FP3+ speaker creates a hissing noise

Help Fairphone 3
1

Hello y’all,
I have a new FP3+ and the audio from the speaker isn’t clear but comes with a hissing noise which gets annoying when I turn down the volume. It’s not from the shell in case someone wonders.
I consider sending it back, but I’d like to hear if someone made a similar experience.
Cheers.

2

Even if someone is having a similar experience.
This is nothing normal and not to be tolerated in my opinion.

First: There is an instruction on the support page for a test for of the loudspeaker

The loudspeaker (aka rear speaker) is used for listening to music and for hands-free phone calls.

  1. Open the Phone App
  2. Dial *#*#66#*#* in the same way you are entering a phone number to make a phone call. Once the last character is introduced, the Service Menu appears showing you three sub-menus.
  3. Select Service tests > Test Single > Speaker

The test will play a pre-recorded track through the speaker. If everything is working correctly, you will hear that. If you cannot hear it, that means it is not working correctly.

But it seems only to test, if the speaker is working at all; which it is in your case.

So, you could try to take the speaker module out (see the iFixIT page on how to), clean the modules and put it back in.
If this doesn’t help, you really should contact support and ask for a replacement (even if it will be “just” the speaker module). Best could be, to use your 14 day return time; since sometimes this can speed things up :wink: .

Keeping my fingers crossed for you.

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3

Just a side note: as you seem to be the first one on the forum to have received the FP3+ for the moment (I think, I haven’t seen anyone else reporting to have it), you may have to wait a bit before having any answer from anyone.
I second BertG prompting you to #contactsupport.

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4

Good morning,

thank you both for your helpful replys.
I already figured somehow I got the phone very fast which is why I’m reluctant to send it back. So I I’ll try and clean the module as suggested or maybe replace it myself.
Thanks again!

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:exclamation: If you do that, beware:

  • This will be on your own expense and not covered by warranty. For a warranty claim, it has to be approved by Fairphone (as is the case with every other company).
  • Check first with one of the fairphoneangels or someone else with a FP3 (no 3+ needed), if a new module is solving the problem. Should the core-module be the culprit, your new module is “wasted”.
  • Beware, that the Fairphone shop at the moment seems to offer the speaker module for the FP3 only. While this will be working fine, the module for the FP3+ is a bit improved (2 db louder). The difference is visible by 2 circles around the speaker-symbol on the module instead or one circle on the module of the FP3.
    This info can be found in the Fairphone document that compares the FP3 and FP3+: Basic info / Full PDF (including this info)
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6

Hello Bert,
thank you for your response. After that I decided to send the phone back because it was only one week old then.
Today I received a new FP3+ which appears to have the exact same sound (a bit like an old radio with a misaligned station). So I guess it’s the standard speaker module being of somewhat weak quality when it comes to the lower volumes.

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