Buyers of the new iPhone 16 series, including the highly promoted iPhone 16 Pro Max, have discovered serious problems with their phones and are frustrated. Despite paying record-high prices for PTA-approved sets, many users say their devices freeze completely during calls or while checking messages, leaving them unable to respond at critical moments.

For customers who spent over Rs. 600,000 on Apple’s latest flagship, the situation feels humiliating. A survey in Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad revealed dozens of buyers facing the same issue: the phone suddenly locks up when a call comes in or when they try to open or reply to a message, turning it into a useless brick for several minutes.

One angry buyer from Islamabad said, “I bought the Pro Max thinking it was the best phone in the world, but it freezes at the worst times. I feel cheated.”

Complaints are pouring in, especially from The Apple Shop at Star City Mall in Saddar, Karachi, where customers say they have been abandoned with faulty devices. Vendors say they only import sealed phones and deny responsibility for defects.

The official distributor in Pakistan, Mercantile, has also dismissed complaints. Vendors told many users to reset their phones multiple times and then advised them to “contact Apple helpline.” But since Apple has no official presence in Pakistan, the helpline provides little to no support. Retailers even instructed some buyers to blame their mobile networks, such as Telenor, even though the same SIMs work fine on older iPhone models.

One Islamabad customer said, “They told me to change my SIM, but it works perfectly in my old iPhone 14 Pro Max. The issue is clearly with the new phone, not the network.”

Frustrated buyers approached the police and FIA, but officials redirected them to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA). Apple support, they said, hasn’t been able to fix the problem.

Frustrated buyers have gone to the police and FIA, but officials redirected them to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA). But PTA, which collects heavy taxes on every imported iPhone for the government, has remained silent so far.

Consumers argue that PTA should step in to protect buyers. Apple, meanwhile, has not yet responded to requests for comment.

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