iphone 12 dropping calls

This post mentions that once Verizon fixed their base station issue, the problem went away for that person. Not a software update for the phone, but a Verizon configuration change.

I've mentioned several times the true root cause is most likely an issue with one particular vendor's BTS gear at the cell site that Verizon has likely standardized on but AT&T likely has only deployed on a very limited basis. This would also explain why other carriers around the world have similar issues.

Regardless, this isn't Apple's problem to solve, it's ultimately the carriers' responsibility, as their software is telling the phones to use frequencies that their cell sites aren't properly configured for, causing low signal and signal drops.

Ultimately, all Apple can do is say "fix this," and carriers can say "yeah, whatever."

The fact that they ultimately fixed a site giving one user problems is a sign that at least in that case, Apple was able to get the correct person's attention.

Note also Verizon may be in the process of rolling out a fix, but since such upgrades likely require an actual site visit by an employee or employees, it will take quite a while and be quite expensive.

Asking Apple to fix this is problematic as, as I've mentioned before, this is largely a carrier issue.

I have a 12 Pro Max and AT&T, and I have not experienced a single dropped call since it arrived in November, and though it wasn't a lot, I used to drop calls about once a month with my 11 Pro Max.

Were it the phone itself, I would have these same issues, but I personally know of no one with AT&T that does; I knew one person with Verizon who had issues, but then Verizon updated their cell tower and without any changes on the phone the problem went away completely.

Apple is certainly aware of complaints, but if it's the carriers, they literally have no power to make them spend money.

Remember we're all just users here, so if you want to express your dissatisfaction to Apple, do so here:

Feedback - iPhone - Apple

but be sure to express your dissatisfaction to your cellular carrier as well.

No one here can do anything to help you, and the people at Apple you want to reach do not read these forums.

An iPhone 8 CANNOT be compared to iPhone 12. iPhone 8 is NOT 5G and the issue here is not Apple's fault. It is an issue with the carriers changing over to 5G. Chances are if you turn off 5G on the 12 and stick with LTE, you won't drop calls at all.

The network didn’t change, that’s actually kind of the problem.

Verizon appears to have never properly configured/optimized their network to handle the enhanced frequency capabilities their network had.

Yes it’s expensive to modify networks, which is one reason Verizon apparently hasn’t bothered to in many cases.

I suspect they’d much rather save the dollars and inconvenience their customers because they know losing those who have issues will still be less expensive than sending crews out to optimize their towers and controllers.

I have said it before and will again:

Every case where this issue has been solved has involved a change outside the phone: a tower change, a cellular settings update or a change in carrier. In at least one case Apple was able to work with Verizon and again, Apple did not change the phone or iOS.

I suspect Verizon knows exactly what they need to do, but it’s up to them as to how they roll it out.

Since many newer Android phones also now use the same frequencies (many of them reporting the same issues), that may add more impetus for Verizon to get things changed, but I literally could not say.

Note also it’s not Verizon in particular; it feels at present to be an issue with a particular base station controller or firmware revision, as some have had issues with other cellular networks and a few have even had issues with particular AT&T towers.

In the end there are literally tens of millions of iPhone 12s out there, and most of their users have no issues.

That doesn’t make your or anyone else’s issues less important, but were it the device, it would be much more common.

I think I found the solution for the dropped calls problem... go to settings, then go into General, then down to Reset. Click on Reset all Settings. Once that is complete, do the same process but this time Reset Network Settings. Fingers crossed, it will fix the dropped calls issue.

I had previously done the "reset network settings" several times, and it helped a little. The "reset settings" really made the difference. Not sure what the magic formula is, but it's worked for me.

Make sure to turn OFF WIFI calling. That was the fix for me.

Have you tried turning off WiFi calling? I had the same issues. It was terrible for weeks. Turned off WiFi calling and it was like a magic wand.

Go into settings, select cellular, you can choose 5G auto, 5G or LTE, on iPhone 8 you can choose LTE or 3G, check it out?

Thank you. I switched back to LTE last week and haven’t got any dropped calls yet.

Same with my iPhone 12 Pro Max. Not only has it not drop the call, it has retained calls in areas past iPhones would regularly drop them.

The only thing of note is I do not have 5G on my AT&T plan. I am convinced carriers are having issues with 5G that are redirecting phones to channels that are not properly implemented on their cell towers, causing them to drop signals. We've seen this in the past when other new flagship phones have been released by Apple and other brands that have had the ability to connect to new frequency bands, but the towers have not yet been properly configured to service those bands.

In most all these cases a carrier update, not an iOS update, resolved the issue.

srtin wrote:

My iphone 12 Pro has dropped calls every day. Never had that with my other phones. I think it is the 5G issue and it needs to get fixed. Would have never upgraded to this phone if I knew this was an issue.

Yes, and mine has never dropped a single call, so it's not a universal hardware issue.

Experience with past phones is not predictive.

Contact your cellular carrier and let them know about your issues as well, as in every case where this issue has been fixed it has been a result of the carrier making changes.

The issues I see most often here is someone has their phone set on 5G when they don't 5G service. Even 5G auto can be an issue if 5G service is really rare in some locations. And I see people who transferred the sim card from a previous phone to their new 5G phone and the sim card should be 5G provisioned, meaning a new sim card should be used in the new phone.

I have a few friends on the Verizon network with iPhone 12. They're having issues. Virtually no one I know on AT&T, including myself, a few people in my office, several friends, etc., are having absolutely no dropped calls with AT&T. It's very unlikely an issue with iPhone 12. It is very likely an issue with Verizon.

On the phone as I type with AT&T. They say there is a known issue with the iPhone 12s and WiFi. HD Calling is necessary for WiFi calling and the iPhone 12 is not set up to do this is what the representative says.