Saturday 26 June 2010

Bright spots, dead pixels, sim failures, inverted volume buttons and more...

      Just enriching our database with news of what might be the worst launch of a device in history. Not only in Apple's history but in the history of any electronic gadget ever made. If you're curious about the "and more" part I advise you to check some of the previous posts, as well as the feature check of iPhone 4 - obviously the 100 promised features where yet another shameless lie. So let's go!

Bright spots and dead pixels

        I warned you guys about this one in my article "The iPhone 4 screen - a multimedia flop?" a month before the release of this "magical" device. 
       Notice in these two pictures, firstly the background so you don't think it's a reflection and then the bright constellation - it consists out of the light leaking from the back panel through the dead pixels.
      Apple has pushed TFT technology too far, hence the bright spots as the screen isn't lit uniformly and the dead pixels generated by both capacitative technology and miniaturization required to double the resolution. If they hadn't been so cheap, Super AMOL
ED would have been the perfect answer. One single layer, instead of a sandwich that traps various chemical substances (yellow spots) and burns 50-60% more power.
Inverted volume buttons
    I'm quite sure somebody at Foxconn is having a healthy laugh right now. It looks like the volume buttons on some units have been "accidentally" swapped.










Multitasking issues and memory leaks

    It seems that among the other issues, iOS can't yet handle multitasking right. Some users complain of choppy and prolonged sound effects that can only be fixed by restarting the device.
    It's hard to say what causes the issue, but as it wasn't there in previous versions of the OS, it is most likely it has something to do with the constrained multitasking Apple is providing.



SIM card issues

    "No SIM card installed" seems to be a periodical issue that seems to plague customers randomly. We Do advise you to check the SIM's surface but in case you don't see a scratch or anything else, hurry up to get a replacement as some of the internal components of your iPhone might not be soldered properly.



Other issues:

  • Proximity Sensor doesn't detect your face: We've actually confirmed this ourselves on one or two of our own phones, accidentally dialing or hitting the mute button when in a call. We're not sure what the cause is, if the fact that they had to move the sensor from the original location to somewhere else to make room for the front camera, but it is acting up. [Everything iCafe]
  • Faulty microphones/voice cancellation: Some people can't be heard unless they switch to speakerphone or an external microphone
  • Camera not starting: Opening the Camera app shows a frozen lens, as if it doesn't open after it launches. Thread 1, Thread 2 and Macrumors
  • Users have also reported "dead on arrival" devices. Charging these units seems to have no effect and no matter what buttons you press and how long they won't start. Apple has also started being reluctant in replacing units so make sure it's not dropped or scratched or anything when you return it.
    • The yellow spots, antenna issues and the cheap glass that cracks just as easily as it scratches are described in previous posts 

    Do not bother getting a bumper, it's useless!

     

            Our readers have reported that not even the bumper case can alleviate the reception issue! Check the video below and notice how iPhone 4 loses all it's bars even with the "magical" bumper case on. Even if the bumper would provide a fix, the fact that it's not built in is completely wrong!
          I was still considering the iPhone 4 as I thought clear tape or maybe a full-body shield would fix this. Unfortunately as you can see, if that super thick ugly looking rubber band can't, nothing can.


             I advise you to check the device carefully upon purchasing. Also doing some research for issues on various apple forums is recommended. BE WARNED! some users, for some reason, deny various bugs and defects like the loss of signal. Note that the antenna malfunction is present in every single device but the signal strength indicator does not update instantly - don't let yourself tricked by this or clear tape insulation of the area and other shenanigans.
            If you find new issues please sound off below and let us know.
       Source: GSMArena.com, Gizmodo, Insanely Great Mac