In yet another hit to its reputation for quality, Apple this week admitted to a manufacturing defect in the iPhone 8. And it will now repair affected devices for free.

“Apple has determined that a very small percentage of iPhone 8 devices contain logic boards with a manufacturing defect,” an Apple support document explains. “Affected devices may experience unexpected restarts, a frozen screen, or won’t turn on. Apple will repair eligible devices, free of charge.”

Don’t be fooled by the language: Like any company, Apple can’t publicly admit to a widespread manufacturing issue as it would leave the firm open to lawsuits.

But Apple also has a rich history of pretending the problems are minor. The iPhone 4 suffered from an endemic reception problem and numerous other issues, and Apple bamboozled the public into thinking there was nothing wrong. More recently, Apple issued a fix for equally endemic issues with the previous two generations of MacBook Pro keyboards, but the firm pretended that the fix was only designed to dampen an overly loud typing sound.

So let’s just call this what it is. Another in a growing list of examples where Apple doesn’t always deserve the high grades it continues to receive from the very customers that it’s harming with poorly-designed products. Quality, very clearly, is slipping.

Anyway, if you do own an iPhone 8—and not an iPhone 8 Plus, which is unaffected by this issue—and live in Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Macau, New Zealand, or the United States, be sure to check whether you’re eligible for a free replacement. You have three years from the date of purchase to make the fix for free.

And be sure to give Apple an A for its customer service. They’re relying on you.

Tagged with iPhone 8