Typical iPhone problems and their solutions at home. What does it mean

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With the release of each new iPhone models a wave of new problems with the iOS system is also coming.

In 2010, the most famous iPhone 4 problem was called Antennagate - technical problem, due to which the iPhone 4 smartphone received a significant decrease in radio signal reception if it was held in a certain way. When the iOS 6 operating system was introduced last year, users were terribly upset by the new Maps application (either an ocean or a trailer park appeared in the middle of the desert).

A month ago, the iPhone 5S smartphone based on iOS systems 7, and with it a whole series of difficulties that will have to be dealt with. Users face the following 6 main problems. If we missed anything, please let us know in the comments.

iPhone 5S sensors are not calibrated correctly

If you plan to use your new smartphone as a level, compass, or using its gyroscope or accelerometer, you may notice that they are a little... lying. This is because on some devices these sensors do not work correctly.

It is not yet clear whether this is a software glitch or a hardware issue. In addition, the specific problems seem to be different for everyone. If they are connected to the equipment, Apple you will have to work hard to create a software patch. Some owners of such phones are already handing them over to Apple Store in exchange for new ones. So far it seems the only way solving the problem. But even in new devices, the gyroscope, accelerometer and compass do not always work properly.

The battery is draining too quickly

I can’t remember now last update iOS OS, which was not accompanied by at least a couple of complaints about excessive energy consumption. And version 7 was no exception. Let the iPhone 5S smartphone cope relatively well, but at least, according to some, its battery still runs out quite quickly. It doesn't seem like the problem is universal, some even report improvements.

If you feel like your iPhone is draining faster than usual, try the following:

* Disable background app updates. To do this, go to Settings > General > Content Update. You can disable it completely, or individual applications. You can also disable data updating: Settings > iTunes and App Store, then scroll to the “Automatic downloads” section and turn off the necessary items.

* Disable Parallax effect, this process will be described below.

* Prevent location detection in apps you don't need this function: Settings > Privacy > Location Services.

* Disable automatic setup brightness, to do this, go to Settings > Wallpaper and brightness, there disable automatic brightness adjustment.

Trouble with iMessage

iMessage rarely works well even on its best days. But after the release of iOS 7, an increasing number of users are unable to send messages through this program. If you encounter such a problem, the first thing to try is to restart your device. And hope it works. If not, disable iMessage and send all SMS as usual text messages. To do this, go to Settings > General > Reset > Reset network settings.

Seasickness

iOS 7 uses very good 3D effects and animation. Unfortunately for some, all the zooming in and out of the image makes them feel nauseous. While you can't turn off the animation unless you close your eyes every time you open the app, you can turn off the Parallax effect. Just go to Settings > General > Universal access and click Reduce Motion.

As additional bonus, it will also help you reduce your power consumption.

Users are faced with another problem - some applications constantly ask for authorization. The most common complaints are about the email agent and the photo sharing program Snapchat. The problem has not yet been officially solved, but the developers mail application told The Verge reporters that, in their opinion, the problem is in background update data. They prepared new version and this seemed to solve the problem.

Slow keyboard input

People also complain about keyboard input lag in iPhone smartphones and iPad tablets after updating to OS version 7. If you also encounter this, try resetting your phone: go to Settings > General > Reset > Reset all settings.

AND . Unfortunately, the iPhone 5 is no exception.

In the time that has passed since the new smartphone, relatively many shortcomings have appeared, which I have collected in one large article.

Scratches and dents

To reduce the weight of the device, Apple abandoned the steel frame in the design of the iPhone 5 in favor of anodized aluminum. Also, this metal was used for the back cover, since the glass on the iPhone 4/4S is quite light.

However, the problem remained - buyers of the new smartphone from the very first days noticed that anodized aluminum scratches no worse than glass. A bunch of keys or, say, a couple of coins left inadvertently in a pocket can leave deep grooves on a phone and scars in the soul of its owner.

Almost all flat surfaces on the phone and edges are susceptible to this “disease”:

Perhaps the best demonstration of the problem can be found in this short video from iFixit:

Together with dents, which could also remain on the edge of the gadget if handled not very carefully (after all, aluminum is a very soft metal), this is the main problem iPhone 5 today.

