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The odds of that surface being level aren't that great. Why makes you so sure that your wife's phone was correct? Maybe her phone is off and these two are within +\- 1 degree.

As mentioned earlier, my two old iPhone 5 devices read 0 degrees on the same desk. So we have 4 devices, 0, 0, -4, -6. The latter two being the 5s devices.

Something is clearly off.
 
Nope I checked it with the iphone 5 and ipad and they are 0 all the way around.
I'm just brainstorming here, as I don't yet have my 5s to test... If it changes when you rotate it, wouldn't that mean the table or whatever surface is not level? Or perhaps both the table and phone are a little off and the errors add together at the worst point and subtract from each in the opposite direction?
My dad (lifelong carpenter) always taught me to properly test a level at the store, check for level, turn it 180 and test again, because that will show if its the level that's off or the surface you're testing. If both times the right side is exactly 1/4" low then the surface is off and the level is accurate, even though it looks off.

I'm not saying there isn't an issue, just tossing this out there as a way to verify how much exactly it is off.
Obviously if it were only the table you'd go from 4 degrees to -4 degrees as it rotated.
 
As mentioned earlier, my two old iPhone 5 devices read 0 degrees on the same desk. So we have 4 devices, 0, 0, -4, -6. The latter two being the 5s devices.

Something is clearly off.

Sorry. Thought it was three readings total.
 
image.jpg
 
Errrmmm, how do you all know that the surface you are testing on is 100% level?

Plus, your cases can affect the result (as in they are not level).

I tested mine on my basement cement slab without a case...read -1°

Not satisfied with the basement slab, I proceeded to fill a large sauce pan with water. I then floated a large flat piece of circular Styrofoam on the water and placed the iPhone in the very center. Still reading -1°

Re-positioned the 5s several times and spun the styrofoam in the pan...still reading -1°
 
I tested mine on my basement cement slab without a case...read -1°

Not satisfied with the basement slab, I proceeded to fill a large sauce pan with water. I then floated a large flat piece of circular Styrofoam on the water and placed the iPhone in the very center. Still reading -1°

Re-positioned the 5s several times and spun the styrofoam in the pan...still reading -1°

Hardcore! Love it! :D
 
No this app only shows negative numbers.

rotate 180 and it reads -3?

Edit:
FYI, you don't need a level surface to check the LEVEL, for example, if the screen is facing you and it reads -4, you rotate it 180deg and the back facing you, it reads -2, the LEVEL is off by 1deg.
 
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My bad it is +3. I can even take it outside and align it with the ocean horizon and it's clearly 3 degrees off either way.

FedEx just arrived with the second 5s. I'll test it and report back.

rotate 180 and it reads -3?
 
How come EVERY iphone launch has something wrong?
Built with pinpoint precision my ARSE
 
My bad it is +3. I can even take it outside and align it with the ocean horizon and it's clearly 3 degrees off either way.

FedEx just arrived with the second 5s. I'll test it and report back.

If reading +3 and -3 on both side, that tells me the LEVEL is working correctly, but it does not match up with the horizon, I would said it is a software problem.
 
Hmmmmm. I worked on some equipment with a similar problem a few years ago...the cause...it wasn't correcting for the deviation in the earth's magnetic field, which changes based on your location.

My iPhone 5 reads slightly different (-1–2 degrees) depending on whether location services is turned on or off for the compass app. Just a shot in the dark but do you guys have it turned on?

Edit: Ok, it sometimes reads differently depending on whether its on or off...weird. And yes its in the exact same location/orientation.

Isn't this what the new M chip is supposed to be monitoring? I'm guessing it needs a software patch.

Edit 2: Also try turning off True North in the settings. Neither of these should affect the level but you never know.
 
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I got the second 5S from ATT today that wasn't supposed to ship until october. Instead of shipping it back I opened it up and tested. It is definitely better then the first one. As far as the horizon goes on both edges it is 0 vs 3 for the other. When I lay at flat its ranges -1 to -2 which is better then -1 to -4 on the other one. The most important accuracy to me is the horizon since I like to play flying games and use those night sky apps. Im restoring the backup now and will test some more.

Apple really dropped the ball on this. They should test and calibrate each phone before it leaves the factory so its not slanted.


IMG_0006.jpg
 
Considering some are not off, sounds like hardware not software since we are all running the same software I would guess.

Does anyone know exactly how this works, is there a hardware part that if not installed perfectly level with the case it will not be accurate?

I was always impressed with the accuracy of my 5.
 
Considering some are not off, sounds like hardware not software since we are all running the same software I would guess.

Does anyone know exactly how this works, is there a hardware part that if not installed perfectly level with the case it will not be accurate?

I was always impressed with the accuracy of my 5.

It could be any number of things, including a faulty initialization during installation or startup making the phone's position during either installation or start-up important. If it is a one-time calibration at the factory, the phone could have been off during. (e.g. that table wasn't flat)

The gyro itself is mounted on the board so its not mounted crooker or anything. The assembly could be off or faulty but I doubt it.
 
It could be any number of things, including a faulty initialization during installation or startup making the phone's position during either installation or start-up important. If it is a one-time calibration at the factory, the phone could have been off during. (e.g. that table wasn't flat)

The gyro itself is mounted on the board so its not mounted crooker or anything. The assembly could be off or faulty but I doubt it.

Right the gyro..
Hopefully it's just calibration and not assembly issue, I would hope they could recalibrate at the apple store, hate to go through exchanges when everything else is good.
 
I got the second 5S from ATT today that wasn't supposed to ship until october. Instead of shipping it back I opened it up and tested. It is definitely better then the first one. As far as the horizon goes on both edges it is 0 vs 3 for the other. When I lay at flat its ranges -1 to -2 which is better then -1 to -4 on the other one. The most important accuracy to me is the horizon since I like to play flying games and use those night sky apps. Im restoring the backup now and will test some more.

Apple really dropped the ball on this. They should test and calibrate each phone before it leaves the factory so its not slanted.


View attachment 435628

Apple buys it from whomever makes the sensor (STMicro?). typically the vendor does the calibration, and Apple will check a sample of each shipment to ensure they're in spec. that test is probably checking output voltages for a given input. if the samples clear then the whole shipment is moved into the manufacturing line, I doubt it's checked again when the phone is fully assembled. so either a software issue or something is interfering within the phone is my guess.
 
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