14 DAY TRIAL // Ever since Apple rolled out iOS 8 in late 2014, many users have reported problems with Siri on their iDevices. Apparently, the update does something that conflicts with the voice assistant. While some have managed to troubleshoot the problem, others were lucky enough to receive replacement iPhones.
A thread on Apple Support Communities viewed nearly 100,000 times at the time of this writing indicates that Siri may be affected by the jump from iOS 7 to iOS 8. While no one knows exactly what the cause is, there seem to be several ways to address the problem.
Some users have claimed that after connecting Bluetooth audio gear to their phones, Siri suddenly started taking voice commands. Even without the accessories connected. Others tried hard resetting and restoring the phone, with mixed results. However, the luckiest ones were the customers who decided to escalate the problem with Apple.
Replacement iPhones for a non-issue
At least five people commenting in that thread claim to have convinced Apple representatives to give them brand new hardware, after reporting the problem to them. This, after several users confirmed that Apple Geniuses have been able to address the problem by taking customer phones and restoring their firmware fresh. Here's one example.
User elifromcalgary reports: “Siri, voice to text, front facing video recording with no sound after update from 8.0 to 8.1.x. [...] Long story short - in the middle of the week I called apple support, who couldn't believe the response from the manager or that he turned me away, and issued me a phone replacement. I showed up on Friday to the genius apt, triumphant, and had my replacement in hand after I left, which not to my surprise, worked completely fine out of the box on 8.1. Now updated on 8.1.2 and no issues at all.”
Avoiding bad press?
Apple sometimes replaces hardware so easily that many customers have started to take advantage of this practice, walking into their store with even the tiniest scratch on their screen, demanding a new unit.
The company has replaced bent iPhone 6 Plus units as well, despite the customer (likely) being fully responsible for the damage. One theory is that the company prefers not to attract bad press, which could cost it much more than a PR debacle. However, it's more likely that the company simply wants to do the right thing and appease its customers as much as it can.