My brand new iPhone rang today and it sounded like something was loose, causing the vibration to be extremely loud and sounded like something was rattling. You could imagine my dismay when I touched all around my iPhone while it rang and noticed when I applied pressure towards the top of the iPhone, that the noise stopped and began again when I released. I am now on hold with AppleCare and will post more information as it becomes available.
Update @ 2:30 PM – Taking it for a “Genius” appointment tonight, I’ll also be bringing my Black Macbook with a flickering backlight and/or dimmer- should be fun!
Update @ 9:22 PM – Met with the Geniuses- apparently it’s a common problem with the vibrating mechanism. They ordered me a replacement and will swap my phone out for free. Also, they ordered a new inverter cable and inverter “board” for my Macbook to fix the flickering back light.
Update @ 11:38 PM Wednesday the 12th – iPhone replaced at another Apple store that had an 8GB in stock. It’s nice not to have vibration instead of buzzing.
Update @ 12:32 AM Monday the 17th – So, for all of those people who have stumbled onto this blog because of the weird rattling, vibration plastic iPhone noise, rest assured that Apple representatives know EXACTLY what this is. As soon as I told them my problem, they shook their heads, laughed and held the iPhone to their ear and shook it. It was only moments after that, when they grabbed another iPhone from the back and swapped ‘em out.
My iPhone just started buzz rattling! Googled “iPhone loud vibrate” and found this blog. Thanks for the post.
Excellent! I just started experiencing this problem yesterday! I couldn’t believe it! Thanks for all the help
Same story here, except…
Mine “vibrated loud & loose” only 3 or 4 times. Now it does not vibrate at all.
Will be taking mine to the same store where I purchased it,To exchange.
I just hope that in another month I won’t have to replace it again.
There is so much info on the phone, I worry about just handing it in.
Thanks for your Post.
Stumbled on this the same way! am going to the Apple store this afternoon, if i dont have a new phone by tonight im gunna go APESHIT
Here is my story. Bought the iphone 3 days ago. A pixel went out in the middle of the screen today so I took it back and they exchanged it for me no problem. Brought the new one home and now the F*ing thing is vibrating super loud. The one with the dead pixel did not sound anything like that. Now I’m taking it back for second time to hopefully swap them out again. I’m so angry I hate the iphone!
well mine was like *buzzzz* *buzzz* *buzzz* like what u guys have lose vib motor and d*amn now it got more worst the vibrator of my iphone stopped slowly then its gone i mean it does not vibrate any more and that the most important thing for me mostly on office hours well i cant return it coz i left U.S. already well just my luck
Hey, here is my story… My phone started Buzzing last week… I took it in to an apple store yesterday and the genuis that i talked to me was rude and said there was nothing to be done. I am going back today now that I read this Post thanks… Oh and im takeing a copy of this postto them to show them that this is not an uncommon problem…
Shane
Update , I went back and the guy i Talked to replaced the phone with no questions asked
Shane
shit my phone is unlocked from Canada and I have the same problem. Did the guys at apple store seem to care about anything like that. I assume you jailbreaked your phones?
Thanks, found this because my iphone stopped vibrating for about a week, then started this rattling. Off to the apple store tomorrow:)
I have this problem also. This is a replacement phone… also. My first phone would not connect with the docking system so i lost all my songs and photos that were not syncd prior to the mishap. But this time my vibration mode is doing the same thing. Some times it just goes crazy and rings and rings and rings and no one is calling, so picking up the phone is not an option. I hoped it would go away but it hasn’t and since i see this is common. Back to the genius bar i go…
Just got a band new 3g iphone (4 hour process)… vibrated super loud from the first call a recieved… louder than some of the standard ring tones… taking it back tomorrow… great phone, problem sux… thanks for the heads up every1
I have had my iphone for about 7-8 months now and it has just started to not vibrate about a day ago and makes weird michanical sound around where the camera is. Im not sure what i can do as i got it shipped from the states to Canada. Any suggestions?
I had this happen to me. Along with many other things. I wrote about this in my blog:
http://www.pwrmac.com/2008/09/28/iphonefrustrations/
so ive dropped my 3g a couple of times but my vibrate stopped working at random i did not drop it when this happend will apple jsut say that because ive dropped it that they cant help me?
I have the same problem, but i got my iPhone as a gift a day ago, I have no receipt or anything, I hope they still swap it out for me because its really annoying, I had the 2G phone too and over time i noticed the vibration sounded different, so I’m assuming this is very very common
how about this !!!!!!!!!! the bat was at 10% the i phone turned off and started to vibrate, and now it is 6 hours later i phone is still virbrating. what the f**k, also i have just taken the sim card out, and yes still going!!!!!!!!!
I had my iPhone replaced yesterday and the new one i got has this problem. atleast i can get it replaced again.
Thanks for this post, found it when I googled “iphone crazy vibrating”. Mine started doing this last night and its incredibly annoying and disruptive. I’ve got a Genius appointment this afternoon…
Thanks again!
Same thing here!! bringing it in tmrw. Bringing my laptop to show the article aswell so they don’t try and tell me that its MY fault.. always turns out that way.. anyways.. just 1 more person to say its common.. thnx crapple..
Last month I bought the 3g. Had to have it replaced twice before I got one that was good. I guess 3rd times a charm. Then the 3gs came out, and I took it in for a swap.
After a day of thinking the speaker sounded weird when getting text messages, I noticed its the vibration and something in the phone slightly rattling when it vibrates.
Is this a problem, or just annoying?
I just don’t know if it is worth it to go all the way to the Apple store out of my way and take more time out of my day to get it replaced AGAIN.
Any suggestions? Should I just suck it up and get it replaced and hope for the best?
By the way- the 3gs rocks. Minus the rattling vibration…
My phone just stared doing that and I am taking it in tomorrow
Excellent site, keep up the good work
Hi! I was surfing and found your blog post… nice! I love your blog.
Cheers! Sandra. R.
Hi,
I am having the same problem with vibrating. But my warranty has expired and on top of it my phone is unlocked/jailbroken to a non-ATT carrier. Would like to know if Apple will still replace it ? Any other recommendations? Thanks in advance guys.
I am also experiencing this problem with my iPhone 3GS (vibrating mechanism sounds like a mini chainsaw). I have an appointment with an Apple Genius on Saturday to have it looked at. Hope I get some good news since silent mode is no longer really silent…Yesterday in a meeting, my phone went off and everyone looked at me, even though it was on vibrate only…an of course, my boss was present also…LOL.
Thanks so much for the post! I’m going to get mine looked at right away.
Ok after several hours I figured what the rattle is… The vibrating motor hits the back of the LCD screen. There is metal piece on the back of the LCD screen and the clearance is too tight. I took some electrical tape and cut it into strips about an inch long and an 1/8 inch wide and I taped the spot on the motherboard parallel to the vibrating motor itself. Works perfect!!
I had the same problem, mine was ran over by a car with no superficial damage and they happily replaced it with a new iphone! super siked! 7/25/10
Hi
I have the same problem but my screen broke as well since i fell over on ice;(
Do you think they will change it or would they fix it?
Had the problem with a 3gs and decided to fix it myself. Took off the screen (see ifixit.com) and took off the little”metal holding cap” on top of the vibrator en bended it more so it would clam/push tight the vibrator to the back shell. Working (for now) like before.