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It is NOT the sleep/wake button. The Sleep/Wake button issue on the iPhone 4 was confirmed because when you rattled the iPhone 4 with the button held down, the rattle wouldn't be there. Now on the 4S, whether or not I hold the button down, the rattle is still there. SO ANNOYING!!!

Source: It happened to me when I had my iPhone 4 and I returned it to the the Apple Store for one that did not have a rattling in the button.
 
It is NOT the sleep/wake button. The Sleep/Wake button issue on the iPhone 4 was confirmed because when you rattled the iPhone 4 with the button held down, the rattle wouldn't be there. Now on the 4S, whether or not I hold the button down, the rattle is still there. SO ANNOYING!!!

Source: It happened to me when I had my iPhone 4 and I returned it to the the Apple Store for one that did not have a rattling in the button.

It is the sleep/wake button. It's directly above the camera, what do you expect if you're tapping the camera? Let's all move on with our lives.
 
Genius heard mine, despite the high level of noise in the crowded store. Gave me a new replacement.

Got home, shook the phone & it was even louder than the one I took in. Fed up with this, and not planning on keeping it, I drilled a very, very tiny hole in the back on the side (used a jewelers drill), being extremely careful not to penetrate the case any more than possible .

Used some very high quality low viscosity silicone, injected with a surgical needle. Cavity filled, noise gone. Perfect. It's been two days now, phone works perfectly. No ill effects on camera. Problem solved.
 
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Wanted to chime in that mine has this rattle when I tap the area close to the camera lens. Rattle remains if I hold the mute switch.
 
Mine doesn't rattle at all.

Again, we are not saying ALL people have it, just the vast majority. From my experience, well over 90% have it. There is obviously variation in manufacturing from one phone to the next but if you were to get a replacement, there is a good chance it will have it.

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Genius heard mine, despite the high level of noise in the crowded store. Gave me a new replacement.

Got home, shook the phone & it was even louder than the one I took in. Fed up with this, and not planning on keeping it, I drilled a very, very tiny hole in the back on the side (used a jewelers drill), being extremely careful not to penetrate the case any more than possible .

Used some very high quality low viscosity silicone, injected with a surgical needle. Cavity filled, noise gone. Perfect. It's been two days now, phone works perfectly. No ill effects on camera. Problem solved.

Umm...what?!

This phone has a new camera and auto-focus so I think it just makes more noise than the last phone. People will get used to it but it is normal. I doubt the Apple Store geniuses have actually taken the time to investigate the fact that most of them make the sound. If 19/20 have the rattle sound, how many replacements will you statistically have to go through to be happy?

When OCD decreases, phone enjoyment increases.
 
You mean to say you went to three Apple Stores and rattled all their display iPhones into your ear?

Don't you have a job?

You mean to say you are assuming:

a) I did this all within a day or two
b) I do this between the hours of 8-5.

I have compared over the course of a week and a half and I live within a couple miles of 2 Apple stores. I did these comparisons after I got off of work.

Kind of idiotic of you to assume otherwise.
 
Kind of idiotic of you to assume otherwise.

No more idiotic than saying that a handful of display units delivered to 2 stores within a couple of miles of eachother are a large enough sampling to attach the words "majority" and "90%" to.
 
No more idiotic than saying that a handful of display units delivered to 2 stores within a couple of miles of eachother are a large enough sampling to attach the words "majority" and "90%" to.

I hardly consider 20 units from 3 stores (3rd store is 20 miles away) a "handful." What sampling do you have to counter what I have seen? Exactly. It is easy to sit there and play a whiny skeptic and just keep trying to challenge my observations when you have absolutely none of your own.

Let's not forget the huge amount of people on multiple forums (including this one) verifying the presence of the rattle. Being blind and stupid is a bad combination. Please don't tell me you are now throwing ignorance into the mix...:rolleyes:
 
You DRILLED your iphone? Please... Pics are going to be needed to back that one up.
Read the post again, said I don't plan on keeping it.

Just tried this for the fun of it. There's nothing big enough or heavy enough inside the phone to justify this truly loud rattle. I'm not the least bit OCD. Yet I am very curious. It's only a phone.

Don't believe it? I don't care.

"Pics or it didn't happen" is the most juvenile crap I've ever read, over & over, only in this forum.
 
I hardly consider 20 units from 3 stores (3rd store is 20 miles away) a "handful."

Let's not forget the huge amount of people on multiple forums (including this one) verifying the presence of the rattle. Being blind and stupid is a bad combination. Please don't tell me you are now throwing ignorance into the mix...:rolleyes:

The point is not whether there's a rattle. For the record, mine has a slight rattle if I tap it.

The point is rather, to question the methods by which random people come up with random statistics and random assumptions, instilling random fear into even more random people, clogging these already overclogged boards with even more random fear and hearsay.

20 phones is 0.0005% of 4 million phones sold (even more by now). Even if 1000 different people complained of a rattle on macrumors and apple.com combined (which I bet they haven't), that's still only 0.025% of 4 million phones.

