"Iphone Reception Issues Persist"... LG Uplus Recalls Rental Phones After Two Months

Since Implementation in December Last Year, Only 2 Months
Text Notification "Please Return by March 21"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cha Min-young] "The iPhone 13 still has reception issues, so why are we being asked to return it already?"

At the end of last year, LG Uplus, which had lent iPhone 12 devices to customers experiencing reception problems with the iPhone, has begun collecting them back after just two months. The company states that "the issue has been fully resolved through Apple's software update," but some customers continue to express difficulties.

From the morning of the 22nd, LG Uplus has been sequentially notifying customers via text messages about the return of the loaned phones.

In the message, LG Uplus explained, "Due to intermittent reception issues with some iPhone 13 devices, we request the return of the loaned phones," adding, "Updating to iPhone software iOS 15.2, distributed on December 14, 2021, enables normal use."

They continued, "If you have not yet updated your iPhone 13 software, please do so," and added, "Please apply for the return of the loaned phone you are using between February 22, 2022, and March 21, 2022, using the methods below."

According to data submitted by Kim Young-sik, a member of the People Power Party, from the Korea Communications Commission, LG Uplus had lent out 575 iPhone 12 units free of charge by January 17, of which 81 have been returned. The rental costs were solely borne by LG Uplus.

Last year, some LG Uplus customers using iPhone 13 and iPhone 12 experienced reception problems where calls would not ring even when incoming, and a message stating "Cannot receive calls" would appear, preventing calls from connecting. Complaints decreased only after Apple belatedly released a software update following weeks of ongoing issues. Many endured the inconvenience of switching carriers or devices. The open KakaoTalk chatroom for the "iPhone Reception Issue Victims Group," which once had about 600 members, has now decreased to around 200.

However, some argue that the blanket collection measure was premature, as some users still report call disconnection issues with their iPhones. One user lamented, "There are still problems with calls not coming through," adding, "I have updated everything, but I feel helpless when it still doesn't work."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.