back to article More iPhone 4 angst: fanbois howl over head sensor

As they complain of yellow splotches, screen scratches, and left-hander discrimination, disillusioned fanbois are also howling over problems with the not-so-holy handset's proximity sensor. "I'm having an issue with the Proximity Sensor not properly detecting when i'm holding my phone to my ear," says one user in a post to the …

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    CyberSub

    "My wife and I both have the same exact problem with out phones."

    1. archengel46
      Thumb Up

      You

      beat me to it.

      I say: "Without phones they shouldn't have any problems at all!"

  2. Jemma
    FAIL

    In the style of the simpsons...

    Ha Ha!

    -or-

    Screen $30

    Processor $15

    Assorted bits and pieces $ 70

    Paying twice that in mark up & gullibility led profiteering...? Priceless...

    1. Richard Cartledge
      Thumb Down

      markup

      Here in Europe, you can buy it without a contract for $732. A 635% markup!

      1. Alastair 7

        Argh

        I do hate this recent trend of throwing around stripped down component prices as absolute fact.

        I'm no Apple defender, but you're not factoring research and development, marketing, support staffing, actual profit (it's the reason they make them, you know) etc. etc.

        1. Charlie Clark Silver badge
          Headmaster

          Some basic economics

          1) those component prices are facts. Or, to be totally correct - it is fact that those are the prices of those components.

          2) the cost price of an object is the cost to produce a new one. R&D, etc. are important but not when calculating the cost* though I'm not sure about the severance payments made to the relatives of terminated Foxconn employees.

          So, it's stonkingly good business for Apple and all credit to them for creating such demand. And while it's an impressive profit margin it's still way off what you can charge for luxury goods. Probably just as well now that other companies are producing equivalent hardware for significantly less.

          * Low-value products like cola may include advertising in cost, because without it no one would pay a premium price.

          1. The Indomitable Gall

            Re: Some basic economics

            "2) the cost price of an object is the cost to produce a new one. R&D, etc. are important but not when calculating the cost* though I'm not sure about the severance payments made to the relatives of terminated Foxconn employees."

            By whose definition of cost?

            None that I've come across ignores set up and development costs, which are traditional amortised across each unit sold.

            More importantly, the *value* is in the configuration, not the components.

            Which isn't to say that the iPhone isn't an overpriced piece of consumer tat -- it is. Just it's overpriced by the value of the configuration.

          2. Anonymous Coward
            Thumb Down

            Back to school for you...

            Actually, R&D and non-value added component (ie packaging, user manuals et c.) costs are factored into product costs, as are logistics for instance - warehousing and distribution are costly, unless Apple and Foxconn have secretly perfected JIT for the entire supply chain. You need to differentiate between manufacture and retail/point of sale, where profit margins are added and marketing costs are accounted for. This isn't really a question of 'economics' either, rather the manufacture process which is a different subject entirely, but that's for another day...

          3. KnucklesTheDog
            FAIL

            @Some basic economics

            That is the cost price of the *components* only. Assembling a device is not going to be that expensive. Paying the hundreds of software and hardware engineers for a couple of years to create the device, OS and application software is *extremely* expensive. Not to mention the cost of all the equipment they have to use in the process, the premises rent, the travel costs etc.

            And then there's the UI designers, testing, marketing, sales, admin staff...

            1. No, I will not fix your computer
              Thumb Up

              WAKE UP!!!!!

              It's not a new phone!!!! it's an updated OLD phone!!!!

              They started designing it back in 2004 and released it in 2007, the two and a half year development program was huge, it's been paid for over and over again by iFans and for the last three and a half years they have been "tweaking" it (what development?), the real gravy is the 3rd party developers that Apple "let" develop software for their iPhone (which Apple get get paid for!), it literally is "Money for old Rope".

              It's a bit of a let down to have so many problems, but it's no worse than previous releases, the difference is it's not so much better than the competition that people ignore the "quirks" this time.

              1. KnucklesTheDog

                @Wake Up

                Of course they're leveraging the existing platform, and yes it probably cost less to develop than the first model (you don't know this for certain incidentally, there might have been significant costs researching avenues which were later rejected - but lets say it's a reasonable assumption).

                Doesn't change the fact that adding together the price of the components and saying the rest is profit is wildly inaccurate. That doesn't even stand up for baking a loaf of bread never mind a piece of technology.

                This argument has been had over and over again on The Register. I'm not sure why people are adamant that manufacturers can produce something and sell it at no cost to themselves whatsoever, it defies common sense.

                1. Anonymous Coward
                  Heart

                  Yup. The word you're looking for is...