Not saying there's no rattle. Not saying it doesn't possibly affect a lot of people. But I am saying, you don't know if it's a 51% majority or not, plain and simple, and you definitely don't know if it's 90%.

What if it's an anomaly affecting only the first 400,000 units produced? That's a lot of phones, but it's still only 10%.
 
The point is not whether there's a rattle. For the record, mine has a slight rattle if I tap it.

The point is rather, to question the methods by which random people come up with random statistics and random assumptions, instilling random fear into even more random people, clogging these already overclogged boards with even more random fear and hearsay.

20 phones is 0.0005% of 4 million phones sold (even more by now). Even if 1000 different people complained of a rattle on macrumors and apple.com combined (which I bet they haven't), that's still only 0.025% of 4 million phones.

Not saying there's no rattle. Not saying it doesn't possibly affect a lot of people. But I am saying, you don't know if it's a 51% majority or not, plain and simple, and you definitely don't know if it's 90%.

What if it's an anomaly affecting only the first 400,000 units produced? That's a lot of phones, but it's still only 10%.

We can argue about statistical sampling until the cows come home but the bottom line is that I have a bit more of a basis to make conclusions than you. I am not publishing a scientific article; just presenting the percentage that I have seen coupled with other people's input online and in multiple forums.

I don't need to calculate out a number to convince who to see what I have seen but personally I know it constitutes a "majority." Keep in mind that you are a random person using random logic to challenge what I have seen.

I visited 3 stores. Is that a random number? I picked up and tested roughly 6-7 units in each store. Is that a random number? I verified that rattle was present in all but 1 or 2 phones. Is that a random number? I think your argument to try and dethrone my findings is the most random thing here.

If it was an anomaly affecting only xxx,xxx units then there wouldn't be people also pointing it out and mentioning it about every other iPhone released before this one especially the iPhone 4 (closest in design).

Your point to challenge what I have found out is noteworthy but let's be honest, none of us are making calculations and none of what I have found to be true is random. These are numbers and statistics based on why I have PERSONALLY experienced and although the sample is not large enough to slap a label on the entire run of these phones, it is enough to at least come to a general conclusion about it not being an isolated issue by any means. Instilling doubt is a lot easier than instilling fact. You are proving that.

At the end of the day, all you do is keep raising doubt to what I have seen. I could go to 100 stores and sample 500 units and you could still come right back with your same argument. Does that negate any of the research/findings I have made? No. It just shows that a skeptic can always play blind and be a skeptic. Let's not also forget to read the Apple discussion boards and sift through the numerous owners also reporting the presence of the rattle and it being "normal."
 
I have it to on my White 32 GB 4S with AT&T, but the lens does not feel loose, I wonder what is causing that rattle, now do not know if I should return it to Apple before Friday, or get a Genius appointment, Hummm?

Anyone return it or go in for a Genius appointment, what did Apple say???
 
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I have it to on my White 32 GB 4S with AT&T, but the lens does not feel loose, I wonder what is causing that rattle, now do not know if I should return it to Apple before Friday, or get a Genius appointment, Hummm?

Anyone return it or go in for a Genius appointment, what did Apple say???

I haven't witnessed or documented every single person's return situation to validate these claims (as mcdj would point out)...

But from what I read on this board, the people that got it swapped have the same rattle on their replacement. It is sometimes louder, sometimes quieter.
 
I have it to on my White 32 GB 4S with AT&T, but the lens does not feel loose, I wonder what is causing that rattle, now do not know if I should return it to Apple before Friday, or get a Genius appointment, Hummm?

Anyone return it or go in for a Genius appointment, what did Apple say???

I am not one of those to throw out the use the search button, but when you are asking a question that is answered 3 times in the one thread you are posting in, and countless in other threads, it is easy to conclude you are looking for others to do ALL the work for you.
 
I have it to on my White 32 GB 4S with AT&T, but the lens does not feel loose, I wonder what is causing that rattle, now do not know if I should return it to Apple before Friday, or get a Genius appointment, Hummm?

Anyone return it or go in for a Genius appointment, what did Apple say???

I do a lot of business with the Apple store just two miles from home. So the only point is, I know most of the employees & managers. They are very nice as compared to some of the more egotistical employees in the five other Apple stores in my area.

I purposely brought mine in mid afternoon when the are less busy. The lead genius & store manager both took some time with the phone. They simply replaced it and when I asked they were tight lipped & said they didn't know what it was.

I suspect that although they're prevented from sharing, that they called in about my phone. Without coming right out and saying it, I got the feeling they have a fair amount of these coming in.
 
I noticed the rattle on my 4s.
It doesn't rattle when it's in my hand or if I shake it, but when I set it down (like drop it from 5 inches onto my bed or pillow) I can hear a slight rattle.

I initially thought it was the sleep/wake switch as I read how this was an issue with the 4.

But after this thread, I can confirm that it is coming from the vicinity of the camera lens.
 
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Maybe replacing the back cover will fix this?
 
O...M...G... I am so happy I joined macrumors. It makes for very amusing bedtime reading on the iPad. I thought howardforums and redflagdeals were good enough, but the sheer eboullience of the posters here DOES beat all!!!:D:D:D
 
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