MacRumors

A limited but increasing number of iPhone X owners claim to be experiencing so-called "crackling" or "buzzing" sounds emanating from the device's front-facing earpiece speaker at high or max volumes.

Over two dozen users have said they are affected in a MacRumors discussion topic about the matter, while similar reports have surfaced on Twitter and Reddit since the iPhone X launched just over a week ago.

On affected devices, the crackling sounds occur with any kind of audio playback, including phone calls, music, videos with sound, alarms, and ringtones. The issue doesn't appear to be limited to any specific iPhone X configuration or iOS version.

"Love the phone but I was wondering if anyone has had any issues with the speakers slightly sounding a little crackling whenever max volume," said one MacRumors forum member with the alias ShadowYYZ. "Noticeable on certain songs and even my ring tone which was bought from the iTunes Store."

For those unaware, the iPhone X's earpiece doubles as a speaker that combines with the traditional speaker at the bottom of the device to deliver stereo sound. Both the iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 series also have stereo speakers.

MacRumors hasn't been able to reproduce the issues described. Apple didn't immediately respond to our request for comment on the matter.

While the sounds could be the result of distortion, especially since they occur at higher volumes only, several users are convinced that there could be a bigger software or hardware issue affecting the earpiece.

"I listen to a lot of music on the speakers of the iPhone X and I noticed the slight crackle right away," replied another MacRumors forum member who goes by the username Benz63amg. "Since so many of us seem to experience this crackle then my assumption is that it's software related rather than hardware."

A few months ago, several iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus owners experienced a similar "static noise" issue with the earpiece during phone calls. Apple acknowledged the issue and fixed it in iOS 11.0.2.

Since the crackling sounds on iPhone X don't appear to be limited to phone calls, it's unclear if the issues are related.

Apple has been replacing affected iPhone X units free of charge, according to customers who contacted the company. Apple also appears to be collecting diagnostic information so that its engineers can investigate the matter, as it routinely does with any potential software or hardware issues.

Like the green lines affecting some iPhone X displays, this is an isolated issue affecting a very low percentage of the millions of devices being manufactured. The majority of iPhone X owners do not appear to be affected.

If you experience this problem, we recommend booking a Genius Bar appointment with the Apple Support app or contacting Apple via phone, email, online chat, or Twitter to have your iPhone X replaced. Apple is known for providing good customer service, and it is often genuinely helpful in these situations.

With fewer major selling points and given a consumer preference for the iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo expects iPhone 8 production to see a 50-60 percent sequential decline this quarter.

In his latest research note for KGI Securities, obtained by MacRumors, Kuo said the lower-than-expected iPhone 8 demand could result in fewer orders for Apple supplier Pegatron, which assembles the iPhone 8 in Taiwan.

Pegatron — iPhone 8 production to decline 50-60% QoQ in 1Q18F on lower-than-expected demand: With fewer major selling points and given a consumer preference for iPhone 8 Plus on a limited price gap, we expect iPhone 8 production orders to see 50-60% QoQ decline in 1Q18F, potentially shrinking Pegatron's utilization rate. But considering new iPhone orders may become more diverse (compared with a single model of iPhone 8 in 2H17), and assuming the new models will come with more compelling features than iPhone 8, we are positive on Pegatron's growth momentum in 2H18F.

Just this week, research firm Canalys said the iPhone 8 Plus outpaced the iPhone 8 last quarter with shipments of 6.3 million units versus 5.4 million units respectively. Canalys said the iPhone 8 Plus is the first Plus-sized iPhone to out-ship its smaller 4.7-inch sibling in a single quarter.

Apple doesn't disclose iPhone sales on a model-by-model basis, but chief executive Tim Cook said the iPhone 8 Plus has "gotten off to the fastest start of any Plus model," which came as "a bit of a surprise" to the company.

Kuo remains positive about iPhone X demand, and estimates production will rise 35-45 percent this quarter compared to last quarter, which should help to alleviate supply constraints heading into the holiday shopping season. The device still has a 3-4 week shipping delay online, with limited in-store availability.

Kuo said Apple's primary manufacturer Foxconn will convert its iPhone 8 Plus production lines into iPhone X lines in late 2017 to fulfill additional orders. Still, Apple is unlikely to achieve supply-demand balance until 2018.

Now that the new 2017 flagship smartphones from both Google and Apple are available and in the hands of consumers, we thought we'd compare Apple's iPhone X with the Google Pixel 2 XL to see how these two devices measure up.

In the video below, we took a look at specific features of both phones, including design, hardware, camera and display, along with each device's unique features like Face ID and Active Edge. We also compared what it's like using each phone on a day to day basis to give an overall picture of the similarities and differences between each of the devices.

Both the Google Pixel 2 XL and the iPhone X have high price points ($849 for the former and $999 for the latter), and similar display sizes at 5.8 inches for the iPhone X and 6 inches for the Pixel 2 XL.