Why did I highlight the word “problem”? Because there are a few things that should not be overlooked. First, this is a letter from Phil Schiller in response to numerous questions from users for whom physics and chemistry were the most terrible subjects in school or college. The senior vice president of global marketing said something like this:

Any aluminum product can scratch with use, revealing its natural color. This is fine.

Secondly, most generations of iPhone and iPod are susceptible to scratches; if handled carelessly, unibody cases behave similarly Mac computers, There is nothing surprising.

Although it is also possible to understand the dissatisfaction of users. Especially those who took the iPhone 5 out of the box already scratched. Yes, yes, there was such a party. But you still need to treat things with care, and not throw them against the wall or purposefully scratch them with a coin.

By the way, I almost forgot to mention: in the crash test the new iPhone of its main competitor was the plastic Samsung Galaxy S3. Even after so many falls from different heights, its screen remained intact, unharmed and fully functional, while the S3's screen was cracked in several places, and the back cover of the phone flew off in an unknown direction.

Wi-Fi problems

After the release of almost every generation of iPhone or the release of updated firmware, users complain about poor performance Wi-Fi module- unstable connection with wireless networks And low speed data transmission. IN in this case The problem manifested itself when connecting to networks at 2.4 and 5 GHz frequencies with WPA2 encryption (when using WEP or an open network, everything returned to its place). One of the users in an impressive topic on the Apple Support Communities forum wrote that AppleCare knows about this, but a solution has not yet been found.

A little later it turned out that the reason slow work wireless module may lie in software, since owners of iPhone 4S/iPad 3 who installed iOS 6 on their gadgets faced similar problems. this moment in another topic on the forum Apple support almost 2000 answers, and no solution found either. Among the “folk recipes” are complete reinstallation mobile OS, reset network settings, downgrade to iOS 5.1. And some simply turned to the Geniuses at the nearest one and changed defective gadgets for new ones.

Slight yellowness of the screen

Another “classic” problem of every new generation of iPhone, and certain models Mac is a slight yellowing of the screen that accompanies the device for some time after purchase (from a couple of days to a couple of weeks). And its reason, as usual, lies in the glue, which is not dry enough.

Don't despair - the problem will disappear by itself as soon as the glue is completely dry. And even now buyers are unlikely to encounter it.

Assembly defects

Much more interesting are the small gaps between the glass and the frame, which allow light from the screen to pass through (this is especially noticeable in the dark). According to users, this defect exists only in some white iPhone 5 models, and no patches or updates can fix it, so this device simply needs to be replaced under warranty.

The second common type of assembly defect that owners of some iPhones have encountered in previous years is the volume buttons being mixed up. Of course, there is nothing fatal about this, but it looks at least unaesthetic:

Purple halo and iPhone 5 camera

AND latest problem Today, in chronological order (but the second most dissatisfied from users) is the purple glow in photos taken with the camera. It occurs when shooting objects near which there are bright light sources - the sun, lanterns, car headlights, and so on.

The result is images like this:

Moreover, in photographs taken from the same angle with iPhone help 4/4S, no glow. There is no clear opinion about the reasons for this effect among users, although most of them try to explain it, which occurs due to the new sapphire crystal that protects the camera lens.

One Gizmodo reader named Matt decided to contact Apple support and described the problem, to which he received a response that went something like this:

Dear Matt,

I just received information from our engineering team that recommends that you point your camera away from the light source when taking photos. The purple highlight in the photo is normal for the iPhone 5 camera.

And following this private correspondence, a new “iPhone: Camera image effects” appeared in the Apple knowledge base, in which the company describes symptoms during photo/video shooting and ways to solve them:

Most small cameras, including those found in every generation of iPhone, can exhibit some form of glow at the edge of the frame when taking photos with light sources that are angled (usually out of view) and cause reflections from surfaces inside the camera module. Minimize or eliminate this effect You can, to do this you need to slightly change the position of the camera or block the lens from the light source with your hand.

My subjective opinion about this problem was recently expressed by Vitaly Vashchenko (

There are always heated debates. But in an attempt to compare specifications available devices, bloggers, journalists and commentators often forget about a major drawback of the iPhone.

