IPhone 4 Bluetooth Issues

To OliverM3: if it's a range issue on the 4/4s I can live with that. Annoying, but I can live with that.

To Thanar: if it's a software, echo-control issue that should be easily fixed via a "Software Echo Control" on-off option in settings. Yes?

To all:

1) I did a fairly comprehensive test a few nights ago where I tested a Jawbone and a Motorola headset, both of which worked flawlessly on my iP4 when it was running iOS 3.x. I placed the phone down on a table top and positioned my head within 2 feet. I ran various combinations of hard reboot, head position, "forget device" then re-pair", wifi on, wifi off, switching from BT to speakerphone in the middle of the call, removing the case, etc. In all combinations the BT transmit audio was garbled but the BT receive audio was very clear.

2) After comments from many of you on this forum I ordered a BlueAnt V1X last night, fingers crossed.

3) If this BlueAnt V1X (an otherwise excellent BT headset by all accounts) doesn't work with my iP4, I am going to investigate the if's and how's of filing a class-action lawsuit, against Apple, NOT for monetary damages but just that they admit this issue is real and they correct it. I am not a lawyer and am not looking to win a litigation lottery. I only desire that Apple make this stupid problem go away. Thoughts, everyone?

Apple, are you listening? I'm mad as **** and I'm not going to take this anymore. We can do this the easy way or we can do this the hard way. Your decision.

I think we need to be specific here on the exact issue one is having with BT! As there are several mentioned in this discussion. My issue is the garbled (unintelligible on several headsets) sound the listener on the other end on the call to me (out) is hearing when i talk. I have tried multiple headsets, including the Jawbone Era (which has been recommended), but all bad (some worse than others), until i purchased a Plantronics Voyager HD. It is a big headset, but it does work. It now sounds great to the listener! In fact, they say it sounds better than when i am talking directly on the iPhone 4S! Finally, a headset that makes the iPhone usable for me! This is such a rediculous situation Apple has gotten itself into. I have been a Blackberry user for years and just made the switch. Iam still questioning my decision and dont think this phone is all its cracked up to be for use as a business tool for email and phone calls.

Thanks for the tip ilbanker I'll try anything to work around Apple's crappy design.

The Era has been the most usable earpiece by far for me but I'll try anything.

And it's pretty sad that I've tried so many to overcome the weak design of this otherwise amazing phone.

I'll give the big ugly Plantronics Voyager HD a shot if it can return me to a normal Bluetooth earpiece.

Let me just reiterate my mediocre list of earpieces from best to worst that I've tried.

(actually it's not the earpiece it's the crap Bluetooth with this phone)

1.Jawbone Era (best so far for me)

2.Blueant Q1

3.Bueant V1

4.Landrover LR2 (Works 3" from the radio)

5.Apple Bluetooth Earpiece. (unusable)

6.PLANTRONICS Discovery 975 (unusable)

7.PLANTRONICS Discovery 925 (unusable)

8.Original Jawbone version 1 (unusable)

9.Motorola S305 Stereo Bluetooth Headset (unusable)

How's the range?

I'm not looking for miracles (walking around the house)

I would just love to be able to put my phone in my god **** pocket without fear of dropping the connection.

The Era won’t drop but you can hear the quality loss when it's in your back pocket and you sit down on the couch.

Maybe I'm asking for to much? but the free razor that I got from at&t ten years ago could pull off this magnificent feat which would allow me to put my phone in my pocket.

Sure maybe I've gotten married and put on a few pounds in the ten years but c-mon the phone should be able to get through 3' of me to reach my head.

It really is frustrating. But there's hope the Droids are getting much better and wouldn't that just suck for Apple when everyone just leaves their arrogant ***** 🙂

The real he|| of all this is, as I write this response I'm freaking furious that we're all forced to engage in this dialog in order to solve a problem that Apple is either too arrogant to solve or, worse, too complacent. They would do well to review the history of Palm or RIM or any number of otherwise excellent manufacturers that got complacent with their customer base, and subsequently saw that customer base lose faith.

iLBanker, I find it intriguing that some iPhone 4 / iOS 5.x users report satisfactory usage from one specific BT headset model, while others report unsatisfactory use from that same headset, but good performance from yet another.

OliverM3, I commend your patience in attempting to find a suitable BT headset, trying 8 different headsets. Unfortunately I do not have your resources. However, if I interpret your list correctly it appears that you also get satisfactory use from the BlueAnt Q1 and V1. I certainly hope so as I have a new V1x on order.

So, the question at hand is why do identical headsets work for some iPhone 4 / iOS 5.x users and not for others? That suggests a processing conflict created by some specific combination of iPhone 4 / iOS 5.x 'settings' and perhaps loaded and/or active apps.

Ideas anyone?

nucsub: The BlueAnts will get you by but like any of the better earpieces that I've tried you will have to work around the limitation of the Iphone.

