Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

ty07allstar

macrumors member
Sep 19, 2016
53
23
I received a call today and it was silent. Tried to make a call and it was silent. Did this a couple of times but the line was silent. Toggled airplane mode and the phone magically works again. Has anybody else experienced this on their Xs? I am on Verizon if that matters.
 

JustMe2018

macrumors newbie
Sep 25, 2018
11
13
Indiana
There's been some talk of serial numbers being referenced. Any known consistency here?

My XS Max starts with FFW. Initially thought I had a "bad" one, but now not so sure. From what I've been able to test so far, signal strength and speeds seem to match my 7+. Billing cycle (i.e. throttling) ends tonight, so hoping to do some additional testing tomorrow night it low-signal areas. WiFi at work is 50M and home is only 6M DSL so now way to tell about my WiFi (that I can think of).

Unless something else comes up, I think I'm calling my XS Max and wife's X "good." Took my XS Max and old 7+ to low signal area last night and again this morning. While my XS Max showed a little worse reception (difference of about -10db), speed tests were both neck and neck. Only "issue" is that roughly 50% of time XS Max takes a longer to find LTE. Other 50% of time, 7+ takes longer.

EDIT: And no real way to test WiFi issue. We can only get 6MB DSL at home and 50MB fiber at work. Both work as expected, but not high enough speeds to reveal whether WiFi is actually getting the bandwidth it should.
 

TheRealAlex

macrumors 68030
Sep 2, 2015
2,982
2,248
The antenna I think is to blame. The reports seem to indicate the XR won’t have the same issues, and I think it has the same modem? The XS has a new antenna design, the first of its type in an iPhone.

All I can say is that it’s Terrible and while I have an excellent XsMAX.
The WiFi reception is beyond poor.
I use to be able to get WiFi maybe 30 feet past my front door now Nothing.
And the only change was going from a Galaxy S8 Plus to an iPhone XsMAX.

I have a choice. Pay $40 a Month for a Note 9 and stay with Sprint.
Or switch to AT&T and pay $50 more a month.
Or stay with Sprint and pay $4 bucks a month for my XsMAX and live with Horrible service.
 

Freakonomics101

macrumors 68030
Nov 6, 2014
2,740
1,799
Antennagate 1.0:


Cocky then, cocky now. In a way, admitting there is an issue ONLY because it blew up in the media... but they also, in between the lines, trash talked other smartphones within that time. According to Apple, other popular smartphones had antenna issues just as bad as the iPhone 4 did. They even claimed the 4 had a decrease in dropped call rates than the 3GS. Even IF Apple ever decides to make an official statement like this, I have a feeling I’ll be awhile and they’ll make it seem like other popular smartphones are suffering just as bad as the XS and XSM. It drives me nuts, in that keynote, Steve talks about signal bars instead of the actual quality of the connection. Bars don’t mean anything. All they will want to do is adjust how many bars will display for whatever quality of connection and it’ll make everyone think it’s fixed.

“A very small percentage of users” seems to be a very popular phrase with Apple.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: madKIR

rebretz000

macrumors 6502
Sep 29, 2018
283
318
The antenna I think is to blame. The reports seem to indicate the XR won’t have the same issues, and I think it has the same modem? The XS has a new antenna design, the first of its type in an iPhone.

I just seen an interesting comment someone made on the WiWaveLength blog that they think the issue has more to do with the stainless steel chassis used in the iPhone X's, both old and new, as opposed to the antenna design or modem or having 4x4 mimo. All iPhones up until this point have had aluminum chassis. Maybe the stainless steel is having an influence.
Are signals weaker in a steel building to begin with anyhow? Might be why WiFi is effected so much. WiFi wavelengths are much longer than cellular. And this could explain why the mid frequency bands are affected more than the low frequency. Same deal, mid frequency bands are longer in length, travel less distance, and have less penetration power.
 

alFR

macrumors 68030
Aug 10, 2006
2,834
1,070
I just seen an interesting comment someone made on the WiWaveLength blog that they think the issue has more to do with the stainless steel chassis used in the iPhone X's, both old and new, as opposed to the antenna design or modem or having 4x4 mimo. All iPhones up until this point have had aluminum chassis. Maybe the stainless steel is having an influence.
Are signals weaker in a steel building to begin with anyhow? Might be why WiFi is effected so much. WiFi wavelengths are much longer than cellular. And this could explain why the mid frequency bands are affected more than the low frequency. Same deal, mid frequency bands are longer in length, travel less distance, and have less penetration power.
Isn’t that pretty unlikely given that 90%+ of the surface of the thing is glass and therefore radio-transparent?
 