This problem concerns not only iPhones, but since the public is already accustomed to the fact that it is the company from Cupertino that is the first to supply the market with the most innovative solutions, then the expectations from Apple are appropriate. It is a pity that there is no solution to this problem in the near future.

iPhone has a terrible battery

Don’t rush to provide a link to benchmark results or write another caustic comment, we know very well that the built-in batteries in other smartphones are even worse. This just doesn't solve the problem. At active use The iPhone battery lasts for several hours, which is quite enough for the average user. However, to achieve even this result, Apple developers had to agree to a number of compromises and set a bunch of restrictions.

Why doesn't iOS have "real" multitasking? Why does the operating system tightly control the movement of third-party applications into the background and the use of geolocation functions? Why doesn’t every program have push notifications?

It's not hard to guess that all these problems are caused to some extent weak battery. Another example: Apple spent millions of dollars developing its own low-power LTE chips to save time iPhone work 5 at level.

At the moment, all modern mobile devices use lithium-ion polymer batteries (therefore, this disadvantage is typical for all smartphones). The problem is that the prospect of technology development lithium-ion batteries quite vague.

Battery tricks

iPhone 5 lasts about the same as the iPhone 3GS, released almost four years ago. With each new model processor frequency increases, the number random access memory, operating system capabilities, and therefore energy consumption. It's no surprise that p Manufacturers have to come up with various tricks with the location of the battery.

Let's step away from the iPhone for a second and consider the MacBook situation. The first generations of Apple laptops had a single-piece battery in a single plastic case, which could be replaced by any user:

However, over time, Apple moved to segmented batteries to save space:

This made the process of servicing and replacing batteries much more difficult, but made it possible to fit more batteries into a thinner case. In the case of the iPad, the company's engineers went even further and decided to abandon the traditional mount:

The battery is literally glued to the tablet body. Thereby iPad solution It has fantastic battery life and is ahead of any Android competitors in terms of this indicator.

Now let's go back to the iPhone:

Even a person far from technology understands that when designing more slim body engineers have to reduce the size of the battery - and the operating time of the device. However, Apple found a solution to this problem from Motorola - the reduction in battery size is compensated by an increase in voltage.

According to an independent test from Anandtech, on average, the iPhone 5 lasts just an hour longer than other smartphones. That's all.

What does it mean

Everyone is so accustomed to smartphones with weak batteries that on a subconscious level they restrain themselves from full use devices. You turn off the display while playing music instead of enjoying the album cover or lyrics. You manically lower the display brightness and turn off Bluetooth at every opportunity. You give up location-based apps because they consume too much power in the background. When the charge level approaches zero, You stop downloading email and taking photos. Disable WiFi and 3G.

Developers are faced with a huge amount restrictions when creating an application. In particular, due to a weak battery, it is not possible to fully use geolocation functions and built-in sensors. Imagine how much interesting ideas was rejected due to this issue.

Why iPhone?

Ultimately, this is one of thousands affordable smartphones, and with a relatively good battery life. Why is this article written specifically about the iPhone, and not about some model on Android or Windows Phone?

The iPhone represents the entire ecosystem. You can argue for a long time about the reasons for the popularity of Android, but most people probably associate the word “smartphone” with the iPhone, and not with some Samsung Captivate or ZTE Warp.

The iPhone is making an impact on the mobile application industry. Almost any successful mobile application is released first on iOS, only then on Android. Whether you like it or not, iOS is the epicenter of new ideas and third-party programs that are developed under the influence of the operating system's limitations (and a weak battery to boot).

Apple is capable of creating a new type of battery. We have already seen how Apple can be the first in the industry to abandon old technologies - floppy disks, DVD drives, low-definition displays. Sooner or later, an increase in the power of devices will lead to the fact that manufacturers will have to abandon lithium ion batteries. At the same time, it is not at all necessary that the Cupertino company independently develop a new type of battery.

Solution?

If you are an active iPhone user and are tired of problems with a weak battery, you can use some special case with an additional battery. Fortunately, there are now many such accessories available to suit every taste.

For example, a few days ago the Mophie company released two new models - a compact

As is usually the case with gadgets Apple, besides large quantity advantages, journalists quickly find a lot of problems that arise for users. Similar bugs were not avoided iPhone 5, which after several days of sales they managed to examine from all sides.