Front Jacket pockets for the phone.

Leaving the phone on the desk next to you.

Putting the phone on your console close to you in the car.

It'll get you buy till they accidentally fix some iteration of the iphone.

But by then they'll screw up something else that has been in existence since 2000

Do you still have a 3 Thanar? I only ask because with every 4/4s I've had the poor quality that is directly related to the range. When the online is more than a foot from the earpiece.

The quality of the call suffers.

I've had 2 iPhone 4's and 2 4s's all with the range issue.

If you do get a 4 you will see that the 4 is far worse.

I would love to have the cr@ppy bluetooth from the 3 back.

Because its so much better than the 4.

Oliver, many thanks. The V1x should arrive tomorrow so I'm hoping for some joy. I can tolerate the range limitations you mention.

I can't believe I'd be using the word "tolerate" relative to an iPhone 4... 12 years ago I had a then-new Ericsson r520 phone that would flawlessly stream an excellent BT voice conversation and simultaneously manage an infrared-tethered internet data link into my PC. 12 years ago.

If I cannot trick the V1x into working past the iPhone's disabilities, I'm going to visit my local Apple store and I'm not going to be polite.

Apple, I am a 62 year old COO of a high-technology manufacturing company. I've personally managed business technology operations in 7 different countries. Never in my professional career have I witnessed such corporate-level incompetence. You really, really need to grow a spine, or a conscience, or preferably both.

Just to chime in here as well, I am on my fourth, that's right, fourth iPhone4 that continues to have the same problem with a bluetooth headset connecting and reconnecting. I also had gen 1 bluetooth equipment that worked flawlessly 12 years ago. The latest suggestion from engineering is to pull off any screen protector, leave it out of any sort of case, and test it outside away from any possible interference. I would have far more respect for apple if they would admit to an obvious design flaw, instead of insisting I am the only person having this problem. After finding this thread, it is clear I am not the only one...

jaygatz: LMAO, their suggestion is too funny. Next they'll be telling us to buy voodoo dolls and pins...

My Blueant V1x came in yesterday. I waited until last night when I got home from work to test it, didn't want the guys at work seeing me cry and pitch a fit if I was yet again disappointed.

So, to prep my iPhone 4 / iOS 5.01 for the pairing ritual I shut down wifi, all running apps (per Blueant’s suggestion),did a hard reboot (hold Home and Sleep buttons until it shuts down and the apple reappears). However I left the iPhone in my three-layer Seidio Convert case, on the theory that in the real world I would never have My Precious outside a protective case. Period.

I made sure all BT devices had been "forgotten" in the iPhone Settings section, then went through the simple pairing. I then—with trembling fingers—began my tests by calling my voicemail box and recorded some short announcements. The tests completed (with my TV intentionally on in the background) were as follows:

1. Holding the iPhone about 15” from my ear, on the same side of my body, I recorded about a 30-second call. When I listened—ever fearful—I heard a reasonably clear voice. Some TV noise but not bad. Certainly not as good as my Jawbone Era on my pre-iOS 4.0 iPhone 3, but good enough. Beggars can’t be choosers, after all.

2. I repeated the first call to make sure itdidn’t degrade with a second call

3. I made a third call and turned on wifi in Settings and waited for the iPhone to link, talking all the time. On replay I could not detect any degradation, muffled crap like I have been getting on my other BT headsets since iOS 4.0

4. I made a fourth call and started opening apps, 4 or 5 that I thought would be memory or process hogs, including Skype and iAnalyzer. Replay was still decent with no detectable degradation so far.

5. On call # 5 I opened Safari and opened several pages, and move the phone to the side of my body opposite my ear, about 3 feet away. So far no problems.

6. On call # 6 I got bold and laid the phone down on my coffee table and got up and walked around the house, on the otherside of walls and the opposite side of my refrigerator. At several points I was about 15-20 feet away. Still no degradation. (Tears of joy are starting to form in my eyes and my lips are beginning to tremble.)

7. Today, back at the plant, I’ve used the headset in about 6 different office calls. Right now I have 8 different apps running and they do not seem to be creating a problem. (It is interesting to note that in the support section of Blueant's website they strongly suggest shutting down all apps before pairing because they think the muffled problem is a result of Apple's muti-tasking algorithms.) At one point the party on the other end complained about background noise when I was talking next to an electric forklift while I was in our warehouse, but I can live with that. It's only a top-end iPhone, after all.

So far so good. I haven’t got a clue how long this will continue, but I am satisfied so far. Not ecstatic, but satisfied.

I will post an update if the signal quality goes down.

OliverM3, thanks for the recommendation on the Blueant V1x. $32, including shipping.

That's great nucsub!

You're getting a lot better range than I've seen I hope it lasts for and you'll have to let us know if it keeps working well for you.

