iPhone XS Max Is the mobile reception on the xs Max even worse than iPhone X ?

[jkozlow3]

Hot of the press!

https://www.pcmag.com/article/364768/exclusive-iphone-xs-crushes-xr-in-cellular-signal-test-resu

But but but but FCC documents say Xs is the worst...Xs is horrible...except it isn't. Oh yeah, FCC documents are about as useful as poop-flavored lollipop.

Just a reminder for those who have dementia: https://www.pcmag.com/news/364116/iphone-xs-crushes-x-in-lte-speeds-but-still-falls-short-of
[doublepost=1541430626][/doublepost]

Probably not a good idea...actually pretty damn bad idea!!

https://www.pcmag.com/article/364768/exclusive-iphone-xs-crushes-xr-in-cellular-signal-test-resu

I have no doubt that the findings in the PC Mag article are correct. I think that under test conditions, the XS is the best iPhone ever made with the fastest download speeds - the article proves that. The test conditions do not simulate real-world scenarios however. In the real-world, most people have multiple towers within range - not a single tower. Those towers typically broadcast several different bands simultaneously (i.e. Band 13 and Band 2/4 for Verizon) and those bands use different frequencies which all travel different distances. The XS doesn't always seem to choose the best band or do it fast/aggressively enough (i.e. before the user experience starts to suffer) - particularly when not stationary.

Test conditions don't reflect this real-world scenario. They simply turned on a band 4 signal and attenuated the signal to make it weaker and ran speed tests throughout the process. In this case, the XS did great.

I have never doubted that the issues MOST people are experiencing with their XS were software related and that the issue is complex due to the vast number of combinations of towers/bands/carriers that exist. This is my gut feeling - right or wrong, but it seems to be supported by this article. The XS seems to be more than capable if Apple can get the software issues worked out to ensure the phone is always making the best choice of tower and band and doing it fast enough. To me, this is a software algorithm problem - not a hardware issue.

It is also possible that a handful of people simply have bad phones - this happens with every iPhone launch (defective/yellow screens, bad connectivity, bad speaker, etc.).

 

[jona2125]

My phone is still struggling between towers. XR and X are both still perfectly fine

Anyone smarter than me able to take a look at this and tell me good or bad. I had to restart my phone to finally get a signal back. It wouldn’t do a single thing until then. This is the daily struggle I am having with both my XS and XS Max

 

[The Oak]

Hot of the press!

https://www.pcmag.com/article/364768/exclusive-iphone-xs-crushes-xr-in-cellular-signal-test-resu

But but but but FCC documents say Xs is the worst...Xs is horrible...except it isn't. Oh yeah, FCC documents are about as useful as poop-flavored lollipop.

Just a reminder for those who have dementia: https://www.pcmag.com/news/364116/iphone-xs-crushes-x-in-lte-speeds-but-still-falls-short-of
[doublepost=1541430626][/doublepost]

Probably not a good idea...actually pretty damn bad idea!!

https://www.pcmag.com/article/364768/exclusive-iphone-xs-crushes-xr-in-cellular-signal-test-resu

This definitely seems to support "its a software issue" camp and hence with the appropriate code, the XS phones will do amazing.

I would love to see some upload comparisons ...

 

[Thai]

Agreed, the single most frustrating aspect of all of this is the fact that I can't use Siri in my car consistently. I ask her to do something and it takes 30 seconds to respond because the upstream is horrific. I get 40-50 down, which is 10-20% better than my iPhone 7, but it gets 4-5 up whereas my XS gets .5 up.

In strong signal areas this thing is absolutely amazing. I was at a football game a few weeks ago and buddies on their iPhone 7's and 8's couldn't get a text out, I was getting 100 down/20 up.
[doublepost=1541432739][/doublepost]

Sigh....

Your situation...too many variables! Download speed is better but not upload speed...that alone does not make much sense other than just random variables (different location, different time, different towers, different interferences, etc.).

In a football stadium...now that is a challenging place...and yet your Xs did awesome. The reason is because stadiums bandwidth are often overloaded with users in one place. The fact that your Xs did so much better than the rest is what the links above (in my post) is talking about.

Remember, the reason why PCMAG testings (both links) are so important is because it does do low-signal testings AND it takes out random variables...and just focus on the phone's true capability.

 

[predation]

I have no doubt that the findings in the PC Mag article are correct. I think that under test conditions, the XS is the best iPhone ever made with the fastest download speeds - the article proves that. The test conditions do not simulate real-world scenarios however. In the real-world, most people have multiple towers within range - not a single tower. Those towers typically broadcast several different bands simultaneously (i.e. Band 13 and Band 2/4 for Verizon) and those bands use different frequencies which all travel different distances. The XS doesn't always seem to choose the best band or do it fast/aggressively enough (i.e. before the user experience starts to suffer) - particularly when not stationary.