                  >> I'm not sure why people are adamant that manufacturers can produce something and sell it at no cost to themselves whatsoever, it defies common sense. <<

                  "FREETARD"

                  1. John 104

                    title

                    I think what it is is that people expect to be sold a product and to purchase it at a reasonable mark up. It's when markup starts getting into the rediculous hundreds of % of cost range that the insult starts happening.

                2. peter_dtm
                  Megaphone

                  Politics

                  Ahh .. That'd be socialism, socialist never have managed to understand money needs earning ! and so many people have been duped by them, they all think stuff just appears & they're entitled to the products of other people's sweat as a right.

        2. Anonymous Coward
          FAIL

          #Argh

          >but you're not factoring research and development

          Glad you didn't mention product testing. Apple don't do much R&D either for that matter, that's mostly down to the OEMs - though marketing must have one hell of a budget.

          1. Anonymous Coward
            Happy

            a title

            They do do testing, but as they stuck the phone inside the old case it has limited value....

    2. centparkrun

      Better options exist, but no matter

      iPhones are awesome devices, but really, what was Jobs thinking with his customer service email exchange? Not smart.

      Anyhow, there are better products out there now than the iPhone, but they have a large and devoted installed base. Could sell those folks salt soup for $5 and they would buy if it was called iSalt

      Check out this article about Jobs and the iPhone and the chain reaction that Job's statement created. Wicked funny and safe for work.

      http://www.dailygoat.com/2010/06/steve-jobs-claims-iphone-works-great-rubber-band-tin-foil-metal-coat-hanger-coaxial-cable-ceos-inspired-candor/

  3. Gil Grissum
    Jobs Horns

    Hmmmm

    What? No fanboy defense? NO fanboy excuses or rationalizations? Where are the fan boys to defend their beloved Jesus phone?

    1. MD Rackham
      Jobs Halo

      How about...

      The problem is clearly that these people have faces so ugly that the sainted iPhone doesn't even recognize them as faces.

      Only such people would complain about Steve's gift to us all.

    2. Monty Burns

      they can't get on the net!

      Problem is, they can't get on the net to read these articles as each time they hold the phone it drops the signal. Clearly a clever plan by Jobs to show Fanboi's that there is no longer any negative criticism!

  4. Aaron Em

    Early adopters: PRE-ORDER new "Pattern Recognition" from Basic Human Capabilities Inc.!

    Seriously, if I had even a US nickel for every time I've heard somebody whine about how the first-release camped-out-for-a-week-to-get-it only-three-in-the-state gizmo they've just bought doesn't work right, I'd be rich.

    1. /dev/me

      re: Early adopters: PRE-ORDER new "Pattern Recognition" from Basic Human Capabilities Inc.!

      I thought up-to-date Pattern Recognition was a POSIX requirement for any wetware distribution. But sometimes it may be turned off by default?

      # sh /etc/rc.d/rc.pattrecd start

      http://dilbert.com/fast/1995-01-22/

  5. Richard Cartledge
    FAIL

    Atchoo whoops!

    Seems like the latest Apple is actually a lemon, which is a big shame as I fancied swapping my near 2.6 year old original iPhone for one.

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Man and I got pissed

    With Nokia when my N95 would periodically only work hands free.

    What sort of brand loyalty do Apple manage to instil for their customers to put up with this sort of thing.

    1. Henry Wertz 1 Gold badge

      Reality distortion field

      "What sort of brand loyalty do Apple manage to instil for their customers to put up with this sort of thing."

      Steve Jobs' reality distortion field. He persuades people that whatever he's talking about at the moment is the greatest product ever made and you really should buy it. And regarding any bugs that turn up 1) It's not a bug, you're using it wrong. 2) "Learning to use the device properly" is worth it for the other intagibles of the device in question. 3) Again it's not a bug, but it'lll be fixed anyway, if not in this version, in the next one -- just buy one now, then buy that one when it comes out.

      In all seriousness, this has no affect on me, I'm not impressed by Apple products -- but I think basically he's highly charismatic, and makes what I will call "charismatic devices".

      1. Even Jelical
        Thumb Up

        Reality Distortion Field hmmmmm..........

        Are you a Douglas Adams (Hitch Hikers guide to the Galaxy) fan? If not get hold of a copy of the books and look up 'The Sirius Cybernetics Corporation' who basically produce devices whose superficial design flaws mask their fundamental design flaws. The theory is that after battling with a device for ages to get a minor function working you don;t have time to realise the fact that overall the device is useless...............

  7. Hedley Phillips

    a little bit too keen

    "Having purchased every version of iPhone on each launch date, I have never encountered this problem"

    Wow, as much as I knew about people spending hours in a queue for a phone and there being a "following", I would never have thought that someone would rush out and buy a new model of the <same phone> on each and every launch day. Seems a bit loopy to me.

