Apple iPhone 4 users are complaining over the delay for a fix for a problem that Steve Jobs pledged to remedy in the company's next software update.

The glitch involves the smartphone's proximity sensor. The solution, which has not been working, is supposed to turn off the display when it is placed against a user's face.

The sensor is supposed to detect when the phone is held up to the ear so that the screen would be turned off to stop the keypad from being pressed during calls. However, users have reported dropped calls because the feature does not work.

The glitch also caused annoying beeps because buttons on the screen often get pressed accidentally.

Last month, Jobs said the sensor would be fixed in the next software update. However, the update fixed a security issue, not the sensor.

Fiona Martin, a spokeswoman for Apple Australia, acknowledged that the company has yet to offer a fix for the problem.