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Crozo

macrumors newbie
Sep 27, 2018
5
14
Keep us posted I don’t believe it’s device specific. I believe it’s use case specific.

I don’t believe it’s user case specific as I wiped the phone before I returned it. The techs could still replicate the issue and acknowledge it as a ‘manufacturing defect’
 

DotCom2

macrumors 603
Feb 22, 2009
6,322
5,634
You didn't state what WiFi band you are on though. The WiFi problem I have seen is that it keeps going back to the slower 2.4 GHz instead of the 5 GHz! I went on my Airport Extreme and separated the bands and named the 5GHz one and now I force it to the 5GHz and all is well and I get my regular speeds. At least I do anyway. If your test is defaulting to the slower 2.4 GHz then yes, you will see slower speeds. This is the problem some are having...it won't STICK to the 5 GHz.
 
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nephipower

macrumors member
Nov 22, 2010
32
37
The only ONE truth is Apple knows what is going on best being their hardware and software. Not going to jump to conclusions based upon armchair experts.

The same "experts" who scoffed the i9 Macbook that hardware sucks etc., not giving a software patch possibility any thought, and haven't heard a peep in the media since the software patch (and many publicly retracted their "sucks" comments on Youtube).

This is a really good recent example where people were screaming about there is no way they can fix the thermal throttling issues with a software update.

Then... low and behold a few days later they release a patch and fixes the issue.
 

1144557

Cancelled
Sep 13, 2018
925
2,413
^ people are struggling to grasp that key point.

Which I dont get the issue of using one or the other band until an update comes out. I keep my 2.4 and 5 separated anyway as Id prefer my laptop and phone on 5 and my smart TVs etc that only has 2.4 and dont care about speeds on the TV smart features.

I get range, but choose one or the other for now until an OS update fixes it. Doesn't seem like world-ending.

There probably is not a HUGE difference being on 5 vs 2.4 for probably 95%+ of people. And 2.4 supports 450/600 Mbps; I guess the few exceptions are huge fiber/top tier plan home internet speed people. My home internet speeds aren't out of the 3 digits anyway to notice.

The average home internet speeds in the US is only about 26 down and under 10 up. I can't imagine most would suffer much latching onto 2.4 for a few days/week until an update.

This is a really good recent example where people were screaming about there is no way they can fix the thermal throttling issues with a software update.

Then... low and behold a few days later they release a patch and fixes the issue.

People seem to have selective memory. I will wait for facts and official statements before making decisions on what or what cannot be fixed with software vs hardware issue.
 
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twennywonn

macrumors regular
Mar 15, 2012
245
248
I don’t believe it’s user case specific as I wiped the phone before I returned it. The techs could still replicate the issue and acknowledge it as a ‘manufacturing defect’

According to the poll, over 40% of people that took the poll are experiencing signal issues and its hard for me to believe that they are defective. What's more likely is its a software issue or its poorly designed antennas.

Either way hopefully its an easy fix.
 

Otflyer

macrumors 65816
Nov 14, 2017
1,474
999
SF Bay Area
I haven’t checked speeds on previous iPhones. My LTE and WiFi speed appears low on my XS Max when I ran multiple tests but, in actual use, I don’t see a difference compared to my previous iPhone 8+. My XS Max locks onto my 5.8 GHZ band. I’m in the SF Bay Area.
 

Ngamtns706

macrumors regular
Sep 21, 2015
212
82
Former pixel xl 2 T-Mobile. Bought the xs max. Reception is night and day compared to my pixel xl 2. I can’t believe how bad the reception is on the xs max ok T-Mobile is compared to my pixel xl 2.

So disappointing.

Did you ever have an X to compare it to?
 

rebretz000

macrumors 6502
Sep 29, 2018
283
318
Former pixel xl 2 T-Mobile. Bought the xs max. Reception is night and day compared to my pixel xl 2. I can’t believe how bad the reception is on the xs max ok T-Mobile is compared to my pixel xl 2.

So disappointing.

I am Pixel 2 on T-Mobile and got the iPhone XS and I had the same issue with cellular signal. My iPhone XS was averaging -10 dbm to -15 dbm worse than my Pixel depending on where I was in my house. In my basement the iPhone XS wouldn't get a signal at all. I compared a family members iPhone 8 and an old iPhone 5C to the Pixel 2 and iPhone XS as well as my Nexus 6P and all the phones except the iPhone XS had relatively the same signal strength. And when I talked to an Apple rep I told him about how I was standing in my front door with it open checking the signal strength and when I turned 90 degrees to the left and the signal dropped -10 dbm. He was very interested in that.
I really hope that Apple can fix the issue with a software update, I would much rather have the iPhone XS over the iPhone XR but either way I am definitely leaving Google and Android behind this year. I really love my Pixel phone and love what Google has done with it and it's software but Apple's walled garden ecosystem just puts Android to shame.
The two biggest Android manufactures rarely provide updates, Android fragmentation has not improved, and Android Wear OS is at least 2-3 years behind Apple watches. Also Apple's SOC are 2 years ahead of Qualcomm. The Ask Gerry Youtube channel explained it very well.
I just want an iPhone and the Apple Watch I ordered.
 