    NOTE: The iPhone is great. I love my 3G which I bought the year after it came out and I might go for the 4 but am also keenly looking at the Android range. (written on my Ubuntu Netbook just to show that even techies love the iPhone)

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Linux

      @Hedley

      >written on my Ubuntu Netbook just to show that even techies love the iPhone

      FYI real techies don't use:

      a: Ubuntu

      b: Netbooks

      c: iPhones

      1. Goat Jam
        Paris Hilton

        Why?

        Why, is there some sort of rule that I'm not aware of?

      2. Doshu
        Joke

        Perhaps...

        ... but they still get questions about'em.

        "Of COURSE you can run Office 2010 on an iPhone! Just set your microwave oven to defrost, place the iPhone in it....... and don't worry, that smell is a *feature*!"

    2. frank ly

      re. a little bit too keen

      "...Having purchased every version of iPhone on each launch date, I have never encountered this problem...."

      As you said, this person has a much more serious problem they ought to be worried about.

      Yours are relatively minor ones.

    3. sT0rNG b4R3 duRiD
      Paris Hilton

      If you're a techie...

      Why are you running ubuntu on a netbook?

      1. Linker3000
        Paris Hilton

        Real Techies...

        Real techies run the latest release of Fedora on their netbooks

        /Paris, because she's always game for some thrusting technology on her laptop.

        1. Peter Gathercole Silver badge
          WTF?

          Real techies

          are so busy being techies for their living rather than a hobby that they don't have time for the frequent disruptions of major Fedora releases for their own systems, so use Ubuntu LTS releases instead.

          And why not netbooks if they work well enough. Damned useful devices. If I could afford one, I might get an android phone to replace my Palm Treo, and use that instead, but until I do, my EeePC is more portable than my Thinkpad, and runs a full Linux distro just fine.

          Amateurs.

          1. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            @Real Techies

            >>frequent disruptions of major Fedora releases for their own systems, so use Ubuntu LTS releases instead.

            Been working with Linux for over 10 years in enterprise enviroments, other than a brief flirtation with SuSE a few years back, its RHEL all the way. Ubuntu is an enthusiasts distro and even then just a user-friendly stepping stone to Debian.

            EeePCs are aimed at folk who leave the house/office - real techies have VPN.

            1. Peter Gathercole Silver badge

              RHEL vs. Fedora

              Yeah. RHEL not Fedora. And of course YOU pay for it, don't you!

              Your VPN solution requires network connectivity. Try VPN'ing into a government or financial institution! I thought I would be able to work from home at least some of the time when I first went contracting, but sadly, that wasn't the case in the real world.

              BTW. Been working as a UNIX deep techie for 25+ years. Linux is the new-boy, and enables me to have a UNIX-like environment with me, especially on my netbook.

        2. John 104
          Linux

          No

          Real techies run Debian on their netbook...

          1. sT0rNG b4R3 duRiD

            Real Techies...

            "Real techies run Debian on their netbook..."

            ^ This.

            Plus a bit of well thought bloat stripping of course.

            My objection to Ubuntu on a netbook (or on ANYTHING) is the bloat.

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Paris Hilton

    Simple solution

    Dont use it as a phone

    Not that big of a deal

    Steve

    1. Martin Lyne
      Pint

      This post

      is Pure Win.

      100% TRUE FACT

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Haircut

    Get a haircut.

    -Steve

    Snit from my iPhone

  10. bothwell
    Unhappy

    @TFA

    "One fanboi has purchased, um, three iPhone 4s, and the problem occurs with each one."

    Are you even allowed to buy three of them? How come he gets to circumvent the rules that us lesser mortals are apparently subject to?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      You really don't want to know

      But it involves an evening with his Jobsiness, a greased ferret, 3 iPhones set to vibrate and a very strong stomach.

      1. LinkOfHyrule

        playmobil

        Playmobil reconstruction or it never happened!

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Headmaster

          playmobil

          Grow up!

      2. Doshu
        Happy

        mmmmmm...

        ... greased ferret!...

        Uh! I mean EWW!

  11. Chris 211
    Jobs Horns

    @a little bit too keen

    Your techie status is revoked when buying any Apple product as apple products are designed for the dumb masses with anything remotely technical disabled and controlled.

    1. Robert Hill
      Jobs Halo

      Yeah..

      because we all know techies CANNOT be real techies unless they are busy spending every Friday and Saturday night writing their own apps for their own phones, that only they will use, because (let's face it) they have nothing else to do on a weekend night.

