iPhone X Camera Issues - Excessive Lens Flare

Just got off another support chat with Apple. What they are doing is criminal.

The first person said if I was not satisfied with the quality of the photo I had to buy a new iPhone X.

The Second person said I would have to pay $99 under Apple Care + to get it fixed, despite the iPhone X still being under warranty.

After nearly 2 hours in Apple Support Chat, they said someone would call me tomorrow to discuss my options.

From the conversation, it seems Apple is not interested in fixing this issue. My only option seems to be making a complaint to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. Apple must adhere to The Australian Consumer Law and repair the iPhone under warranty.

This was my first iPhone, and I think it will be my last.

1. Two Factory Resets did not fix the issue.
2. Apple Genius Bar said the Diagnostics passed, did not fix the issue.
3. Apparently, a repair or replacement will not fix the issue

If someone has an iPhone X, can you please post a nighttime photo with a street lamp or bright light in it? I want to see if this is an issue for all iPhone X's or just mine.

I just did another full reset - 'Erase All Content and Settings' and the problem is still there. Photo's below.

I do not accept that an iPhone 6 can take better photos than an iPhone X. Nighttime photo's on the iPhone X are unusable.

Unless there are any other suggestions, I am going to demand that they fix the issue or replace the iPhone with a new one. Do I go back to the Genis Bar or send it in for repairs?

Hi Gary,

Sorry to hear that you are having issues with your iPhone X as well. I hope you will have better luck with Apple than I did.

I got feedback from Apple's escalations team and I was told the photos are normal. I was already expecting that they would be of no help anyway. It seems to be a trend with Apple.

I have now lodged my complaint with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. If Apple said they will fix the issue under Apple Care+ then they can fix it under warranty. I will get this fixed under warranty.

To show what you are up against I have posted the email I received below.

I have lodged my complaint with the ACCC. It will take at least 15 business days to get any sort of response. I can't see this being resolved any time soon though but I refuse to pay $99 for repairs under Apple Care +. It's the principle of the matter.

I was able to make another Genius Bar reservation for tomorrow night. It will be my last shot with Apple but I just hope they will have a spare iPhone X available so we can compare nighttime photos.

Below are some iPhone X nighttime photos I found on Flickr (the first one is a screenshot as I was unable to download it). I will show these and some others I found at my appointment tomorrow night. These are what I would expect for an iPhone X.

Hi Gary,

I will let you know how I go. I am getting some examples ready to show them on my iPad now, but I don't see Apple changing their mind. But there is a small chance I will get someone who sees that clearly there is an issue.

Below are some other photos on I found on Flickr with lighting that would be impossible to capture on my iPhone X. All the light sources in these photos would have severe lens flare and be unusable.

The impossible just happened, I got a NEW iPhone X replacement. 😀🙂😁😎

After nearly 5 hours on support chats, Genius Bar reservations, and phone calls with Apple, I found someone that agreed that the photos were not acceptable. He even grabbed a store iPhone X and went outside to compare photos. Sure enough, there were big differences, especially with the lens flare. He made sure all the camera settings were the same as well.

We tested the new iPhone X with the same photos to make sure and there was no excessive lens flare.

Seven Apple Support employees were wrong.

Gary, if you are having similar issues, don't back down. Learn what rights you have as the consumer and lodge a complaint if necessary. Try making a Genius Bar Reservation at nighttime and keep doing it until you find that person who wants to help.

I am going to keep my complaint with the ACCC as it should not have been this hard to get a repair or replacement under warranty.

All the best.

I have an Apple Customer Relations Advisor phoning me today. Apparently, they are my "only hope of getting the iPhone repaired or replaced." The wouldn't do it via online Chat, so there will be no transcript.

I don't care if it's a software setting, repair or replacement, I just want the issue fixed. I have posted on Apple Communities, visited the Genius Bar, and wasted hours seeking help on Apple's Support Chat. All I know is under Australian Consumer Law, Apple can't charge me to fix an issue when it's under warranty. Even Apple's Websitestates "You are also entitled to have the goods repaired or replaced if the goods fail to be of acceptable quality and the failure does not amount to a major failure". The camera fails to be of acceptable quality. The warranty period is 24 months.

Any other phone I could have taken back to the store of purchase for repairs, I am not sure why Apple is being so difficult.

Thanks panchososa694,

Unfortunately, those guides do not help. I have already reset my phone to factory default. Except for turning HDR off no other settings had been changed. I was informed by the iPhone 6 Plus user that he had not changed any settings either.

Is there a problem with the camera on my iPhone X? The Apple Staff member at the Genius Bar thinks the photos are acceptable, even when showing him the comparisons. I have never had this issue on any of my previous phones, albeit they were Andriod phones, and I don't think it should be acceptable on an AUD $1,900 iPhone.

Hi Ingo2711,

Thank you for your response.

I am told that Apple can only see the times that we see when it comes to Genis Bar reservations. The latest appointments available are around 4pm and it does not get dark until around 6pm. They can’t do a special appointment for me.

All nighttime photos are unusable. I have seen nighttime photos form iPhone X’s online and not one had lens flare.

I have already shown multiple photos and comparisons to the Genis Bar member and to the 5 Apple Support staff I have spoken to.

After being on the phone for an hour on Friday,

my case has now been escalated to the Engineering Team. I will find out on Wednesday what they said.

It should not be this hard for someone to look at my iPhone and fix the issue. I refuse to pay the $99 for repairs under Apple Care + out of principle. This needs to be fixed under warranty.

In Australia, Apple has a bad reputation for breaching the Australian Consumer Law when it comes to warranty repairs or replacements.

Being told by Apple to buy a new iPhone if I am not satisfied is not a solution.

I am slowly building my case.

The problem is I don’t know anyone with an iPhone X, I can only compare against an iPhone 6 and my iPad which take better photos. I have asked other users to photo a photo for me but I guess they only read the forums if they have the same issue.

Along with Face ID, the camera was the main selling point for the iPhone X, so so I just can see that it my unusable nighttime photos would be acceptable. There would be a public outcry if everyone was the getting the same quality photos as me. As an amateur photographer, I purchased my first iPhone for it’s camera and I am extremely disappointed in it.

My iPad, or even and iPhone 6 should not be taking better photos than my iPhone X. That should be enough evidence on its own. I have seen the other iPhone X night photos on Flicker and not one has a lens flare issue. Example: https://www.flickr.com/photos/andreas_komodromos/27893382227/in/photostream

I will provide you an update on Wednesday once I get a another response from Apple but I am expecting that my next step will be to lodge a formal complaint with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.

Nearly 5 hours arguing now and it feels like I have gone in circles.

Thank you again for your interest in this matter.