Thousands of iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 plus users have reported audio issues with their iphone 7 and iphone 7 plus devices which can prove to be an expensive fix. The problem appears to be an inherent fault (which of course Apple will deny). Mostly put down to ageing.
The iPhone 7 and 7 plus were a tremendous hit when they first came out in September 2016, these flagship Apple devices resembled their predecessors in their outward appearance but the real strengths of the iPhone 7 and 7 plus lie in the internal features. The phones had a camera with fantastic performance, dual speakers and most importantly water-resistance that the iPhones before it did not have. People who bought the iPhone 7 or 7 plus sang nothing but praises about the 7 series and its amazing capabilities. However, as time went on some people began experiencing issues among which the most common are problems with the audio IC.
So, what are these audio problems and their symptoms? Let us take a look at iPhone 7 audio chip problems:
Phone’s speaker isn’t working (grayed-out speaker button / icon)
Static sound during phone calls
iPhone 7 Siri is not hearing me
iPhone 7 speaker is not working during calls
iPhone video no sound problem
Grayed out voice memos icon or iPhone voice memo is not working
Phone gets stuck on the Apple logo for some minutes instead of powering on
What is the underlying audio chip issue?
The most common audio issues in the iPhone 7 and 7 plus have the same underlying cause- a logic board fault in which the audio chip is separated or loosened from the motherboard, this issue is also referred to as the “Loop Disease.”
It is interesting that the issue occurs in the same pad, which is the C12. The C12 serves as the connection of the master clock line to the audio integrated circuit chip.
A similar problem occurred in old iPhone 6/6plus with the touch integrated circuit chip, which was dubbed as the “touch disease.” Both these issues occur due to the daily use of phones and their inherent construction.
What is the underlying audio chip issue?
The C12 construction is fragile; and especially, if you are a rough user, the audio board can easily get damaged. The phone experiences a significant amount of flexion even if you regularly put your phone in your pocket or bag and take it out several times daily. The structure of the audio IC gets weak; the main weak point is the M1 pad under the touch chip that easily gets affected by flexion. This same problem occurred in iPhone 6; and unfortunately, even after the problem was identified, Apple did not do anything to either strengthen the M1 pad; neither did they come up with a solution to protect the pad from getting damaged with normal flexion.
It has been observed that the C12 is poorly attached to the phone with results in audio ic failures. With time, phone’s audio completely stops functioning that even hinders in turning the phone on.
Can you repair the audio IC?
The best think about it that the C12 audio pad is repairable, and if your phone is not in warranty, it doesn’t cost thousands of pounds. If you are willing to fix it, then the audio pad can be fixed by lifting the audio IC chip and adding a micro-gauge wire. This will strengthen the M1 pad; however, it is also essential to leave a slight margin, so that the board has the leverage and it can easily handle the normal flexion of this area. With this simple technique, you will not only be able to fix iPhone 7 audio chip issue that includes the speaker and mic issue, but this fix with also prevent your phone from the same problem in the future.
Foxfones are one of only a handful of out of warranty service centres that can offer you this solution. Call us for a quote or book your device in for a repair.