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Clicking Sound of Back Glass

Hexiii

Hexiii

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jun 30, 2011
1,113
373
Prague, Czech Republic
So I have got the 4S for almost 4 months now and this morning I have noticed a clicking sound when I touched the back of the phone. It sometimes clicks when I tap the area about 1 cm southwest from the "iPhone" text - around the SIM tray . But sometimes it doesn't make the sound; it's like I have to wait until the glass is back into its previous position and then you can hear few clicks and than again nothing. Should I return the phone or is it common?
 
I have/had* the same issue with my 4. Don't recall the exact location of the click though.


* Until I dropped it and it landed flat on it's back and smashed!
 
Hexiii said:
So I have got the 4S for almost 4 months now and this morning I have noticed a clicking sound when I touched the back of the phone. It sometimes clicks when I tap the area about 1 cm southwest from the "iPhone" text - around the SIM tray . But sometimes it doesn't make the sound; it's like I have to wait until the glass is back into its previous position and then you can hear few clicks and than again nothing. Should I return the phone or is it common?
Click to expand...

Tapping the back almost anywhere will cause the autofocus lens in the camera to shift slightly and make a click noise. It's a part with physical movement (which is how the variable focus is achieved)
 
dccorona said:
Tapping the back almost anywhere will cause the autofocus lens in the camera to shift slightly and make a click noise. It's a part with physical movement (which is how the variable focus is achieved)
Click to expand...

^^^This^^^

This was well discussed when the 4S first came out. Many even had their 4S replaced but they all were the same.
 
dccorona said:
Tapping the back almost anywhere will cause the autofocus lens in the camera to shift slightly and make a click noise. It's a part with physical movement (which is how the variable focus is achieved)
Click to expand...

Are you sure? This is just the small area around the SIM tray and it does kind of have the feeling of flexing.
 
I noticed this with mine and exchanged it. The new one did not click.

----------

Generally speaking, it's possible Apple's quality control is not as it used to be. I suppose it's understandably so given how many more units they are producing nowadays.

With the exception of the new iPad, my iPhone did creak before I exchanged it, and my Macbook Air creaks like no tomorrow. I've switched Airs too, and had the Genius tighten the screws, but the creaking/clicking inevitably came back.
 
onthecouchagain said:
I noticed this with mine and exchanged it. The new one did not click.

----------

Generally speaking, it's possible Apple's quality control is not as it used to be. I suppose it's understandably so given how many more units they are producing nowadays.

With the exception of the new iPad, my iPhone did creak before I exchanged it, and my Macbook Air creaks like no tomorrow. I've switched Airs too, and had the Genius tighten the screws, but the creaking/clicking inevitably came back.
Click to expand...


Well since there is no official Apple store in Czech Republic (just some resellers) I bought the phone from Vodafone so I can't just walk in the Apple store and ask the geniuses what is wrong with the phone. So I wanted to make sure that this is an inperpefction of the phone.
 
Was this a problem with the 4? Apple must have slightly changed the design inside wise from the 4 to 4s. Or just a manufacturing error.
 
I had the same problem. Put a small piece of tape over the battery and it went away. Seems like there was some flex room between the battery and the back glass.
 
Hexiii said:
Are you sure? This is just the small area around the SIM tray and it does kind of have the feeling of flexing.
Click to expand...

If your pushing the glass hard enough that you can actually feel it flexing... that is your whole problem.
 
For the record, my clicking and creaking sound was not from intentionally pushing the back glass; it was from merely picking up the phone off the table, or typing on the device. I could hear it as it was being used.
 
RafaelT said:
If your pushing the glass hard enough that you can actually feel it flexing... that is your whole problem.
Click to expand...

You don't have to be that mean. Obviously I am not pushing it that hard, it clicks when you just tap slightly harder than normal touch on the display.

And I am sorry, my English is not the native language so it's hard to describe the click when touched - I didn't mean flexing, but I can't find the word for that.
 
It's completely normal, all the iPhones in my family have a rattle when you tap near the camera, and I checked my old iPhone 4 and it does it too
 
The clicking/rattling sound you hear is the silver metal band around the camera moving ever so slightly. It's completely normal and happens on virtually all iPhones.
 
I have the same issue and it is not the camera lens. It still happens without actually tapping. If I put my finger on the back and slowly depress, I can hear it click. So the lens is not rattling.
 
chrisu91 said:
I have the same issue and it is not the camera lens. It still happens without actually tapping. If I put my finger on the back and slowly depress, I can hear it click. So the lens is not rattling.
Click to expand...


Yup. This was exactly the issue I had.

Again, this can be heard from normal use. I exchanged, and was done with it.
 
rbkhockey83 said:
It's completely normal, all the iPhones in my family have a rattle when you tap near the camera, and I checked my old iPhone 4 and it does it too
Click to expand...

Prof. said:
The clicking/rattling sound you hear is the silver metal band around the camera moving ever so slightly. It's completely normal and happens on virtually all iPhones.
Click to expand...

I am almost 100% sure, that it's not the camera.
 
Hexiii said:
Are you sure? This is just the small area around the SIM tray and it does kind of have the feeling of flexing.
Click to expand...

I'm inclined to say it's in your head, but if you are sure there is flexing going on, then something is VERY wrong. A phone built of steel and glass shouldn't have any flex to it at all.

Personally, I get the clicking when I tap by the SIM tray. But I also get it when I tap by the camera, and the top right corner.
 
I had this problem on my old 4S, i'd click the bottom corner (on the same side of the camera) I would ever so slightly press and there was a click, almost like the back glass had'nt got adhesive on on that particular area, since my 4S got replaced (battery issues) i've not had the problem
 
My iPhone 4 did this too and it only got worse over time. There are two main causes, either one of the screws were loose at the bottom or the back glass warped because of heat. My iPhone got so bad because it was a combination of the two.
 
This is definitely NOT normal. It just started happening to my 4s as well and I've had it since the launch. Seems to be getting worse with time. Hate to have to take it in, but it's getting pretty annoying and louder. As has been said before, it happens with even very light pressure, such as typing or just picking up the phone. It does "go away" sometimes, which is weird, but it always comes right back.
 
If you have this problem:

Hit it with this repeatedly until the clicking stops.
bodlien-hammer1.jpg
 
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