A girl at my work had the problem with her Verizon equipped Max. Reset Network Settings fixed it for her.
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iPhone XS Max Is the mobile reception on the xs Max even worse than iPhone X ?
- Thread starter mydogeatsbeats
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My wife just mentioned that WiFi reception on her Max is terrible- if she sits on the step in our garage (just probably 15 feet from our wifi access point) she has no WiFi signal- whereas with her old phone and with my iPhone 8Plus, sitting in that same spot there is still great signal strength. It's really disappointing after spending $1100 on it! And we are beyond the 14 day return window with AT&T.
I am considering upgrading to a more powerful access point to see if that may help instead of dealing with any sort of return/exchange if that were even possible at this point- given that she hasn't had any other issues that others have reported (yellow screen, for example).
Isn’t there a Qualcomm suit against Apple currently alleging that Cupertino gave QC technology to Intel? If so, either Apple didn’t communicate very well, or Intel lost something in the translation!
Just got off the phone with a senior advisor, he said that the engineers are convinced this is all software related and will have a fix in the next update... Hmmm we’ll see.
Spending some time on various forums and searching the web I'm hearing this from many people on many locations.
Long post incoming. Here's my latest update. Tried to include as much information as possible.
Background:
Background:
- 256gb Xs Max bought on launch day 9/21 in NYC
- AT&T set up with new SIM card; upgraded from a 7+. No change in plan etc.
- Serial: Zhengzhou: 8/12-8/18
- Experienced poor LTE and WiFi
- WiFi corrected with 12.0.1
- Been in touch with Apple rep since 9/25; sent logs, sysdiagnose files etc.
- 10/18 Went to Apple store for a replacement unit
- They tested and saw no issues with my hardware
- They took my SIM and put it in another phone (not Xs Max, looked like an older plus phone i.e. 7+ or 8+); the other phone with MY SIM card also exhibited slow speeds (!?!?)
- They told me to contact AT&T; I told them I already had. Most recently being yesterday WITH an Apple support person on conference with me. AT&T said no issues, no locks or flags on my account, no current data caps etc.
- Apple genius brought me a replacement phone with a NEW SIM
- Replacement Serial: Zhengzhou: 9/2-9/8
- Powered it on, ran a speedtest and STILL exhibiting slow LTE (~1-3mbps DL)
- I asked if we could try another unit, they told me no
- They gave me the replacement, told me they think it's the carrier
- I asked if it's not a carrier issue if I could come for another replacement; I got a wishy washy answer that I understood as a no
- They continued to tell me to follow up with AT&T
- I am most curious about the SIM from my first Xs exhibiting slow speeds in another phone
- Going from this experience it now has me more confused about whether this is a software vs. hardware
- Given AT&T has already told me there is nothing wrong with my account on their end, I am curious what to do next???
- Could this possibly be resolved with a modem/carrier update as referenced in the current 12.1 betas?
- I'm really curious why this is impacting some users but not others? There are people on this forum on the same carriers in the same regions and some have issues and others not.
- This sucks (very scientific I know)
I don't think his point was to actually compare phones, but rather the guy who's doing the review might have an agenda.
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I have a video of a 7 and an XS with the same spot, similar specs in field test mode and the XS failing whereas the 7 worked fine. I don't know how you can blame the carrier in a situation like that.
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I actually do think it's every phone, but not everyone is encountering the same conditions required for the issue to show up i.e. mine and my wife's XS both display the same issue and they were manufactured in different factories at different dates and are different sizes. When compared to my 7, they clearly both have an issue and I'd wager money that if you came to my house you'd see the same issue on your perfectly fine phone.
That said, I don't intend to start a witch hunt. I have no idea what the issue is but I feel confident that Apple can fix it.
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I'd wager your phone also has the same issue both my wife and I's phone have, you just aren't hitting the right conditions. There are like 8 different bands supported on this thing, it could simply be that an issue is with a specific band and it isn't used in your area by your provider.
Seeing as you had the same issue in two different phones, being a new and older model, I'd say it is AT&T at that location. If when they placed your SIM in the older phone the speeds increased I would say that it's an issue with your Xs. But two different phones with the same issue points at the carrier.
Different locations, different times of the day, speeds can fluctuate greatly.
Chiming back in with my experience on Max #4. Noticed no issues for the first day, then this morning it is losing my 5ghz WiFi like crazy and in some instances I can literally see the Unifi AP but if I wrap my hand around the top of the phone or lay it down in the chair next to me, the WiFi disappears.
I've been out on cellular most of the day since and every time I look at the phone it indicates I have 2-3 bars of LTE. However, I've had two people iMessage me and I didn't receive their message until their device gives up and they force it through as SMS, so I guess I'm back to having the issue where the LTE connection is just "dead."
This really just sucks at this point. I love the phone when it works and now my X camera does not satisfy me at all so I don't want to go back to that or lose the screen real estate. Next move unknown lol.
I've been out on cellular most of the day since and every time I look at the phone it indicates I have 2-3 bars of LTE. However, I've had two people iMessage me and I didn't receive their message until their device gives up and they force it through as SMS, so I guess I'm back to having the issue where the LTE connection is just "dead."
This really just sucks at this point. I love the phone when it works and now my X camera does not satisfy me at all so I don't want to go back to that or lose the screen real estate. Next move unknown lol.
And the alternative is what, for Apple to say, “Yes, there’s a major hardware problem in our most expensive flagship phone this, but don’t worry, next year you’ll be thrilled when you upgrade to the iPhone XI!”?
