Distorted Audio On Phone Calls Over Bluetooth (IPHONE SE)

[dcpmark]

When I Google "Verizon advanced calling" I get lots of hits relating to "This allows you to make calls over your data network, providing HD voice quality and allowing for video calls without any third party apps.

So it seems that Advanced Calling is just voice over data. I still don't understand how Bluetooth can get involved in that.

It doesn't....I don't even have that option turned on, and I still have Bluetooth issues.

I blame Apple's Bluetooth stacks, because all of my android phones seemed to have much less problems with Bluetooth. Since leaving Android for Apple I've owned an iP5, an iP6, and now an SE, and they all had Bluetooth problems with some car kits.

 

[daniel1948]

I'm not sure we have the same issue then. I have AT&T, and the problem persists on LTE or 3G calls.

Robert

It doesn't....I don't even have that option turned on, and I still have Bluetooth issues.

I blame Apple's Bluetooth stacks, because all of my android phones seemed to have much less problems with Bluetooth. Since leaving Android for Apple I've owned an iP5, an iP6, and now an SE, and they all had Bluetooth problems with some car kits.

Okay. So I'm left with: I have no idea what's going on except that some Bluetooth devices work, and some don't. And maybe the problem is not physically defective phones, but Apple's implementation of Bluetooth. (???)

Maybe the next step would be for someone to exchange their SE for a different SE and see if the problem persists. Within the 14-day period, you can return the phone for a full refund or exchange it for a new one.

 

[dcpmark]

Okay. So I'm left with: I have no idea what's going on except that some Bluetooth devices work, and some don't. And maybe the problem is not physically defective phones, but Apple's implementation of Bluetooth. (???)

Correct. As I mentioned on page 1, the real problem is that Bluetooth is not a true standard, and there is no way to test every device with every device. Bluetooth is not one thing....it is a series of protocols for different functions.....hands free, music streaming, etc. That's why music can work perfectly but voice calls can sound horrible:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Bluetooth_profiles

The only thing you can do is test your phone with other devices you want to use until you find something that works. Bluetooth headsets can be switched out, so the real problem comes from OEM car kits which can't be switched out. You may want to try and find an aftermarket hands-free kit to use in your car, but of the best ones I've some experience with, Motorola and Jabra, all have issues.

I guess it's always POSSIBLE that you have a lemon SE, and it's always best to remove any hardware concerns before you start looking at the software, but I suspect you'll find your next SE phone performs the same.

 

[kpeex]

Verizon's story sounds bogus to me.

My provider is AT&T. I have an iPhone 6 and had a 64GB SIM Free SE picked up at an Apple Store on launch day. With three different headsets and one car (Ford) connected to the phone solely through Bluetooth, clearing up the audio involved only a SIM swap to the iPhone 6. It is easily demonstrable and reproducible. It's funny how it could have been a problem with AirDrop or something else and I would have never known it. Bluetooth phone capability, though, made it a deal breaker for me.

After trying multiple restores pair/unpair, Apple Support, Genius Bar, etc., I returned the SE to wait the problem out. There was no service stock and nothing showing for two or three weeks. To their credit, the store personnel recommended a simple return because of the uncertainty of the situation, and the fact that my iPhone 6 is OK.

I like the SE and will be back when supplies stabilize and I find that the issue has been solved. Part of my "plan" for the SE, in addition to something that pockets better, was to get into the "S" update cycle since I've been a v.1 guy since iPhone 4.

 

[skierrob]

Yup -- the biggest issue is those of us with these problems can't swap out our devices because Apple has no inventory.

Verizon's story sounds bogus to me.

My provider is AT&T. I have an iPhone 6 and had a 64GB SIM Free SE picked up at an Apple Store on launch day. With three different headsets and one car (Ford) connected to the phone solely through Bluetooth, clearing up the audio involved only a SIM swap to the iPhone 6. It is easily demonstrable and reproducible. It's funny how it could have been a problem with AirDrop or something else and I would have never known it. Bluetooth phone capability, though, made it a deal breaker for me.

After trying multiple restores pair/unpair, Apple Support, Genius Bar, etc., I returned the SE to wait the problem out. There was no service stock and nothing showing for two or three weeks. To their credit, the store personnel recommended a simple return because of the uncertainty of the situation, and the fact that my iPhone 6 is OK.

I like the SE and will be back when supplies stabilize and I find that the issue has been solved. Part of my "plan" for the SE, in addition to something that pockets better, was to get into the "S" update cycle since I've been a v.1 guy since iPhone 4.

 

[daniel1948]

Correct. As I mentioned on page 1, the real problem is that Bluetooth is not a true standard, and there is no way to test every device with every device. <...snip...>

The only thing you can do is test your phone with other devices you want to use until you find something that works. Bluetooth headsets can be switched out, so the real problem comes from OEM car kits which can't be switched out. <...snip...>

I guess it's always POSSIBLE that you have a lemon SE, and it's always best to remove any hardware concerns before you start looking at the software, but I suspect you'll find your next SE phone performs the same.

Does this mean that really nothing is at fault except the lack of a standard? Or was Apple just sloppy about its Bluetooth implementation, since so many people seem to be having problems with it?

I will repeat that my new Bluetooth earpiece gives MUCH better sound quality on the SE than my old one did on the old flip phone. So even though I had to spend money on a new earpiece, I did get much improved quality.

Verizon's story sounds bogus to me. <...snip...>

I should clarify that what I reported from Verizon was not an official statement from Verizon, nor was it their customer service or tech department. It was the explanation of one salesman at the local Verizon store. And buying the new earpiece completely solved my problem.

 

[dcpmark]

Does this mean that really nothing is at fault except the lack of a standard? Or was Apple just sloppy about its Bluetooth implementation, since so many people seem to be having problems with it?

I wouldn't say Apple is sloppy.....everything they do they do for a reason. They likely build their Bluetooth stacks with specific purposes in mind, say quality or security, perhaps at the expense of some compatibility. All their phones probably work well with every third party Bluetooth device they sell in the Apple Store because Apple likely tests what they sell. But they can't and don't check every OEM car kit and every other Bluetooth device.

I personally blame the lack of an actual standard like wifi. When you see a wild, unruly, and out of control kid, do you blame the kid or the parents? The Bluetooth SIG allows this horse crap to happen, and they seem to have no interest in complete cross-compatibility amongst all products they license. Can you imagine if wifi only worked well between certain devices??

 

[kpeex]

And buying the new earpiece completely solved my problem.

That's great to hear! I'm not ready to buy a new car yet. I'll keep the iPhone 6 around for a while and see what happens.

All their phones probably work well with every third party Bluetooth device they sell in the Apple Store because Apple likely tests what they sell. But they can't and don't check every OEM car kit and every other Bluetooth device.

At first, I thought your theory seemed to fail since I have had a iPhone 4, iPhone 5, and iPhone 6 work flawlessly. Plus, the SE playing music over Bluetooth worked well. I've never used a 6s with any of these devices. With the iPhone SE, we are not looking at a fancy 5s, we are looking at the guts of a 6s in a 5s chassis. I will have to do some experimentation next time I have a passenger in the car with a 6s.

 

[daniel1948]

Yeah, what really baffled me was that the music worked beautifully and only phone calls didn't. This was why the Verizon salesman's explanation made sense to me. If only the phone call audio is distorted, it made sense that the issue was related to the way phone calls work.

I've never had a car with bluetooth for the phone. My car will play music via Bluetooth, and when it connects it works fine, but 9/10 of the time it won't connect. So I quit trying.

 

[dcpmark]

At first, I thought your theory seemed to fail since I have had a iPhone 4, iPhone 5, and iPhone 6 work flawlessly. Plus, the SE playing music over Bluetooth worked well. I've never used a 6s with any of these devices. With the iPhone SE, we are not looking at a fancy 5s, we are looking at the guts of a 6s in a 5s chassis. I will have to do some experimentation next time I have a passenger in the car with a 6s.

As I said, there are different profiles for different tasks...A2DP is the Bluetooth protocol for music streaming, and HFP is the Bluetooth protocol for hands-free kits....so one task could work flawlessly with every device while another task give poor performance between certain devices. By the way, there is a Headset Profile (HSP) that is completely different from the Handsfree Profile (HFP)....

I would be surprised if a 6s running the same iOS version would sound any different, but you never know with BT. I'd be willing to bet that pretty much any modern Android phone would work MUCH better on hands-free phone calls than iPhones.

 

[BruceButtcheeks]

That's great to hear! I'm not ready to buy a new car yet. I'll keep the iPhone 6 around for a while and see what happens.



At first, I thought your theory seemed to fail since I have had a iPhone 4, iPhone 5, and iPhone 6 work flawlessly. Plus, the SE playing music over Bluetooth worked well. I've never used a 6s with any of these devices. With the iPhone SE, we are not looking at a fancy 5s, we are looking at the guts of a 6s in a 5s chassis. I will have to do some experimentation next time I have a passenger in the car with a 6s.

My 6s handles phone calls and music steaming over Bluetooth perfectly.
128gb sim free on TMobile. That shouldn't make a difference but I'll put it out there.

 

[skinsone]

Just bought a 5SE, 9.3.1 64gb no SIM card, using ATT. Previously using my 5s, 9.2.1 I would connect my iPhone to my 2015 Silverado LTZ with the usb cord and Bluetooth connected to MyLink. Worked flawlessly.

Now my 5SE will only connect to my Silverado by Bluetooth only. When I plug in the USB cord, with Bluetooth connected, the phone is immediately disconnected from Pandora and making/receiving hands free calls. Something my5s never did.

Made a call using Bluetooth connected to MyLink and it went through and sounded about the same as it did using the 5S.

It's more than confusing because unless my 5s was connected via the usb cord and Bluetooth, I couldn't make a call or listen to Pandora through MyLink. Now I can.

I have deleted the pairing and re-paired the 5SE twice. Just for grins and giggles, I got the 5s out and it connected via usb/Bluetooth with no issues.

So apparently either the 5SE has a defective bluetooth or its 9.3.1 that is preventing a connection to my Silverado.

 

[kaysee62]

Just received the iPhone SE 64 GB in space gray 2 days ago (upgrading from iPhone 5) and having the same exact issues with distortion on calls via Bluetooth in my 2011 Hyundai Genesis Coupe.

Never had a single issue with my iPhone 5 in this same vehicle over the past 2 years and have T-Mobile.

Based on everything I've seen posted on this topic, I'll be returning the SE and will go back to using my 5. Was only upgrading for more storage space (16 to 64), so this is a major bummer.

Thanks to everyone for sharing your experiences and feedback. I WILL be reporting the issue to Apple so they are aware of the problem which is clearly widespread on the SE. Hopefully they'll take it seriously enough to make the necessary corrections, otherwise they won't be seeing another dime from me.

 

[daniel1948]

Just received the iPhone SE 64 GB in space gray 2 days ago (upgrading from iPhone 5) and having the same exact issues with distortion on calls via Bluetooth in my 2011 Hyundai Genesis Coupe.

Never had a single issue with my iPhone 5 in this same vehicle over the past 2 years and have T-Mobile.

Based on everything I've seen posted on this topic, I'll be returning the SE and will go back to using my 5. Was only upgrading for more storage space (16 to 64), so this is a major bummer.

Thanks to everyone for sharing your experiences and feedback. I WILL be reporting the issue to Apple so they are aware of the problem which is clearly widespread on the SE. Hopefully they'll take it seriously enough to make the necessary corrections, otherwise they won't be seeing another dime from me.

To be fair to Apple, they will refund 100% of your money. The phone doesn't work for you. That's hardly a reason to never buy anything from them again. (It might be worthwhile to tell Apple why you are returning it and ask if they'd like you to try a different unit. That would help determine if the problem is a defect in a bunch of units, or a fundamental design flaw in the phone. If the second one does not work, you can still return it and get your money back.) As was pointed out above, the Bluetooth protocols are a mish-mash that makes it hard to test against every device.

 

[dcpmark]

Thanks to everyone for sharing your experiences and feedback. I WILL be reporting the issue to Apple so they are aware of the problem which is clearly widespread on the SE. Hopefully they'll take it seriously enough to make the necessary corrections, otherwise they won't be seeing another dime from me.

I'm glad you are reporting your issue, but it's not just an SE thing, and I don't think Apple will actually do anything.

My iP6 had the exact same distortion as my SE....I've used an iP5, iP6, and now an SE with my 2014 Acadia, and only iP5 did not have the distortion. If you go back and look at the message boards, every time a new model appears some posters will start complaining that BT no longer works (or works well) with their car kits. It happens over and over......Apple blames the car manufacturers, and the car manufacturers blame Apple. That's the problem with Bluetooth.....it allows this to happen. Apple is simply not going to bother to test the BT on their 2016 phones with a 2011 Hyundai or a 2014 Acadia when they can simply tell you that Hyundai or GMC needs to update THEIR Bluetooth stack, and it affects so few people comparatively speaking.

What we really need is a new low-powered alternative to Bluetooth that has an actual standard that will guarantee complete interoperability between devices, but I'm not going to hold my breath on that one either.

 

[daniel1948]

I'm glad you are reporting your issue, but it's not just an SE thing, and I don't think Apple will actually do anything.

My iP6 had the exact same distortion as my SE....I've used an iP5, iP6, and now an SE with my 2014 Acadia, and only iP5 did not have the distortion. If you go back and look at the message boards, every time a new model appears some posters will start complaining that BT no longer works (or works well) with their car kits. It happens over and over......Apple blames the car manufacturers, and the car manufacturers blame Apple. That's the problem with Bluetooth.....it allows this to happen. Apple is simply not going to bother to test the BT on their 2016 phones with a 2011 Hyundai or a 2014 Acadia when they can simply tell you that Hyundai or GMC needs to update THEIR Bluetooth stack, and it affects so few people comparatively speaking.

What we really need is a new low-powered alternative to Bluetooth that has an actual standard that will guarantee complete interoperability between devices, but I'm not going to hold my breath on that one either.

You have mentioned "Bluetooth stack" several times. Please excuse my ignorance, but does this refer to hardware, or to software? Is it something that an OS update could potentially fix, or would it require different hardware?

 

[dcpmark]

You have mentioned "Bluetooth stack" several times. Please excuse my ignorance, but does this refer to hardware, or to software? Is it something that an OS update could potentially fix, or would it require different hardware?

Software. Overly and unnecessarily complex software. Let me add that with Bluetooth 4.0 came the ability to upgrade the firmware of the hardware with just an update rather than new hardware, so we got BT 4.1 and now 4.2 without replacing the hardware. But I have NO clue if the distortion problems need to be fixed in the software or the hardware. Or both.

 

[kaysee62]

To be fair to Apple, they will refund 100% of your money. The phone doesn't work for you. That's hardly a reason to never buy anything from them again. (It might be worthwhile to tell Apple why you are returning it and ask if they'd like you to try a different unit. That would help determine if the problem is a defect in a bunch of units, or a fundamental design flaw in the phone. If the second one does not work, you can still return it and get your money back.) As was pointed out above, the Bluetooth protocols are a mish-mash that makes it hard to test against every device.

