The power button (and to some extent volume buttons as well) does rattle, but the screen and sound quality and more importantly the overall finish are good. Given that there are so many which rattle, doesn't seem like its worth taking a chance replacing it and ending up with some other defect and keep on replacing without enjoying it.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Does anyone have an iPhone 5s that doesn't rattle?
- Thread starter cstm
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
The power button (and to some extent volume buttons as well) does rattle, but the screen and sound quality and more importantly the overall finish are good. Given that there are so many which rattle, doesn't seem like its worth taking a chance replacing it and ending up with some other defect and keep on replacing without enjoying it.
Got two 5s about a month after release. No rattle at all. Got a third as work phone no rattle. So there are phones that do not rattle.
Last edited:
At my work 5 of my friends have iPhone 5 work phones. Another 8 have the 5s and none of them rattle. My personal 5s is the only one of the 13 that rattles.
I'm going to keep mine for a while .... The defect doesn't affect my user experience in any way .... Maybe in 3-4 months I could return it to the Apple store to have a refurbished with a new battery 
I have an excuse to change my iPhone before warranty expires ....
I have an excuse to change my iPhone before warranty expires ....
I'm going to keep mine for a while .... The defect doesn't affect my user experience in any way .... Maybe in 3-4 months I could return it to the Apple store to have a refurbished with a new battery
I have an excuse to change my iPhone before warranty expires ....
Lol, that is my plan too
Bet your Apple Store is 'rattled' with you swapping out that many times.
Probably. My girlfriend's 5S is rock solid. So a non-rattling 5S does exist.. It's just not worth my time anymore. I've learned how to live with it.
This is the downside with forums.
Someone shakes their phone which is something they wouldn't do as a natural way to use the phone, and hears a rattle.
Puts it on a forum and then has the potential to go viral.
After coming across this thread I like others thought i'd shake mine just to see.
A faint rattle exists.
Thought, Oh yeah.
And moved on.
This is absolutely the case. Its not hard to work out so no more comments about the camera lens please! We are not dumb!
----------
Why don't you " close" yourself!..Disappear..leave this thread if it bothers you so much!? I think your cage is rattling mate! Should start a thread about it!
The "Touch ID" works too well. My 11-year-old daughter "hacked" me. She put my iPhone 5S on my thumb while I was asleep in my recliner. Then programmed her thumbprint into it. The next day she made a bet with me that she could beat Apple's Touch ID within one minute... Yep, I lost.
On my phone a pass code is needed to get into touch id. Also have restrictions pass code. Don't remember if I set up touch id pass code or iOS did it automatically.
Look at it this way, you could be walking down the street and have your iPhone snatched from your hands. The actor could then go in and change the password and whatever else. Of course that would be the least of your worries with the thief having access to the contents of the phone.
Last edited:
Did you need to replace it 8 times to realize ?!?
----------
I agree.
I would never shook my iPhone if it weren't for this thread ...
----------
In my case it doesn't seem to be the camera lens. The rattle is coming from somewhere below the power button.
Maybe it's non the defect. Maybe is the clip below the power button. But it isn't the camera lens.
On my 5s it's the power button on top. It has a very slight side to side movement and I can hear it tap each end as the phone is shaken. I don't think it is anything to be concerned about, at least in my case.
Yesterday I did a very funny research on my own. I checked the three Apple Stores of my town (actually two Apple Stores and a Premium Reseller with a big exposition) for any iPhone 5S they had exposed.
I'm speaking of about 40 iPhones , not a big number, but significantly higher than the average number of iPhones one could usually change before quit.
Well ALL OF THEM had the same identical rattle.
ALL.
I didn't search for production week of every one, but they had very different serial numbers and according to the Apple personnel all of them were very new (at least in one Apple Store they changed the displayed iPhones not later than one week ago with new units).
I really think this isn't a defect, but it just the way it's build, and who is claiming to have an iPhone 5S that doesn't rattle, well he's not paying the right attention to the sound (it's very very subtle) or .... he has a "defective" unit where the rattling component is somewhat stuck
I'm speaking of about 40 iPhones , not a big number, but significantly higher than the average number of iPhones one could usually change before quit.
Well ALL OF THEM had the same identical rattle.
ALL.
I didn't search for production week of every one, but they had very different serial numbers and according to the Apple personnel all of them were very new (at least in one Apple Store they changed the displayed iPhones not later than one week ago with new units).
I really think this isn't a defect, but it just the way it's build, and who is claiming to have an iPhone 5S that doesn't rattle, well he's not paying the right attention to the sound (it's very very subtle) or .... he has a "defective" unit where the rattling component is somewhat stuck
It's never been the buttons on any of my iPhones. If you hold the buttons and tap the Apple logo you still hear the rattle on all of them.
----------
Yesterday I did a very funny research on my own. I checked the three Apple Stores of my town (actually two Apple Stores and a Premium Reseller with a big exposition) for any iPhone 5S they had exposed.
I'm speaking of about 40 iPhones , not a big number, but significantly higher than the average number of iPhones one could usually change before quit.
Well ALL OF THEM had the same identical rattle.
ALL.
I didn't search for production week of every one, but they had very different serial numbers and according to the Apple personnel all of them were very new (at least in one Apple Store they changed the displayed iPhones not later than one week ago with new units).
I really think this isn't a defect, but it just the way it's build, and who is claiming to have an iPhone 5S that doesn't rattle, well he's not paying the right attention to the sound (it's very very subtle) or .... he has a "defective" unit where the rattling component is somewhat stuck
Yes, I started checking every iPhone I could get my hands on once I first noticed the rattle with my 4S, including those of friends who said theirs had no rattle and I have been able to make every single one rattle by tapping the Apple logo.
7 or 8 times?! Does a little rattle really bother you that much? Mine has a rattle, but I probably wouldn't have even noticed if not for this forum.
Mmmh, I think it's related only to iPhone 5s.
My previous iPhone 5 didn't rattle and I checked all the iPhone 5c displayed (about 25) and they didn't rattle at all
Ok...let me try and make this clearer! '~'... The phone has x2! rattles.. The 1st being a very subtle one which is the camera lens inside the phone.This is normal! I had this on my 4s!
The 2nd! Which is the one I am referring to! Is the rattle coming from the power button of which stops if you place your finger on it!! This I did not get on my 4s!
I hope this is clearer now!
----------
Im on my 3rd replacement and decided to keep it as my experience with apple (online and shop) with processing the replacements were a joke and rather stressful to say the least!
I have colleagues at work that have same rattles on their straight iphone 5 so its just one of those things. Nothing is perfect but the phone still does a good job with everything else.
Remember to look at how to reduce battery usage (on youtube best!) as they are very useful and im using much less unnecessary power now which adds to the enjoyment of owning one of these phones.