Some phones are genuinely broken, others are not

Dec 10, 2014 13:30 GMT  ·  By

A thread on Apple’s forum would suggest that an issue involving dead ear speakers might be a common enough occurrence to avoid the iPhone 6. In reality, things are a bit different.

The topic is only a few pages long but has been viewed more than 16,000 times since September. That’s actually not a big number for this timeframe, and the reply count is also on the low. Yet some of the comments in there seem to draw a grim picture.

Ear speaker not working

Thread starter Masterdiver77 shares his story, saying: “So I just have this iPhone 6 for a week and already have an issue... I can dial a call....but can't hear anything.... If I put it on speak phone.....I can hear everything.... not sure way [sic]... just seems like the ear speaker is out for some reason I rebooted.....I synced.....I re-intalled... same issue still happens.....no sound coming-out of the ear speaker.... anyone care to help?”

Several others chimed in with similar stories, suggesting that there might be something wrong with the handsets. In all fairness, it does appear that some devices are genuinely damaged from factory. Some users reported success in having the handsets replaced at their local store, which is certainly good news for those who are in the same boat with these people.

However, before you embark on a trip to your local Apple shop, perhaps it would be worth listening to this piece of advice from user “smjdel,” who tells everyone in the thread to check the jack hole for dirt before doing anything else.

“When you try to adjust the volume, does it say ringer or headphones on the screen? If it says headphones, something is stuck in the jack and your phone thinks you have headphones plugged in,” this person writes. “Speaker will work. use compressed air to clean it. Worked like a charm with my iphone 6 plus. Don't try to stick your headphones in then pull them out; could make it worse. Hopefully this will solve the issue!...”

It was dirt all along

smjdel’s invaluable tip helped several users regain the functionality of their devices, saving them time (and perhaps money) simply by using compressed air to clean the jack port. If you’re thinking to do the same, don’t use your mouth.

For those of you who can’t seem to find any quick solution to the problem, it’s probably best to just take it to Apple and see if the device indeed needs to be replaced. It’s not uncommon for some units to have manufacturing defects. It’s just a fact of life, and it goes for any electronics vendor.

iPhone 6 photos (4 Images)

Talking on the iPhone 6
iPhone 6 earpiece (ear speaker) arrayiPhone 6 Plus earpiece (ear speaker) array
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