Test conditions don't reflect this real-world scenario. They simply turned on a band 4 signal and attenuated the signal to make it weaker and ran speed tests throughout the process. In this case, the XS did great.

I have never doubted that the issues MOST people are experiencing with their XS were software related and that the issue is complex due to the vast number of combinations of towers/bands/carriers that exist. This is my gut feeling - right or wrong, but it seems to be supported by this article. The XS seems to be more than capable if Apple can get the software issues worked out to ensure the phone is always making the best choice of tower and band and doing it fast enough. To me, this is a software algorithm problem - not a hardware issue.

It is also possible that a handful of people simply have bad phones - this happens with every iPhone launch (defective/yellow screens, bad connectivity, bad speaker, etc.).

Makes me feel better as I let my return period laps. Lol

 

[Nikhil72]

Another subway update with Max and 12.1.1b1, rode the 2/3 line from Brooklyn all the way to the upper part of the upper west side and had near immediate signal re-acquisition with functioning fast verizon LTE at every subway station. And walking out and about has been nothing short of fast and speedy, so I'm in the satisfied/this is software and they're tweaking actively camp.

 

[chripuck]

Your situation...too many variables! Download speed is better but not upload speed...that alone does not make much sense other than just random variables (different location, different time, different towers, different interferences, etc.).

In a football stadium...now that is a challenging place...and yet your Xs did awesome. The reason is because stadiums bandwidth are often overloaded with users in one place. The fact that your Xs did so much better than the rest is what the links above (in my post) is talking about.

Remember, the reason why PCMAG testings (both links) are so important is because it does do low-signal testings AND it takes out random variables...and just focus on the phone's true capability.

I have my old 7 and my XS running speed test side by side. They're connected to the same tower and the same band on said tower. They're getting similar RSRP0 and SINR measurements. The 7 will do 4-7 upstream, the XS will do .5 to 1 upstream. There are as few different variables between the two in this situation and it can be repeated over and over and over again.

PCMAG can't simulate proper upstream tests because unlike low signal downstream, upstream relies on the phone broadcasting a signal back up.

I've been a big champion on this being a software issue, but I just finished loading the 12.1.1 beta and I'm happy to report the thing is far more aggressive in staying on strong low bandwidth signals over the weaker high bandwidth signals but the upstream is still broken. As noted, this thing is a flipping champ in medium to high signal strength areas; I'm totally happy in that regard.
[doublepost=1541440010][/doublepost]

My phone is still struggling between towers. XR and X are both still perfectly fine

Anyone smarter than me able to take a look at this and tell me good or bad. I had to restart my phone to finally get a signal back. It wouldn’t do a single thing until then. This is the daily struggle I am having with both my XS and XS Max

Are these signal numbers for your XS? Those are pretty great LTE signal numbers. I'm dealing with -115 RSRP0 and you're sitting at sub -100, which is typically great.
[doublepost=1541440128][/doublepost]

I have no doubt that the findings in the PC Mag article are correct. I think that under test conditions, the XS is the best iPhone ever made with the fastest download speeds - the article proves that. The test conditions do not simulate real-world scenarios however. In the real-world, most people have multiple towers within range - not a single tower. Those towers typically broadcast several different bands simultaneously (i.e. Band 13 and Band 2/4 for Verizon) and those bands use different frequencies which all travel different distances. The XS doesn't always seem to choose the best band or do it fast/aggressively enough (i.e. before the user experience starts to suffer) - particularly when not stationary.

Test conditions don't reflect this real-world scenario. They simply turned on a band 4 signal and attenuated the signal to make it weaker and ran speed tests throughout the process. In this case, the XS did great.

I have never doubted that the issues MOST people are experiencing with their XS were software related and that the issue is complex due to the vast number of combinations of towers/bands/carriers that exist. This is my gut feeling - right or wrong, but it seems to be supported by this article. The XS seems to be more than capable if Apple can get the software issues worked out to ensure the phone is always making the best choice of tower and band and doing it fast enough. To me, this is a software algorithm problem - not a hardware issue.

It is also possible that a handful of people simply have bad phones - this happens with every iPhone launch (defective/yellow screens, bad connectivity, bad speaker, etc.).

This isn't just selecting the best tower though. I have my old 7 running side by side with my XS, connected to the same tower, same band and it's night and day on the upstream. The only thing I can think of at this point is the fact that the XS is reading it as band 66 which is an extension of band 4 and the 7 sees it purely as band 4 (because it doesn't have band 66 support.) I have no idea as of now.

