iPhone X owners experiencing buzzing earpiece problem
A small but growing number of iPhone X owners appear to be experiencing ‘buzzing’ or ‘crackling’ sounds from the smartphone’s front earpiece speaker. This occurs primarily at high or maximum volume.
On affected phones the buzzing sound happens regardless of whether the user is on a call, listening to music or watching videos. Even ringtones and alarms have set off the crackling noise.
The iPhone X’s earpiece also serves as a speaker so it can produce stereo sound in combination with the second speaker located at the device’s bottom.
Although the noise might be the result of distortion, various owners are sure that the problem could be bigger — possibly involving other hardware or software issues.
Within the last few months, a number of iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone 8 owners reported similar problems with the earpiece, but the experience was restricted to when users were conducting phone calls. Apple issued a fix with iOS 11.0.2.
Since the buzzing sound on the iPhone X is not restricted to calls, the current issue might not be related.
According to owners who have contacted Apple, the firm has been replacing affected devices without charging them anything. The company also seems to be gathering diagnostic data so that its engineers can pursue the issue, as it normally does with any possible hardware or software problem.
Similar to the appearance of green lines on certain iPhone X screens, this appears to be an isolated issue that affects a relatively small share of devices, with the majority of owners not experiencing similar problems.
If you are one of the unlucky owners who has encountered this issue, it would be a good idea to book a Genius Bar appointment via the Apple Support app. Alternatively, contact the firm by email, phone, Twitter or online chat to arrange a replacement.