Apple says a failed component on the logic board of some iPhone 7 devices caused a 'No Service' problem even when cell service was available (AAPL)

Tim Cook

Apple said it will offer free repairs, and reimburse past repair bills, for iPhone 7s that suffer from an Airplane Mode glitch.
The glitch was reported in September 2016 and caused phones that had been in Airplane Mode to have trouble re-connecting to cellular service.
Apple said the problem was due to failed component on the device's main logic board.

iPhone users suffering from a curious "Airplane Mode" glitch that surfaced more than a year ago received a measure of vindication on Friday after Apple acknowledged the problem and to repair the problem for free.

The issue dates back to September 2016, when some iPhone 7 owners reported that their phones were unable to reconnect to cellular service after coming out of Airplane Mode. Apple recommended rebooting the phone or re-inserting the SIM card as a solution at the time, according to reports.

But the company now says the "No Service" problem actually calls for the phone to be repaired.

"Apple has determined that a small percentage of iPhone 7 devices may show 'No Service' in the status bar (even if cellular coverage is available), due to a component that has failed on the main logic board," writes Apple in a support entry.

The news comes shortly after Apple has been in the spotlight for another technical issue affecting iPhones, with the company acknowledging in December that its software has been purposefully throttling the performance of devices with older batteries.

In addition to offering free repairs for iPhone 7s with the Airplane Mode problem, Apple said on Friday that it will reimburse any iPhone 7 owner who already paid to have this problem fixed.

If you believe your iPhone 7 is affected by the program, you can make an appointment at the Apple Store, find an authorized Apple repair center, or else talk to Apple customer support.

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