iPhone 18 Pro Max audio popping/cracking with screen touches and haptics

Hi everyone and Apple Support,

I am experiencing a specific audio glitch on my brand-new iPhone 18 Pro Max running iOS 27. The issue is tied directly to screen touches, system haptics, and UI actions.

Detailed Symptoms Observed:

1. Screen Touch & Haptic Popping: Simply touching the display or triggering any haptic feedback causes a soft "popping" or "puffing" audio crackle through the top earpiece speaker.

2. App Icon & Folder Long-Press Trigger: Long-pressing any app icon or folder on the Home Screen (e.g., App Store, VLC, etc.) consistently generates a distinct popping sound right as the context menu opens.

3. Lock / Unlock Audio Pops: Locking and unlocking the phone produces a subtle crackling or popping sound alongside/instead of the clean system chime.

Technical Question & Community Guidance:

- In your opinion or experience, is this a pure software/DSP driver bug in iOS 27 linked to touch interrupts and the Taptic Engine, or could this be a physical hardware defect?

- I am still within my return window. Should I exchange/return the device for a full refund, or is this expected to be patched via an upcoming iOS software update?

Thank you for your feedback and guidance!