iPhone 3G music playback problem - UPDATE #2

[rhcpsteve]

I've had a number of issues with music playback randomly stopping and starting - iPhone 3G 16GB on firmware 5A347

The music sometimes randomly stops. I've noticed it more often when I've been using other apps, both inbuilt (safari , maps) as well as 3rd party. I go to the iPod, press play and all is good again.

I immediately suspected the headphone port was dodgy and falsely detecting that the headphones had been removed and thus cease playback, however what happened just now leads me to believe it may be a bug with the firmware, though I haven't heard of anyone complaining...

What happened just now was I had the headphones plugged in, I'd been listening to some music then stopped it. With the headphones still attached.. I started using safari and maps. I was doing stuff for a few minutes, then the first track in my song list (if you just list all songs) started playing! It was not the same album or artist that I had been listening to previously when I stopped the music! So I'm thinking this is more likely to be a firmware issue than a headphone port one - as this behavior would not happen if my headphones got removed then re-inserted.

Has anyone had any similar issues with their iPhone?

 

[rhcpsteve]

UPDATE:

OK I'm almost positive this is a software issue. I've been doing some testing and music stopped playing with no other app running within 5 minutes of playback. Beforehand, I tested what happens when you remove the headphones - as expected, it pauses playback and the volume slider reverts to the setting for the iphone's speaker.

When playback stops at random, the volume slider doesn't change at all, which leads me to believe it is not due to a dodgy headphone port.

I've restored the firmware just now. I am completely fresh now, and have just put some music on and am doing further testing. I haven't even restored any contacts or anything. I will listen to music for a few hours, and once I'm sure it is stable, I will sync my contacts and test again. Then I will begin adding applications and hopefully find the culprit!

 

[J2theizzle]

previous versions of the iPhone's firmware have too had problems with the iPod App crashing while using other applications. It was very common in version 1.0 as we progressed it got better. I have found that version 2.0 is very similar in comparison to version 1.0 in terms of stability of apps and how quickly things can respond as well as freezes and crashing. I am not totally suprised you are seeing these issues, lets just hope they are resolved in later software updates. Only time will tell, the issue was never completely solved but apple did refine the issue. Does the crash of iPod while your in safari happen when you are typing in a text box? this was common in the early versions of version 1.

 

[rhcpsteve]

Does the crash of iPod while your in safari happen when you are typing in a text box? this was common in the early versions of version 1.

I was finding that it was even stopping playback with no other applications loaded..

I have been listening to music all afternoon now with no issues. I really hope 2.01 resolves these stability issues. I can understand a 3rd party application crashing, (though there should be some QA process in place to prevent buggy apps from being released on the store), but the rest of the functionality should be shielded from dodgy apps. Bring on 2.01...

 

[avah12]

I have noticed this problem with several stereo plugs that are not the iPhone headphones. The music will usually play for about 5 seconds or so, and then randomly pause, and then start up again. I wonder if it is due to the headphones not having that third ring for the mic, so maybe it just doesn't have a solid enough connection. Even if a pair of headphones (non-apple) worked, if I unplugged it and plugged it back in, it would eventually start having the problem. I have not restored yet and probably won't do so until I am back from the Genius Bar this afternoon (would like to have this associated with a case number in case it just randomly pops up again). Are you using the supplied Apple headphones, or a plain old pair of stereo headphones?

 

[rhcpsteve]

I have noticed this problem with several stereo plugs that are not the iPhone headphones. The music will usually play for about 5 seconds or so, and then randomly pause, and then start up again. I wonder if it is due to the headphones not having that third ring for the mic, so maybe it just doesn't have a solid enough connection. Even if a pair of headphones (non-apple) worked, if I unplugged it and plugged it back in, it would eventually start having the problem. I have not restored yet and probably won't do so until I am back from the Genius Bar this afternoon (would like to have this associated with a case number in case it just randomly pops up again). Are you using the supplied Apple headphones, or a plain old pair of stereo headphones?

Update #2

Ah! I feel better knowing someone else is having this problem!

I have started having this problem again after a restore. I have not loaded any apps. All the MP3's I have loaded worked flawlessly on my ipod touch.

I am using a pair of Creative headphones. I have also had the problem with a standard 3.5mm lead running to my head unit in my car also. I have not tried the Apple headphones as yet.

Have you had the problem at all with Apple headphones? Whats the difference with them and regular stereo headphones?

 

[rhcpsteve]

Other people having similar issues in this thread:

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=7621205

 

[avah12]

Other people having similar issues in this thread:

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=7621205

I also posted this update on that Apple discussions forum, but thought I'd say it here as well. I went to the genius bar yesterday and got my iPhone replaced after we did a restore and things were still acting up. So far the new one has been working fine. Maybe it was a limited hardware issue, since I couldn't get it to happen on any of the floor models.

As for the difference between Apple and other headphones, the iPhone headphones have an additional ring on the headphone jack. This is the ring that operates the headphone's built in mic and clicker for advancing and pausing tracks. I assume that somehow our phones had an issue where the contacts for the 3rd ring, although not actually present with the 3rd party headphones, were somehow being triggered and as a result pausing and/or advancing tracks with no user intervention.

I would recommend exchanging your phone at the store while you can, to see if that fixes your problem as well.

 

[Tizzod69]

I'm glad I'm not alone. The apple headphones work fine but my shures cause this to happen immediately. Really annoying. I guess I will stop by the apple store and see what they say.

 

[CountlovE]

Yes!

I have the same problem, and others do as well. When I use a mini cable to hook up to my car input I get random pausing. I did not have this problem with my old iPhone.

I took the 3G iphone into the Mac store and they gave me a new one, but I have the same problem with the new phone. I don't have this problem when using the apple headphones, but that doesn't help me here since I need to hook this to my car.

I am going to talk to the store manager and see if they can note my account so if they release a new phone with a hardware fix, then I will get one replaced pronto.

I hope its firmware fix, but I really don't know. You should cover yourself by talking with the store manager. The Mac Genius people, and tech support will not acknowledge any problem in production lines of the unit even if they know it is defective. The majority of iphone users use the supplied headphones only.

Other people think they have corrupted mp3s.