Several iPhone 8 and 8 Plus Owners Report Hearing 'Static Noise' in Earpiece During Calls

[MacRumors]

Several MacRumors readers who purchased Apple's new iPhone 8 Plus have reported hearing intermittent crackling noises while taking calls on the device. MacRumors forum member vask first posted about the issue on Friday and a number of iPhone 8 Plus owners from Australia, the U.S., and across Europe have since contributed to the thread describing similar experiences.

According to iPhone 8 Plus owners, "very annoying" static sounds can sometimes be heard from the handset's earpiece during regular cellular calls, but the issue doesn't occur when using headphones or if speaker phone is enabled, which could indicate a software issue rather than a speaker defect. The audible crackling has also been reported when using FaceTime, increasing suspicions that the problem doesn't lie with network carriers. Forum member Jgpsolo describes the issue like so:

It is a high-pitched crackle like an audio pop that happens in the earpiece top speaker intermittently during calls. Some calls are fine and others crackle. It is not audible on earphones or on speakerphone, only through the earpiece. The caller on the other end doesn't hear it.

I don't know whether this is hardware or software related, but one thing that made me think it's software related is that if you switch on to speakerphone for a few seconds then back to earpiece, the crackles resolve for the duration of the rest of the call. If this was a hardware issue with the earpiece, doing this shouldn't make a difference.

The problem occurs "with or without WiFi calling, with 4G voice (VoLTE) on or off, with phone noise cancelling enabled or disabled under accessibility, and even with third party VoIP apps (like Acrobits Groundwire), with several different carriers," according to forum member ManuCH in Switzerland.

Some users have tried performing a hard reset on their iPhone 8 Plus, with mixed results. Apple's support team has advised some owners to restore their phone to factory settings and set up again via iCloud backup, again with variable results. Other users have even reported the same problem on like-for-like replacement devices after exchanging what they thought were faulty handsets.

Apple is apparently aware of the issue and is currently looking into it. We'll update this article as soon as we know more.

Article Link: Several iPhone 8 and 8 Plus Owners Report Hearing 'Static Noise' in Earpiece During Calls

 

[berrymetal]

Callgate (not the toothpaste)

 

[levitynyc]

I'm sure we are holding it wrong.

 

[ahunt01]

I have this going on

 

[Ngamtns706]

Yeah I’ve got it going on. Very annoying. Apple is sending me a new phone which I doubt fixes it. It’s very annoying. I wish I didn’t sell my 7 plus already.

 

[ahunt01]

I have AppleCare. So I figure I want to see how this plays out and then I’ll work with Apple on it. I took awhile to set up my phone and I don’t feel like going through that again unless I know for sure this will be resolved when I switch it out.

On another note, I seriously doubt this is software-related. Unfortunately I fear it’s a hardware issue...

 

[44267547]

I'm thinking an iOS update could resolve this issue, unless somebody wanted to exchange it within 14 days. But I imagine this is sporadic and can be resolved through an iOS update.

 

[Applebot1]

If this becomes a wide issue then you have to start questioning Apples quality control.

 

[AhRiHmAn]

Same problem iPhone 8+ 256 Go in France

 

[ahunt01]

If this becomes a wide issue then you have to start questioning Apples quality control.

It’s been questionable for some time as of late...

 

[Telomar]

If this becomes a wide issue then you have to start questioning Apples quality control.

If you’ve only just started you haven’t been paying attention. Under Tim Cook there’s a definite policy to ship questionable quality.

 

[skillwill]

Cue the apologists with "This happens to every new phone, every year!", "This has just been released don't expect it to be perfect!", "[Even though you bought the product for what it is NOW] Wait for them to fix it!".

 

[lentus]

I have this too.
IPhone 8 plus 256gb silver.

 

[kissmo]

Why do I have the feeling iphone X will have more issues?....
I have an iP7+ which will do fine for the next 1-2 years. I am waiting to see where Apple is heading towards....

 

[Ngamtns706]

Why do I have the feeling iphone X will have more issues?....
I have an iP7+ which will do fine for the next 1-2 years. I am waiting to see where Apple is heading towards....

Good call.

 

[_Refurbished_]

Clearly Eddie Cue’s fault.

No issues yet with my 8.

 

[ACST]

Who the hell is using their phones to call people?

 

[Smartass]

Why do I have the feeling iphone X will have more issues?....

that thing is going to be a real pain in the butt in my opinion. Apple's QC has been falling dramatically the last couple of years.

 

[maflynn]

Wow, hopefully its just a software fix. Given the high price of these products, there's absolutely no way a consumer should accept issues such as these. If apple wants to charge a premium price they damn well better make sure the phone is perfect.

 

[LovingTeddy]

Who the hell is using their phones to call people?

Should just disable the phone functions. People are just entitled. Just enjoy the God's creation and move on.

 

[DrivenDaily]

I have this issue. 8 256GB ATT. Thought it was a dirty speaker but it’s intermittent. Seems to be on LTE and Wifi calls especially.

 

[talwarsirav]

I have been having the same issues with my iPhone 6s since I installed iOS 11. Had a chat with AppleCare and they were quick to blame my service provider. But it happens over FaceTime and FaceTime Audio as well. But hey we can all speak as poop now on the new iPhone X, so we can bear this.

 

[newyorksole]

8 Plus 64GB Gold VZW, no issues.

Hoping the X treats me the same.

 

[LovingTeddy]

Wow, hopefully its just a software fix. Given the high price of these products, there's absolutely no way a consumer should accept issues such as these. If apple wants to charge a premium price they damn well better make sure the phone is perfect.

There is no such thing that is perfect. There will be problem in the first few batches, problem will be short out eventually. People are entitled to use its warranty or return period if they choose to do so.

But I agree that Apple need to improve their quality control. All my sub 200 dollar Android phone don't have any quality issue

 

[kissmo]

Who the hell is using their phones to call people?

I may sound like a Grandpa but I do miss the times when I had friends I could talk to and look into their eyes and curse them on the face or laugh together.

Now it's just like and dislike and emoji and FaceID.... U kidding me???....

Clicks and Pops during the call is a feature not a bug. It's meant to show the world the voice call is dead - Smiling Poop Emoji is the future and stuff like this.