iPhone 11 - earphone speaker

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ebendl

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Augh, started noticing over the weekend that my trusty iPhone 11 no longer had stereo sound when playing youtube videos.

Thought it was strange - probably software - as calls still worked fine. Then I noticed tonight that I could no longer hear the other person when I phoned them.

Turned the phone off and on twice - no difference. Now making a backup so that I can try some other things.

Phone did upgrade to iOS 15.6 recently. Has anybody else experienced this?
 
ebendl said:
Augh, started noticing over the weekend that my trusty iPhone 11 no longer had stereo sound when playing youtube videos.

Thought it was strange - probably software - as calls still worked fine. Then I noticed tonight that I could no longer hear the other person when I phoned them.

Turned the phone off and on twice - no difference. Now making a backup so that I can try some other things.

Phone did upgrade to iOS 15.6 recently. Has anybody else experienced this?
Click to expand...
Haven't encountered an issue like that, especially not after a software update which would imply it's a software issue unless the hardware coincidentally failed at around the same time. Have you tried restoring the phone from backup? Can you hear the phone call if you switch to speakerphone or use earphones \ airpods?
 
OnlyOneKenobi said:
Haven't encountered an issue like that, especially not after a software update which would imply it's a software issue unless the hardware coincidentally failed at around the same time. Have you tried restoring the phone from backup? Can you hear the phone call if you switch to speakerphone or use earphones \ airpods?
Click to expand...
I can't say for certain that it was the software update - unfortunately. Phone updated over the weekend and I noticed around the same time that stereo no longer worked.

I did find this: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/254064632 which seems similar, but who knows.

I was trying to do a DFU (Device Firmware Update) last night - which is supposed to be one of the best ways to reset the phone to try and establish if the problem is software or hardware. I couldn't get the phone to enter in DFU mode, only managed to do a restore. Didn't fix the issue, so I'm beginning to think it might be hardware.

Afterwards, the speaker is audible but only just (I can hear a recipient in the quiet of my parked car at full volume, but couldn't hear my wife from an Engen's convenience store).

Side note - it takes bloody long to backup and restore a 128GB iPhone, even using USB-C and doing it to a mac. Started at 21:00 and managed to have a working phone again at 2:00.
 
ebendl said:
Augh, started noticing over the weekend that my trusty iPhone 11 no longer had stereo sound when playing youtube videos.

Thought it was strange - probably software - as calls still worked fine. Then I noticed tonight that I could no longer hear the other person when I phoned them.

Turned the phone off and on twice - no difference. Now making a backup so that I can try some other things.

Phone did upgrade to iOS 15.6 recently. Has anybody else experienced this?
Click to expand...

Same happened with my daughters 11. She ended up trading it in at Apple (in UK) for a new 12 mini. If it's just that wrong then you will get full trade in value because it passes all of the tests they do.
 
Spizz said:
Same happened with my daughters 11. She ended up trading it in at Apple (in UK) for a new 12 mini. If it's just that wrong then you will get full trade in value because it passes all of the tests they do.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately has a slightly cracked screen at the moment, and I see the local iStore trade-in program specifically asks about screens and speakers:

1660724985862.png

1660725026154.png
 
It's one of 2 things in my experience.

Either the mesh over the earphone is clogged (You can clean it with ethanol and a toothbrush, ethanol does not conduct electricity so no damage to the hardware)

Or if the phone has been dropped accidentally a few times it will stop working, needs to repaired by istore then
 
Colleague had this same issue with his iPhone 7, he had to his Audio IC replaced at a cell repair shop in Cape Gate Mall (CPT). So perhaps your local repair shop can sort you out. Just for the love of God, backup your data and wipe your phone clean before you let these shops work on it. Unless you want your private data looked at.
 
The fact that the screen is cracked is probably the cause.
They will quote you for a new display and probably audio IC as that's connected to each other.
 
ebendl said:
Unfortunately has a slightly cracked screen at the moment, and I see the local iStore trade-in program specifically asks about screens and speakers:

View attachment 1366275

View attachment 1366277
Click to expand...

Ah bummer. This was in May this year and she went to the Apple store in UK so they probably have a different check list. I was with her and I can only recall the guy saying that it passes all the checks, can't remember the exact criteria though.
 
TheBadMadMan said:
It's a well known and common issue. It's the auido IC going faulty.
Click to expand...
Do you have any references or links?

Sorry, first time I've heard about this and I have a colleague with an iPhone 11 almost as old as mine without any issues.
 
OK speaker is louder today but definitely some distortion. Probably fuuked. Booked a repair.
 
I have the same issue on my iPhone 11. Let me know what it costs to repair. I had a couple cellphone shops quoting 750, but not sure the workmanship will be great. Hoping to hear from istore or wefix alternatives
 
Nemus said:
I have the same issue on my iPhone 11. Let me know what it costs to repair. I had a couple cellphone shops quoting 750, but not sure the workmanship will be great. Hoping to hear from istore or wefix alternatives
Click to expand...
I have a friend who works for wefix and if i were you i wouldnt take it there.
 
OK so was at the iStore this morning.

The guy did diagnostics and confirmed the speaker was giving problems. Then proceeded to completely fix it with a piece of prestik (turns out the speaker was just dirty). It is actually quite good now again. Didn't know of the prestik trick - it really works well.

That being said, he did say that a screen replacement will fix the speaker too as they sell it as a unit. But more specifically, he picked up that my phone's battery was at 79% health, so he suggested it might be worthwhile to do both in one go.

I said to proceed.

At which point we discovered that my 128GB iPhone 11 wasn't a device sold by the iStore (I bought the phone in the US), and according to policy they can't check it in and repair it, even if they have the parts.
So phone was returned to me.

I'm busy getting in touch with Digicape (who has a pickup service) and at least according to the guy over the phone, it shouldn't be a problem to repair the phone.
 
ebendl said:
OK so was at the iStore this morning.

The guy did diagnostics and confirmed the speaker was giving problems. Then proceeded to completely fix it with a piece of prestik (turns out the speaker was just dirty). It is actually quite good now again. Didn't know of the prestik trick - it really works well.

That being said, he did say that a screen replacement will fix the speaker too as they sell it as a unit. But more specifically, he picked up that my phone's battery was at 79% health, so he suggested it might be worthwhile to do both in one go.

I said to proceed.

At which point we discovered that my 128GB iPhone 11 wasn't a device sold by the iStore (I bought the phone in the US), and according to policy they can't check it in and repair it, even if they have the parts.
So phone was returned to me.

I'm busy getting in touch with Digicape (who has a pickup service) and at least according to the guy over the phone, it shouldn't be a problem to repair the phone.
Click to expand...

That's sounds odd. My sister had a 256GB. Didn't know they imported the smaller bigger sizes without the ones in between.

At least your speaker is fixed!
 
Yep that’s odd . They definitely sell/sold iPhone 11 128gig

I bought a 128gig beginning of last year
 
twaatie said:
Yep that’s odd . They definitely sell/sold iPhone 11 128gig

I bought a 128gig beginning of last year
Click to expand...
Mmm that's good to know. And bloody irritating.

I'll phone DigiCape tomorrow and see what they say - hopefully there's no such BS.
 
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