      - Number of "techies" screaming on this site about how locked down the iPhone is and how it hurts their sensibilities: seemingly millions

      - Number of "techies" on this site that have actually produced a _working_ mobile application: a few tens or maybe low hundreds

      - Laughing at the irony: Priceless...

      1. heyrick Silver badge

        @ Robert Hill

        ...and number of "techies" that don't give a flying f... about writing their own mobile applications, but would at least like the option of deciding WHAT they will install on THEIR phone...

      2. Tim Bates
        WTF?

        Ummm

        Robert, you do know that programs can actually be distributed, right?

        Just because I personally might never write an app for the iPhone doesn't mean I find it's restrictions frustrating. Someone else could potentially write software I might want to use...

      3. John 104
        Pint

        title

        See? This is why I am a hardware guy. Let the other guys write the apps that I can put on my phone or desktop, while I'm on the water drinking a beer on my boat. :) -oops, Fish On!

    2. James 6

      but...

      Nope, the teccies just jailbreak their iPhones to make them into what they really should be.

    3. Anonymous Coward
      WTF?

      Give over!

      Yep, nothing like spending all day at work listening to shite problems from whining cretins, then go home to the same thing!!! Yep techies need to flagulate themselves on a their O/S and machines when they get home. No pain, no gain! Not a real man unless your suffering for your career! I must get home and spend 6 hours trying to get my USB gadget X3764 driver installed in the most complicated and painful way possible, just like a real tech!

      Bollocks! Sorry mate, but when I get out of my day job as an IT techie, I don't mind reading tech articles on the way home, but when I get home I want a very easy life. I want my kids and my Missus to not bust my chops about the PC won't do this or that. I go home and I have non-tech hobbies ( guitars and photography ) , which my Mac allows me to accomplish quickly and painlessly. I then go back to work, feeling refreshed and able to do my job with a clear and open mind.

      I work as and Oracle DBA, Unix Systems admin on Sparc, AIX and Linux systems, NetBackup admin on Unix and Windows kit. I know pain in large doses and I don't want it at home, I have a wife and kids for that!

      1. Anonymous Coward
        FAIL

        You give over!

        OCP Cert DBA, Solaris/AIX/Linux/HP-UX UNIX (over 1000 machines), Netbackup/Legato is just part of the job, I've got a Sun cluster in my garage, just built a triple boot Win7/OSX/Ubuntu box at home, didn't take long, real techies do this stuff at home, it just doesn't take up your life if you're any good at it (oh and I take photos, play guitar, race motorbikes), if you spent a bit more time being a techie then maybe you wouldn't suffer so much pain at work?

  12. Lynxus
    Coat

    Bait and ..

    Ahhhh, The old Bait 'n' Switch job.

    Then again, Dont you need a decent product to start with to use as bait?

  13. BingBong

    iPhone 3GS users need not bother to upgrade the hardware ...

    But the free iOS 4 software upgrade is really rather good and I'm looking forward to the upgrade for the iPad as I'm already missing the differences when moving between the iPad and 3GS.

    Exposed antennas was always going to be a gamble and I would have thought an inclusion of a black bumper with each phone would have been a good move rather than charging a fortune for a set of coloured silicon elastic bands!

  14. J 3
    Jobs Horns

    Simple

    Just don't hold it the right way.

    With love

    SJ

    (do I put the joke or the eveil Jobs icon now...? Aw chucks, evil Jobs it is)

  15. Darkhorse
    Happy

    Perspective

    Back in the day I had a Nokia smartphone an " N70", a total pile fo crap that you had to celotape the back down to prevent the camera being exposed everytime you took it out of your pocket. Nowadays I have another Nokia, the E52 with pretty much the same shit OS and same crappy interface. I have the iPhone on order and will take the antenna issues and whatever as a vast improvement thank you.

    Dave

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Boffin

      Then

      may i suggest use of "locking the keyboard".

      This solves your problem with no need to resort to adhesives. Simple intelligence would have sufficed.

    2. The Original Steve

      Idiot

      If the interface of the OS is more important than getting a signal - FOR YOUR PHONE - then welcome to the world of Apple. Let me know how the removable storage, flash, freedom of apps and ability to completely modify your handset goes...

      Sure Jobs will be more than happy to take your cash.

      Moron.

      P.S. Why the hell you went from a high end Nokia multimedia device (N Series) to a business orientated enterprise handset (E Series) truly shows your knowledge of mobiles devices.

  16. Phil Rigby
    Jobs Halo

    iPod

    Don't know about the iPhone, but OS 4 on my iPod is killing my battery dead in less than 24 hours, compared to a week on 3.x.... something's going on that's not right (master of the bleeding obvious)

    Jobs, because the gadgets are cool even if they don't work completely right.

