14 DAY TRIAL // Hundreds of iPhone 4S owners are reporting audio issues with their new handsets when used with a headset for hands-free calling. Specifically, the problem involves an echo that kicks in a few minutes after the conversation is initiated.
One of numerous iPhone 4S users reports on Apple’s forums, “I'm having an issue with my 32 gb iPhone 4s with Rogers. When using the Apple hands free headset with the phone during a call, I get an echo problem. It does not occur immediately. It can very from 30 seconds into a call and as far up to 9 mins in before it begins the annoying echo.”
“If I unplug the headset it goes away but will return when I plug the headset back in. I have tried 3 brand new iphone 4s headsets with the same problems,” this person writes. “So far I have tried rebooting, and also restored phone back to factory original settings as a new phone and still no resolution. I have been told by the other person on the line a screech sound is made then the echo begins.”
Needless to mention, dozens of replies to this very message reveal an identical scenario.
Some claim to have discovered a temporary fix by toggling the handset’s speaker function on and off during a call once the audio begins to echo.
“If the echo happens, press the speakerphone button on / off to get rid of the echo,” says an Apple forum member identified by the screen name of Themacguyver. His answer is labeled as ‘correct’ by the forum ranking system for answer accuracy.
It appears that Apple will need to rush the development of its next iOS update as the iPhone 4S not only suffers from this particular problem, but also from a widespread battery drainage issue.
Other, less frequently encountered bugs, may also need to be patched.