This is guide on iPhone 7 / 7+ Plus Audio Issues / Problems is intended for the general public, hobbyists and mobile phone repair professionals. This effects both the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7+ Plus exactly the same way.
All mobile phone devices have their design floors and iPhone 7 / 7+ Plus are no exception. One of the most common major design floors with this device is a bad connection on the iPhone 7 / 7+ Plus Audio IC micro chip, causing all sorts of problems mostly with you guessed it any thing to do with the Audio on your phone, namely Microphones not working, there are 3, Speakers not working, Headphones not working and many other strange behaviours. Read on, I have compiled an exhaustive list below…
How Did I Get A Damaged iPhone 7 / 7+ Plus Audio IC Chip
The board of the iPhone 7 / 7+ Plus is screwed in to the frame of the iPhone. Over the life of the phone, it will be knocked, dropped and twisted many times. This causes impact and tension forces to radiate through the main circuit board, more specifically any twisting flex tension that is placed on the phone frame will deliver that same force to the main circuit and this is where the Audio IC chip solder pads start to break free of the board, specifically on the right hand side. This problem is more common in the iPhone 7+ Plus as it is larger and more settable to flexing.
iPhone 7 Audio IC Symptoms
Here are the typical symptoms, as collated by the repair community. Note this problems can be intermittent as I will detail below under testing
- Voice Memos app / Loudspeaker on call – Greyed out
- Siri doesn’t hear you / Caller can’t hear you – Microphone
- Long boot times (3-5 minutes) – The time it takes the phone to start
- iTunes detects the phone but stuck on the Apple Logo – When plugged in to your computer
- iTunes fails update / restore the device and gives a 4013 error
- Screen input response is slow
- Sound does not record on videos
- Can hear static sound on phone calls
- Can not hear any audio during phone calls
- FaceTime cancels the call
- Using headphones causes phone to use the main speaker
- Issues are not resolved by replacing iPhone parts – Modular replacements
Now before going any further back-up your device!!!
Back-up Your Device? Try These Tests
Firstly let me explain why the symptoms may not be present all the time. The degree to which the iPhone 7 Audio / iPhone 7+ Plus Audio IC contacts are breaking away from their respective installation points varies. In some cases, it may just be a small hairline crack, in others, the entire contact may have a clean break. We know that temperature makes things expand. When your device is warm or even hot, all the comments inside the hoe will expand. This expansion can cause the hairline crack to temporarly close. One of the so called solutions you will find on the web is to use a hairdryer to heat the screen close to the Apple logo. This is a temporary fix and the problem will return when the phone cools and will become worse over time.
I have used this to test if it is the Audio IC hip which is causing the problem. A word of warning, don’t use too much pressure or you will searching the web for iPhone screen repair.
Try these…
- Turn your phone off. Then turn it on again, put pressure on the screen as shown in the image as the phone starts to boot. This will press the audio chip on to the circuit board. If the phone boots normally, it is the the Audio Chip IC.
- Open FaceTime, Start dialling someone. When the phone starts to dial, press in the same place. If FaceTime works, then once again, it is the Audio Chip IC.
- Try a normal phone call, as soon as the phone starts to dial, press in the same place and see if it works, if it does, it is the Audio Chip IC
- Try recording a video front & back & press in the same place and see if it works, if it does, it is the Audio Chip IC
- Try record a Voice Memo & press in the same place and see if it works, if it does, it is the Audio Chip IC
Here is more information about the iPhone 7 / 7+ Plus Audio fault in detail via YouTube video:
iPhone 7 / 7+ Plus Audio IC Video
Fixing an iPhone 7 / 7+ Plus Audio IC Problems / Issues – A Word of Caution
Firstly let me be 100% clear, you can not do this yourself, end of, not up for discussion, you will brick your phone, as in turn it into a door stop at best.
Secondly don’t take it to Apple, they will tell you that it is not repairable and will do their best to sell you a new phone. The independent repair community has fixed thousands of these cases and we now know exactly what the specific defect is.
Thirdly you will need the services of a GOOOOOD Micro Soldering Specialist, to just some average Joe, this work is done under a 45X Microscope. If you live in Bristol, Bath or Portishead, I provide Mobile mobile phone repairs as in I come to you. If you do not live in Brisolt, Bath or Portishead, you can Mail-in your device.
How is the Audio IC Repaired
This is important because even if you just use this blog for infomation purposes, ensuring the job is done right is important.
You must request that the Audio IC chip be at least re-balled (taken off the board, cleaned and soldered back on to the board) or better even replaced, and the weak traces (minute copper tracks that lead to the chip) strengthened with jumpers, otherwise the issue will come back very soon. Repeating the procedure to correct it again may lead to a dead phone, because this procedure is putting a lot of heat stress on the circuit board and other components may get damaged.
Reballing the chip can fix the issue but iphone 7 audio ic replacement, reinforcing weak solder pads and use of jumper wires for broken pads on the logic board is a better option.
We also repair most brands including iPhone, Samsung, Huawei, Sony, HTC, Nokia, LG, Google, OnePlus and Motorola
Good luck fixing you iPhone 7 / 7+ Plus Audio IC Problem…