Inside, the iPhone X has a custom Apple-designed A11 processor, while the Pixel 2 XL features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chip. In raw benchmarks, the iPhone X outperforms the Pixel 2 XL, but the differences in processor and GPU speed aren't as noticeable in real world usage. When it comes to intensive tasks, though, the iPhone X will handily outperform the Pixel 2 XL.

Both devices feature OLED displays, but the iPhone X's display is leagues better than the OLED display of the Pixel 2 XL. The Pixel 2 XL is plagued by serious display issues that have been making headlines for the last couple of weeks, including burn-in and bizarre color variations.

iPhone X and Pixel 2 XL both have impressive cameras and produce some amazing photos, but the Pixel 2 XL does a lot of what the iPhone X can do with just a single camera. Apple's iPhone X is equipped with dual 12-megapixel rear cameras, one with an f/1.8 wide-angle lens and the second with an f/2.4 telephoto lens, while the Pixel 2 XL is sporting just a single f/1.8 12-megapixel camera.

As for front-facing cameras, the Pixel 2 XL has an f/2.4 8-megapixel camera while the iPhone X is sporting an f/2.2 7-megapixel camera that also happens to be equipped with an additional infrared camera, sensor, and dot projector to enable Face ID, one of the flagship iPhone X features that gives the iPhone X an edge over the Pixel 2 XL.

Face ID has proven to be largely fast and accurate, making it an improvement over fingerprint sensing technology. Pixel 2 XL continues to offer a fingerprint sensor, albeit a fast and accurate one. Active Edge, the Pixel 2 XL's distinguishing feature, lets users squeeze the sides of the device to quickly activate Google Assistant. Speaking of Google Assistant, that's another feature where the Pixel 2 XL has an edge over the iPhone X -- many believe Google Assistant is more useful than Siri.

Pixel 2 XL has a larger battery than the iPhone X (though the iPhone X wins out in some battery life tests), but it doesn't offer the same Qi wireless charging functionality that's available in the iPhone X. It charges over USB-C, though, while the iPhone X continues to use a proprietary Lightning port for non-wireless charging purposes. Neither device has a headphone jack, as Google followed in Apple's footsteps and opted to rely solely on wireless technology.

So which of these devices is better? It's impossible to say. Both the iPhone X and the Google Pixel 2 XL are entirely different platforms, and each one is the best in its respective category. There are some things the Google Pixel 2 XL does better than the iPhone X, and some things the iPhone X does better than the Google Pixel 2 XL. Choosing one really comes down to the ecosystem you prefer -- iOS or Android.

One of the biggest software changes on Apple's new iPhone X is the location of Control Center, the useful user interface that provides you with quick access to music playback controls, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi toggles, the flashlight, calculator, and much more thanks to iOS 11's customizable layout. On pre-iPhone X devices, the Control Center is awoken by swiping up from the bottom edge of the device. Because that action is now the default "go home" gesture on iPhone X, Apple has moved Control Center to the top right edge of the smartphone.

This location change has removed the simplicity and ease-of-access to Control Center for many iPhone X users -- particularly those who are left handed -- who have been posting about the iPhone X-specific issue in the MacRumors forums, Twitter, and on Reddit. Some of these users have also provided interesting alternative locations and invoking gestures that Apple could potentially implement in future iOS updates, but it should be reiterated that these are simply community ideas and not in any way an indication that we'll see them added to the iPhone X.

Reddit has been the source of multiple ideas for new Control Center gestures on the iPhone X, with a few that replace existing gestures (so you'd have to choose between two options in Settings) and some that are new. One user theorized that the iPhone X's new Reachability gesture (swiping down on the Home indicator, which must be activated in Settings) could have an alternate option for invoking Control Center.

Further threads provided variations on this idea: 3D Touch on the Home indicator for Reachability and pulling down on the indicator for Control Center, or keeping Reachability as it is and using 3D Touch on the Home indicator for Control Center. The 3D Touch solution has been put forward by multiple people over the last few days and appears to be a favorite, particularly because Reachability's new swipe-down gesture on the Home indicator can be difficult to execute and could potentially be an even more frustrating location for Control Center.

Other ideas have been shared on the MacRumors forums, including one that could be an additional option for the swipe-down gesture that enacts Search anywhere on the Home Screen, but that would make Control Center impossible to call up within apps. iOS developer Guilherme Rambo posted his own idea on Twitter this week, suggesting that a 3D Touch edge swipe could house Control Center. Currently, this is used as an app switching gesture, which Apple at first removed from iOS 11 and then brought back in a later update, so it's another idea where you'd have to pick one setting over another.

While Rambo's idea appears to be focused on Control Center replacing an app switcher gesture, a few users have also had ideas where Control Center is added into the app switcher. In these, you'd swipe up and hold to access other apps as normal, and Control Center would potentially be the first app you see instead of the last-used app. Or, Apple could place it on the right side of the app switcher, as one Redditor posited. Another mockup by Twitter user @jwangARK placed buttons under the app switcher for easy access to both Notifications and Control Center.

