Many groaned and growled when Apple announced its iPhone X was going to be released a little later than the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus — Sept. 22 versus Nov. 3.
When the anticipated date finally rolled around, it was clear the most radical iPhone yet was well worth the wait. Unfortunately, not everyone is happy with their new handset because just nearly two weeks after playing around with them, some have begun to show problems.
Buzzing, Crackling Issues Plague The iPhone X
First, some iPhone X units are becoming unresponsive when taken out in cold weather, which Apple promises to fix via a future software update. Aside from that, some units are turning into an eyesore for their owners because the screen displays bright green lines for some reason, in what could be a factory defect of the Samsung-made OLEDs. It even has a nickname, "green line of death."
Now a small but increasing number of users are discovering another problem with their iPhone X, this time related to audio. They claim to be hearing buzzing, distortion, and crackling sounds from the device's earpiece speaker when the volume is maxed out or set to high.
According to a MacRumors discussion topic, over two dozen users have said they're iPhone X is affected with said earpiece problems, while similar reports have also surfaced on Twitter and Reddit.
Apparently, the crackling sounds occur with any kind of audio playback on affected devices, including phone calls, music, videos, alarms, and even ringtones. The issue seems to plague some iPhone X units regardless of their color, storage configuration, or version of iOS.
iPhone 8 Had Audio Problems Too
The iPhone X's earpiece doubles as an additional loudspeaker in addition to the regular speaker at the bottom of the device to deliver stereo sound. The iPhone 8 bears the same speaker setup, and notably, it also suffered from similar "static noise" problems in the past couple of months. Apple fixed the issue via an iOS 11.0.2 software update, which was rolled out in October.
Apple is replacing affected units for free, according to customers who have contacted Apple about their crackling issues. The company also appears to be asking users if they could collect diagnostic information as a way for its engineers to investigate said issues.
It's important to note that crackling problems affect only a small percentage of out of the millions of iPhone X units currently being manufactured and sold. It's too early to tell whether this is a more widespread problem instead of an isolated case. Let's see how it plays out.
Is your iPhone X having earpiece crackling issues? Tell us in the comments section below!