I will say that as of 12.1.1 it seems to be more aggressive at sticking with the high signal/low bandwidth towers.

 

[jkozlow3]

I have my old 7 and my XS running speed test side by side. They're connected to the same tower and the same band on said tower. They're getting similar RSRP0 and SINR measurements. The 7 will do 4-7 upstream, the XS will do .5 to 1 upstream. There are as few different variables between the two in this situation and it can be repeated over and over and over again.

This isn't just selecting the best tower though. I have my old 7 running side by side with my XS, connected to the same tower, same band and it's night and day on the upstream. The only thing I can think of at this point is the fact that the XS is reading it as band 66 which is an extension of band 4 and the 7 sees it purely as band 4 (because it doesn't have band 66 support.) I have no idea as of now.

I will say that as of 12.1.1 it seems to be more aggressive at sticking with the high signal/low bandwidth towers.

Perhaps your XS is truly defective? I've never had upload speeds anywhere near as slow as what you are experiencing on my XS (although we don't have band 66 in my market). Have you tried swapping it out for a new one? Are your speeds in the .5-1 Mbps range when connected to other towers/bands?

 

[chripuck]

Perhaps your XS is truly defective? I've never had upload speeds anywhere near as slow as what you are experiencing on my XS (although we don't have band 66 in my market). Have you tried swapping it out for a new one? Are your speeds in the .5-1 Mbps range when connected to other towers/bands?

I haven't swapped it because my wife's XS is exhibiting the same problem and it was manufactured in a different factory in a different month as mine. I guess we could have both gotten a defective phone, but I doubt it.

In regards to other bands; connected to band 12 at my house it's ok, 3-5 mbps upstream, but that's a tower limitation as my 7 has similar performance.

In regards to other towers, I was at a football game two weekends ago and in the midst of 100k people I got 100 down, 30 up. But we were in a very strong signal area with 4 strong bars.

 

[jkozlow3]

I haven't swapped it because my wife's XS is exhibiting the same problem and it was manufactured in a different factory in a different month as mine. I guess we could have both gotten a defective phone, but I doubt it.

In regards to other bands; connected to band 12 at my house it's ok, 3-5 mbps upstream, but that's a tower limitation as my 7 has similar performance.

In regards to other towers, I was at a football game two weekends ago and in the midst of 100k people I got 100 down, 30 up. But we were in a very strong signal area with 4 strong bars.

I agree that the likelihood of 2 defective devices is extremely low.

It sounds like your carrier may simply be having issues with the band 66 performance in your area then. Your XS seems to be working fine when not on band 66 based on the results you've posted. Maybe have a friend with an iPhone 8 or X come to your location and do a speed test while on band 66 since those devices also work on that band.

 

[crouch]

The 7 will do 4-7 upstream, the XS will do .5 to 1 upstream.

I agree that the likelihood of 2 defective devices is extremely low.

I have a Week 33 XS. My last ten cellular upstream speeds, all taken over the last four days in Washington, DC on AT&T:

.40 Mbps
.03
.05
.47
.69
.56
.54
.26
.25
.08
​

I have three days left to return the phone. I just find it hard to believe that my phone (like chripuck's two XS's above) is defective, and that exchanging it will actually fix anything.

​

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

I have a Week 33 XS. My last ten cellular upstream speeds, all taken over the last four days in Washington, DC on AT&T:

.40 Mbps
.03
.05
.47
.69
.56
.54
.26
.25
.08
​

I have three days left to return the phone. I just find it hard to believe that my phone (like chripuck's two XS's above) is defective, and that exchanging it will actually fix anything.

​

If I had these issues I'd return the phone and buy a new one to get another 14 day return period. Tell them the service is very poor and you think you have a bad one.

My only worry is that if you do too many returns to Apple for "no reason" that they could start refusing to accept the returns (happens to people who frequently buy an apple device to rent it for a few days and then return it).

 

[jkozlow3]

I have a Week 33 XS. My last ten cellular upstream speeds, all taken over the last four days in Washington, DC on AT&T:

.40 Mbps
.03
.05
.47
.69
.56
.54
.26
.25
.08
​

I have three days left to return the phone. I just find it hard to believe that my phone (like chripuck's two XS's above) is defective, and that exchanging it will actually fix anything.

​

Same location or different locations? Those speeds don't look right to me and are far lower than any upload speeds I've ever gotten in recent times (i.e. 3 Mbps is the lowest I've gotten since getting my XS but I don't run a ton of speed tests as I don't have an unlimited data plan).

Do you have friends who can run speed tests on their phones in the same location? Either your phone is defective, your carrier is having issues, or the iPhone XS has serious problems with a certain band that your carrier uses in your particular area. Have you looked in Field Test to see what band you are on when this happens?

 

[Packers1958]

Hot of the press!

https://www.pcmag.com/article/364768/exclusive-iphone-xs-crushes-xr-in-cellular-signal-test-resu

But but but but FCC documents say Xs is the worst...Xs is horrible...except it isn't. Oh yeah, FCC documents are about as useful as poop-flavored lollipop.

Just a reminder for those who have dementia: https://www.pcmag.com/news/364116/iphone-xs-crushes-x-in-lte-speeds-but-still-falls-short-of
[doublepost=1541430626][/doublepost]

Probably not a good idea...actually pretty damn bad idea!!

https://www.pcmag.com/article/364768/exclusive-iphone-xs-crushes-xr-in-cellular-signal-test-resu

It does not crush the X in the US. Even by its own graphs, the XS is only about 5 Mbps faster in the US compared to the X is real world usage. That's within the margin or error, and thus not faster and definitely not crushing.

 

[The Oak]

My XS is similar. My iPhone 7 (Qualcomm) however *can* get similar upload speeds in my trouble XS upload areas.

With 12.1.1 my XS can now in general equal or better my i7. There are times however, uploads only, were the i7 will crank out an okay number, but the XS is still lame.

The fact that the i7 can get the same (or lower) lame upload values, I am more inclined to think its a carrier profile thing and the carrier is directing the phone to a certain band for whatever reason (congestion, phone capabilities, tower capabilities, other ...)

In medium to strong signal however ... my XS consistently does 30-50% better than my i7 at the same spot - easy.

Edit:

i7 and XS are both running 12.1.1.

 

[crouch]

Same location or different locations?

Mostly around my house, moving through different rooms. A few in various parts of DC while doing things yesterday.

Have you looked in Field Test to see what band you are on when this happens?

I was unfamiliar with running a field test, but just learned how--very cool! In the last five minutes, the phone has been on either AT&T band 2 or band 12. My RSRP0 and RSRP1 rates seem terrible I think? Around -110 to -120, and -120 to -130 respectively.

 

[petesavage]

Another subway update with Max and 12.1.1b1, rode the 2/3 line from Brooklyn all the way to the upper part of the upper west side and had near immediate signal re-acquisition with functioning fast verizon LTE at every subway station. And walking out and about has been nothing short of fast and speedy, so I'm in the satisfied/this is software and they're tweaking actively camp.

That’s good news! Don’t know if you saw my detailed post of a few days ago, but my 1 train commute signals were dismal - even when the indicator showed reconnection at certain stations, there were few real-world connections (data download, ability to make calls). Assuming in your case, though, that you tested that. I’m still on 12.1, no beta, so perhaps that’s the difference?

 

[jona2125]

Are these signal numbers for your XS? Those are pretty great LTE signal numbers. I'm dealing with -115 RSRP0 and you're sitting at sub -100, which is typically great.

Yes those are signal numbers. Well that's good to hear but my phone would not make any connections which is what prompted me to check them. I could not make any phone calls, receive phone calls, or do anything data related at all. This has been an ongoing issue for a month now and no update of iOS or advice from Apple has changed this yet. iPhone X and XR in the same spot on the same service don't experience this.

 

[Nikhil72]

That’s good news! Don’t know if you saw my detailed post of a few days ago, but my 1 train commute signals were dismal - even when the indicator showed reconnection at certain stations, there were few real-world connections (data download, ability to make calls). Assuming in your case, though, that you tested that. I’m still on 12.1, no beta, so perhaps that’s the difference?

I did test with 12.1 for a day or two and saw an improvement but definitely more noticeable with 12.1.1. the beta is very stable so perhaps give it a go as a public beta install?

 

[roncron]

If I had these issues I'd return the phone and buy a new one to get another 14 day return period. Tell them the service is very poor and you think you have a bad one.

My only worry is that if you do too many returns to Apple for "no reason" that they could start refusing to accept the returns (happens to people who frequently buy an apple device to rent it for a few days and then return it).

I agree with HeadphoneAddict. Take it back and get another with a fresh 14-day return window.

I did that 3 weeks ago and my new Max is way better. I've tested both under the same wide variety of conditions. Where the first Max struggled or failed, the second Max performs as well or better than my X and previous iPhones did.

There's no guarantee a replacement device will work better for you, so there's a risk you'll end up taking it back, too. But I think there's a good chance you'll get a better one. If you really like the phone and are willing to take that risk, I'd encourage you to do so. If you think you'd be happy with an Xr or a 2017 X (both of which are great phones), then do that and save yourself from further troubles.

