Apple iPhone 3GS Build Quality: shake, rattle and roll
Filed under: Cell Phones, Handsets | By: Peter Chubb
Posted on: June 25, 2009 | 2 Comments
There is no denying that the new iPhone 3G S is a superb phone, the best that they have produced, as it is much faster thanks to a joint effort from its hardware and the new iPhone OS 3.0 (Our five best features). As with all good things, there is always something bad lurking around the corner, and that is with its build quality.
We have noticed it on our handsets, and now IntoMobile has decided to talk a little about what they call the “shake, rattle and roll” blues. If you tap the back of your iPhone 3G S, you will notice that it has a strange rattling sound, which you can see in the video below.
IntoMobile explains that the overall build quality of the new iPhone is superb, no matter how you try to twist and bend it. However, it is not until you tap it, that it all goes wrong for the iPhone 3G S, this rattling also happens when you just shake the Smartphone.
Upon closer inspection, I think I have found the cause if you hold the power button along with the volume button on the side and then shake the noise disappears. Not sure if Apple will do a recall, or we will just have to put up with the rattle.
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The rattle is the autofocus camera. Which is why when the camera is focusing and you try to provoke the noise by tapping it, you hear nothing.
Mine rattles mainly because the mute switch (only when it’s set to vibrate). This has been a problem at least since the 3G came out. My old 3G was plagued with build quality issues (including the loose mute switch, uneven case, light leaks around the screen, particles under the screen’s glass layer, sticky home buttons, etc.) and I went through 8 different phones which all had multiple problems. My new 3GS has the rattle and the bezel isn’t perfectly aligned, but considering how much worse it could be, I think I’ll settle. How can we expect Apple to improve build quality during these hard times. I mean, it’s not like they just had their best non-holiday quarter ever…