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Early adopters experiencing issues with Apple’s iPhone 5

Dodgy WiFi connections and possible light leaks add to woes with Maps.

New Yorkers know that temperatures are <em>not</em> going to be in the 90s this week in the Big Apple.
New Yorkers know that temperatures are not going to be in the 90s this week in the Big Apple.
Photo illustration by Chris Foresman

While Apple's reported sell-out of initial stock suggests consumers may be enamored with the iPhone 5, not everyone is pleased as punch with their purchase. In addition to the discontent with Apple's revamped Maps application, some users are reporting issues with WiFi connections, scuffing and scratches in the aluminum casing, and even a light leak around the edge of the white iPhone 5. Siri seems to be getting confused when asked about the weather in several major US cities. And Apple is pulling the plug on the free 20GB of storage space extended to previous MobileMe subscribers, which could make it difficult for some upgraders to back up their new iPhone 5 to iCloud.

Slow WiFi

Users in Apple's support forums are reporting problems connecting to WPA2-protected WiFi networks, as noted by MacRumors. The most commonly reported problem is a seemingly slow connection, which doesn't appear to affect earlier iOS devices on the same network. Some users claimed that turning off LTE in Settings alleviates the issue, but doing so isn't going to be the best workaround for everyone.

One user in Apple's forums claimed that AppleCare is aware of the issue and is working to sort out the cause, suggesting the slow speeds are likely a software issue. Other possible causes include individual hardware issues, or even compatibility with certain WiFi base stations, as not all iPhone 5 users are having problems.

Puny aluminum

iFixit told us that the new anodized aluminum casing of the iPhone 5 is fairly resistant to scratching, but it did note that the chamfered edge around the screen can wear away, revealing the shiny bare aluminum underneath. AllThingsD reported that there have been widespread claims of scratches, nicks, and other blemishes in the anodized surface of users' iPhones, sometimes even right out of the box. AllThingsD did note that aluminum is not as scratch-resistant as the stainless steel used in the iPhone 4 and 4S.

Leaking light

Another apparent defect affecting the white iPhone 5 is a small light leak from the LED backlight shining through a small crack in the edge where the front panel fits into the aluminum casing. BGR confirmed the issue with one of its own iPhone 5s, though it reported that the flaw is only visible "under low-light or completely dark situations." The issue doesn't appear to interfere with the operation of an affected device, though Apple will reportedly replace any device showing this problem.

Confused Siri

Though not related directly to the iPhone 5, Siri is now giving incorrect results when asking about the weather in certain US cities. According to MacRumors, asking about the weather in New York City will return results for New York, Texas, even though Siri says the results are for New York, New York. Siri is also confusing Richmond, Virginia for New Richmond, Ohio; Carrollton, Texas for Carrollton, Indiana; and St. Louis, Missouri for St. Louis, Georgia. Asking for weather for a specific ZIP code seems to work around the issue, as does asking, "What's the weather like?" which returns location-based results. The problem is definitely server-related—I was able to reproduce the erroneous results on an iPhone 5 as well as an iPad 3—so affected users will have to wait for Apple to update Siri's servers to fix the problem.

5GB is enough for everyone, right?

Finally, another issue that could affect new iPhone 5 owners is that the free 20GB of extra storage that Apple allotted to paid MobileMe subscribers during the iCloud transition is expiring at the end of the month, on September 30. This issue is not iPhone 5-specific, but it's a case of rather bad timing. Users upgrading from a previous iPhone will end up with two backups: one for the old device, and one for the new. If you keep the old device around, and/or have an iPad or iPod touch connected to the same iCloud account, you may not have enough room in the free 5GB of iCloud storage to back up all your devices.

The easiest workaround is to go to Settings > iCloud > Storage & Backup > Manage Storage, and delete any backups for unused devices. (I still had a backup for an iPad I sold in April.) If that doesn't work, you'll have to tap on "Change Storage Plan" to cancel the automatic downgrade to the standard 5GB. You'll end up paying Apple $40 per year for the extra 20GB, which isn't a terrible price, but you'll have to do it before September 30 or risk losing data.

Knock on wood

Those of us in the Ars Orbiting HQ have luckily avoided most of the cosmetic problems or WiFi connection issues. For what it's worth, I managed to carry a black iPhone 5 around all weekend without a case of any kind, and so far haven't observed any scratching or other problems. I haven't noticed a light leak in our white iPhone 5, either. I'm getting 24Mbps down my Comcast cable connection between an iPhone 5 and a two-year-old AirPort Extreme.

However, I was able to get Siri to reproduce the bizarre weather results; thankfully, Chicago doesn't appear to be affected, but New York and St. Louis definitely are. And while I was able to delete iCloud backups for older iOS devices, the backup for my iPhone 5 and iPad are using 5.6GB—more than the free 5GB iCloud limit.

Are you experiencing any of these or other issues with your new iPhone 5? Tell us all about it in the comments.

Channel Ars Technica