Click to Skip Ad
Closing in...

Apple promises a fix for the iPhone 8’s crackling sound problem

Published Sep 27th, 2017 7:45AM EDT
iPhone 8 Sound Issues
Image: Apple Inc.

If you buy through a BGR link, we may earn an affiliate commission, helping support our expert product labs.

Apple already released a tiny update to fix some issues in iOS 11, but the iPhone 8’s crackling sound issue isn’t one of them. Various buyers who purchased the phone complained about the earpiece issue, and it looks like Apple is on top of things, promising a fix for the problem.

The company said that the problem only affects a “small number” of cases, which is only to be expected from such statements from companies that are acknowledging issues with their brand new devices.

“We are aware of the issue which is affecting customers in a small number of cases,” an Apple spokesperson told The Verge. “Our team is at work on a fix, which will be included in an upcoming software release.”

Apple did not explain what causes the sound issue or how widespread it is. People took to forums including Apple’s own support site and Reddit to detail their experiences. Apparently, the issue affects both the iPhone 8 and the iPhone 8 Plus and occurs regardless of carriers or country.

The crackling doesn’t happen on every voice or FaceTime call so everyone will experience it differently. The company did not offer a timeframe for a fix, but it’s likely that fixing the issue is a top priority for Apple, especially with the iPhone X on its way. But if it promised a fix, it must mean it’s a software issue rather than a hardware one.

Google’s Pixel phones also experienced sound issues of their own which Google fixed via software updates.

For Apple, this is the second issue it had to acknowledge with its hardware after last week’s Apple Watch LTE issues, which should also be patched via a future update.

This video demos the crackling earpiece sound some of you may be experiencing:

Chris Smith Senior Writer

Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2008. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he brings his entertainment expertise to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.

Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming almost every new movie and TV show release as soon as it's available.