Jared Mendelewicz - Orlando, FL based entrepreneur.

iPhone vibrating loud and loose- broken vibrate mechanism!

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.

14 comments

1 Thanks { 09.20.07 at 5:56 am }

My iPhone just started buzz rattling! Googled “iPhone loud vibrate” and found this blog. Thanks for the post.

2 Shelly { 10.18.07 at 11:23 am }

Excellent! I just started experiencing this problem yesterday! I couldn’t believe it! Thanks for all the help :)

3 Nate { 11.05.07 at 2:16 pm }

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.

4 Alo { 11.16.07 at 2:27 pm }

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

5 Kerry Smith { 12.03.07 at 8:27 am }

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!

6 dark_thug { 12.03.07 at 9:59 pm }

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

7 Shane { 12.05.07 at 6:41 pm }

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

8 Shane { 12.07.07 at 5:22 pm }

Update , I went back and the guy i Talked to replaced the phone with no questions asked :)
Shane

9 nic { 03.07.08 at 6:58 pm }

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?

10 Ed { 03.08.08 at 7:09 pm }

Thanks, found this because my iphone stopped vibrating for about a week, then started this rattling. Off to the apple store tomorrow:)

11 errrrg... { 04.04.08 at 5:45 pm }

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…

12 Craig { 08.17.08 at 1:56 pm }

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

13 Devin { 08.26.08 at 2:45 pm }

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?

14 Brian { 10.04.08 at 12:11 am }

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/

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