User profile for user: Steven Fisher1
Steven Fisher1 Author
User level: Level 2
217 points

iPhone 7 Plus Phone Call Sound Quality

So we just got 2 new iPhone 7 Plus' and I am noticing that the incoming call audio quality on both sounds strange. I have the Apple leather case on the phone and incoming audio sounds distant. Like it is coming from behind the phone or something. It almost sounds like the phone is on speaker phone but it isn't. Turning the volume down helps a bit but it seems off. Previous I had an iPhone 6 so I don't know how this compares to the 6 Plus.


Any help is appreciated!


Thanks!

MacBook Pro with Retina display, OS X El Capitan (10.11)

Posted on Sep 16, 2016 11:36 AM

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User profile for user: eXactMat
eXactMat
User level: Level 1
8 points

Posted on Mar 2, 2017 5:26 AM

User uploaded file

The iPhone 7 (Photo credit: John Taggart/Bloomberg)

With the launch of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, Intel finally made its way into Apple's most important product. Good news for Intel, no doubt, but not for consumers.

Tests of LTE connectivity, released on Thursday by Cellular Insights, show a huge performance gap between the iPhone 7 equipped with an Intel modem and a Qualcomm modem. The difference in performance is a black eye not only for Intel, but also for Apple, which for the past five years had relied on Qualcomm exclusively for its iPhone modem chips. With the iPhone 7, Apple decided to make two versions -- one with an Intel modem and one with a Qualcomm modem. (Neither Intel nor Apple have commented on the performance gap so far.)

For consumers, the downside of owning an Intel version is significant. The tests revealed that Qualcomm-powered iPhone 7s are able to consistently establish stronger connections to LTE networks than Intel-powered iPhone 7s. Qualcomm modems outran Intel modems by 30% in overall performance, and 75% when the signal was at its weakest.

Since writing a story about these modem benchmarks, readers have asked FORBES -- directly and via Twitter -- how to make sure they're buying the better iPhone 7 with a Qualcomm modem. If you want to get the best bang for your buck, you probably should be careful which iPhone 7 you end up buying.

Here are some ways you can make sure you're not buying the inferior iPhone 7.

Model number

As this Apple spec page shows, Apple created two distinct versions of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus to segment out devices with an Intel modem or a Qualcomm modem.

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By checking the model number on the back of the iPhone 7, you will be able to tell:

  • Model A1660 and Model A1661 means they have a Qualcomm modem.
  • Model A1778 and Model A1784 are equipped with an Intel modem.

Carriers

If you're a United States-based customer buying from a carrier, the best way to make sure which iPhone 7 you're getting is:

  • Verizon and Sprint sell the Qualcomm-powered iPhone.
  • AT&T and T-Mobile sell the Intel-equipped iPhone.

The Apple spec page indicates that the Intel-powered

A1778 and A1784 phones won't support CDMA (or code division multiple access), a cellular technology used on some LTE networks. That means an Intel-powered iPhone 7 simply won't work on CDMA networks, such as Verizon's and Sprint's.

Qualcomm's modem works on all the four big carrier networks in the US. And o

verall, Qualcomm's modem supports a much wider variety of cellular technology than Intel. Qualcomm hardware supports GSM/CDMA/WCDMA/TD-SCDMA/LTE, while Intel's only support GSM/WCDMA/LTE. That means that in addition to improved connectivity performance with a Qualcomm modem, Qualcomm can work on more networks.

Apple also sells unlocked versions of the iPhone 7 and iPhones 7 Plus that

come with a Qualcomm modem.

The relationship between modem makers and carriers is a close one. Supporting various cellular technologies is extraordinarily complex. Each carrier has their own unique network demands and features. Qualcomm has been in this game a lot longer than Intel, and as a result, it has a lot more to offer the consumer, according to experts.

“Building modems for today’s cellphones is an extremely daunting task,” said Sundeep Rangan, an engineering professor at New York University who specializes in wireless technologies. “It has to support a dizzying array of features and get the chips down to a form factor and low power performance.”

Follow me on Twitter @aatilley or send me an email: atilley@forbes.com

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User profile for user: Steven Fisher1
Steven Fisher1 Author
User level: Level 2
217 points

Sep 20, 2016 12:14 PM in response to Marketsync

Turning down the phone helped a tad. But with the case it still sounds borderline awful. I've had iPhones since a 3gs and it never sounded like this. My wife also upgraded to the 7 Plus and hers sounds exactly the same. It's like the phone is hollow and the sound is coming from behind it. Only for phone calls. Audio from everything else is just fine.

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User profile for user: Steven Fisher1
Steven Fisher1 Author
User level: Level 2
217 points

Sep 21, 2016 8:18 AM in response to Steven Fisher1

OK So here is an update. I called support and they had me record a voice memo then play it back from the phone receiver instead of the speaker phone (hit the little blue speaker in top right one in the memo app). It confirmed the sound was still not correct. So they suggested either send it in for repair or bring it to a Genius Bar. Going to the genius bar next week and will update.

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User profile for user: Rfletcher06
Rfletcher06
User level: Level 1
14 points

Sep 22, 2016 4:39 PM in response to Steven Fisher1

Ok, so I took my iPhone 7 to the Apple Store to have them look at it. they said that the device was functioning fine and that it was an issue with my service provider(Verizon). So now it looks like I need to take the issue up with them. What service providers do you guys have?

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User profile for user: Marketsync
Marketsync
User level: Level 1
23 points

Sep 22, 2016 4:50 PM in response to Rfletcher06

I had the same issue, but I have AT&T. I ended up just returning the phone and I got a regular Iphone 7 instead. I don't have the call quality issue with regular iPhone 7.


They said they could fix it, but I was like, this is a brand new phone. So that is why I returned it.

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User profile for user: IMCPIC
IMCPIC
User level: Level 1
12 points

Sep 22, 2016 8:21 PM in response to Rfletcher06

I had the same situation...took my iPhone 7 to the Genius Bar, had diagnostics tests run on it, they said nothing was wrong and that I should contact Verizon. I tried all troubleshooting recommended plus soft-resetting my phone, but most call audio still sounds muffled. I do have VoLTE enabled.

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User profile for user: Marketsync
Marketsync
User level: Level 1
23 points

Sep 23, 2016 12:27 AM in response to IMCPIC

Mine was doing it on AT&T. Also Appleinsider is running this story. http://appleinsider.com/articles/16/09/22/some-users-complaining-about-poor-phon e-call-sound-on-apples-iphone-7-7-plus


I would ask for a new phone. I traded mine in for another phone and it works just fine now.

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iPhone 7 Plus Phone Call Sound Quality

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