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michael31986

macrumors 601
Jul 11, 2008
4,589
704
This is going to be interesting.

My first 7+ had the noise once with the camera app open. I tried to reproduce it again later but couldn't, not even with other apps like speedtest and geekbench. Unfortunately that phone had a scratched screen out of the box so was exchanged.
Current phone has noise almost constantly. I have raise to wake enabled, lifting the phone to light up the screen, nothing. Press the home button (not even unlocking the phone, just pressing it) and the noise starts.

If they release a software fix that works, then great, but hopefully it's not at the expense of performance.
Really it's that loud to hear it when you just pick it up. Film video
 

DUIduckSAUCE

Suspended
Sep 12, 2016
473
399
Finally got around to opening my 7 plus att 256 gb that was delivered on Saturday. It suffers from this same hissing sound.
 

chekz0414

macrumors 6502a
Jul 3, 2011
770
99
FL
Apple emailed me today about picking up my new replacement iPhone 7 Plus, (due to the camera hiss noise) I'm gonna bring my Mac in and restore from backup and do this all on Friday when I go to pick it up because honestly I don't want the processor hiss if this one adds an issue at the absence of another I'd rather wait it out
 

MG999

macrumors 6502
Sep 9, 2016
304
262
Apple emailed me today about picking up my new replacement iPhone 7 Plus, (due to the camera hiss noise) I'm gonna bring my Mac in and restore from backup and do this all on Friday when I go to pick it up because honestly I don't want the processor hiss if this one adds an issue at the absence of another I'd rather wait it out

How did you manage to reserve a replacement? Just called the store? or did you email them?
 

Waughy

macrumors 6502
Jun 20, 2012
353
215
Australia
Really it's that loud to hear it when you just pick it up.

No it's not that loud. What I mean is that when I do that and put the back of the phone to my ear I can hear it, without unlocking the phone and running any apps. I realise I should have mentioned that in my post, I can see how it can be misread as meaning just holding the phone up in front of me the noise is apparent. That's not the case.

The noise does come through in video taken in a quiet room, but it's not overly noticeable, possibly due to the white noise also coming through fairly loud. A video with people talking and other noises, I doubt you'd hear the buzz/crackle at all.
 

snsking

macrumors 6502
Jun 10, 2013
369
79
Apple emailed me today about picking up my new replacement iPhone 7 Plus, (due to the camera hiss noise) I'm gonna bring my Mac in and restore from backup and do this all on Friday when I go to pick it up because honestly I don't want the processor hiss if this one adds an issue at the absence of another I'd rather wait it out
What model color and configuration?
 

xotigu

macrumors regular
Jul 21, 2014
100
51
sadly I bought mine from Japan, but good thing is I will be back there next year.
this is part of the warranty right and apple will replace it? even if I did use the phone for months.
 

londonbairn

macrumors member
Dec 17, 2013
35
12
Here is the latest on my experience. I am now on #4 256gb Matte Black plus.

  • First one was the worse. I could hear the buzzing from a foot away on my desk, was awful
  • Second and third less loud, but could hear it up close
  • Fourth one (picked up yesterday) has very little / zero buzz even under load. I am not actually sure if what I hear is ambient sound or buzz it is that silent
However all four have a common factor; recording a video has a horrible constant "static" that you can hear. So I did a little more testing here;

  • Listen to recorded video on phone = can hear the static loudly
  • Listen to recorded video on iPad Pro 12" = can hear the static less loudly
  • Listen to recorded video on iMac (with decent aftermarket speakers) = barely hear it
  • Listen with headphones on phone = quieter than 1
  • Record voice using voice memo app = no static at all
So I am not 100% convinced both problems are linked because of the above and because the volume of the static has remained constant across all 4 phones (I would expect my current one to be quieter). When I run the camera I cannot hear buzzing which is an argument to dispel the last bullet at the top. So wondering if this is more software potentially.

I am going to give up on replacements as I have one which sounds like it is the best I will get for now.

However there is definitely a problem with these phones. Cannot deny that. I tried a sample in store and all but one had buzzing sounds....

How did you manage to reserve a replacement? Just called the store? or did you email them?

In my situation, I just used iStocknow to find stock in London during the day, no need to check at 6am. Was very simple to find them. I went in store and explained the situation and exchanged under the 14 day returns they do here in the UK. Kudos to the stores, they have been excellent in all my exchanges.
 
Last edited:

cinek2

macrumors regular
Sep 13, 2014
171
93
I've just heard back from the Apple after they advised me last week that the engineering team is looking at it. Result from the engineering team is that it is a software issue, not hardware and they are asking me to do a bunch of tests....

That's what they told me too
 

londonbairn

macrumors member
Dec 17, 2013
35
12
Is this the noise you experience on your recorded videos?


Not quite. Mines is more a solid white noise if that makes sense. Like if you amplify background noise.

On the type of issue, the engineers I spoke to said it is hardware. There is no way coil whine can be sorted via software update barring under clocking surely. I spoke to a senior engineer again yesterday who has been coordinating a few of the reports who said this to me.