Probably the most discussed problem in the iPhone 5 was susceptible to scratches. From the very first day, hundreds of users began to complain about scratches on the side panels of the smartphone. They are especially noticeable in a black iPhone. Under the erased paint you can see gray aluminum, which does not quite harmoniously fit into the design of the device. A white iPhone is no less susceptible to scratches, but due to color range, aluminum is not so visible.

Interestingly, one of the owners of the new iPhone 5 decided to protect their consumer rights by sending a written question personally Phil Schiller Senior Vice President of Apple. The short letter had a rather meaningful question:

I found scratches on my black iPhone 5. What should I do about it? Any plans for a fix?

Phil Schiller's answer was no less brief, but no less meaningful:

Any aluminum product can be scratched and you will see its true color. This is fine.

Experts say that it's all about the body. The black paint adhered much better to the glass used in the iPhone 4/4S. Now, aluminum is used for the panels, and the paint on it scratches much more easily. At this time, it is not known whether Apple will take any steps to fix this issue. Whatever one may say, experience iPod touch with aluminum back cover is not pleasant.

Second problem which appeared a few days ago, This is the Wi-Fi reception signal. Forums Apple has already are full of messages about low data transfer speeds, although similar problems iPhone 5 shouldn't have it. According to some users, under the same loads, Wi-Fi in the new smartphone works worse than in older iPhone models.

One of the methods to solve the problem is full reset network settings. If this doesn’t help, and Wi-Fi in the iPhone 5 works terribly bad, I recommend MacRumors visit the Apple Store and get diagnostics at the Genius Bar. It is quite possible that the device has a hardware bug. In this case, you will be given a new iPhone. And lastly, these are possible problems in iOS 6, which can be fixed during the first update. Although the strange thing here is that iPhone users 4S/4 don't complain.

The final, most talked about problem with the iPhone 5 is the screen. In itself it is simply wonderful, but some users complain about gaps and yellow spot. Moreover, sometimes the screen just starts to glitch. With yellow spots everything is much simpler, since this is glue that simply did not have time to dry: there is no need to worry, in a week or two everything will be in its place. Regarding screen glitches, all questions are related to iOS 6. Apparently, the first update will help fix many problems.

Despite super sales of 5 million units in three days, the debut of the iPhone 5 was marked by the identification of a lot of problems, errors, and difficulties.

Let’s say right away that in any case, Cupertino’s reputation is at such a high level that fans of its products will readily continue to open their wallets without regard even to critical troubles with “Apple” products. Sotovik strongly recommends holding off on purchasing the iPhone 5 until the Apple corporation eliminates most of the identified shortcomings of the phone. I see, it will take enough long term, because such a large company is characterized by some sluggishness and inertia, especially in terms of setting up production lines.

Apple, Steve Jobs is not on you!

Aluminum softness

Many smartphones come straight out of the box with abrasions, scratches, nicks, dents and chips on the case, that is, their wear showed up at the factory during assembly. The paint is peeling off especially noticeably on black iPhones 5. Did you want an aluminum phone? Get it!

Getting rid of the glass casing on the back and thinning the glass panel on the front influenced the design of the metal strip around the body of the iPhone 5. The strip has beveled edges, and this chamfer, while visually attractive, very quickly begins to wear out (at least on the black model of the phone), revealing shiny silver aluminum under a slate-painted anodized finish. Tiny abrasions catch the light, giving the phone a second-hand feel. On the white model, such an annoying nuisance is less noticeable due to the silver color of the metal strip.

A thread has been launched on the MacRumors forum, with an attached vote reflecting the popularity of the issue: two-thirds (36%) of the more than 1,800 iPhone 5 buyers surveyed said their phone was worn out before using it. The defect has become widespread, affecting devices sold in the USA, Europe and Asia.

It is believed that cases will not help in this case, since they traditionally collect dust, crumbs and other small abrasive particles, which will certainly destroy the thinnest layer of oxides that give the slate color to the body of the black iPhone 5 model. Again, who would like a third-party outfit for an “Apple” smartphone? , hiding his undoubtedly attractive appearance and subtlety of profile? The solution, obviously, is to use special protective films, such as Zagg.

