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iPhone 5 power/lock button loose and rattling?

DDustiNN

DDustiNN

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Jan 27, 2011
2,618
1,622
My lock button is loose and rattles back and forth if I shake the phone slightly. I noticed the rattling when I got a text messages, from the vibration. I thought it was the camera shutter, but it's definitely the power button.

Is anyone else's like that? My iPhone 4 power button is completely solid, while this one has some wiggle room it seems.

Just wondering if it's something I need to live with, or if I should go to the Apple store this weekend....
 
Last edited:
Mine and many many iPhone4's also have the sleep/wake button rattle.
 
Mine being loose was about the first thing I noticed about my iPhone 5. The lock button on my 4S is super tight. I don't think it's going to be an issue, but I'll keep an eye on it.
 
That was the first thing I noticed when I set my phone down, I heard a rattle. After holding various buttons down I found that the power button is the culprit. If I shake the phone it sounds like a small piece is loose inside, but it's just the power button. I'm going to talk to Apple once the launch chaos dies down.
 
Photoblaster said:
That was the first thing I noticed when I set my phone down, I heard a rattle. After holding various buttons down I found that the power button is the culprit. If I shake the phone it sounds like a small piece is loose inside, but it's just the power button. I'm going to talk to Apple once the launch chaos dies down.
Click to expand...

Are you sure it's not the camera? The moving parts (focus mechanism) inside the iPhone4S camera are known to rattle a bit.
 
CausticPuppy said:
Are you sure it's not the camera? The moving parts (focus mechanism) inside the iPhone4S camera are known to rattle a bit.
Click to expand...

That was my first thought too, since my iPhone 4 camera rattles a tiny bit. So I put my finger over the button, shook, and no noise at all. Let go of the button, shook, rattle.

It's not a big deal I guess, but I really liked how solid the button felt on my 4.
 
I noticed the rattle as well and thought i was alone!
It feels like there is a tiny metal thing loose inside!
 
My 4S's sleep wake button is extremely loose, but GUESS WHAT?? My phone works flawlessly!!!
 
I noticed it too. I hold it down, no rattle. Now when I put it up to my ear, I hear it until it's against my ear. If I wasn't aware of it I probably wouldn't mind but it pi$$es me off because I hear it every time now. I'm sure my mind will learn to ignore it. I'll checkout other phones at the Apple Store next week and then decide if I want to go through setup again.
 
Mine does the same thing. Even my volume rockers are a bit loose. I don't mind personally, as long as it falling out or failing to work is never a concern.
 
I have the rattle as well. I believe it's the device used to vibrate the phone. See the iFixIt teardown for more details.

I've had it on other phones. Not optimal but doesn't bother me. :)
 
Hmmmm this will be an issue for me... I'm still on the fence about the google nexus or the iP5... The google doesn't have GPS blah blah blah, and I thoroughly enjoy apple iOS... BUT, reading some of the complaints on macrumors is making me 2nd guess my big purchase... I am going to wait a few months, hopefully they will update the model with making tighter buttons... Kinda like they did with the 4 when it first came out...

What do you think?
 
Yeah mine seems to be a bit loose too, got mine from the UK, like you say might be worth checking out a few other peoples phones to see if theres is the same.
 
bump.

my black ip5 has a loose/rattling power button, as does my roommate's.

i also noticed it on every single display ip5 at my local apple store..

i can hear and feel the button rattle when i get a notification and my ip4 most DEFINITELY did not have this issue.

im surprised more people haven't noticed this.. and when i demonstrated the issue to a local apple genius, one of the first things he said was that he can't swap my phone out for this issue if most of the phones do this.

i think they now know that the vast majority of iphones have this problem and they're now just going to pass it off as 'normal.'

in my mind, this issue is far more annoying and problematic than the scuffing issue.
 
I called up Apple and asked them about this. Apparently it's the auto focus or something in it.
 
Puevlo said:
I called up Apple and asked them about this. Apparently it's the auto focus or something in it.
Click to expand...

Interesting that Apple has caught on... I called about the exact same thing 1 year ago on my 4s and they told me it definately should not make a noise and to send it back.

...all of them on display did it too.
 
Lens Cover

It's the crystal camera lens cover. I placed my finger on the crystal cover and no more rattle. It's part of the design.
 
The lock button is a bit loose on my iPhone 5, but quite solid on my iPhone 4.
 
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