Apple hit by iPhone 13 incoming call defect

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

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Mon, December 4, 2023 | 10:06

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Apple hit by iPhone 13 incoming call defect

Posted : 2021-12-10 15:11

Updated : 2021-12-11 09:13

Apple's iPhone 13 / Courtesy of Apple

By Kim Bo-eun

Apple has come under fire for failing to promptly fix a defect in its latest iPhone launched here in October.

The U.S. tech giant took measures last month to address problems with the incoming call function found in the iPhone 13. But it is still receiving consumer complaints about problems with incoming calls.

The problem is mostly related to the signal for incoming calls and disruptions when receiving text messages.

Under the circumstances, Apple is blaming LG Uplus, considering that most iPhone 13 users tend to be subscribers of LG Uplus, one of the three mobile carriers here.

Posts on online communities showed subscribers of the two other mobile carriers, SK Telecom and KT, also experienced the same problem.

But the two have stated they have not received any official complaints from users.

Users of the iPhone 13 opened a groupchat on the KakaoTalk messenger app to share the problems they have experienced and discuss how to address the matter. The groupchat has over 600 participants as of Friday.

Apple made an updated iOS available on Nov. 12 to address the defect, but this has not solved the problem. LG Uplus, meanwhile, began operating a team dealing with complaints on Dec. 3, and is lending iPhone 12 phones to iPhone 13 users while the problem is being addressed.

Both Apple and LG Uplus have looked into the problem but have failed so far to find its cause. The Ministry of Science and ICT plans to call officials of Apple Korea and the three mobile carriers to come up with a solution.

Apple on Thursday issued a belated statement on the matter over a month after customers began experiencing failures in the iPhone 13's call function.

"We are making efforts to provide the best experience for customers," Apple stated. "We are looking into the issue that has affected some LG Uplus customers."

The iPhone 13 series was launched on Oct. 1 in Korea. The iPhone 13 Mini is priced at 950,000 won ($805), the iPhone 13 at 1.09 million won, the iPhone 13 Pro at 1.35 million won and the iPhone 13 Pro Max at 1.49 million won.

Users have complained online that the iPhone 13 is essentially an "expensive brick," stating a phone cannot be called a phone if its phone call function does not work.

bkim@koreatimes.co.kr

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