New 4s white taking bad flash pics?

Migworks

Any idea why this is happening on a brand new iPhone 4S in white?
I know flash bleed was an issue when 1st launched 2 years back but surely it's been resolved by now!
And the large clear plastic protecter has been removed. Doesn't seem to be anything else over the camera lens?
Am waiting for O2 shop to ring me back but thought one of you folk might know?

dilallio

Do you have a cover for your 4S? While mine protects the phone, and it doesn't cover the camera lens or flash, the flash can reflect off the cover and cause issues like this.

Migworks

dilallio wrote: »

Do you have a cover for your 4S? While mine protects the phone, and it doesn't cover the camera lens or flash, the flash can reflect off the cover and cause issues like this.

Nope this is fresh out the box. No covers and all Borg front and rear protective plastic sheets removed. I had a 4s last 2 years and love it, but just traded to a 5 for €10 and that takes great flash pics as did my old 4s, but this new one in white is producing the greyed image I put up. Pics taken without flash are fine, so it's a flash bleed issue, and I remember this when they 1st came out. But wouldn't expect it now. I thought there might be a small circle of plastic over the lens but can't feel any to peel off? If this is a permanent issue with the white case it can go back for a black one!

BigMoose

My mother inlaw recently got a new white 4S that did exactly this. Apple replaced the device having decided it was faulty. As far as I know the replacement white one has been fine.

CathalDublin

Scratch at lens with fingernail and see if there is a plastic file on it?
If not there probably is on the inside, was phone a refurb?

Edit ignore comment above, is phone a refurb? Plastic foam from around camera must be missing

BigMoose

If it's the same issue as my mother inlaws, there's nothing on the lens as photo's without the flash are fine. Return it to Apple.

Migworks

No there is nothing my fingernail can find over the lens. I'd be really unpressed I this was a refurb phone, surely that's against trade descriptions?

When you fire the flash and watch it fire there is a large area around the flash housing that lights up behind the white case, and this area extends to the camera location. With the black version I had before there was no flash bleed.
So the theory of a part missing that shields the flash area sounds likely (hell made in china after all !).
If there was plastic film on inside then pics without flash would not be as clear as they are?
Going back today, at least O2 has 7 day return policy without having to bother posting to Apple. Only shame is no more white ones in stock until after the 7 days expire.

Migworks

Btw this is the flash bleed I'm talking about!

Migworks

Apple have stated its probably a manufacturing fault, so return it to O2 shop I bought it from., which I'm going to do shortly.
However, even though its a faulty new phone, apparently I am not entitled to a refund? They can supply another new phone but not in white as they are out of stock, and won't have one in until after the 7 day return policy expires! I've asked them nicely to see what they can do.....
I thought that if an item was faulty new, you can ask for refund if they cannot supply you with the exact same item?

guil

I don't think there is a lot you can do tbh. They are entitled to repair replace or refund, I bought a phone in carphone warehouse sometime last year and on the day it was bought I noticed a problem with the camera, there was a line going vertically down the screen.

Brought it back in and was told I had to wait for stock to ce in for th to replace it and they wouldn't refund me. I rang the consumer rights association and they basically said there was nothing I could do.

Migworks

Hope is at hand.
The shop managed to swap a black for a white 4S and I'm going up to them tomorrow afternoon to collect it and hand in the faulty one. I'll check it there in the shop though to be sure it's ok. If not then will have to get it in black instead.
Can't believe apple still have this problem after all this time, although this could be old stock from two years back? Who knows!
I'll update when the new phone is in me hands....

Migworks

Happy update time!
Picked up the new 4S in white, in sealed box, and happy to report the phone takes lovely flash pics!
Big thank you to the O2 shop in Clonmel for sorting this out, to be fair they hadn't seen this type of fault, which I'm now thinking was down to the sync between the shutter and flash as the new phone still has a large flash bleed under the cover but this time it is not affecting the pics.
Now just got to advise the missus on how to handle it properly and not drop it! Lol
Thanks all