iPhone 4 proximity sensor is worse than on 3Gs..

875 ear thumb.jpgConsidering how much it all costs, you’d expect the iPhone 4 to be mostly better than the 3Gs. You certainly wouldn’t expect anything to be worse… but according to a test by Which? one thing is: the proximity sensor.

The proximity sensor is what blanks out the screen and deactivates the buttons on the iPhone when you lift it to your ear and use it as a phone. Otherwise you start pushing buttons with your ear – not good.

Which? found that while the 3Gs deactivated the screen at distance of 55mm from an object, the iPhone 4 waited till the target surface was 40mm away. Once the iPhone 4 senses the surface, it also takes half a second longer to activate. Plenty of time to accidently hit the End Call button with your earlobe.

It’s not a terminal make-or-break issue, but it’s interesting to know why Apple would ship something less good than the previous model. Perhaps they just had to slim it all right down and extras like the proximity model had to take a hit..

Anyone iPhone 4 users found this to be a problem?

[via Which?]
Anna Leach

5 comments

  • This has become a big issue for me. It happens to me nearly every call. Software fix???

  • This happens for me all the time. I keep putting people on mute or just hang up. I’m left handed and this Is way worse than the antenna issue.

  • This happens for me ALL the time and really pi$$es me off.. CONSTANTLY ending call, putting on loud speaker, dialing numbers.

    such a peace of sh!t

  • I think this is a problem, I seem to be pressing the ‘1’ key quite a lot with my ear. It does seem a bit odd.

    On the positive side…I have no problems with a drop in signal – no matter how I hold it! And I think it is better built that my 3GS.

  • Not a problem for me. I’m concerned enough about the risk of brain cancer to use a headset mic for most of my calls.

Comments are closed.