Re: Call volume dropping
 

having this problem as well. Since some time I talk with speaker on all the time, as twiddling with the volume button really annoys me. Even the speaker is too low volume sometimes when using the phone in a noisy environment.

Re: Call volume dropping
 

Agreed, from my experience/memory, it appears that this happens only in noisy environments such as a busy city street, airport, etc.

Re: Call volume dropping
 

I just tried making a call while having my earphones (that were playing music) right on the mic... The call volume appeared unaffected... Does the N900 have more than 1 mic?

Also, wouldn't talking cause the volume to drop if noise was the cause?

Re: Call volume dropping
 

Seems like everyone is overlooking this problem/thread D: Maybe I should just take my phone to be serviced.

Re: Call volume dropping
 

Strange really hey Brank? Maybe it is a HW problem otherwise I guess this thread would be rammed. Someone also suggested disassembling the phone earlier.... not that I feel that brave!

Edit: I still haven't had a response from nokia :(

Re: Call volume dropping
 

My money is on a SW problem. I removed many dev and testing packages on Friday evening (principally examining rootfs space which had dropped to 19MB and now back to 45MB). Since then I've had no problems. Coincedence? This device is so interesting that it's hard to do one thing at once in a controlled manner to test various theories.

Re: Call volume dropping
 

I've noticed the volume cuts to zero during a call. I can get the sound back if I push the volume up several times. Seems like there is a software bug which is muting the volume during call but using the volume controls I can increase the volume from mute position to my desired level.

I did not notice this problem prior to the firmware upgrade.

Re: Call volume dropping
 

I disagree. I had it before and, not coincident with, any firmware update.

Re: Call volume dropping
 

I hope the speaker has more than a 2/3 month life... that would explain a lot... :/

Re: Call volume dropping
 

i would attribute this to a hardware issue. i was dreading giving the phone back to nokia USA and being without a phone for a while. I used to have the same issue, the volume cutting out and barely being audible, and this happened through both the initial firmware as well as the 51 update. Then, the other day I tripped over the charging cable and my N900 flew from my desk and fell onto the floor. Guess what? No more earphone issue.So as someone said a few posts back (the person who reassembled his speaker assembly), it definitely a hardware issue.

Re: Call volume dropping
 

That's a serious HW issue if it's affecting so many people :(

It may go a little way to explaining why I haven't had a response from Nokia yet too...

I'll give it a few more days and off to the service centre I guess...

Re: Call volume dropping
 

I've also noticed this, although generally while walking outside where there's background noise and motion. I haven't yet done experiments to track it down to mistuned echo cancellation or to a hardware problem.

I will be very fairly cranky if it's a hardware problem with the slider connector, as some have suggested, as my N810's touch screen failed a few weeks after the warranty ended, also possibly due to problems with this type connector. (There seemed to be many other people with similar problems... If this is a common hardware failure, it might indicate that Nokia needs to improve its handling of widespread hardware failures due to design problems.)

Re: Call volume dropping
 

I've noticed the same issue, can't tell if I noticed it before the SW update or not. The call sometimes starts with a barely unaudible level, tapping the volume control once resets the voice level. My gut feeling would be that this is a sw issue as a slight tap to a control resets it to a previous level. No evidence for this though.

Re: Call volume dropping
 

It seems we just need to complain like N97 users!

"The firm’s [Nokia's] online forum contains several user rants about the N97’s alleged inability to keep hold of calls. Others complain that the device’s touchscreen can be slow, unresponsive or just too darn difficult to operate.

Nokia has responded with firmware release 21.0.045 which the company promised provides “improved call reliability” and “smoother touch screen scrolling”."

They got their update yesterday: http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2010/02..._n97_firmware/



To the Nokia Forum everyone!!

Re: Call volume dropping
 

Well I have emailed Nokia, but not had a response.

Also, I did post to a thread but recieved no reply.

You can bump the thread at http://discussions.nokiausa.com/disc....id=4265#M4265 if you want.

Failing that, if I finish work early one day I'll call Nokia.

Re: Call volume dropping
 

HERE IS THE FIX THAT WORKED ON 3 N900s so far:

I have had this annoying volume dropping issue ever since PR1.1 update. I was so pissed off by this that I even considered selling the phone. After reading all of the comments in this thread and a couple of others on the same topic I decided to try something very stupid in order to fix this freaking thing:)

Here is what I did today. I have dropped the phone several times from the height of about 5-10 inches against a wooden table covered by cloth. I made sure that it landed on different sides of the slide. Want to laugh? It worked! The volume is now rock solid on both incoming and outgoing calls. Don't know how permanent this "fix" is, but I'm extremely happy for now since the phone was simply unusable before.
What this means, at least to me, is that the nature of the issue is HW based and not SW related. This also explains relatively small numbers of comments from people experiencing volume level issue.

P.S. Obviously, your results may vary due to the barbarian nature of the fix)

Re: Call volume dropping
 

Hi all!
First time posting here, but been reading around a bit :)
Anyhow, it looks awfully like the problem I experienced with the Nokia 5800XM. (a lot of stuff was said about this online, so you can find traces of discussions on various forums for sure.)
Turned out that the small contacts underneath the speaker were made of a really smooth material (in the first batches) and that meant that putting the phone in the pocket (nice for a MOBILE PHONE, he?), and generally applying pressure on the area of the speaker would bend them down a bit, making the contact quite random.
I don t have the N900 yet (will get it tonight), but the symptoms really look the same. Like pressing the phone on the ear would sometime make the volume really low, then changing the position would change the volume and all. Also, that would backup the story of our friend dropping the phone around, which could move things around a bit and fix the problem.
Only thing to do was to open the casing, and with some pliers, being un-bending them really carefully.
Being living in Beijing, and buying my phones on the gray market, I had to live with it, and remember to be careful. But Nokia knew about it, and people sending their phones in for repair had no troubles afterward. Seeing how easy it is to fix, it was even done on the spot in Nokia care centers, I hear.