Be that as it may, Apple must definitely explain why new iPhones 5 turned out to be so “soft” that they were prone to baldness. It is clear that aluminum is not as hard as steel, but it would definitely not hurt to improve the anodizing process. Yes, there is a worn-out wallet and jeans aesthetic, but it doesn't apply to high-tech products. Well, in general, when will super-strong products made from the unique Liquidmetal alloy appear?

Apple responded to the defect by stating literally the following: “Any aluminum product can become scratched or nicked during use, revealing the natural silver color. This is fine".

Gypsy evil eye

iPhone display 5, made using a new, virtually untested technology, encountered an assortment of defects. It is not yet clear which of them are hardware-based, and which are at odds with the software content.

Thus, there is an incomprehensible flickering of the screen, blurriness of some of its areas, bubbling even when lightly pressing the display, reaction without actual touching, temporary freezing, slow response to touches, artifacts horizontal lines while typing the password on the QWERTY keyboard to enter the App Store or iTunes.

Trunk fistulas

The white iPhone 5, which shows less wear on the aluminum casing than the black one, encountered a leak LED backlight screen through a tiny crack on the edge - where the front panel enters the metal case, somewhere just below the power button. The cosmetic blunder is visible only in low light conditions or in complete darkness. The problem is not found in all white iPhones 5.

Rattling innards

If the iPhone 5 is shaken, something knocks inside its case, hinting at a loose arrangement of camera elements, a loose battery, or the sounds of a vibration motor. The problem has been solved: you should place the phone on a flat surface of the table, and then press the whole palm of your hand hard enough on its front surface so that the battery returns to its rightful place - the annoying rattling will disappear.

Consumptive blush

If the light source is directly in the frame, there is no problem.

By the way, the iPhone 4S suffers from the same problem, but in pictures taken with the iPhone 5, the purple fog appears more clearly, however, in some cases, Apple’s new product independently eliminates distortions.

The problem of purple glare is also common among modern digital cameras, especially miniature ones. Here it is called “purple edging”.

Later it became clear that the reason for the distortion was not the design of the iPhone 5 camera. new module lenses or protective sapphire crystal - the root lies in the technology of the camera itself.

The theory is this. Light passes through an array of lenses, glass or plastic, under different angles, converging at one point on the focal plane, which in the case of the iPhone 5 is framed by a back-illuminated CMOS sensor. In an ideal situation, the lens focuses all the colors, or wavelengths, exclusively on one point, thereby creating an exact copy of the image. In practice, lenses distort convergence, which leads to the phenomenon of chromatic aberration.

Due to a variety of factors, such as reference tuning, digital sensor architecture, and relatively long focal lengths in tiny cameras, chromatic aberration typically appears at short wavelengths - at purple color.

High-end lenses can be corrected to eliminate axial chromatic aberrations that cause color fringing. Such lenses are called apochromatic: they are expensive and enlarged in size due to the addition of optical elements to the lens array. You can do it differently by using aspherical lenses, which focus light more accurately, but they also come at a higher price due to the many manufacturing steps involved.

As it were, iPhone camera 5, which does not have any noticeable shortcomings, simply became a victim of the inherent peculiarities of photography. Perhaps Apple should prepare some kind of algorithm that would compensate for the purple haze, however, any software image post-processing will certainly affect the nuances of the image that are not related to chromatic aberration.

Dwarf meanness

Quite suddenly, without any objective reasons, the iPhone 5 may display the message “No SIM card.” Removing the subscriber identification module and then returning it back to the phone solves the problem, but only for a while. A similar picture is observed after washing the SIM card contacts with alcohol.

As follows from the user discussion, the problem has various causes. In one case, the SIM card tray turned out to be defective, protruding slightly outward from the phone body so that it could be touched with a finger, thereby disrupting normal contact.

Another iPhone 5 owner revealed the shortcomings of nano-SIM cards promoted by Apple, although manufactured externally. The new generation SIM cards are not just smaller in area, they are also thinner than the previous ones. So, it turned out that the card was slightly thinner than necessary to fit tightly in the tray. I had to stick tape on the plastic side of the SIM card in order to achieve an acceptable thickness. Here it is - the meanness of micrometers!

