A small number of iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus models appear to be experiencing a microphone issue following updates to iOS 11.3 or later, MacRumors reports. Apple appears to have acknowledged this issue in an internal document distributed to Apple Authorized Service Providers this week, which was obtained by MacRumors, and provides details on the issue, which may prevent affected users from being heard during phone calls or FaceTime video chats. The document provides some preliminary troubleshooting steps to diagnose the problem, and adds that service providers can “request an exception” for this issue for iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus devices that are no longer covered by warranty of AppleCare+ coverage, although it doesn’t specify if the repairs will be completed entirely free of charge.
What’s more interesting is why this problem has only surfaced with iOS 11.3, and is only affecting a small subset of iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus units. The internal support document mentions that some of the devices may require a repair, which implies that the software update could be triggering a hardware defect, but no further information is provided. Apple has not yet acknowledged this issue publicly, although MacRumors notes that they have verified the authenticity of the internal support document.