    1. Geoff Campbell Silver badge
      Go

      iPod OS4

      Friend of mine had the same problem, solved it by doing a full factory reset. Might be worth a try?

      GJC

      1. Ben Holmes
        Grenade

        The other snippet...

        ...of useful info I've managed to find is to turn off 'Push' email on any accounts you have setup. This would drain my 3GS battery in about 5 hours of doing precisely bugger all.

  17. Grease Monkey Silver badge

    Newness

    Once upon a time Apple and there loyal customers weren't suckered by the whole newness thing. And now they've been totally screwed by it this time. The pressure to get something new out has clearly overruled the need for proper product testing.

  18. Toothpick
    Jobs Horns

    Solution ......

    Apple to start selling iEar Bumpers to ensure your Jesus phone is the correct distance away.

    They can be bought for a mere £25 a pop (via an app) in the iPillock section.

  19. Anonymous Coward
    Stop

    Ehm, ehm...

    Got the same problem with two Samsung B3410 phones from the same batch... Anybody noticed?

    No seriously, I really had the problem and I didn't feel the urge to write it on a forum of pi***d-off Samsung users.

    If Apple sold really 1.7 Million phones I wonder if those users having now problems are not belonging to a statistical case rather than a diffused defect.

    However: never purchase Ver.1 of ANY product on Earth. Microsoft docet!!

  20. Robert Ramsay
    Joke

    the answer is simple...

    ...the head recognition was only tested on Apple employees. Actual humans don't register on the sensor.

  21. Dadz
    Jobs Halo

    bluetooth

    It's an Apple marketing feature. By breaking the proximity sensor feature, this will discourage you from holding it to your head. You will find that the best way to use it is with a BT headset. You will find that you necessarily must hold it in your hand and constantly admire it. After all, If you can't admire it and wave it around and show it off, what's the point of having an Apple device? In case you need to use both hands at once, you can fasten it around your neck as a medallion. Have more faith, fanboys! It works the way it was designed for your benefit, in the same way that its lack of Flash support, file management, and multitasking are for your benefit.

  22. pan2008

    Ubuntu

    @Hedley Phillips

    So because you are using Ubuntu you classify yourself as techie? Same analogy to some iphone users who think they are cool.

    How can apple mess it up so much!

    1. Anonymous Coward
      FAIL

      Anyone...

      that bases their self worth on using or owning any piece of software or technology is a contemptuous dick. Fact. If you need objects like that to fill the empty void that is your life, then you have far bigger problems than worrying if the the Linux distro you prefer is perceived as cool or not. Yes, that includes you Android fanbois too. And since when has being a 'techie' ever been considered 'cool'? In fact I'd go as far to say those that think they are cool because of what they own or use are in the same band as those that consider themselves 'power-users'; feckless wankers.

      "How can apple mess it up so much!" Can the hubris you cock; there'll be reports of Microsoft/Google/Nokia/A N Other (delete as applicable) fucking up to a similar extent sooner or later, and the respective fanbois'll be howling derision or hyperbole at that too. IT'S FUCKING BORING!

      1. Monty Burns

        anger iussues...

        Suggest you calm down, looks like you have some anger issues. Btw, didn't realise people forced you to read and then comment. If its that annoying, click the x, top right.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          FAIL

          *sigh*

          Hang-on Mr don't-be-mean-to-my-fellow-hater; I've got no anger issues here. What I have got is a complete bewilderment to the incredibly high levels of stupid that feature in articles and comments on the web--especially copy'n paste "you don't have to read it" replies when you mis-understand my point. I've no problem with brand loyalty, but some of the crap people write to defend their chosen brand and deride everyone elses is infantile. Have a look at the 606 forums for football on the BBC site, which is overrun by clueless teenagers, and tell that the majority of comments here are any different.

  23. jubtastic1

    Needs Context

    1.7 Million sold in 3 days.

    Show me a forum thread stuffed with 170 angry people and I'll show you a product with a 0.01% defect rate.

    1. Bear Features
      Thumb Up

      and?

      That just shows 1.7 million fanbois

  24. Winkypop Silver badge
    Joke

    Phone problems?

    Ring 1-800 Applefanbois and ask Steve where you should shove it.

    1. RegisterThis
      Troll

      Just tried calling and ...

      ... found I couldn't ... zero bars reception ...

  25. trottel

    Chuck Norris Phone

    I have had enough of this Jesus-phone crap. Give me the Chuck Norris Phone!

    It would not make a call, it would summon the other party right next to you, so you can talk in person.

    It would not need a micro our touch sensor, it could read your mind from your facial expression.

