Apple will soon begin sending settlement payments to iPhone 7 users in the United States whose devices were affected by microphone issues after an iOS update in 2018 (via MacRumors).
The infamous audio problems began manifesting after some iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus users updated to iOS 11.3 on their devices. After installing the update, some users began reporting that their iPhone’s microphone had stopped working in addition to reports of a grayed-out speaker button during cellular or FaceTime calls. Apple internally acknowledged the issue, colloquially referred to as “Loop Disease,” in an internal servicing memo seen by MacRumors.
At first, the company was willing to fix affected iPhone 7 units for free, before suddenly changing course and requiring hundreds of dollars for a repair as the issue was not covered by warranty.
The settlement was reached last year after a class-action lawsuit filed by affected iPhone 7 users in the US, with the company agreeing to pay as much as $35 million in compensation. Customers entitled to a payment will be contacted via email soon, with individual payments ranging from $125 to $349. To be eligible, US-based customers must have owned an iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus between September 16, 2016 and January 3, 2023.
Additionally, affected customers must have reported their iPhone’s audio problems to Apple, or have paid the company for an out-of-warranty service to have their devices fixed as a result of microphone malfunctioning. More details, including protesting the settlement or selecting a payment method, can be found on the following communication website.
Customers should begin receiving their allocated payments once final authorization is granted on July 18. Customers will also have until June 3 to select a payment method, protest the settlement, or opt-out altogether from receiving payment.
