iPhone signal strength indictor

[Richard8655]

Maybe a trivial question. My iPhone SE has 4 bars to show the signal strength. I was in the AT&T store the other day looking at the iPhone models on display, and they all showed signal strength as 5 circles. The rep came over and couldn’t account for what determines which is used. He took out his phone and it also showed bars.

I’m guessing it’s IOS version related, as the display phones were on IOS 10 or early 11. The rep and I have the latest version.

 

[jetsam]

Your guess is correct. Signal strength changed from 5 circles to 4 bars when iOS 11 was released in September.

 

[willmtaylor]

Correct. They reverted back to bars from dots on iOS 11.

 

[eyoungren]

Hillarious!

iOS 6 had bars!

 

[SRLMJ23]

Except Apple left circles for the Apple Watch, kind of odd.

 

[Richard8655]

Thanks all! Solved. Interesting about the watch. Maybe circles easier to see on such a small screen. I’d rather have circles than bars on the phone too.

 

[Chazzle]

They changed it back to bars as they take up less horizontal space which was necessary to fit it next to the iPhone X’s notch.