  • Like
Reactions: madKIR

ROLLTIDE1

macrumors 68000
Sep 12, 2012
1,906
625
Please submit this story to your local media ! Let's get Apple to get the worm out of it's backside and to admit that there is a problem
 

Nhwhazup

macrumors 68040
Sep 2, 2010
3,474
1,718
New Hampshire
I know there have been a few in this thread that returned their Max and received a replacement.

Anyone on ATT that had cellular problems on one Max but received a replacement Max that worked fine?
 
  • Like
Reactions: elitypes

madKIR

macrumors 6502a
Feb 2, 2010
849
801
NYC
Please submit this story to your local media ! Let's get Apple to get the worm out of it's backside and to admit that there is a problem
Apple has been very aggressive about it: deleting negative posts, etc. I take all these official sites now with a huge pile of salt. I don't think they want to be in Apple's crosshairs, hence no real critique there. Like that PCMag test: it's just too good to be true, seems too polished and candy coated to me compared to what people are saying here. Also, how very conveniently they could't find a Qualcomm X on iOS12. I call it BS.
 

alFR

macrumors 68030
Aug 10, 2006
2,834
1,070
Like that PCMag test: it's just too good to be true, seems too polished and candy coated to me compared to what people are saying here. Also, how very conveniently they could't find a Qualcomm X on iOS12. I call it BS.
Yep, definitely more likely that an established magazine / website with full RF test facilities and a business, reputation and credibility at stake is less reliable than a bunch of anonymous forum posters who just learned the dialling combo to activate field test mode. Definitely. That’s not to say there isn’t an issue (still could well be with software/ firmware) but dismissing these test results out of hand because they don’t say what you want is ridiculous.
 

madKIR

macrumors 6502a
Feb 2, 2010
849
801
NYC
Yep, definitely more likely that an established magazine / website with full RF test facilities and a business, reputation and credibility at stake is less reliable than a bunch of anonymous forum posters who just learned the dialling combo to activate field test mode. Definitely. That’s not to say there isn’t an issue (still could well be with software/ firmware) but dismissing these test results out of hand because they don’t say what you want is ridiculous.
Once again: "how very conveniently they could't find a Qualcomm X on iOS12." I can't really take their test seriously.
 

ROLLTIDE1

macrumors 68000
Sep 12, 2012
1,906
625
I know there have been a few in this thread that returned their Max and received a replacement.

Anyone on ATT that had cellular problems on one Max but received a replacement Max that worked fine?
Not yet had 3 phones and they all had horrible cellular issues
 
  • Like
Reactions: elitypes

PBz

macrumors 68030
Nov 3, 2005
2,616
1,577
SoCal
Antennagate 1.0:


Cocky then, cocky now. In a way, admitting there is an issue ONLY because it blew up in the media... but they also, in between the lines, trash talked other smartphones within that time. According to Apple, other popular smartphones had antenna issues just as bad as the iPhone 4 did. They even claimed the 4 had a decrease in dropped call rates than the 3GS. Even IF Apple ever decides to make an official statement like this, I have a feeling I’ll be awhile and they’ll make it seem like other popular smartphones are suffering just as bad as the XS and XSM. It drives me nuts, in that keynote, Steve talks about signal bars instead of the actual quality of the connection. Bars don’t mean anything. All they will want to do is adjust how many bars will display for whatever quality of connection and it’ll make everyone think it’s fixed.

“A very small percentage of users” seems to be a very popular phrase with Apple.

Steve was cocky but it made him, and Apple who it was (and is)... that that has positives and negatives.

Ask yourself if Tim Cook would get on stage and do this today.

.. for a ‘numbers’ person the metrics used were a tad early on the ‘event’ scale IMO. I think they could have looked different weeks later. Maybe same.. maybe worse.

Looking back on this, with the perspective of time, I think Apple did the best thing they could do. They were right that the same behavior was exhibited by other smartphones. How many other CEOs got on stage to adddress theirs?

I had the 4 and 4S. I remember them being some of the best iPhones ever made. If you run a poll, and they have been run here, the iPhone 4 is up at the top of most popular iPhones ever made.

I think with all of that said...that would be all the more reason to not repeat the ‘event’/issue. We will see what happens.
[doublepost=1538489660][/doublepost]
Apple has been very aggressive about it: deleting negative posts, etc. I take all these official sites now with a huge pile of salt. I don't think they want to be in Apple's crosshairs, hence no real critique there. Like that PCMag test: it's just too good to be true, seems too polished and candy coated to me compared to what people are saying here. Also, how very conveniently they could't find a Qualcomm X on iOS12. I call it BS.
I can tell you with 100% certainty that MANY ‘Apple’ sites/media orgs will be VERY cautious about what they report regarding Apple issues.

I have shared blatant and repeatable evidence on several issues to several respected Apple sites and my information was ignored.
 