    It would not need a screen, it could solidify (sp?) the air for *real* 3D.

    ... your product ideas welcome.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      ChuckPhone

      The Chuck Norris phone won't wear a bumper, it would sell you a bumper to fit the world

      You don't hold the Chuck Norris Phone, it holds onto you..

      It doesn't use its screen to display text messages or emails, it carves them in nearby rock faces with a single kick.

      The Chk Nrrs Phn doesn't do txt spk, it conveys it's meaning with a single word.

      Ad nauseum

      1. TheRobster
        Thumb Up

        Chuckphone

        And of course, the Chuckphone doesn't blend:

        http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_S8sxpK4_iA&annotation_id=annotation_401075&feature=iv

        (sorry for all the associated Jobsian gubbins, watch it with the sound off, it's more bearable)

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      And for the ring tone..

      It would deliver a spinning roundhouse straight across your laughing tackle..

    3. sT0rNG b4R3 duRiD

      Chuck Norris does not need a phone...

      All those years of playing karate means he can telepatheticate with anyone or anything with an IQ higher than that of an amoeba...

      F!@# no.. no no no more Chuck Norris jokes...

      Everyone knows Vin Diesel would pwn Chuck in a 1-v-1 any day.

  26. Anonymous Coward
    Jobs Horns

    Early Adoptors

    Ha Ha.

    I have an iPhone, but it is a 3gs got in April, now running IOS4 which seems ok.

    The phone works quite well and i have never paid more than 600 quid for any mac i have owned (including the air that i am writing this on).

    I may not be a true fan boy since i don't only use mac's but its only Jobs calling the shots if you let him!!

    And as for buying the first version of a device, well that's just silly - if you're cool-ness / popularity is measured by the latest products you buy then you are no better than a fashionista starving themselves to fit in a dress designed by a gay man for the figure of a teenage male!!!

  27. Anonymous Coward
    Coat

    I'm sure there is a gag in here...

    about iPhone users talking out of there arse and cheek proximity testing, but I just cant find it.

  28. Anonymous Coward
    Alert

    Is it 'cos I is Black?

    Imagine that.

  29. doctorflam
    Thumb Down

    Fanbois?

    I'm pretty sure the definition of a "fanboi" means that they never complain?

    El Reg's "hilariously" subjective coverage of anything to do with Apple is becoming tedious...

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Boffin

      nope

      it means they defend Apple at all cost, even if its stupid to do so.

      I think its really funny that so many Applites read El Reg, cant understand why though, for such a techie site its surprising that there are so many apple munchers here. Usually techie sites are full of sensible pro-choice, 'Free my Device', 'Its My Computer', 'Jail-breaker' kind of people. but el reg seems to attract die hard defenders (aka Fanbois) ready to stand gaurd of thier precious shiny iPhad.

      1. Geoff 25
        Pint

        er?

        "Usually techie sites are full of sensible pro-choice, 'Free my Device', 'Its My Computer', 'Jail-breaker' kind of people"

        You mean another bunch of small-minded arseholes who don't understand that the choice they should be exercising is not to buy the fucking thing in the first place?

        I don't currently own an iPhone/smart-phone and life seems to have gone merrily on with barely a care in the world beyond still having more beer-tokens than I might otherwise have had. Must do something about that...

        ^D

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Pint

          @Geoff25 Erm. yes..

          I do not own an iPhone. by exercising my choice. exactly. but it is because when I buy it, it is my phone! so it is debranded unlocked and rooted so that it is actually usable for stuff. Its Mine I paid for it I will do what I like to it! and IF i want to use it fro pr0n that is MY choice, not mr st.Eve with his tempting apple. DO NOT eat the fruit of the forbidden tree.

          Mind you ,there are a lot of appletards who do stuff to thier phones too, though that is usually limited to solar death rays, blenders etc (see recent posts).

          Tokens. mmm..

      2. RegisterThis

        I think sbuk (see above) had the correct fanboy definition ...

        ... in essence ... anybody who takes their personal self worth from <insert device, software etc.> here from <insert vendor here>. That is what drives their need to lord it over others and behave illogically.

        Somehow, Apple seems to manage to create (or attract if it is peronality based?) these types of individuals more successfully (see their bottom line) than others ... that is Apple's true success!

  30. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    needs context

    1.7M phone sold in 3 days. 1.7M people who need to get a life and realise that its a phone and thats it.

    When I see anyone with them, my first comment is "oh, yet another iClone". Your not showing off your demostrating just how simple minded and shallow you are. baaaaaaa!

    1. Ascylto
      Big Brother

      How nice

      It's refreshing to get a post from someone who doesn't say "My Nokisonung B543 is better than the iPhone because it makes tea with fairtrade teabags."

