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Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro series is facing an early issue in South Korea. iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max were launched in September 2026, and reports indicate that within 11 days of the launch in the South Korean market, the lineup faced around 1,500 exchange cases and 50 refunds.
The problem started with a bug named ‘Panic Full,’ where users reported that their phones got frozen suddenly, and then they went into an automatic shutdown and restart. This is reportedly linked to failed Face ID authentication attempts, though sometimes app usage also caused the same. The figures for exchanges and refunds were reported after customers contacted AppleCare between September 18 and September 28.
Apple, however, acted quickly and released iOS 27.0.1 on September 29 to fix these unexpected restarts. Now, the previous issue seems to be fixed, but the update has brought another trouble, as users have been continuously reporting a new app-crashing issue.
Apple has said the Face ID-related restart issue was fixed. Other problems can be taken up with Apple support. In South Korea, buyers who purchased through official Apple channels can reportedly ask for an exchange or refund within 14 days, even if the issue does not happen again.
Also Read: iPhone 18 Pro Charges Faster, But Why is Battery Life Shorter?
The 1,500 replacements are worth watching. This number was recorded in only 11 days. It does not tell us how many iPhone 18 Pro phones are affected around the world, but it shows that the issue was serious enough to make many early buyers return their phones.
For an expensive new iPhone, random restarts can quickly become frustrating. Users expect a phone to work properly from the start. Apple’s quick software update also shows that the company moved fast after the reports started to grow.
The iPhone 18 Pro starts at Rs. 1,64,990 in India. The iPhone 18 Pro Max starts at Rs. 1,79,900. At these prices, buyers expect a trouble-free experience. Apple will now need to see whether more updates can stop the restart reports and keep the issue from spreading to other markets.