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BiggAW

macrumors 68030
Jun 19, 2010
2,563
176
Connecticut
Seems like a hardware issue. Apple will silently fix the hardware for the future phones yet to be made. For the ones already made and people already have, they’ll issue a software update to “help”, but it won’t 100% mitigate the issue unless you have the hardware upgrade.

Yeah, probably. Or Jony Ive was like "I don't like the look of that. It's one tenth of one mm too big over here. Make it smaller", and that threw off the antenna design.

Not defending Apple, but I highly doubt it. iPhone is more than half of all the profits that Apple make.

So you think Apple is so incompetent that they couldn't test RF power output on a phone? This is the world's first Trillion dollar company. I'm pretty sure they have the best testing labs in the world, anechoic chambers, engineers at their campus from the largest cell phone carriers around the world.
 

Packers1958

macrumors 68000
Apr 16, 2017
1,954
2,587
South Dakota
Yeah, probably. Or Jony Ive was like "I don't like the look of that. It's one tenth of one mm too big over here. Make it smaller", and that threw off the antenna design.



So you think Apple is so incompetent that they couldn't test RF power output on a phone? This is the world's first Trillion dollar company. I'm pretty sure they have the best testing labs in the world, anechoic chambers, engineers at their campus from the largest cell phone carriers around the world.

Apple is more concerned with emojis and pretty camera photos, than connectivity.
 

doboy

macrumors 68040
Jul 6, 2007
3,775
2,946
So you think Apple is so incompetent that they couldn't test RF power output on a phone? This is the world's first Trillion dollar company. I'm pretty sure they have the best testing labs in the world, anechoic chambers, engineers at their campus from the largest cell phone carriers around the world.
I think you misunderstood me. I was trying to make similar point to yours.
 

1144557

Cancelled
Sep 13, 2018
925
2,413
So you think Apple is so incompetent that they couldn't test RF power output on a phone? This is the world's first Trillion dollar company. I'm pretty sure they have the best testing labs in the world, anechoic chambers, engineers at their campus from the largest cell phone carriers around the world.

Yeh I find the incredibly hard to believe missing such a major basic thing considering the amount of testing and articles about their labs have been in the news over the years.

I tend to think this is more some software issue (as they are many builds ahead internally than public release)
 

rebretz000

macrumors 6502
Sep 29, 2018
283
318
So you think Apple is so incompetent that they couldn't test RF power output on a phone? This is the world's first Trillion dollar company. I'm pretty sure they have the best testing labs in the world said:
I'm wondering if they test phones outside of major cities. Apple may have seen the RF readings and when they looked at signal strength in the California area the testers/employees used the phones the weaker signals may not have been as big of a deal it is to those who live in smaller cities/rural areas. Everytime an unreleased phone is left at a bar or in a car it always happens in big cities. It would be beneficial to get some testers in middle america.
 

Feenician

macrumors 603
Jun 13, 2016
5,313
5,100
I advise anyone on T-Mobile to avoid the xs max. It’s reception is poor.

My XS Mac reception and speed is markedly improved from the 7 Plus it replaced. Especially noticeable at the office where reception and speed was previously pretty poor. I also notice it consistently hangs on to signal and has data in an elevator that consistently used to result in no signal for me.

I wouldn’t necessarily advise anyone on T-Mobile to buy or not buy the XS Max however because I actually recognize that my experience =/= everyone’s experience.
 
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rebretz000

macrumors 6502
Sep 29, 2018
283
318
Are you located in a T-Mobile area with band 71?
My XS Mac reception and speed is markedly improved from the 7 Plus it replaced. Especially noticeable at the office where reception and speed was previously pretty poor. I also notice it consistently hangs on to signal and has data in an elevator that consistently used to result in no signal for me.

I wouldn’t necessarily advise anyone on T-Mobile to buy or not buy the XS Max however because I actually recognize that my experience =/= everyone’s experience.
 
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Feenician

macrumors 603
Jun 13, 2016
5,313
5,100
Are you located in a T-Mobile area with band 71?

Using http://maps.t-mobile.com/ the coverage map at my office location doesn’t change whether or not I enabled the “view with extended range LTE” toggle. In both cases it’s listed as “Good” coverage only and the pop up on the pin says the below

9B3FC7E4-00AE-420F-8981-9C0A990721CB.jpeg
 
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