  • Like
Reactions: madKIR

Lobwedgephil

macrumors 603
Apr 7, 2012
5,792
4,757
The antenna I think is to blame. The reports seem to indicate the XR won’t have the same issues, and I think it has the same modem? The XS has a new antenna design, the first of its type in an iPhone.

The XR has last years modem it appears, so different modem. Though different antenna design as well.
 

essential

macrumors 6502
Apr 8, 2008
254
153
Finally got my XS Max setup last night. At home, my speed tests on LTE and WiFi were better in limited testing compared to my 6 Plus. At work, which is notoriously low signal in my office (AT&T), on ookla speed test I got 3.16 down and 0.05 up. That's worse than before. I'll do more testing compared to an 8 when I get home. So far home is better, office is worse, but that seems to line up with what's been said so far ... better in high signal locations, worse in low signal locations.
 

BiggAW

macrumors 68030
Jun 19, 2010
2,563
176
Connecticut
why are they reporting on the most minor issues....both are fixable via software.......why not report about the low signal and the piss yellow screeen......smh

I'm glad PCMag did the testing that they did, as many other outlets continually ignore the single most important thing a phone can do, at least after having a working battery... get a signal.
 

jona2125

macrumors 6502a
Jul 12, 2010
780
651
PBz said:
I can tell you with 100% certainty that MANY ‘Apple’ sites/media orgs will be VERY cautious about what they report regarding Apple issues.

I have shared blatant and repeatable evidence on several issues to several respected Apple sites and my information was ignored.


I agree with this. Lately I've been dismissed by Apple directly many times on problems I've struggled with until they actually bother to investigate and agree there is a problem but still usually don't take any accountability anymore.. It's been very different over the years. I remember taking my 5 in for some issues not being recognized in iTunes no matter what I did and they were great about it with a very nice sit-down conversation about what's going on and going over all the various ways to fix it, which ended up being a defective device and they replaced it. When I took in my 6S for bad battery life and rapid drops in the 20-30% range in 20 minutes they restored it and sent me out the door to which I came back to them with the same issue and they kept trying to get me to do other things instead of replacing the battery like I wanted. Or when I picked up my X last year they made a huge hassle because I was picking up for another line used on the IUP, that was still my line on my plan but wasn't my number on file. Just seems that there is added headache dealing with a technology company that lately treats you like you're at a Macy's customer service Kiosk.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 5105973 and madKIR

madKIR

macrumors 6502a
Feb 2, 2010
849
801
NYC
why are they reporting on the most minor issues....both are fixable via software.......why not report about the low signal and the piss yellow screeen......smh
They do talk about the signal problems in this video!
[doublepost=1538491763][/doublepost]
I agree with this. Lately I've been dismissed by Apple directly many times on problems I've struggled with until they actually bother to investigate and agree there is a problem but still usually don't take any accountability anymore.. It's been very different over the years. I remember taking my 5 in for some issues not being recognized in iTunes no matter what I did and they were great about it with a very nice sit-down conversation about what's going on and going over all the various ways to fix it, which ended up being a defective device and they replaced it. When I took in my 6S for bad battery life and rapid drops in the 20-30% range in 20 minutes they restored it and sent me out the door to which I came back to them with the same issue and they kept trying to get me to do other things instead of replacing the battery like I wanted. Or when I picked up my X last year they made a huge hassle because I was picking up for another line used on the IUP, that was still my line on my plan but wasn't my number on file. Just seems that there is added headache dealing with a technology company that lately treats you like you're at a Macy's customer service Kiosk.
I will never forget the whole "interlacing lines" issue with the iPhone 5! I had to exchange so many units. Of course, it was next to impossible to show it to Apple employees under the bright lighting in their stores.
 
Last edited:

PBz

macrumors 68030
Nov 3, 2005
2,616
1,577
SoCal
why are they reporting on the most minor issues....both are fixable via software.......why not report about the low signal and the piss yellow screeen......smh
Bingo.
Read my earlier posts. Apple did this with the in-call speaker crackle. IMO, they ‘allowed’ the media outlets to go live and they ‘resolved’ it within a few days.

Now FF to the horrible speaker clipping issue that was on at least 4 iPhone 8/8+ that I tested as well as every 8 belonging to someone else that would let me test. Also on the X.

.. interesting how media never covered that issue regardless of me sending info/video/etc.. including a popular blog I have a lot of respect for. I know the head of that site well and even he ignored it.

Not cool.
 

PBz

macrumors 68030
Nov 3, 2005
2,616
1,577
SoCal
They do talk about the signal problems in this video!
[doublepost=1538491763][/doublepost]
I will never forget the whole "interlacing lines" issue with the iPhone 5! I had to exchange so many units. Of course, it was next to impossible to show it to Apple employees under the bright lighting in their stores.
If that is the case.. then based on my ‘theory’ it could be a good sign.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.