IPhone 4 ear speaker not working after 2 restores and cleaning the headphone socket.

Question

Hi,
I know this problem is not uncommon, but here goes...
I have an iPhone 4 which was running iOS 5.1.1 a few days ago when the ear speaker stopped working.  I cant hear the other person when I make or recieve a call, but nothing else is wrong with the phone.  It is 18 months old.
I've searched the discussions and seen some of the suggestions.  I tried cleaning out the headphone socket, with no luck.  I then tried a full restore and update to iOS 6.  This appeared to have worked.  I tried 2 calls and I could hear the other person.  I then left the phone alone for a couple of hours and when I tried it again, it had stopped working again.
I have since done another full restore but the speaker is still not working at all.  The fact that it worked after the first restore suggests it's something simple or software related but I have no idea what else to try other than getting it repaired in a shop.  The problem is I am in Japan where my network (Softbank) and an independent repair shop have both quoted me the equivalent of $176 / £110 to fix it.
Does anyone know anything else I can try before I give in and end up shelling out this ridiculous cost for something that is probably a 20 minute fix?
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks

Answer 1

I have the exact same problem with my ear speaker after my IOS 6 upgrade. My speakers work, bluetooth works, the earphones work, but the ear speaker doesn’t work. I noticed this IMMEDIATELY after the upgrade was completed. I also have the following problems:
-Very slow call connect time. 30 - 45 seconds just to connect is typical. Signal strength is 5 bars (ATT)
-Problems attaching to known networks
-Very slow internet browsing with many timeouts on both the ATT 3G service and known Wi-Fi networks.
- My camera was missing after the IOS 6 upgrade. I restored that from Restrictions inside of the Settings App
- Music was so screwed up it was easier to just restore it
I went to the Apple store hoping to get some support. Between my wife, my son, and myself we have purchased 4 iPhones and an iPad over the last few years with plans to purchase another iPad in a month or so. So it’s not like I' not familiar with Apple Technology and their typical level of support.
The individual who waited on me was rude and condescending. He insisted that all of the problems were hardware related or ATT’s fault, or my fault. He further asserted that IOS 6 had NOTHING to do with any of the problems. I pointed out that it would be quite a coincidence for my hardware to break, for ATT to have network problems, and for me to suddenly forget how to use an iPhone at the same exact moment that IOS 6 had been installed. He maintained his position and offered to sell me another phone.
I don’t expect the folks in the store to reprogram the OS. Mistakes happen. I’m going to guess that Apple’s OS programmers are already working on a fix for many of the IOS 6 complaints that are easy to find on Google. Assigning blame to the customer and denying any responsibility is not a model for success or customer service. I’m sure Apple wouldn’t accept that kind of excuse from their component manufacturers and don’t think it is how they should deal with their customers. Further, Apple wants to own the device. They want to control the apps, the OS, battery, the delivery channel. I’m good with that so long as when there is a problem, they own that as well.
And BTW… I’m not including the maps in my list of issues with IOS 6 because I kind of like the new maps and am willing to give Apple the benefit of the doubt. I believe that their map service will get a lot better in a hurry.