On the video issue however I think this is potentially software personally (see above my post).
 

robjn3

macrumors newbie
Sep 9, 2016
13
8
I've returned my 128gb black model this morning, can't be shelling out £700 and getting such a weird malfunction, I have decided to go for the 64GB SE Space Grey, as i think it will be perfect for me and i won't have to deal with the lottery of having another 'hissing' phone.
 

londonbairn

macrumors member
Dec 17, 2013
35
12
Is it possible to replace online? Or, do I have to buy another one? And returning this.

Not sure where you are located, but here in UK it is quicker doing it in store (but reserve in advance, use iStocknow to find stock intra day). I was given an option to get a replacement sent but would take 14 days. The Apple store service in UK to exchange is excellent.

It is a lottery. Took me 4 handsets to find one that had no/next to little buzzing. I am sure every 7 plus has the audio issue in videos though.
 
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slayer1551

macrumors member
Jul 28, 2009
75
12
My friend just got theirs and it has the same noises (clicks, blips like an old modem) when recording under heavy load


Mine and his were made in week 37/38 in the F2M factory but my other friend has a week 37 from the F2L factory and you cant hear the weird noises under heavy load when recording you only hear the white noise. When listening to the video on my PC though its hard to hear them, I guess my speakers are crap but listening on the iPhone they are really obvious.
 

Waughy

macrumors 6502
Jun 20, 2012
353
215
Australia
If retarding performance is the fix for this, people are still going to be peed off, even if it stops the noise.
I might book in with a genius, even if it's just to show the issue and have it noted for future reference, in case there is no software fix and it gets classed as a defect (unlikely).
If they offer a replacement I might chance it.
 

londonbairn

macrumors member
Dec 17, 2013
35
12
My friend just got theirs and it has the same noises (clicks, blips like an old modem) when recording under heavy load


Mine and his were made in week 37/38 in the F2M factory but my other friend has a week 37 from the F2L factory and you cant hear the weird noises under heavy load when recording you only hear the white noise. When listening to the video on my PC though its hard to hear them, I guess my speakers are crap but listening on the iPhone they are really obvious.

See my post near the top. I did some checking on the audio recording. I am not convinced this issue is purely hardware, but the coil/capacitor whine (which may not actually be linked) is 100% hardware, be it the component is poor quality or there is no decent sound absorption.

You would not be happy if your car engine had a component issue and to resolve they changed the ECU so that the HP output was 85%....For anyone who says live with it, it's acceptable, this is not right.
[doublepost=1475061349][/doublepost]
I remember the Xbox One had some coil whine issues, and it was taken care off by a software update. It is possible.

Not quite. Microsoft replaced the faulty batch.
[doublepost=1475061570][/doublepost]
If retarding performance is the fix for this, people are still going to be peed off, even if it stops the noise.
I might book in with a genius, even if it's just to show the issue and have it noted for future reference, in case there is no software fix and it gets classed as a defect (unlikely).
If they offer a replacement I might chance it.

Log it I would say so you have a case Id. At very least it's another one with the issue for their tracking
 

cdmoore74

macrumors 68020
Jun 24, 2010
2,413
711
Is this the noise you experience on your recorded videos?


No way that this can be the same related noise that we're describing. That's something else completely different. I would definitely get a replacement but you're going to have the same issues that we have, which I don't find to be an issue for me. But others here have superman powers and can hear a fly fart.
 
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slayer1551

macrumors member
Jul 28, 2009
75
12
See my post near the top. I did some checking on the audio recording. I am not convinced this issue is purely hardware, but the coil/capacitor whine (which may not actually be linked) is 100% hardware, be it the component is poor quality or there is no decent sound absorption.

You would not be happy if your car engine had a component issue and to resolve they changed the ECU so that the HP output was 85%....For anyone who says live with it, it's acceptable, this is not right.
[doublepost=1475061349][/doublepost]

Not quite. Microsoft replaced the faulty batch.
Oh yeah I agree that a lot of the white noise its picking up could be software/over sensitive mic but the clicking/beeps and whine that only happens under load must surely be hardware related . I don't really care if it makes a noise as long as it doesn't impact call and video quality which it is for some people :(

Maybe only limiting the CPU when recording could be a possibility of reducing the noise?
 

mikizee

macrumors member
Aug 14, 2010
57
44
This was posted on another forum - and it correlates with what I was thinking, that the mic between the torch and the camera on the back is the one picking up all the noise.

An interesting find. I have the MoviePro app. It let me pick the mic for the video: bottom, front top or back mic.

When choosing bottom or top no hiss. Back mic record the hissing noise.
 
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cdmoore74

macrumors 68020
Jun 24, 2010
2,413
711
If retarding performance is the fix for this, people are still going to be peed off, even if it stops the noise.
I might book in with a genius, even if it's just to show the issue and have it noted for future reference, in case there is no software fix and it gets classed as a defect (unlikely).
If they offer a replacement I might chance it.

You would just govern the performance (underclock) when the Mic is in use. Even for 4K video recording you can go back down to 6S speeds. Should not be rocket science to write code that drops CPU speed when the Mic goes active. If it's anything like Android, there are governors that run at different speed levels and voltages. I use to play with these levels back in the old days to squeeze more performance out of the CPU. That's why Android folks make a big deal out of rooting and unlocked boot loaders because you can load custom kernels. In all other situations you would run the CPU as designed. Who in the world puts their ear to the back of a phone when running CPU intensive apps? And if you can hear the phone 12 inches from your ears than yes, get a replacement.
 
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