Proximity sensor issue during calls.

[Diatzen]

During calls my screen flashes on and off  which has lead to both me accidentally muting the mic , ending calls and accidentally putting it on loudspeeker. it only does this during calls . i cant turn the screen off with  the power button as it just ends the call. 

at the moment i have a screen protector on which was supplied with the phone , could this be the issue ? also if not can you give me suggestions on fixes. Thanks 

(below is a picture of the screen protector and how it lines up with the proximity sensor so give a better idea , sorry about quality)

[dsultan]

did factory reset - did not help

[_alexdon_]

Why don't you visit a nearby sony centre?

[dsultan]

first trying to solve the issue by support forum

[_alexdon_]

Try a repair of phone software with sony update service.If that does not fix,you should go to service.

[Sudheesh_ak]

factory reset never helps to resolve this issue. I have given it for service centre, and they have replaced the whole board, now little improved but not perfect, looks like there is a component problm.

The only solution to the issue is to  buy a flip cover (avaiable for 130-160INR) and use, this ensures u cover proximity sensor well while u talk on phone and you never end up putiing call to mute/hold speaker etc.

[newdeep]

A call comes in and you bring the phone close to your ear. Other smartphones immediately shut off the screen, but xperia m shuts off the screen only sometimes, and that too only very close to the ear, and also, if you move the phone a little, while still close to the ear, the screen lights up and shuts down intermittently.

Secondly, when screens are off, in other smartphones, when the other party disconnects the call, your phone's screen lights up for some moments, informing you that the other person has ended the call. But in xperia m, if the screen is off, and the other person ends the call, the xperia screen does not light up.

[dsultan]

same here, service center repair did not fix the problem, they just replaced EarSpeaker for unknown reason

looks like software issue, proximity sensor software is too sensitive. while talking with right arm - when sensor becomes opposite to ear hole - sensor software is switching the display on

and bad thing happens

so as when taking the phone with left arm - while conversation sensor could move behind the ear that also switches the display on

but nobody in Sony wont fix this

guys from the fan's forum talking that this could be fixed in kernel driver, somewhere near /sys/devices/virtual/input/input6/ps_thd 

where ps_close_thd = 0x31, ps_away_thd = 0x2d variables do the thing

anybody from sony techs reading this?

[dsultan]

how to contact sony-mobile developers team?

I have been fixed a serios bug with proximity sensor in xperia kernel that affects few xperia models

[Uliwooly]

@dsultan 

there isn't a way to do so, contact your local Sony

http://www.sonymobile.com/global-en/support/contact-us/

[pl0023]

There's no use of contacting Sony regarding this issue. This is the answer i got from Sony support:

With regards to your inquiry, we would like to inform you that your device has a sensor that detects proximity. The proximity sensor turns the touch screen off during voice calls when your ear is close to the screen. This prevents you from unintentionally activating other functions on your device when you are engaged in a call.

The proximity sensor is located on the upper front part of the phone (above the display). The time needed for the sensor to turn on or off the display before or after a call is fixed. It can take up to a few seconds for the display to turn on or off.

In addition, please note that the proximity sensor is designed not to work if the display is closing in less than 45 degree angle to the ground surface. This is normal proximity sensor functionality in order to prevent unintentional activities like described before.

Strange functionality that creates more problems than it prevents "unintentional activities". 

I solved this with AutomateIt software. Now PS on my wife's Xperia M reacts independently from phone position and turns display on and off during call, depending only on PS covering. PS works only during phone call (weak red light near front camera), not like some apps that keep it turned on all time when screen is on.