iPhone 7 customers complain of defects

By Yoon Sung-won

The much-hyped iPhone 7 and 7 Plus have been embroiled in controversies around the globe after reports of multiple hardware defects, Wednesday, less than a week after its release.

Apple, which is expecting boosted sales from the new iPhone as rival Samsung Electronics is struggling over its Galaxy Note 7 battery problem, may face a tougher road ahead.

In particular, complaints have surfaced about a “hissing” sound that is occasionally heard from the application processor when the handset is overloaded.

According to a report by U.S. online media Apple Insider, Saturday, multiple users of the iPhone 7 and larger iPhone 7 Plus are complaining about the hissing sound. Though such a noise is heard from desktop computers or laptops, it is a rare case on smartphones, it said.

The exact reason for the noise has yet to be confirmed; but rumors are that Apple’s A10 processor, which debuted with the new iPhones, makes it if it fails to cool down properly from an overload.

Apple said it will replace certain iPhones with the problem but has not released an official comment.

“The noise issue can be critical to the device because the application processor is the most important part of a handset,” an industry source said.

The new iPhones’ imperfect waterproof function has also been pointed out.

Multiple critics argued that the new iPhones should be called “water-resistant,” not waterproof, comparing them with Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy S7 series and Note 7, which have an IP68-grade waterproof function and thus do not break underwater. The new iPhone models have an IP67-grade function, which is one step lower than that of the Galaxy smartphones.

Apple stated on its website that the warranty of the new iPhones does not cover device damage caused by them being water-soaked.

“Added to Apple’s infamously stingy after-sales service policy, the imperfect waterproof function may further disappoint iPhone users,” the industry source said.

Despite the alleged hardware defects, the new iPhones are selling well, especially in the U.S. market. The first shipments have been sold out and there is a severe shortage of products with the new jet-black finish.

According to T Mobile CEO John Legere, pre-orders for the new iPhones have almost quadrupled compared to those of the iPhone 6 two years ago. Sprint also said the volume of pre-orders for the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus have increased by more than 375 percent, compared to that of the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus last year.

The major U.S. telecom companies have launched an unprecedentedly aggressive free replacement marketing program for the new iPhones. Under a two-year contract, they offered a 32-gigabyte iPhone 7 handset in exchange for an iPhone 6 or an iPhone 6s.

According to market research agency Strategy Analytics, Apple’s U.S. smartphone market share remained at 24.5 percent, losing the top perch to Samsung Electronics with 32.7 percent. This is the first time Apple has recorded a market share below 25 percent since the 20.9 percent in the third quarter of 2011.

Meanwhile, Samsung Electronics started the Galaxy Note 7 replacement program Wednesday, following the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s official recall issuance.