There are plenty of people excited with their shiny new iPhone 7 smartphones, but inevitably there will be some disappointed customers as well.
Concerns have been raised about hissing noises coming from the phone, the easily scratchable Jet Black finish and now about poor call quality. In the last few days a number of complaints have appeared on the Apple support forum from concerned iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus owners.
iPhone 7 owners post on Apple help forums
The posts relate to alleged poor call quality suffered by owners of the new handsets.
“It’s like the phone is hollow and the sound is coming from behind it, ” writes a user in one post to a forum Community Specialist. The user reports that he only experiences the problem on the forum. He then goes on to add that the issue only occurs in calls.
It appears that lowering the volume improves the situation. However this is not a long-term solution. Apple is reportedly sending replacement handsets to anyone affected by the issue.
Some users have been told to contact their service provider to see what’s wrong after Apple diagnostics tests showed that the phone was working correctly. However it does appear that some phones are affected by a problem that is the responsibility of Apple.
Various glitches affect iPhone 7 after launch
It is not yet known whether this is a hardware or software issue, but it is more likely the former. If the problem were caused by an iOS glitch, it would most likely affect more phones.
There have been a number of problems that have affect the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus since their launch. A few days ago Apple admitted that a software bug was stopping the integrated remote on the newly introduced Lightning EarPods completely useless.
Other customers reported hearing hissing noises coming from the back of their handset. The issue was most commonly reported when the iPhone 7 was completing difficult processing tasks, and was usually heard coming from behind the Apple logo on the back of the phone.
Hissgate and scratching cause concern
Experts say that the noise could be caused by an internal component vibrating at its resonant frequency. While the sound might be annoying, it is unlikely to be a sign of a more serious issue.
However Apple has not made any official statement on the matter, which has been dubbed hissgate. By leaving the internet to debate what is going on, Apple risks generating more bad publicity.
Another issue has affected the new Jet Black finish that was introduced for the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. While the high-gloss finish looks sleek, it has been shown to scratch incredibly easily. One man even found that a very minor mark was left on the case when he rubbed it clean with his shirt. It hardly bears thinking about what sort of damage could be done if you carried your Jet Black iPhone 7 in the same pocket as your keys or loose change.
In case you were wondering though, YouTuber JerryRigEverything has put together a video in which the Jet Black iPhone 7 is put through a scratch test. It’s not pretty to watch by any means, and it underlines the fact that you should definitely buy a protective case if you have your heart set on a Jet Black finish for your new iPhone 7.
Demand high for new Apple smartphone
In fact the new finish has proven to be in high demand despite concerns over scratches. Customers who ordered a Jet Black iPhone 7 Plus were quoted delivery times in late October and even November, although those estimates have since been revised.
As with any glitch or hardware issue it can be quite hard to tell how widespread the problem is. Are there millions of unhappy iPhone 7 owners out there or are we hearing the complaints of an unlucky few amplified by the internet?
Either way Apple will be happy that so far the reported problems have been fairly minor. This contrasts markedly with Samsung and its Galaxy Note 7 smartphone. A problem with the battery pack has led to a global recall of the handset after several smartphones caught fire.
Samsung is currently being sued by one Florida man, and its reputation for safety has been damaged. The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 may have suffered a mortal blow in the eyes of consumers. For a phone that was billed as an iPhone killer, this is a disastrous start to life.
Somehow though it is difficult to imagine that there are too many tears being shed in Cupertino for the issues being suffered by arch rival Samsung.
