAstonish macrumors member Join Date: Dec 2012	Got one on Craigslist with the lock problem. Saw three people in line that day with the same problem, so it doesn't seem to be uncommon. Thankfully apple offers great customer service
	0

Jan 11, 2013, 08:52 AM	#16
tstathakis macrumors newbie Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Atlanta, Ga	OP I had the same issue, the power button just randomly started acting up. Like most said before, get a Genius appointment and get it switched out. I just did this yesterday and they swapped it no questions asked. __________________ iPhone 5 32GB Black/Slate, iPad 2, 21.5'' iMac 2.5 GHz Intel Core i5, Apple TV
	0

Jan 11, 2013, 09:57 AM	#17
bsmith4832 macrumors member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: SouthEast PA, USA	Stumbled on this thread because just this morning my Sleep/Wake button started acting up. Worked 100% flawless since launch day, then randomly this morning if I press on the right side of the button, nothing happens. Left half of the button works fine. These are the times when I'm glad Apple is always pretty good with warranty issues. I've had Home button issues with multiple iP4's in the past... I'm not that worked up about it... they get used hard.
	0

Jan 11, 2013, 11:18 AM	#18
Sir Ruben macrumors 6502a Join Date: Jul 2010	Same here, launch day phone, perfect condition, Sleep/Wake button has started not responding and is getting gradually worse. Funny how these threads have started to pop up now. Have a genius appointment on Monday. Saying that if the Sleep/Wake button fails every few months that means I'll keep getting a mint condition replacement every so often. Great for resale value IPHONE 5 ONLY 2MONTHS OLD! __________________ iPad (3rd Gen, 16GB, WiFi, White) iPhone 5 (16GB, White & Silver) Mac Mini (2012) Apple TV (2nd Gen) Samsung Galaxy S4 My Flickr
	0

Jan 11, 2013, 11:23 AM	#19
maxosx macrumors 68000 Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Southern California	IPhone 5: Excellent buttons, even better phone. That's my experience
	0

Jan 15, 2013, 04:47 PM	#20
merrickdrfc Thread Starter macrumors regular Join Date: Jan 2011	Just to say the genius took one look after hearing my story and replaced the phone, he did however tell me that they now repair home button issues on the 5. Got a flawless replacement with both buttons behaving up to now. Absolutely love the phone except for the issues I had.
	0

Jan 17, 2013, 12:43 AM	#21
ElectroGeo macrumors newbie Join Date: Dec 2012	My iPhone 5 started having this problem about a month ago. Got it on release day. Left side of button works fine and the middle to right doesn't work at all. Should I get it replaced or should I wait until they fix the issues with the refurbs too? Or have they fixed this hardware problem already on the newer models?
	0

Jan 17, 2013, 01:37 AM	#22
greaneto macrumors newbie Join Date: Jan 2013	Lock button gradually quit working.
	0

Jan 17, 2013, 02:43 AM	#23
JoeG4 In Time-Out Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Bay Area, Ca.	Yea, I kinda like the idea of them fixing them. If you have an otherwise flawless phone, that's ok.. I dunno about the 5, but the 4 unscrewed apart. Does the 5? When my first Note 2's power button stopped working I REALLY wanted to just replace the button since the phone was great otherwise, but since it was so new I didn't want to do that... kinda wish I had now lol.
	0

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode