iPhone failing to play Podcast with wired earbuds?

Having same issue with just over month old iphone 16. Use iphone with wired Apple earbuds (usb-c) at night to listen to podcasts through icatcher, audible and calm apps. Issue is with all three apps; pause with earbuds or sleep timer, cannot restart podcasts via toggle on earbuds and sometimes get a blank screen on iphone. Have to restart iphone which is a royal pain at three in the morning. Apps worked fine with old 12 mini and work on a 13 mini with current ios and latest ipad air with usb-c port. Took the phone into Apple and the logic board was replaced due to a diagnosis of charging usb-c port issue (audio was not checked, though issue was explained to Apple). So, the problem still exists and is very frustrating. Does replacing the logic board replace the usb-c port or is the port separate from board and needs to be replaced? Or what?! Help is appreciated.

So, been to Apple store 4 times now. They keep saying it is an IOS issue. Have jumped through all hoops that Apple store techs have asked to do, including having Apple totally wipe iphone and reinstall IOS. IOS has now been reinstalled twice by Apple techs. Still wondering if port is the issue, but techs keep saying everything except glass and camera replaced with mid-system logic board replacement - but nowhere on service documentation does it say port was replaced. How can we get Apple to respond and fix or replace -- seems like the techs at the store have no clue what to do, except to say it is a software issue. Current iphone 13 mini and SE second generation running IOS 18 have no issue with this regard. If Apple folks are monitoring this - please advise and help; this is a defective device and see it.