I'm still getting only a few feet on average and pants and jackets still interfere on occasion.

Must be all the time spent at the range. I've absorbed to much lead in my blood and it's affecting bluetooth 🙂 (or atleast that's what apple would say)

Maybe people just aren't using bluetooth because I don't hear as much outrage as I'd expect.

I've used it since it first came out and loved it. why would anyone want to hold a phone on their ear?

The first few phones that I had that offered bluetooth I could leave charging in the kitchen and walk around the house and talk.

I don't understand why I could have that in 1994 and now in 2012 with the hottest phone it's not possible.

And those phones were free just for signing up now I actually have to pay for one I just don't get it.

I had a Blueant Q2 which worked very well at first, but then began disconnecting (dispite good charge) quite often. Blueant also told me that their software (a couple months ago now) was not available for mac. The Jawbone software is. Still doing well with the ERA, but again say I should not need a high-end BT just to use that feature.

One idea would be to contact technical service managers at Apple (by phone) and point them to these threads. I also may point a responsive store manager to this discussion and see what happens. Someone could start a blog (I won't), but complaints to supervisors may make a difference. Just a thought.

You guys are a hoot. Hope you find something workable. I did only after 4 devices, and only because someone gave me this BT (I would not have spent that much money)!

Good night!

Glad your new bt headset is working fine. However, I wouldn't be that enthusiast, since the garbled audio doesn't start on day 1. Could you please have a few conversations with people in noisy places and tell us how it's going? Mind you, I'm not asking that you are in a noisy environment, the people you are talking to should be in such; say a noisy street, inside a factory, adjacent to a cooking hood, etc. The garbled audio issue slowly shows up while talking with people who have lots of noise in the background. Preferably, the people you will be talking to should have no noise-canceling devices (iPhone 4 or noise-canceling bt headset).

I'm going to post this again.

I use bluetooth for everything. I can't live without it. Although I've had sucess with Jabra's headsets, my current and personal favorite is the Samsung HM1700. And it's cheap, 25 bucks on Amazon and 30 at newegg.

The bad:

* I will hear an echo occasionally, depending on where I am located in the city of Houston, TX, but that's about it.

The good:

*I can leave my phone charging in the living room and go to a dead spot in my kitchen and have great reception and sound. If I used just the phone alone in that area, I might drop the call.

*I can also go to my front yard with my 4S charging in the living room and no one can tell that I'm on a headset.

*I can walk out of range, while on a call-the headset tells me using voice that I've disconnected and walk back within range and connect right back with no problem with the call.

*This headset is A2DT, which means I can listen to my songlist or any audio that comes from the internet.

*No one complains about the quality of my voice. They don't know that I'm on a headset unless I tell them.

I don't work for Samsung. I did not do a chant while connecting for the first time.

Regards, Ron

I recently updated to IOS 5 on my iPhone 4 with 3G. My trusty Motorola H720 over the ear headset worked fine with the previous IOS on the iPhone, and still works flawlessly with the latest OS.

Before I got the H720, I had purchased others much more expensive, thinking they would work better. I was very surprised and disappointed at the lack of being able to pair up with the more expesive devices. I settled back one more time and tried a borrowed H720, and within a couple of days bought one. I haven't had the problems with the Motorola H720 that I had even better grade Motorola units as well as four other units by Plantroics & Jabra.

Must be luck of the draw.

Sorry but I didn't see this thread before I posted a new message. I'm really discouraged reading through this thread. Obviously there is a major problem, Apple won't acknowledge it, and obviously it has not gotten any better with time or new releases. Here's what I posted as a new message. As you can see, these are the same issues. I don't have a choice about finding another headset, but hey, why should someone buying a highend phone need to them search for a bluetooth headset that it works with at a satisfactory level.

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I just received my shiny new iPhone 4s. I have hearing aids and have a bluetooth connection to them that works exactly like a jambra or other handsfree headset. I've been using it without any problems for over two years paired to my (now old) Blackberry Storm. I was able to easily pair with the new iPhone, but the sound quality and range are horrible. People immediately complain that my voice sounds garbled. When I recorded a new message for my new voicemail, even i could hardly understand it when played back. FYI, when I'm on a call, the sound quality I hear is good.

The range is also terrible. With my blackberry, I could connect from upstairs, though the quality was not perfect. I'd just move to wherever my phone was sitting and the sound would improve accordingly. With the iPhone the sound begins to break up if I'm more than a few feet from the phone. I also noticed last night that when I'm in the kitchen, running the microwave and standing anywhere near it will kill the quality. None of this ever happened with the connection with my Blackberry. Same bluetooth device, same location, much different experience.

I have to have a good quality bluetooth connection or I need to get a different phone. Can anyone advise? I see a lot of postings related to similar problems with the 4, but not so much with the 4s. Is there some setting or change I can make? I really need to solve this quickly.

Thanks

Tom