      You, obviously, don't have a mobile phone and you, obviously, don't go along with the other trolls who would jealously decry iPhone owners with such crap as "iClone" or making sheep comments!

      If you don't like iPhones, don't buy them! But don't lump all iPhone users/buyers together ... you merely show just how simple minded and shallow YOU are in doing so.

  31. Ascylto
    Big Brother

    Sensor

    I thought I would check my sensor as I couldn't find any of the other problems users had found.

    Aha! I found MY sensor wouldn't work either!

    Then I found it only works when there's a phone call and it works perfectly.

    If I only had some friends I would have known this sooner!

    Is it Apple's fault I have no friends?

  32. Thomas 4

    "I queued for hours...."

    ".....and then when I got it and found it didn't work, I QQ'd for hours as well."

  33. Anonymous Coward
    Jobs Horns

    Obvious joke but needs to be said...

    "I'm having an issue with the Proximity Sensor not properly detecting when i'm holding my phone to my ear,"

    So the owner is either an: "Air-head" , "Has nothing between the ears" or "Typical Apple Fan-boy"

  34. PaulR79

    Why left-handed users?

    OK I must admit to being baffled at the assertion the signal issue affects left-handed people more than right-handed. I'm right handed but hold my phone in my left hand to use the touchscreen (T-Mobile G1) but I do the same with my iPod Touch. Surely if lefties go by a similar approach they are less likely to see the problem or am I missing something? It's hardly practical to use the touchscreen on any phone with the same hand you're holding it.

    1. Andy ORourke
      Unhappy

      The issue for left handers

      Is that when receiving a phone call they generally hold the phone in the left hand and as they do the full signal drains bar by bar until there is no signal and the call is dropped. A bit of an issue there. 3 guys in our office on iPhone 4 only 1 suffers this issue (he's on Vodaphone, the others on O2)

  35. DirkGently
    Unhappy

    Think of the vocabulary

    Sorry if you think me a pedant, but I'm concerned for the future of the English language:

    Remember there's a difference between "your" and "you're" and don't forget "there", "their" and "they're". Mobile phones have a lot to answer for!

  36. Mark 75

    All at sea

    But I thought Apple could do no wrong. I was lead to believe, following numerous reg articles, that only Microshat releases stuff that is buggy, incomplete and/or frequently doesn't work.

    I've recently discovered the joys of something called a pen and paper. So little down-time using said articles.

  37. Field Marshal Von Krakenfart
    Paris Hilton

    Head Sensor

    What, 71 posts about a "head Sensor" and not a single mention of our favourite head sensor, Mizz Paris.

    May I be the first etc.

    1. /dev/me
      Badgers

      Frankly

      We're having a discussion about overrated and expensive things that don't work. I don't see the Paris angle at all!

      ...err

  38. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    What's the problem?

    > "I'm having an issue with the Proximity Sensor not properly detecting when i'm

    > holding my phone to my ear," says one user in a post to the Apple support forums.

    > "I can confirm that the iPhone sensor is working by covering it with my finger,"

    So just keep a finger held over the sensor when making a call as that is clearly the "correct" way to hold this phone.

    I can see that the AppleShop Genii are going to have to spend plenty of time (re)educating people on the correct way to hold a phone!

  39. Gil
    FAIL

    Works Fine for me!

    Absolute rubbish! I have one, so does my boyf...uh.. girlfriend and my gim...uh best friend. It works fine for us, we've had no problems whatsoever. This is just more typical bias from the regi.... *click*.... 'bip bop bip the other person has cleared. bip bop bip the other person has cleared. bip bop bip the other person has cleared'

  40. FrankR

    zippo

    Please take this wodge of cash no I don't care to wait & see if it works I just need to have it BEFORE the rest cos it makes me COOL gimme gimme gimme

  41. Anonymous Coward
    WTF?

    So....

    Should I get an iPhone 4 ?????

    I really wanted one - I feel lucky but is that enough?

    1. sT0rNG b4R3 duRiD
      WTF?

      Should I get an iPhone 4 ?????

      No

  42. Anonymous Coward
    FAIL

    Smart Phones and Nokia's...

    I have 2 phones. My normal one is a smart phone. It works well, internet and Microsoft Exchange e-mail work great and as a phone its good. My wife hates it, but has admitted that having access to Google to look an address/phone number up has been pretty handy. Its delicate and sometimes runs out of memory and since the Phone part is an application, sometimes fails to let me answer the call as its multitasking something else..

    My other phone is a Nokia 6310i. Its a phone and doesn't do anything else that well - but the phone has been dropped, submerged and quite simply will go on and on. Its my backup phone for when the smartphone fails/brakes.