There you go, I believe this is the issue!

Re: Call volume dropping
 

I thought I had this issue when I got my phone and freaked out because I imported to Australia i.e. no warranty. But I believe - at least in my case - it's to do with the positioning of the phone on the ear. I think if I hold the phone at the wrong position against my ear the (tiny) speaker hole lines up with the ridge on my ear effectively blocking all sound from the speaker. I think I have it sussed where to hold it against my ear now.

Has anybody experience a similar issue?

Re: Call volume dropping
 

Hi double,

I'm pretty sure the positioning is not the problem here... Although that thought did cross my mind too :)

Dan

btw - i've still not had a response from Nokia so i'm emailing them again.

Re: Call volume dropping
 

Hey, danielz000!

You might want to try my method described several posts above. It worked a treat for me. Today I have fixed another two N900 phones that my friends own in exactly the same way. It's a HW issue 100%.

Re: Call volume dropping
 

Just to add that I've noticed this too.

Not severely - I can still the person, they just get quieter through the call.

I'd assumed it was them not talking to their phone propery, or a problem with the echo cancelling algorithm (I use speakerphone a lot).

Having seen this thread, now I realise there's a problem at my end.

Re: Call volume dropping
 

You sir, are a very brave man! On your advice I think I'll book mine into the service centre though! ;-)

Re: Call volume dropping
 

I hope that at the service center they don't use the same method as I did:)

Re: Call volume dropping
 

So it's most likely a dry joint somewhere, interesting. Knocking your phone around helps, but it's a temporary fix.

Re: Call volume dropping
 

Bug 6063 was just updated stating a trip to the service centre resolved the audio problem too. Bit of a shame really. I wonder what the long term affects of this problem will be for the phone :(

Re: Call volume dropping
 

I went to Nokia Service today in Helsinki, they wanted my phone for atleast a weak and wanted to reflash it. Couldn't let em do this though cause I hadn't saved up my contacts(what's the best way to do that? take a backup and get it off the machine?)

Anyway a week of service, and they wouldn't give me a replacement N900 or for that matter ANY phone unless I paid 11 euros for it.

So basically, I'm sold a malfunctioning unit that's under warrantee and I have to pay for stuff?, even though I have to relinquish my phone for at least a week so they can try and repair it? I think not.

Re: Call volume dropping
 

Think yourself lucky - I dropped mine off at the care center here in the UK at it will be gone for 2 weeks without a temporary phone supplied!

Re: Call volume dropping
 

I took my phone to service today, because volume drop. Lets hope they find something to fix :)

Re: Call volume dropping
 

Please let us all know if it helps Mele!

Cheers!

Re: Call volume dropping
 

I let you know, when i and if i receive it back

Re: Call volume dropping
 

Has anyone had this problem on an outgoing call? I just cannot recall a single such occurance. Whenever I have this problem it is on an incoming call, and to fix it I hang up and call the person back. So far this has been my fix for this problem.

Thoughts?

Re: Call volume dropping
 

For me, it was happening regardless. I've sent it in for repair and will report back if the issue is resolved (assuming I remember to, lol)

Re: Call volume dropping
 

I think i have it also at outgoing calls

Re: Call volume dropping
 

This happens to me only on an incoming calls. And only when I get a call while driving and my n900 plays music and uses fm-transmitter. But this happens only about 1 out of lets say 5 calls. I do also hang up and call back.

edit: typo

Re: Call volume dropping
 

Just receive message that i can get my phone back. Dont know if they actually have dont nothing to it.

edit:
Just got back and they couldnt do nothing to my phone because there are too many chances what to do. They have called to Nokia and asked about this fault, but Nokia didnt know anything about.

So i think it`s about us now to find how exactly the fault comes up.

Re: Call volume dropping
 

I have the same problem.... On all calls basically... i tried the headset and have the same problem too, so I think its software, cos even the headset has the problem... grrr....

Re: Call volume dropping
 

I had the same problem and was going to take my n900 for service, but it was too much of a hassle cause they wouldn't give me a replacement phone. Anyway, after that we got the new firmware update (1.1.1), I haven't noticed the call volume dropping anymore.

Anyone else had the problem disappear?

Re: Call volume dropping
 

I am pretty sure its hardware related, unfortunately. I discovered that squeezing or reorienting the phone suddenly gets the audio level back leading me to believe there is a bad connection in there somewhere. However, if this is still an issue Nokia is yet to aknowledge, then I think I will hold off on sending it in for repairs.

So I suggest you verify this by squeezing your phone on various areas during a call to see if it has any effect.

Re: Call volume dropping
 

Today i make two phone calls and both have issues with volume drop. So for me its at outgoing and also incoming call. I will try to tap and squeeze my phone next time

Re: Call volume dropping
 

Awful! :( I've emailed Nokia twice now and not had a reply in weeks.

The 6063 bug doesn't appear to have any official comments on it either.

Not really sure where to go from here but I would recommend anyone with the problem vote for the 6063 bug at https://bugs.maemo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=6063.

Also it might be worth calling/emailing Nokia. Maybe if enough people email them, they might give up ignoring the emails...