Skip to main content

Some iPhone 15 users complain about crackling sound with built-in speakers

iPhone 15 was launched less than two weeks ago, and there are already some users complaining about overheating issues – but it seems that there are more users unhappy with their new iPhone for other reasons. There’s now a small group of people claiming to be experiencing issues with the iPhone 15’s built-in speakers. More specifically, they say that the audio sounds crackly and rattly.

iPhone 15 speakers sounding crackly

A post on Reddit has multiple comments from users of different iPhone 15 models who have noticed that the audio sounds distorted and crackly when the volume is turned up too high. Based on the reports, the earpiece speaker seems to be the most affected.

“My iPhone 15 Pro Max arrived launch day, and from out of the box, full volume speaker calls rattle the speaker and sound like liquid inside, and same for music above like 80%,” a user said. “Based on my experience, the audio appears to rattle or crackle in specific videos or certain frequency ranges,” another person posted a comment on Reddit.

TikToker Milesabovetech was one of the people to complain about crackling sound problems on his iPhone 15 Pro Max. Apple replaced his iPhone twice at no cost because it acknowledged there was a problem. Other iPhone 15 users on Reddit have also reported asking Apple for a replacement – and the problem has persisted on new units.

It’s uncertain at this point whether there’s a hardware malfunction in the iPhone 15 speakers or whether this is a software issue, which seems more likely since most of the affected users are still experiencing the same problem after replacing their iPhone. Apple is yet to acknowledge any related issues.

Overheating issues

As we previously reported, there are many iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max users complaining about how the new devices get extremely hot after using them for a while, even with basic things like web browsing. Although a number of people claim not to be affected by the problem, it’s easy to find posts on social media about iPhone 15 Pro models overheating.

First, Apple said that iPhones were heating up due to a normal condition caused by software. The company argued that it is normal for the iPhone to get hotter than usual after the first setup, being restored from a backup, being wirelessly recharged, or when running graphics-intensive or processor-intensive apps.

However, the company acknowledged last weekend that there is a software issue in iOS 17 causing iPhone 15 models to run at abnormally high temperatures. Apple has said that this is not a hardware problem and that it will release a software update to address the issue.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Comments

Author

Avatar for Filipe Espósito Filipe Espósito

Filipe Espósito is a Brazilian tech Journalist who started covering Apple news on iHelp BR with some exclusive scoops — including the reveal of the new Apple Watch Series 5 models in titanium and ceramic. He joined 9to5Mac to share even more tech news around the world.

Manage push notifications

notification icon
We would like to show you notifications for the latest news and updates.
notification icon
You are subscribed to notifications
notification icon
We would like to show you notifications for the latest news and updates.
notification icon
You are subscribed to notifications