A phone that doesn't play sound properly during calls isn't much of a phone at all. This is unfortunately happening to some iPhone 12 devices, but Apple will fix it for free.

The company posted a new page to its support website advertising a free service to fix phones with busted sound hardware. Specifically, it's for a "small percentage" of iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro models manufactured between Oct. 2020 and April 2021. Apparently, some phones fitting that description have faulty components causing sound to not come through the receiver during phone calls, and Apple is offering to fix it without touching your bank account.

This can be arranged through a local Apple Store, an authorized service provider, or just by mailing your phone in and waiting for aPPLE to mail it back. There are a couple of important things to note here, though.

First, iPhone 12 Max and Mini models aren't eligible for this service, so if you have this issue with one of those prepare for a fight to get it serviced for free. Second, "damage that impairs the ability to complete the repair" like a cracked screen needs to be fixed separately before you hand the faulty phone over to fix the sound issue. Thatmight cost money, depending on the problem and where you get it repaired.

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It's obviously pretty lousy if your iPhone can't properly make phone calls, and these repairs could take time. Ideally you'd have a backup option available, but you may have to live without that phone for a little while before Apple fixes it again. At least it won't cost you anything.