Proximity sensor conclusion?

I think that a dirty phone screen might contribute to the problem. Also, Apple takes a REALLY long time to come up with a software patch. Look at 4.0.1. I have a feeling that it's a software issue that only comes up when the screen is sufficiently dirty or under some condition that might interfere with the operation of the PS.

 

I put a Case-mate Tough Case, along with the screen shield that can with it, on mine and I didn't get any of the normal proximity sensor issues I usually get. I know one day doesn't prove anything, so I will wait and see.

 

Apple mentioned they would patch it with the next firmware update during the antennagate keynote.

 

I've relegated my iPhone 4 to a secondary device. Promoted my Android X to primary position, and will wait till the next new iPhone is released. Then I will sit back and wait to see if Apple was able to recover and build the new one properly.

 

Think it's a software thing. I'm no programmer, but I'm sure you can re-programme the sensitivity of the PS.

EG (just making this up )


if: proxsens var
{
>250
}
screendim



etc XD

 

I tried to have my phone replaced for PS issues yesterday and got no where. I made a Genius appt. and talked to the guy. He told me that it's a "software issue that affects some of the phones." And since it's not a hardware issue, they can't do anything about it and told me to wait for the software update to come out.

My question is this: How does a "software" issue that's in EVERY iPhone only effect "some" of the hardware?

Makes no sense to me.

 

Just like how not everyone experiences every issue with other pieces of software.

Certain problems only happen when you do certain things.

In this case, the proximity sensor issue has been attributed to a combination of issues - ambient light intensity (in the room), position the phone is being held, length of call etc.

 

My wife and I picked up our IP4s two days ago, so far no proximity sensor issues.

 

Give it time...

 

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (Linux; U; Android 2.1-update1; en-us; SGH-T959 Build/ECLAIR) AppleWebKit/530.17 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile Safari/530.17)

Mine is about three weeks old and still no issues. Maybe there are multiple vendors or different batches of manufacturing that's causing issues for some and none for others. I think mine is little insensitive and doesn't wake up quick enough.

 

I haven't had any proximity sensor problems since launch...until yesterday when I DTFM'd someone and then hung up on them on accident.

I definitely think its software.

 

As a former programmer, I can say that I believe it's completely a software issue. Hardware like sensors are built to accept ranges of values to accommodate different hardware configurations in different devices. It's not as if they are hard coded to sense at X distance, and timeout at X seconds, etc. Those are all parameters that can be changed, assigned, depending on what the phone is doing. The fix could be as simple as a timeout adjustment. For example, if after sensing a movement it thinks is removing from the ear, allow for X seconds to turn the screen back on. Then if before X is complete, if it senses it's back on your head, it abandons it's countdown before it comes back on. These values are probably fractions of seconds, so the if the timeout were adjusted higher, the only difference would be when removed from your ear, the screen might come back on 1/2 second later or something like that. Which would be no issue.

In any case, there's a lot of scenarios of code adjustment like the one above that could be made to keep this from happening. There's probably multiple coding solutions to this issue, and Apple is probably deciding on the best approach. I'm also sure that any change they make to code, everything needs to be checked and rechecked a lot to make sure they didn't inadvertently introduce some other issues as a result of the changes.

After all that long-winded junk above, hopefully they release it soon. I don't have my iPhone yet, but when I do have it, I hope the fix is right around the corner if not out already.

 

My proximity sensor problems don't occur ALL the time but they occur often enough that it's extremely irritating. I nearly conferenced my dad on with my boss a few days ago, and I've face-muted more people than I care to think about. Oh, and it's happened in nearly all ambient-light levels as well--the corner I'm sitting in right now is very dim because all of the bulbs in my overhead light fixture have burned out and the replacements blow out in like a day so I just gave up (moving in a month anyway) and it's happened probably half a dozen times here, and I also face-muted someone out in a parking lot last weekend when it was full-on sun without a cloud in the sky. Nearly all instances have happened when I'm trying to multitask and am holding the phone between my cheek and shoulder, so I try not to do that anymore, but I should be able to do more than 1 thing at a time when using the phone, dammit.

I'm waiting for the jailbreak so I'm not updating, so I'll be stuck with prox sensor issues for a while after the software update anyway. I'm getting used to it, but it still pisses me off.

 

Phone #1 had a bad PS issue. I managed to get #2 through Applecare & local store. #2 had no issues for over two hours of calls, and I concluded that it was almost certainly a hardware QC issue. Since then I have had two or three issues, primarily on longer calls. I guess we'll all have to wait for 4.1.

 

I've never had the issue until today. Was on the phone (with Applecare ironically enough) and did the head/shoulder wedge move while I was throwing some pants on. I was talking to someone and all the sudden, nothing. I looked down and the call had been hung up. Once in a month ain't bad, but it's annoying after I spent 6-7 minutes on hold.

 

But if they replied to this thread before yesterday both of these guys would have said" I Dont Have The PS Issue" !!!

I think we all have it just some dont use the phone the way most others do and havent really experienced it yet!

If its not software then they will replace my phone with a new one when 4.1 comes out and it doesnt fit it!

If the promised "Next Software Update" doesnt fix this issue then I will replace my phone a million times till they give me one that works perfect!