I’m sure at this point there is an official response that employee’s are being instructed to give. Sort of like the people at the Apple store that pretend every phone returned is the “...first I’ve heard about this...”
I've got a video of my 7 and XS on the same cell tower running a speed test and it shows an issue. It's something else, though I'm of the idea that it's a software issue.
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The problem is a lot of people don't pay close enough attention to their devices. My wife thinks hers is fine but it's most definitely not and I showed her. She's now aware, before she just thought it was a Tmobile issue.
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It's fully possible the location you were at just sucked in general for cellular, which is not crazy given Apple stores are usually in a huge mall.
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You have full bars my man. Nobody is having issues when they have a strong signal. There seems to be an issue when on fringe coverage i.e. with a RSRP of -115 or lower. Mine seems to be when it's connected to band 66.
Apple isn’t going to announce anything. It will be addressed as people bring phones in that have the issue.
When I brought my first MBP into the Apple Store for keyboard issues they tested the keyboard and many of the center keys failed. During the first repair I came here and other sites and found MANY people having the same issue. When I raised this as a concern (repairs not resolving keyboard issues) the manager got very heated with me, was insulting and even accused me of being with the media. He stated, “WE HAVE THE DATA POINTS AND IT ISN’T AN ISSUE”. I capitalize as he was borderline yelling at me. Of course I was right, multiple repairs failed and a year later the ‘new and improved’ MBP keyboard was released. Did they ever come out and say they knew heat was a major factor or did they STILL blame their customers for dropping food and getting dust on the keyboards? Most of us know the answer to this.
With the level of testing that has been done here and no direct evidence or ability to identify the issue.. there is no way Apple will be admitting to anything. Like it or not, it’s a financial decision... the cost of driving a massive recall on the new flagship iPhones or quietly addressing as needed.
Some people who’ve replaced their Max are having a much better experience, others are having the same problems.
I’m on day 5 with Max #2 and no problems; it’s much better than Max #1, so far. But I haven’t really put it to the test. I’ll do so over the next couple days and report back.
I’d take that bet for sure...but only time will tell if you are correct or not.
FWIW, based on your post history, you and I are both using T-Mobile as our comparison, and this phone supports LTE B2/4/5/12/66/71 that are currently being used by them. I am in the Orlando market, which has 20x20 B2, B4 (shows up as B66 on the device), and 5x5 B12. I would assume your market is the same or similar, as only Myrtle Beach utilizes B5 and B71 is mostly rural at this point in time.
Also, just as you have stated many times, the issues most are experiencing are low signal related, which would typically cause the device to fall back to B12 only. Most of the complaints are from Verizon users, and their low frequency service is on B13, thus eliminating any indiviual specific band from being impacted.
The one curious point in your case is the comparison against the iPhone 7, which doesn’t support B66. Does your market utilize actual B66 service, or just report B4 as B66? While this wouldn’t explain the VZW issues, it could potentially explain your case if the carrier profile on iOS 12 is requesting a signal that your iPhone 7 can’t possibly pick up.
*EDIT* well hell I didn’t read your most recent post before responding, you are on the same page with yours being a B66 issue, which you know the 7 doesn’t support. I dont have legit B66 to test here.
Both phones used the same OS. Hence, it could be the phones' OS that is causing both phones to behave the same way.
If both phones were different ... say Android and Apple ... then okay, you could be more convincing on the carrier issue.
Could be. But that would then point to a software issue. Which can be fixed.
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I am sending back the XS Max at this point and keep my iPhone 8+ for now, if I knew for sure it was software I would keep it but with the cellular and slow internet it's just too expensive to keep and is unusable at times not worth the aggravation.
From my perspective, I truly think it’s a combination of hardware, software and carrier issues. My husband and I both have ATT 3GB and 5 GB plans on our phones Max for me and 8 for him. Both are in the latest iOS 12. Additionally, I have an iPad Pro 9.7 cellular on the original grandfathered unlimited ATT plan but still on 11.4.
My first Max was so bad with cellular connectivity that I returned it and went back to my 6S Plus. But then my 6S Plus didn’t seem as good as it had been previously with cellular. I bought a new Max on Sunday and it seems much better than the first one and very comparable to my husband’s 8. But the iPad trumps both of them with connectivity and speed every time. Much faster and has service in places the iPhones don’t. So is the problem iOS 12?
Another strange thing is although the Max and 8 test with similar download speeds on cellular, my Max will connect with the Boston server, while the 8 connects with NYC. Right next to each other running the Speedtest app. Any significance to this?
Hopefully we will know the real truth to what’s going on at some point.
I'm in the Atlanta market which I believe has 66 support. My phone reports it as a 66 tower and it is definitely the same tower as the 7, but the 7 reports it as 4. I can't be certain, but I don't think the XS would report it as a 66 tower if it was actually just a 4. My guess is this is a 66 issue, though it's entirely guesswork.
Side note: I'd love it if this thing would prefer band 12 a bit more aggressively. At my house Band 12 sits around -85 to -90 but it keeps wanting to jump to Band 66 with -115 to -120. Downstream is still great even at -120, which is amazing, but I have no idea what it's doing when uploading.
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If I remember correctly the iPad's antennae is much larger than the phones, so it's not surprising it gets a better signal.
If I remember correctly the iPad's antennae is much larger than the phones, so it's not surprising it gets a better signal.
Well that’s makes sense then.
Well that’s makes sense then.