Comment by ericabiz | Hacker News Reader

Comment by ericabiz | Hacker News Reader

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The iPhone 7/7 Plus is the series I tell everyone to avoid purchasing. We refuse to stock them for resale as well, and it’s gotten so bad we even have customers sign a disclaimer when they bring them in for repair. (Note: We are not Apple authorized, so this is our policy, not Apple’s.)

They have a serious manufacturing defect commonly known as the “Audio IC” issue. Apple downplays it, but eventually it hits almost every 7 series.

Apple offered a free repair program for a while, but has since discontinued it.

The 7 series is pretty much “designed to fail.” We have seen flawless phones in Otterbox cases have this issue.

The 6 Plus also has defects on the Touch IC chip. We recommend the 6s or 8 series for customers.

If anyone reading this has a 7 or 7 Plus and is concerned about this issue, back up your phone on a regular basis at a minimum. Trade it in for an 8 or 8 Plus when you can. If you’re happy with your 7, you don’t need to go to the X/XS, but I would recommend stepping up to the 8.

I am ACIT and ACMT certified working for an AASP and you're absolutely right. The Audio IC issue with iPhone 7 and 7+ is awful but Apple refuses to acknowledge it's their problem. They had a rep program for a few months when it first started surfacing but then cancelled it when their own internal investigation said it wasn't their fault. While we tend not to recommend the 6s, we also don't sell and iPhones whether new or refurb.

Not sure they refuse to acknowledge it: my wife’s 7+ had this last month and the Apple store said “Oh yeah, known problem” and replaced it free of charge.

Did they really admit that their products have problems? Wow.

I would have expected them to say something like "Oh yes It was totally your fault, but we can replace it for free because we're nice."

Yep. Well, “ett känd problem” as this was in Sweden, but they acknowledged it as an Apple thing. Maybe because it was still under EU warranty?

Yes if it's still under a warranty then Apple will repair or replace it free of charge.

Well shit.

I bought an iphone 7 this year and was planning on keeping it for a while. I did find some issues when searching the internet for iphone 7 problems, but my wife has an iphone 7 plus from when it came out and it's still working flawlessly.

Is there anywhere I can look before buying a few years old iphone series?

In general, the "s" phones are going to be better off than the others. The 8/8 Plus was really more of a "7s" and so far, they're actually some of the best phones Apple has made. The X/XS is similar; I had issues with my X overheating, but I now have a XS and it's much better.

That is the rule of thumb I'd live by for Apple phones.

I've been using iPhone7 for almost 3 years now. Not even a single problem. I love this phone, and got the battery replacement from apple for $29 last december. Will keep it for the next 2-3 years too. I wouldn't worry about the Audio IC issue, which I just heard only today.

That makes me feel a lot better. Thank you.

I have an iPhone 7 Plus for two years and never had an issue. Apart from some bugs in iOS here and there; either fixed or brought by updates.

So what should I do? Should I go ahead and replace or I was a lucky one?

This is a common question our customers have too. I usually answer the same way: If you can afford it, I would recommend trading it in for an 8 Plus. If not, or you'd rather wait for the better trade-in deals in September, just make sure you back it up on a regular basis. And use a case! :)

Also, if you travel a lot or can't live without your phone for a day or two, I'd trade it in.

The 6+ also has problems with the NAND popping off. Would you know of anyone in the US that can reball that chip for a decent price?

Yes -- email me or contact me through Facebook (in my profile.) :)

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