Convulsive embrace

Happy owners of the iPhone 5 are faced with the fact that the new docking cable, called Lightning, gets stuck in the USB ports of, for example, a laptop to which the phone is connected for charging or iTunes synchronization. In some cases, you have to contact repair shops to free the laptop from the Lightning grip.

Users report that the cable gets stuck not only in computers, but also in car and Apple chargers.

There is an opinion that the design of the USB connector of the Lightning cable is to blame for the problem. The fact is that the USB standard requires the presence of a pair of special recesses on the block, into which special spring holders fit in the motherboard USB socket in order to prevent accidental loss of the cable. In the Lightning cable, these recesses are made too deep, and the stoppers tightly fix the cord.

Bodily dystrophy

There are picky users who complain that the iPhone 5, being enclosed in a 7.6 mm thick case and weighing 112 g, turned out to be too thin and light. The Twitter space is filled with their misery, lamenting the triumph of engineering when the iPhone 5 is lighter than it looks: “I hate thin phones!”, “I need a heavy phone, otherwise I’ll easily break it”, “iPhone 5 repeats Samsung’s love of fragility”, “Light as a toy, not impressed”, “Perceived as lightweight and cheap”...

Wireless weakness

Users complain about slower Wi-Fi connections compared to the iPhone 4 or 4S. In some cases, the iPhone 5 is not able to connect to wireless point access. The problem manifests itself in WPA2-protected networks - if you switch to the less secure WPA protocol or if you connect any protection, the Wi-Fi connection functions without any pitfalls.

Additionally, the update to iOS 6 affected legacy Apple devices, including the iPhone 4S and new iPad: users are heatedly discussing the problem when setting up a connection to a Wi-Fi network suddenly became inactive - while on gray background, it is impossible to select it. Sometimes you simply cannot connect even to visible Wi-Fi network. Along the way, normal Bluetooth communication was disrupted: the devices stopped finding each other and pairing, demonstrating an endlessly rotating “search wheel.”

Well, use it cellular communication!

Energy gluttony

Claims hit iPhone battery 5: In some cases, the phone can drain the battery in a matter of hours. We hear similar cries every time Apple releases another major release of its mobile platform.

In most cases, problems can be resolved by rebooting the phone and operating it correctly, including calibrating the battery and disabling background services such as periodic checking Email. Sometimes increased power consumption is caused by conversations and web surfing in poor coverage. cellular signal.

Geographical cretinism

Mapping and navigation Apple application, which came in iOS 6 as a complete replacement Google Maps, brought useful additions like voice navigator and three-dimensional Flyover panoramas in photorealistic quality a la Google Earth. But overall, Apple cards leave a lot to be desired.

Being full of errors and inaccuracies, the service often incorrectly displays infrastructure facilities and places of presence on the map, and incorrectly plots the route. In a very accessible limited number Cities 3D Flyover mode many images float apocalyptically. Maps have lost the convenient Google Street View photographic street view mode and no longer offer route planning in accordance with public transport schedules. Outside the USA, maps are mostly useless: even in huge Moscow, you can enjoy only sketchy roads on a yellowish background - all the numbering of houses has disappeared, some streets have disappeared, cartographic information is seriously out of date, there is no information about traffic jams.

Stingy bride

iOS 6 dramatically changed the design of the store Apps Store, and one of the innovations is truly controversial - both from the point of view of iOS application developers selling them through the electronic Apple counter, and from the point of view of ordinary users looking for software products.

In previous versions of iOS, searching for an app using a keyword on the iPhone returned results in the form of an “endless” vertically scrolling list. In iOS 6, search results are presented as webOS-like cards on a horizontal plane. Each card includes the name of the application, its icon, rating, and screenshot. Everything would be fine, but if the iPad display shows four cards at once, iPhone screen Only one is displayed at a time. In other words, the user has to frantically flip through the cards with a swipe gesture from right to left, trying to find the right application.

So, for example, searching by key phrase Internet radio will give over six hundred results - and what, would it be painful for a person to swipe so many cards? And the developers of those applications that are far from being among the leaders were pretty saddened, because the visibility of their already not very popular brainchild only worsened.

In pursuit of quality and visibility, the quantitative component of the App Store has sharply decreased.