So I’ve had my iPhone 7 for about 16 months. Monday this week, suddenly the phone started acting funny: the mic cut out, Siri wouldn’t activate, can’t make or accept calls unless I’m on bluetooth. After some digging, sounds like this is a common issue: just google iPhone 7 + “greyed out speaker”, “audio ic”, or “loop disease”, or this [Apple Rumors page](https://www.macrumors.com/2018/05/04/apple-aware-of-iphone-7-mic-issue-ios-11-3/) confirming this is a known issue
all show similar issues with the mic failing on older iPhone 7 models. Certainly sounds like a known issue, due to hardware defect.

In order to address this issue, I called Apple’s help line and the technician on the phone ran some remote tests/diagnostics and suggested it may be due to a mic hardware issue (didn’t explicitly say it was a known issue, but said they had heard of it before), and that I take it into an Apple Store to check for sure. So I made an appointment and went in.

I met with a customer service rep at the Apple Store today and they went in to run some tests. I could see when she was writing down my comments she jotted down on her iPad how my issue was with my iPhone speakers. I tried to correct her and say the speakers work fine (they do) but I have no ability to use the internet mic–she said it didn’t matter. She went ahead with plugging in my iPhone into some sort of lightning docking station to run further diagnostics, but my iPhone couldn’t be read. She then proceeded to say that my iPhone had an audio issue and couldn’t be fixed and I need to buy a new phone. I could trade in my phone for $115 (Canadian, mind you).

Since my phone is not that old, and is in perfect working order, with the exception of the mic malfunctioning (no scratches, strong battery, etc.), I didn’t want to just get rid of it. I asked, rather politely, to speak to the store manager or supervisor, since she was consulting him on my options. He come to me and told me “the issue is with the iPhone’s dock” and cannot be fixed. There was no other options and that this is not a known issue, there is no hardware problem or design defect.

First, I have no idea what he means by the iPhone “dock”, it’s not a dock is a lighting port, and there’s no issue with the port, it charges fine. The issue, as the previous woman said, was the audio/mic. But he continued to seemingly lie blatantly in my face and say it was a “docking issue” and that the individual pins of my iPhone cannot be fixed and that I must have scratched them.

I was left dumbfounded. I understand maybe there’s nothing he can do, but he seemed to be making shit up. As far as I know, there is no “dock” on the iPhone, and mine has had no issues. This issue also happened suddenly this week, no related to any damage, scratching or dropping. Finally, it very clearly is a known issue: the Apple rep on the phone said as much, as did the first women I spoke with, and in accordance with this link from Apple Rumors stating informal documents note that this is an issue:

https://www.macrumors.com/2018/05/04/apple-aware-of-iphone-7-mic-issue-ios-11-3/

**TL;DR: had a terrible Apple Store experience where the store manager essentially lied to me about a known defect on the iPhone 7 microphone and offered no repair options insisting the issue was damage to the “dock”. Now left with a iPhone 7 in great condition that can’t take calls**

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**EDIT: there now appears to be a class action lawsuit under way….** https://www.classaction.org/news/apple-hit-with-class-action-lawsuit-over-alleged-iphone-7-loop-disease-audio-chip-defect

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