More bugs reported in iPhone 4S

Apple fans wanting to buy a new iPhone 4S may want to hold on to their wallets for now, after more apparent bugs in the gadget surfaced last week. Enthusiast site MacRumors said some users have reported static on iPhone 4S calls, affecting both incoming and outgoing calls. The problems follow a bug involving shortened battery life in the iPhone 4S. MacRumors said some users reported the issue occurring on multiple handsets as they have exchanged devices at Apple retail stores to try addressing the problem. Another issue involves users experiencing no audio on a subset of outgoing phone calls. "Call shows the timer counting as if the call is progressing but absolutely no ring back and cannot hear the party on the other end when they answer," it said. But it noted some users have reported that toggling the speakerphone option may fix the lack of audio on a given call, although others claim that the tactic does not always work. MacRumors said Apple support staff have been "unable or unwilling to specifically diagnose the issue as either a hardware or software problem." It said at least one user has reported that the first developer beta of iOS 5.0.1 released last weekend does not fix the issue. Another tech site, "Boy Genius Reports," said an echo problem also hounds voice calls when using a wired headset. "Users across multiple wireless carriers with various iPhone 4S models report that audio quality on voice calls often depletes after a period of time, and the voice of the caller on the other end of the line begins to echo," it said. Citing threads from users, it said the problem does not occur immediately, and can vary from 30 seconds into a call and as far up to nine minutes in before it begins the annoying echo. It said an independent testing found that an echo developed between one and four minutes after starting a call, though some users report that voice calls remain echo-free for up to 12 minutes. The bug occurs while using Apple-branded wired headsets and third-party headsets alike, it added. — RSJ, GMA News