Another iOS developer, Riley Testut, theorized a simple solution that would place Control Center at the bottom right edge of the iPhone X display instead of the top right edge, while swiping up from the center would still go Home. A few iPhone X users have also pointed towards Assistive Touch in Accessibility as a workaround for easier Control Center activation, but that comes with a permanent, virtual Home Button on your iPhone screen, which will be a hard trade-off for some iPhone X owners.

With the iPhone X out in the wild for one full week as of today, November 10, the location of Control Center is one of a few gripes that early adopters have had with Apple's newest smartphone. Another notable point of contention focused on the iPhone X keyboard's "wasted space", with users presenting a few potential solutions to that as well, including placing recently used emoji or punctuation in the empty field below the space bar.

Make sure to check out our iPhone X Roundup for more details on the smartphone's new features.

A limited but increasing number of iPhone X owners have encountered a green line appearing on the smartphone's display.

At least 25 customers have shared photos of the potential hardware defect across the Apple Support Communities, Twitter, Facebook, Reddit, and the MacRumors forums since the iPhone X launched a week ago. Of course, in a production run of millions of iPhone X units, it is a small percentage of devices affected so far.

"So I was playing with my new phone and all of a sudden, this happened," said one MacRumors forum member with the alias tmiles81. "It's a really bright line going down the entire right side of the phone."

The green line wasn't visible on any of the affected iPhone X units when they were first taken out of the box, but rather developed spontaneously after some period of usage in normal conditions. The devices involved also don't appear to have been dropped or damaged in any way.

"Day one and a bright green line has appeared down the right side of the iPhone X," said Apple Support Communities user benvolio1979.

Many of the user reports claim that restarting or even fully restoring the device doesn't remove the green line, which typically runs vertically along the right or left side of the display, but can show up elsewhere on the screen.

The issue doesn't appear to be limited to specific iPhone X models or locations. We've seen reports from owners of both 64GB and 256GB configurations in Silver or Space Gray in the United States, Canada, Poland, and Australia at a minimum. If you are affected, share a photo in the comments section below.

MacRumors hasn't been able to reproduce the issue. Apple declined to comment in an emailed response from a spokesperson.

Apple has been replacing affected iPhone X units free of charge, according to customers who contacted the company. Apple also appears to be collecting data from the incidents so that its engineers can investigate the matter, as it routinely does with any potential hardware or software issues.

The green line could be an isolated defect with the iPhone X's OLED display. Samsung's Galaxy S7 also uses OLED and suffered from a similar issue last year in which a pink line appeared on some displays. Samsung acknowledged the issue as hardware failure and worked to replace affected devices.

If you experience this problem, we recommend booking a Genius Bar appointment or contacting Apple's support team via phone, email, or online chat. Apple is generally helpful in these situations.

Update: TechCrunch notes that the iPhone X display has a new diamond subpixel pattern and, as such, all green sub-pixels appear in lines. The report speculates that there could be an electrical fault in some of the devices that is causing voltage to flow to all of the green sub-pixels.

Over the course of the last week, there have been a growing number of complaints from users who have discovered that the display of the iPhone X becomes unresponsive in the cold.

Users on both reddit and the MacRumors forums have noticed that their iPhones immediately refuse to recognize some touch input when exposed to cool outdoor temperatures. As it turns out, there is a software bug causing the issue, which Apple says will be addressed in an upcoming update. From a statement to The Loop:

"We are aware of instances where the iPhone X screen will become temporarily unresponsive to touch after a rapid change to a cold environment. After several seconds the screen will become fully responsive again. This will be addressed in an upcoming software update."

Apple says its iOS devices operate best between temperatures of 0º and 35º C (32º to 95º F), but some of the people who are experiencing issues have seen display problems within these temperature parameters. Reddit user darus214, for example, had his iPhone X act up when it was 45 to 50ºF outside.

I've noticed that my iPhone X screen becomes very unresponsive as soon as I step outside. It literally takes 2 seconds from going inside to the cold outdoors and my screen stops being very responsive. I try swiping on websites and it doesn't register my finger. It's very noticeable. Is anyone else having this problem?

Not all iPhone X users are experiencing problems with the display in cold weather, and those that are see the problem occur as soon as cold exposure happens rather than after a period of time, which does indeed suggest a software issue. Most affected users have said that the problem clears up after a few minutes. From the MacRumors forums:

I have a space gray 256gb iPhone X and I really like the phone, except...

I live in Finland and here is cold (-30-5°C) about 6 to 7 months in a year. Yesterday I noticed that when I'm outside and temperature hits about -1°C (~30°F) my iPhone X's display becomes working incorrectly. Some touches aren't recognized and some are not accurate at all. Problem solves itself after about 3-5 minutes of use, or when I go back indoors.

This is driving me crazy. Anyone else having this kind of problem with the phone?

It's not clear when Apple will fix the cold weather bug, but a fix could come in iOS 11.2, which is currently in beta testing. Apple this morning released iOS 11.1.1, an update that addresses an autocorrect bug that caused "i" to correct to "A[?]" on some devices.