I own many Apple devices and overall they make a great product. The SE is the only device I've had issues with so far and glitches such as this are a deal breaker for me no matter what the device costs. I will likely buy other Apple products in the future, but not immediately after being released. I'll let Apple work the bugs out before I purchase anything again, as these devices are far too expensive not to work flawlessly out of the box and I'm certainly not buying a new car each time I decide to upgrade my phone just to ensure the Bluetooth works!

I'm working with Apple in hopes of resolving the problem, but won't waste too much more of my precious vacation time dealing with this issue before returning the SE to T-Mobile and going back to my iPhone 5.

At least I have a back-up plan until Apple finds a permanent solution In the meantime, I'll keep watching this thread to see what progress is being made on the SE/Bluetooth issues.

 

[daniel1948]

I own many Apple devices and overall they make a great product. The SE is the only device I've had issues with so far and glitches such as this are a deal breaker for me no matter what the device costs. I will likely buy other Apple products in the future, but not immediately after being released. I'll let Apple work the bugs out before I purchase anything again, as these devices are far too expensive not to work flawlessly out of the box and I'm certainly not buying a new car each time I decide to upgrade my phone just to ensure the Bluetooth works!

I'm working with Apple in hopes of resolving the problem, but won't waste too much more of my precious vacation time dealing with this issue before returning the SE to T-Mobile and going back to my iPhone 5.

At least I have a back-up plan until Apple finds a permanent solution In the meantime, I'll keep watching this thread to see what progress is being made on the SE/Bluetooth issues.

There's always a risk with the first production run or the first version of anything. But again, the risk is small when the company gives you a 14-day no-questions-asked return period.

I would not waste ANY vacation time dealing with something like this, so I definitely sympathize with you there.

 

[sawah]

There's no way that Bluetooth can be tested with every possible vehicle and setup. Not buying anything again seems sort of silly. If it doesn't work, return it. If it does yippee!
You can't blame apple for problems with Bluetooth or car manufacturers either I wouldn't think.

 

[Phone Junky]

Used my SE in my 2015 Ford Focus through the SYNC system today. Clear as a bell.

 

[lordofthereef]

Was this ever resolved for OP? I skimmed and couldn't see the outcome/

 

[dcpmark]

Used my SE in my 2015 Ford Focus through the SYNC system today. Clear as a bell.

Yeah, I think the newer the car the less the chance of backwards compatibility issues. But BT is a crapshoot at best.

 

[HickDead]

I received my replace my SE yesterday and I'm having the exact same issue with phone calls over Bluetooth.

So I called Apple support today and explained the issue to a tech advisor. I was bumped up to senior level support and a report was generated and sent to iPhone Engineering. It was determined that I've exhausted all possibilities and that the issue was related to the iPhone SE and not on the Bluetooth device end.

They will call me back early next week with their findings.

I encourage others to call Apple and report your similar issues to them. The more info and reports that are sent yo engineering - the better that they may release a software fix for the SE.

1-800-MY-APPLE

 

[daniel1948]

Was this ever resolved for OP? I skimmed and couldn't see the outcome/

I believe I was the first one to raise this issue over on the SE Order thread, though Hickdead quoted kpeex when he started this thread dedicated to the issue.

I solved my issue by buying a new Bluetooth earpiece that works with the SE. I'm okay with having had to buy the new earpiece, because its audio quality is better than the old earpiece was with the old phone. I also bought a new set of earbuds for music, which don't work for phone calls, but they were inexpensive and provide spectacular music quality. So as one of the OPs of the issue (if not the thread) I consider my problem resolved in a satisfactory, if not an ideal, manner.

I think we've determined that the problem is that the SE is incompatible with a lot of Bluetooth devices. For some folks, the only solution will be to return the phone or not use Bluetooth. For some car models the phone just won't work on Bluetooth, which has got to be disappointing for them.

I hope Apple can fix this in software.