No speaker sound on my iPhone 4s

[Raven]

I've had my iPhone for 2 years of a 3 yr contract. Love it!
Except now I have no speaker sound - no alarm sound, nor ringtones. No Siri voice or Youtube sound, etc. I can hear a phone call voice. Just don't hear the ringing.
So, I googled the problem. Found a ton of solutions. Seems as if I'm not the only one...
http://iphonenosound.com/no-sound-coming-from-my-iphone/
Tried most of the software solutions without result. Several suggested changing the 1) dock connector as a cheap fix. I don't want to open the iPhone to brave that.

So, I took my iPhone to our one local Apple reseller in our small town. Told me the speaker is kaput! They can't do hardware repairs and would have to send it out of town. I'm doubtful about the quality of the diagnosis. Would a sales store have the skills to check a defective speaker vs a defective dock connector?

My options are:
2) Buy a refurbished iPhone for $200 Cdn.
3) Buy out my contract for $150 and upgrade to 5c for $100 plus a 2 year contract.
I didn't buy any insurance.

Of course, they erased all my files which I'm restoring from iTunes as we speak. Gawd, it's taking hours!!! I'm hoping my NOTES, contacts, photos, emails,  etc will come back.

What's your suggestion for my 3 choices for repair?

[Raven]

My iPhone contents and files were restored. Whew!
It took 3+ hours to back up my iPhone and 4+ hours to restore it using iTunes. Is that how long it takes each time?

Still wondering about how best to fix my lack of sound problem. See my 3 choices above. What would you do?
Thanks again TS!

[Xairbusdriver]

If the backup is in "the cloud" the speed of your Internet connection will determine how long it will take. Backing up to your hard drive will always be faster. I use both methods because I'm paranoid!

[Raven]

Turned off my Bluetooth and the sound came back on for a few minutes until I touched the two sound control buttons on the side. Now speaker sound is gone again!

Which of these fix options make sense to you...

1. change dock connector. No guarantee that's the problem.
2. Buy a refurbished iPhone from my Apple reseller for $200 Cdn.
3. Buy out my iPhone contract for $150 and upgrade to 5c for $100 plus a 2 year contract. Or 5s at $200 plus contract.
4. Use no sound until September(?) when the 6 comes out.

[Xairbusdriver]

Option 5: Assuming the headphones/earbuds still provide sound, just look 'geeky' till the phone stops working in other areas!

Seriously, I'd probably not spend anything on a solution that was not guaranteed to fix the problem.

[krissel]

If you're willing to option purchasing a new 5s for $200 and buyout of your contract, it would make more sense to wait for the 6 and see what prices are available at that point. That is if you can put up with the lack of sound for a couple months.

[Xairbusdriver]

I almost always mute my iPhone just before I hit the 'sack'. However, I often go through most of the day with it still muted! Ironic that one of the other new posts today concerns forgetfulness.

"Is that your phone?"
"I doubt it..."

[Paddy]

http://www.irepair.ca/Service/iPhone%20Repair/index.html

I've had iPods fixed by this outfit, and they're very good. $100 for the speaker replacement - you'd need to mail it to them. I don't know whether the Toronto or the Vancouver depot would be closer.

It's the cheapest fix that involves spending money now. Otherwise, I'd do as Kris suggests and just wait until the fall when the iPhone 6 comes out. No sense getting a phone that's a year old if you can get the brand new model for something similar.

[Texas Mac Man]

Fix for iPads. Should also apply to iPhones.

Try this  - Reset the iPad by holding down on the Sleep and Home buttons at the same time for about 10-15 seconds until the Apple Logo appears - ignore the red slider - let go of the buttons. (This is equivalent to rebooting your computer.) http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1430
 
Check your settings. The iPads have a small switch on the right edge. It can be used as a rotation lock to keep the screen from automatically reorienting itself as you move around, but you need to have the tablet’s settings configured properly. That same switch, right above the volume buttons, can also be set to function instead as a mute button to silence certain types of audio.
 
If the switch is set to work as a mute button, you can change its purpose to “screen-rotation lock” by tapping the Settings icon on the home screen. On the Settings screen, tap General on the left side, and on the right side of the screen flick down to “Use Side Switch to.” Tap to select Lock Rotation or Mute to set the button’s function. Even if you set the side switch for your preferred use, you can still mute the Mini or lock the screen. Just double-click the Home button, and when the panel of apps appears along the bottom edge of the screen, flick the row from left to right with your finger. Tap the icon on the far left side of the row to either lock the iPad’s screen or mute the iPad’s alerts, notifications and sound effects. Music, podcasts and video are not muted unless you turn the volume all the way down.
 
iPhone: No sound or distorted sound from speaker
http://support.apple.com/kb/ts5180
 
iPhone: Can’t hear through the receiver or speakers
http://support.apple.com/kb/ts1630
 
http://www.atreks.com/app-no-sound-on-ipad...%93-what-to-do/
 
To solve some sound problems, just follow these simple steps
1. Go to Settings
2. Tap on General
3. Tap on Reset
4. Tap on Reset All Settings

What this effectively does is to reset some of your Settings to factory default. It’s not a complete removal of settings. It removes all of your preferences for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Do No Disturb, Notifications, General, Sounds, Brightness & Wallpaper and Privacy. It doesn’t affect your data. All of your email accounts will remain intact, as well as any SMS text or iMessages.

 
 Cheers, Tom