Good luck.

 

[vinegarshots]

Mostly around my house, moving through different rooms. A few in various parts of DC while doing things yesterday.



I was unfamiliar with running a field test, but just learned how--very cool! In the last five minutes, the phone has been on either AT&T band 2 or band 12. My RSRP0 and RSRP1 rates seem terrible I think? Around -110 to -120, and -120 to -130 respectively.

That is a very poor cell signal. You're at the outer margins of what is usable. Reference the PCMag low signal chart for reference:

IphoneX Intel totally craps out at -126, XSMax at -128 (and these are best case scenarios). Galaxy and Pixel hold on for a few more dB.

So, if you have an old Qualcomm iPhone, it probably is usable at the farthest outer margins, while the XS is not. But really, the Pixel and Galaxy performance is beyond what is typically expected. A lot of places will say that -120 is the upper end of expecting a usable signal.
[doublepost=1541451469][/doublepost]

https://www.macrumors.com/2018/11/05/additional-iphone-xr-production-canceled/

Im starting to think youre actually an astroturfing bot with all these OT posts...

 

[jkozlow3]

Yes those are signal numbers. Well that's good to hear but my phone would not make any connections which is what prompted me to check them. I could not make any phone calls, receive phone calls, or do anything data related at all. This has been an ongoing issue for a month now and no update of iOS or advice from Apple has changed this yet. iPhone X and XR in the same spot on the same service don't experience this.

Your experience seems to be pretty far from what most people on this thread are experiencing based on several of your previous posts I just dug up. Ongoing issue of not being able to make/receive calls or use data for a month (bolded in quote above)? That is not what others are experiencing.

I'd normally say that your phone is defective and you should demand a replacement from the Apple Store. But you've claimed to have both an XS and an XS max which are both experiencing issues and an X and an XR which are not. If you've already tried 2 XS phones (max and non-max) and they are exhibiting the same issue, replacing your phone probably isn't going to fix anything. How many iPhones do you own? Are these other lines that family members use or something?

At this point, if you've used an XS, XS Max, X and XR in the same location and only the XS devices are having trouble, then there must be something about the XS devices that doesn't play nicely with your carrier and bands that are in use in your area. Perhaps the software needs to be ironed out a bit more to cover scenarios like yours. Signal strength doesn't seem to be your issue, as you stated that your RSSI was under -100 which is quite acceptable for an LTE signal. Have you opened a case with Apple and sent them log files? They will likely request that.

 

[The Oak]

What is funny but sad is the PCMag implies that 4x4 is supposed to do better with minimal signal over a 2x2.

Yet it is the low signal areas that the X/XR/8 2x2 radios are out performing the the XS 4x4.

 

[diego.caraballo]

IphoneX Intel totally craps out at -126, XSMax at -128 (and these are best case scenarios). Galaxy and Pixel hold on for a few more dB. So, if you have an old Qualcomm iPhone, it probably is usable at the farthest outer margins, while the XS is not. .

That. It's exactly what the latest PC Mag test shows:
Also, look at the slope of the XS in the 127-128dBM: steeply downwards

 

[jona2125]

Your experience seems to be pretty far from what most people on this thread are experiencing based on several of your previous posts I just dug up. Ongoing issue of not being able to make/receive calls or use data for a month (bolded in quote above)? That is not what others are experiencing.

I'd normally say that your phone is defective and you should demand a replacement from the Apple Store. But you've claimed to have both an XS and an XS max which are both experiencing issues and an X and an XR which are not. If you've already tried 2 XS phones (max and non-max) and they are exhibiting the same issue, replacing your phone probably isn't going to fix anything. How many iPhones do you own? Are these other lines that family members use or something?

At this point, if you've used an XS, XS Max, X and XR in the same location and only the XS devices are having trouble, then there must be something about the XS devices that doesn't play nicely with your carrier and bands that are in use in your area. Perhaps the software needs to be ironed out a bit more to cover scenarios like yours. Signal strength doesn't seem to be your issue, as you stated that your RSSI was under -100 which is quite acceptable for an LTE signal. Have you opened a case with Apple and sent them log files? They will likely request that.

Actively on my plan, I have 5 iPhones (XS, XS Max, X, XR, 8) and two Samsung phones (Note9, S9). The plan is just mine to myself. I am suspect yes it may be something to do specifically with the XS series on my network (T-Mobile). I have opened a case with Apple and I've been providing them logs the last couple weeks. I am really hopeful for some kind of solution from them but they haven't gotten back with me in a few days. I was recently in California and provided logs from that area (Sunnyvale) as well when I was experiencing a similar issue.