iPhone 15 Pro Max Camera Autofocus PROBLEM

My wife's iPhone 15 Pro Max does not focus for photos using the .5x and 1x lens, the 5x lens works correctly.  Video doesn't focus for any lens.  She has been working with Apple Support to fix the focus problem, with no success.  Apple engineering claims it's a software problem and they’re working on it.

This appears to me a hardware problem.  I am an electrical engineer with much computer experience.  Apple  diagnostics doesn't detect the failure.  You can see the problem with your eyes, the diagnostic is deficient.  

I have the same iPhone, and mine focuses correctly on each lens.  Identical camera's using the same software, where only one fails, is a definite indicator of a hardware failure. 

We have asked Apple to replace her iPhone.  By declaring this a software problem, Apple prevents the support team from a costly replacement of failing iPhones.  There are a lot of iPhones that have the focus problem.  

Apple is trying to find a software workaround for this hardware problem, but have not succeeded so far.   It's now Christmas season and many Apple customers with the flagship iPhone have a useless camera.

Has anyone found a workaround so my wife can take Christmas photos?  Does this problem also occur on iPhone 15 Pro?

I too can attest to this! Having iP12, iP12 pro and iP SE 2nd gen, same distance, same lighting, from the subject, all are focused without any issues, except iPhone 15! This is insane. Apple, fix it, please!

This issue happens also with the iphone 14 pro max, especially when zoomed in. I remember how great the camera functionality was in earlier iphones. Did someone ruin it on purpose to keep their job relevant? As a programmer it really makes me wonder how it went so wrong so fast. There are 3 lenses and some other metrics for feedback, why is there no decent detection?