Static Lines on Keyboard Pester iPhone 5 Owners in App Store (Video)

The iPhone 5 ships with a new App Store, and users that try to purchase apps may run into static lines on the keyboard while entering an Apple ID password.

The video below shows the static lines, which aren’t always present, streaking through the middle row of keys. The issue appears tied to the iPhone 5, even though the iPhone 4S, iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS are also running iOS 6 with the new App Store.

In our testing, the static lines only appear on the number and punctuation keyboard, not on the main keyboard.

The static lines on the iPhone 5 keyboard are not present throughout the iPhone, which is a good thing. Most users can put up with these static lines, while entering a password, because the lines would prove to be a major distraction while typing an email.

It is possible that Apple will fix the static lines issue with an iOS update in the coming weeks. Apple routinely pushes out small fixes to the iOS software. If this is the case, we could expect an IOS 6.0.1 software update in by the end of October or early November.

When iOS 5 launched in 2011, the software included several glitches and bugs which Apple fixed in a iOS 5.0.1 update just a month later. The iOS 5.0.1 update arrived on November 10th, bringing battery life fixes to the iPhone.

Users will be able to update to the latest version of iOS 6 without plugging in to a computer thanks to Over The Air updates, or OTA updates. Apple added OTA updates to iOS last year, allowing users to receive updates faster.  Once Apple finishes an update to iOS 6.0.1, AT&T, Verizon and Sprint will need to test it. Unlike Android updates that can take months to arrive, like the Galaxy Nexus bug fix, Apple and the carriers can usually push out a bug fix update in a timely manner. This may be due to Apple’s hold on carriers, or the focus on a smaller group of devices, either way, iPhone owners typically receive updates quickly.

The iPhone 5 launched with 5 million sales in the opening weekend, despite issues with Apple Maps and reports of scratched black iPhone 5 backs. Apple issued a statement, where Apple CEO Tim Cook apologized for the Apple Maps issue pointing users to alternatives like Google Maps in the Safari Browser and alternative iPhone navigation apps. Apple also added a section of alternative map apps to the App Store on Friday.

In GottaBeMobile testing, the Apple Maps app fails to find an emergency room, highlighting one of the numerous issues.

Apple Senior Vice President Phil Schiller calls the iPhone 5 back scratches, “normal,” so users may not see an apology or offer for a free case due to scratched iPhone 5 backs. Users may want to look for iPhone 5 skins to protect the back of the iPhone 5.

Stay tuned for more iPhone 5 and iOS 6 coverage.