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Microphone: Mobile Phone Spares
A smartphone carries multiple microphones — typically two or three — serving different functions: the primary microphone for voice calls and voice recording, secondary microphones for noise cancellation and video audio, and sometimes a third for spatial or directional audio. Microphone failure disrupts calls, voice notes, and video recording, and identifying which microphone has failed requires methodical testing.
Types and Placement
The primary microphone sits at the bottom of the phone near the charging port, picking up the speaker's voice during calls and recordings. A secondary microphone is usually positioned at the top of the phone or near the rear camera, used for noise cancellation during calls and for capturing ambient audio in videos. Premium phones add a third microphone in the camera array for directional audio processing.
Each microphone is a MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) device — a tiny mechanical diaphragm etched from silicon, integrated with sensing circuitry — connected to the motherboard via a flex cable or directly soldered.
Diagnosing the Fault
Testing each microphone independently — using the voice recorder app for the primary, checking noise cancellation by listening to a recorded call, and capturing video for the secondary — narrows down which unit has failed. An audio IC fault on the motherboard can present as multi-microphone failure, which is a more expensive fix.
Parts and Repair in Nairobi
Microphone replacements are inexpensive parts but fiddly to install — the small MEMS element is delicate and the gasket sealing it to the chassis matters for performance. Parts: KES 150 to KES 400. Labour: KES 400 to KES 800. Board-level micro-soldering is required for phones where the microphone is soldered directly to the motherboard rather than connected by a flex cable.
