Apple Says This iPhone 14 Screen Problem Isn't Down To Hardware

It hasn't exactly been a smooth launch for iPhone 14 this year. Since the launch, iPhone 14 users have been facing some issues, and they don't seem to stop. In the last few days, iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max users have reported seeing horizontal lines on the screen. As per users facing the problem, the horizontal lines randomly appear after booting up the phone or waking it up from sleep.

What's weird is that the error has appeared out of nowhere; there's no particular reason iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max users see lines on the display. Some say they have been experiencing problems with the display before upgrading to iOS 16.2, while others say that the lines started appearing after they installed the latest iOS version. Most recently, Apple has confirmed that the issue is unrelated to the latest iPhones' hardware.

The issue has fired up discussion forums and subreddits where users are sharing their experiences and trying to help each other with ways to troubleshoot the problem and keep it away for some time. From what it looks like, there is no permanent fix for the iPhone 14 Pro display issue. A Reddit user took the phone to Apple, where the service technicians ran several tests. The user says that the device passed all the hardware tests as "everything came back fine (green)." 

Further, the technician also noted that the horizontal line issue on the iPhone has to do with the software. Another user writes that an Apple support member called and informed that the issue is due to some problem with the phone drivers and the company is aware of it. The support member has also confirmed that an upcoming software update should fix the problem, which will most likely be iOS 16.2.1. Currently, Apple is testing the first beta version of iOS 16.3, but it will be a long time before the company releases it for regular users. In either case, we are weeks away from the next iOS update unless Apple decides to float an urgent update to fix the error. 

For some users, disabling the always-on display on the iPhone worked for some time, while resetting the phone works with varying success rates. Communities have come up with several theories about what is causing the screen glitch, including faulty displays in particular stock-keeping units with LG displays and bugs in iOS 16.2 beta. But there is no observable pattern between the models that are affected. It comes as a relief that the issue is not related to hardware. Meanwhile, if you are planning to purchase an iPhone 14 Pro or the iPhone 14 Pro Max, it's best to wait.