Apple offers free repairs for iPhone 7 devices that refuse to connect to cellular service

Apple has confirmed that a “small percentage” of iPhone 7 devices are affected by a bug that prevents the phone from connecting to a cellular network, instead displaying “No Service” on the status bar.

Typically, this occurs after the iPhone switches off Airplane Mode, and is unable to re-connect to service.

The company says the problem is due to a failed component on the main logic board, and will offer free repairs to customers experiencing the issue.

There are some restrictions, however. The affected devices, according to Apple, must be of a specific model number depending on the region customers bought their devices. The company says these devices were manufactured between September 2016 and February 2018, and were sold in China, Hong Kong, Japan, Macao, and the United States.

Apple also stipulates that it may require the customer to get their affected iPhones repaired in the country or region or purchase, and if the device has unrelated issues such as a cracked screen, customers will need to get that resolved first before going through the complimentary No Service repair. Lastly, iPhones eligible for this programme must be purchased less than two years ago.

If a customer has already paid to have this fixed, they may be able to receive reimbursement for the repair cost.

The announcement this week comes shortly after Apple launched a discounted battery replacement programme to address older iPhones that are slower due to an intentional battery throttle, or experiencing unexpected shutdowns.