iphone 8 poor/sensitive mic during call

Update. I am going back to the Apple store for the 5th time this weekend over this problem. I'll likely be asking for my money back since its 6 weeks and 3 phones later. I did find a fix. Its completely ******** and Apple says its just a coincidence but it works every time. I either treat it like a Wi Controller and whip it down flat then back up when talking, or just lay it flat and stable while on speaker. This obviously is not a sustainable solution, but its gotten me through a few important business calls. Like Facebook and earthquakes, I'm right back in line when it seems everything is fixed again, but somehow I think some batch of the iPhone 8 really is flawed somehow and Apple just isn't admitting it. They are suggesting now the only commonality in my 3 phones was my data/icloud so somehow that must be the problem now:(

Mine has had the problem since day one as far as I can tell but how do any of us know how often it happens when we’re not on the other end?

My nearest Apple store has been shut for refurbishment but re-opens this weekend so I’ll try to book a Genius Bar for next week sometime and see where I get.

On the plus side after speaking to one of their straight forward and understanding guys last week he said that he’s in agreement with me that my phone sounds more likely to be a hardware issue than software, whether everyone else’s is the same remains to be seen.

Hello,

I thought my third new Iphone 8 was without the microphone problem but I was wrong.

People still say they are having trouble hearing me with normal phone calls.

It is sure that is has something to do with the way that the software chooses which of the three microphones to use when making a call.

After several updates the problem is still there, and I am making all my phone calls in speaker mode.

Hope there will be a good solution from Apple soon for this problem.

Gr.,

It's a problem with Apple's choice to make the 7 and 8 phones have the ability to screen out background noise... but some phones screen out our voices as background noise. Holding the phone's mike (bottom of phone) right next to your mouth helps. Speaker phone cures problem--but who wants the speaker phone on during all your conversations?
I've been told the best solution is to go back to iPhone 6. Planning to do so.

Hello, it makes no difference if you put background noise cancelling ON or OFF, the result is the same. Only if you speak loud straight into the bottom microphone than the audio level is OK.

A simple software update should do the trick.

Gr

My actions:

Step 1; yesterday I called apple support and registered my defect and complaint. Certainly they acted like they have never heard of this problem!

Step 2; I will excise the the warranty and exchange as many phones as necessary to get one that works.

Step 3; I am researching cheap, throw away, non-apple phone options.

Step 4; I've disavowed apple period. Not fully developed products when rolled out, warranty too short, much too expensive products and services, friendly but inept customer support.

Had a genius bar appointment this morning at the newly re-opened Bluewater store, the guy that dealt with me couldn't have been more helpful. He listened to everything I said from start to finish without once questioning anything and promptly agreed to swap the unit. Only problem is right now they don't have mine in stock so I'll have to wait a few days .

Hopefully this will sort things, I'll report back here once I've had it in use for a few days. Fingers crossed.

I Highly doubt it will fix it!! We all have been dealing with this garbage of a new Iphone 8 Plus and Iphone X for Months now with zero fix. Not sure what Apple's problem is and when we have spent 1,000.00 of dollars for something that doesnt even work like a normal simple phone! Again, I'm Done with Apple. So sick of the big boys ignoring all of us who have made them wealthy beyond wealthy! They dont care one bit about us and these issues. Even the Apples stores are not acknowledging these issues. Switching to Samsung !!! Now thats a configurable phone. Try typing in a new contact into your iphone under contacts and have it sync with you Gmail contacts. Yea , Right!! Samsung, you can choose and you can have options to customize apps and all sorts of options. Kicking the rotten Apple to the curb. Apple better figure this stuff out and get back to where Steve Jobs thought about customer service.

I am having a similar issue with my iphone 8. No one can hear me while on a phone call unless I switch to speaker phone. I had this same problem with multiple 5s models. Seems apple still hasn't fixed this very fundamental problem. I am probably going to switch to android because every Iphone I have ever had has been a piece of garbage. My iphone 7 was by far the biggest piece of junk I ever shelled out almost 1k for. Apple doesnt give a **** because they make a ton of money either way. They have no incentive to make quality products because people are willing to spend a thousand dollars on one of their phones because its sleek and it has the apple logo on the back. I cannot express how disgusted I am with this company and the qaulity of their product. I would advise anyone reading this to switch to another phone like samsung or something. Prove me wrong apple.

I totally agree with you. I have an iphone 8plus and am having the same problems. My daughters both have the iPhone 7’s, and they r having issues like this too. Until this is fixed, I will never buy another iPhone again! It’s too much to pay for a piece of junk!

One thing I will say is that despite when the 8 came out Apple saying the speaker was louder I didnt feel this was the case. Since mine was swapped on Friday I’ve noticed that the speaker is a fair bit louder.

Thanks for your all of your insights and suggestions. Yes, I totally agree with everyone!. I just received my 3rd replacement iPhone 8 Plus last week and yep, you all guessed it, same issues. Even when I was talking with a tech from Verizon, they said , wow, I cant hear you and then when i put it on speaker, they even said, you sound like you are in a tunnel. So they heard first hand from Verizon. I wont go to an Apple store and sit and discuss this for 2 hours. No way! I've read every single post here and you all have done your due diligence and have helped me make my decision! 2 weeks ago, I sold my Apple Watch Series 2, 42mm and yesterday, I called Verizon (Do Not go to the Verizon Stores, call into Verizon-they can work with you better, trust me). So I called Verizon and said I am done with APPLE period, this piece of crap iPhone isnt a phone, its a device i can email, surf internet and text from, thats it. I do not want it!!! So, I'm doing the Edge Up program and getting out of this iPhone 8 Plus and YEP, getting into the New Samsung S9 Plus!!!! Such a better phone. I dont have it yet but with that and the Samsung Frontier Gear 3 Smartwatch, I'll be Way, Way, Happier. Apple isnt going to fix these issues, you all watch, they wont!! Samsung thinks outside the box and is such a better phone that is way more configurable. I plan on going to Youtube or Google to figure how to do things on this new phone! I've already started looking. The Samsung can do so many cool things and everything is related to Google. I'm So, So Sick of iTunes and how we all have to be tied to iTunes to do anything and back these iPhones up and restore. So, Best of Luck to you all and hopefully Apple will fix the issues but I'm done holding my breathe and paying for a Lemon of a Phone!!! I told Verizon that as well. So do call into your carriers and they will help you. Apple Out, Samsung In !!

I think you are doing the right thing buying a S9.

When you buy an expensive phone which is not capable of making a normal call and the producer of the phone can not fix the problem what are the options?

I saw you will get about $ 400,- in return for your Iphone 8 when buying a S9.

Still a loss of $ 500,- but better than having a bad phone.

I think I will do the same and I wonder what Steve would have said about these problems not being fixed.

Looks to me very easy for a programmer to put the code in that when making a normal call it has to use the lower microphone, how hard can it get ?

Gr.,

KTMRider2018 wrote:

How ? I mean adding a contact in the Iphone Contacts App. Not in Gmail. Adding it in the Iphone App, does not give you any option to link it to Gmail.

Sure it does. Settings>Contacts>Default Account>Gmail.

Perhaps you should review the manual?

LOL, LOL, LOL, Apple just removed another one of my posts. What kind of forum is this where we cannot even talk about the issues. No Apple Tech is helping us on here, its just us, but Apple is reading and removing. I'm Done, I'm So Done with Apple!!!! What a total Joke! Zero Customer Service!