    I had an iPod once. It got slightly damp (and only slightly) and it became a brick. I would rather have a phone I can rely on than all the extra features.

    This sensor thing stops it performing its primary function - which is a phone. That, on top of the left handed issue, is a fail on Apples part.

    1. sT0rNG b4R3 duRiD

      I had a nokia once...

      A truck ran over it, the screen was slightly cracked but you could still make calls...

      I still have a nokia.

      (Seriously, nokia did make quite a few lemons, but the good ones... are/were good)

  43. Timo

    Might be a brain detector rather than proximity sensor

    And it is coming up blank on some/most people.

  44. JWS
    FAIL

    HAHA

    I think I speak for a fair few people here - DON'T BUY FIRST RELEASES!! YOU IDIOTS!

    Also, I do admire Apple, well Big Steve anyway, for the way in which he has managed to con...vince so many people into buying a phone with tech several years old (ok, the screen is quite new and swish) and charging WAY over the odds for it.

    1. Martin 76

      Ergh...

      But it's not a first release is it?! It's the 4th one, they really should have sorted things by now. Even tho I am pretty much in the anti apple camp (due to the restrictions and higher network costs), I have two original iPhones, which I still think were the best build quality for all of them, and they both still work (albeit with a few colour issues with the screen now, and the battery is very much under performing). I use a desire now, as always wanted to use Android...

  45. 42
    FAIL

    Pathetic eh?

    How the so called moderators here, are in reallity censors of any criticism of ElReg.

    It is pathetic that you dont understand the difference between moderation and censorship.

    I will explain for you as you are so obviously retarded and do not understand the difference. A moderators job is to prevent abuse and legal problems due to the nature of posts. It is not to remove any criticism of the site and its policies.

    I dont expect this post to be posted, I just want you to know how bloody useless and impotent you and your fellows seem when you take such actions.

    There WAS a time when I defended ELReg to others, but no longer due to your own inability to

    allow criticism. This goes directly to your credibility as a news organisation, particularly when you constantly derisively complain about government censorship.

    You allow bigoted half wits to disingenously spread rabid anti cliamte change views, but dont allow them to be crtiqued. Why is Orlowski a protected species I wonder?

    Frankly you are hopeless at your job.

    When even the inquirer is more open than you what more can be said?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Pathetic eh?

      Kick the ball not the player - it really is that simple.

      Ad hominem attacks on our staff or accusations of bad faith (which you have not made), and especially when they are off-topic will most probably be rejected - certainly if I am moderating.

      We are not a forum for unfettered free speech. This is our site and these are our rules.

      But crying 'censorship' is ludicrous: everything our journalists write is open to public scrutiny, debate and dispute. And if not on our site - then via blogs and other websites. Everyone can say their piece: no-one goes to jail.

      As for the Inquirer and its 1.5 full-time editorial staff....

  46. D. M
    FAIL

    Nokia makes good phone

    Nokia does one thing good, that is they make good phones. Other features may not work that good (eg. their phone web browser is crap), but their "core" function, is always good. I had a couple of good old Nokia phones. They have been dropped, broke apart, been in the rain, hit hard, etc; they simply work (after you put the phone together). Even my current (more than 2 years old) N95 is tough. I dropped it very hard in the rain (was running), the battery and back cover was "flying out", the top cover was clearly cracked and the camera cover was damaged. Guess what, I put them together, that damn thing still works 100%.

    Compare that over priced iCannotMakePhoneCall crap to Nokia is an insult.

  47. misterPaul
    Thumb Down

    RE: Techies

    It's interesting watching some of you stake your claim in the social hierarchy of "techies". I doubt you'll ever attain the gratification you seek by labelling yourself in this way.

    I could talk about how such a label can only realistically be reliant on self perception, not extroversion. How claiming any kind of requirement for the label is an exercise in futility.

    It's pointless however, as people will just find something else to label themselves with, and continue to argue amongst themselves about who has the right to wear such a label.

  48. mky
    Pint

    Did not realize

    that such a large group of self proclaimed techies were such myopic twits.

    I have used Apple computers since the mid 80's. I do not own an iPhone. I do own an iPod and a 15" MacBook Pro, last gen before unibodies. Its a fine laptop and does what I want, how I want. So how does that make me a tard?

    I don't worship at the alter of Jobs. Don't need to. I am also not an IT git. Though having worked in Tech Support in decades past I understand frustration with end users.

    I read El Reg for Information and humor.

    Beer is good food, now go drink til' you're full.

    Bottom line is haters = bigots. Uncork your heads from your asses, and move on.

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