First of all, I am quite happy with my FP2 (even more so since I discovered the ‘Known Bugs’ Thread…I could really need the RGB LED )!
But I noticed two things which I haven’t found anything about here (and one thing which is still an unsolved problem for some):
The camera module makes metallic clacking noises when focussing or when the phone is being shaken. The latter one is especially annoying as it even makes audible sounds when turning the phone around or lifting it up. A friend of mine confirmed this even though I don’t know how loud it is on his phone.
I heard a faint whining noise when I had the back cover off and the screen was on. The sound came from or from underneath the battery, it seems. Like coil whine. When the back cover is on I can still hear it when I hold the speaker opening to the ear. Admittedly not a problem at all as it’s literally not noticable during use with the cover on, but I am curious if anybody knows where this is from and if its possibly not supposed to do that
Yes. But it is very quiet and hard to hear. The clicking noise when the camera (or flashlight) is turned off is louder and clearly hearable.
Yes. I think that comes from the vibration mechanism (which sits near the speaker) but I am too lazy to take the back cover off.
That noise is also very quiet and hard to hear.
I have tested it now with more than 5 tries and I heard it only one time, that was almost impossible to hear. It might be also an illusion. Under normal circumstances and when not moved, my FP2 is totally quiet. My calculator Casio CFX-9850GC Plus indeed has a clearly hearable whining noise when it touches my ear.
No, I have not this problem. I only had to format my SD card once.
The clicking noise during shaking/turning the phone is definitiely not the flywheel mass of the vibration motor. It is a very similar sound like the camera focussing (and now that you mentioned it: flashlight (de-)activation…why does THAT make a clicking noise?), maybe a bit louder. And I can hear it coming from the camera module. Maybe its hard to hear in a loud street environment, but in my room with PC running and radio from the next room I can hear it when picking it up or gently shaking. Its really not a very quiet.
Concerning 2)
have tested it now with more than 5 tries and I heard it only one time, that was almost impossible to hear. It might be also an illusion. Under normal circumstances and when not moved, my FP2 is totally quiet.
I could narrow that down: It depends on screen brighness. If its above 1/3 orminimum brightness its just the almost unhearable noise you mentioned. If the brighness is a very low though, it makes this high pitched sizzle. Very strange…Only audible if you hold it to your ear or have the cover taken off. But again. 1) is my main concern.
I just checked and my disassemble switches are tight and not clicking. The sounds definitely come from/near the camera.
Could somebody who also hears this and has a screwdriver at hand maybe take out the camera module to check if its the module itself?
I have the same problem - my FP2 is rattling when I shake it or when the phone rings and vibration is on. This sucks. Do anybody else have this problem?
I hadn’t noticed a rattle before, but now that I listen very careful, I can hear it.
But you don’t hear it with normal usage.
I noticed that the blue display lock clips rattle when not locked.
Maybe that’s the issue?
Without the display I hear the vibration motor rattle indeed when shaking, but as said before, you won’t hear it with normal usage.
Have you checked with back cover off while holding down the clamps/finger on vibration motor? Maybe you hear it coming from the camera module too. The vibration motor on my FP2 is dead silent when shaking since the flywheel isn’t hitting anything.
because I heard these noises too, today I dissambled my Display and the two upper modules (front- and back camera), those alone were quiet, the clicking noise when moving the phone in any way seems to come from the mainboard unit.
Okay, very interesting. Could you also confirm that its not the vibration motor?
Any statement from the FP2-team about a possible loose part or other source of the clacking?
Can you also confirm, that it does not come from the two blue display clips having a small slit to move easily?
That would my guess WITHOUT removing my back-cover for this. But I can hear something.
I can confirm this for at least my clicking noise. When I fixate the display clips and the vibration motos, it still makes the noise. And if @einBernstein said that he disassembled the modules, it doesn’t seem to be the display clips on his phone either.
the blue clips are part of the display module, and it was - of course - removed to dissamble the modules. so, yes, the mysterious noise does not come from there.
and @JayGee I did not dissamble that module with the vibration motor, but I listened at different positions while shaking, and also fixated the vibration mass thing (sorry for bad english ) and I am pretty sure it comes from the mainboard.
In my mail to support I didn’t report the noise, just the missing auto focus - nevertheless I still have no answer.
I asked support about the rattling noise and about a problem I’ve had a few times with ‘dropped calls’. The answer I got was:
“We are really sorry that you received a damaged or not fully functional
Fairphone. We read this forum thread and we would like to investigate
this issue. It seems to be due to a non well connected antenna of your
FP2. Probably the rattling sound you mentions.
We now start the replacement procedure and we will make sure that you receive a new Fairphone.
To return your Fairphone for a replacement, please follow the instructions below:”
The rattling noise is not due to the blue clips nor any of the modules. I asked the person at support to shake his/her FP2 and tell me whether it made a quiet but audible noise, but this request was ignored. I’m not convinced that it’s a loose antenna, and I am very relunctant to return the phone having waited 6 months to get it … Further communication led to support suggesting I take the phone to a repair place in Switzerland that works with Fairphone, but nothing was said about who should pay for a repair if that’s what’s needed.
I’ve ignored the rattling noise so far, but I became curious about this now: if this might be caused by a problem with the antenna, could it be related to the issue that people quite often do not understand me well (varying and dull speech quality - today I was asked if I had a bad network reception)?
(Not sure about dropped calls - think I experienced this once or twice - but it might also have been the display not being deactivated during the phone call and my face touching the hangup button…)
Thus, I disassembled the entire phone and removed all modules. The rattling noise definitely comes from the mainboard, most certainly somewhere below the large metal plate with the printed signs for “camera” and “headphones” modules on it.
BTW: anybody here who’s FP2 does not make any rattling sound when being shaken?
I’m pretty sure everybody has the slight noise, caused by the vibration motor. One can easily check: If the noise stops when you take off the cover than it’s just the vibration motor hitting the cover.
No! I have taken the phone apart completely and the noise is still there. Amers too. I asked support to tell me if their FP2s made the same noise but they don’t want to give me this information for some reason. If every phone makes the noise then I think we can assume that a badly connected antenna is not the problem. The noise in itself is not the problem - unless it explains the ‘dropped call’ problem that a few people have reported.
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