iPhone 7 and 7 Plus handsets are making a mysterious hissing sound
8:53:00 AM
Why is the iPhone 7 hissing? Is it broken?
What to do if your new iPhone is making the noise
The sound, which is similar to the noise you hear when a speaker is poorly connected, could be caused by the new chip in the devices, which is designed to make the phones faster with improved battery efficiency.
American podcaster Stephen Hackett first noted the noise, discovering a sibilant sound coming from the back of the iPhone under heavy usage.
Hackett posted a video to YouTube with a recording of the noise, which was soon confirmed by other iPhone 7 owners.
Darrell Etherington, a former Apple PR, and now journalist, tweeted that the sound occurred on his iPhone 7 Plus during setup.
It is understood that the new A10 Fusion processor is the cause of the issue, as the hissing only takes place when the iPhone is processing large files or programmes and emanates from where the chip is hosted.
The A10 makes the iPhone 40 per cent more powerful than the 6s and twice as powerful as the 6. The chip also has “efficiency cores”, which are low-powered, saving battery life for less intensive tasks such as sending text messages.
Although the device does not have a fan, people have reported that the noise is similar to when a laptop fan whirs, usually from overheating.
Marco Arment, an iOS developer, said: “It’s the phone equivalent of hearing the fans spin up loudly whenever your Mac’s CPU gets used to its actual potential.”
It is unclear whether the problem affects all iPhone 7 handsets or just a select few, but AppleCare’s response to Hackett suggests that it is a defect.
The company's customer support team advised Hackett to go an Apple Store and have the device replaced, despite a worldwide stock shortage of the new devices.
If your new iPhone 7 or 7 Plus is making a similar noise, the best thing to do is to take it to an Apple Store.
This is not the first time new Apple iPhones have encountered issues. In 2014, shortly after the iPhone 6 Plus went on sale, it was found to bend easily in trouser pockets.
In 2010, the iPhone 4’s antenna was wrapped around the outside of the phone which meant that, when held in a certain position, signal would be completely cut off - a palaver dubbed Antennagate.
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