Apple Still Charging Customers for iPhone 7 Microphone Defect
In May of 2018, Apple acknowledged a microphone issue affecting some iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus models running iOS 11.3 or later in an internal document made available to Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers.
[…]
The exemptions abruptly ended in July of 2018, though, when Apple deleted its internal document related to the microphone issue and prevented free repairs from being processed through its service portal. Since then, many Apple retail and support employees have refused to acknowledge the policy ever existed.
[…]
Apple’s out-of-warranty repair fee for this issue is over $300 in the United States, according to affected customers on the MacRumors forums and Twitter.
This is absolute garbage. I recently brought my wife’s 7 to our local Apple Store (International Plaza Mall) showing these exact same microphone/speaker symptoms. After some diagnostics by the Genius, I was told that the repair would cost $300+...or they would take it in trade for $250 it in trade for a new iPhone Xr. I assumed it was just the result of an older phone, and might be a warning sign of more issues down the road. She did mention it was related to a recent iOS upgrade, but that it only effected a small number of phones and that, since we were out of warranty, we’d have to pay for the repair if we wanted to keep using this model, or trade it in on a newer one. We chose to pay off the remaining balance and trade it in for the Xr. Had we known about this crap, we would’ve definitely lobbied to get the repair and keep the 7. Not sure how effective it would be, but I’d encourage anyone else with similar issues to push harder for the ‘free’ repair.
I keep receiving the occasional email from customers affected by this, asking for my help, but the only thing I can do is continue to bring awareness to it.
Apple has completely ignored all of my requests for comment.
It’s not right.
2 Comments RSS · Twitter
hi,
Same problem here in barcelona spain. And same solution: pay more than 300 euros or buy another one.. Incredible. Totally disappointed. Never again I will buy an apple product. Having issues also with the famous graphic card in macbook pro 2011. apple is not the same company it used to be...
I had the same issue with my gf’s iPh7 that was just three months out of AppleCare! But in my case the Apple Genius even refused to acknowledge repairing it was possible, and offered the trade in value referenced above like we were lucky to have it. He claimed that “software can’t break hardware. It can only push hardware that has faults past its breaking point.” And THAT doesnt justify a fix of their own product?
Been an Apple user for a long time with many many devices. Lost a ton of points that day.