iPhone 18 pro max cellular issues

Had a conversation with a AT&T rep today who shared much of what everyone here has experienced. I got an email saying my ticket was closed and I brought that up to my agent and they said it was still up which I don’t believe for a second. I’m in a place I don’t know what to do. Do I return the phone for a different one and hope it works? Uhg… I use my phone for work so this issue big problem

I can;t even get then to replace it. I am barely in the return window. When trying to return one, they used the order date instead of the shipping date and told me i was beyond the date. I tried to return them both tonight and they are having issues and cant access my account.

Roderick A. Santiano wrote:

I’ve got some news! I received my replacement 18PM today from the Genius Bar and took it directly over to my local corporate AT&T store and had them activate it. I didn’t want to risk doing it wrong on my own or whatnot. It works! The rep who helped me said that all the customers he’s helped with this very issue all pre-ordered the phones. This is not gospel but I wonder if the first batch of phones were defective or something. He said that the people that bought the phone in store have had no problems.

My original 18PM passed all the tests they ran at the Genius Bar so I’m not sure what’s going on. I’m just glad I got a replacement and it works!

Sincerest good luck to you all and hope this info helps!

Fodder. I preordered two, iPhone 18 pro and 18 Pro Max, both received on Launch Day, both on AT&T, neither with any issue connecting to eSim with AT&T. Store folks at carrier stores are great at spreading myths.

What makes no sense is if it’s an ATT problem not involving Apple why are people’s phones STILL not working after having ATT install a new eSIM on affected phones? This is very odd in a long list of very odd when it comes to tech issues and what the issue is.

Sadly neither work. There is no new carrier update as of today and reprovisioning eSIM does nothing. At the very best it’ll have your cell connectivity working just long enough to leave the ATT store before realizing it’s not working again.

this is becoming a huge issue with no end in sight currently.

manowar wrote:

It takes two to tango! Apple isn’t all shiny angels from what I can tell. The fact it’s only ATT is one thing but it’s also only the Pro Max models. Why is that? Could it have something to do with Apple using the old Qualcomm modem instead of the C2 in US 18 pro max? This is a very odd issue for certain. The fact that Apple is replacing phones almost no questions asked tells me even Apple isn’t positive what the issue is.

Hello~ Why are you being confrontational with a fellow forum member? I can guarantee you that they’re not responsible for this situation. If you want to be rude to someone take it up with those responsible as they get paid to listen. We volunteers don’t.

Good day.

~Katana-San~

Apparently people have done the same and still experienced the same issue, I’m hesitant bc the closest store to me is about 2 hours away and I don’t want to take the drive all for nothing, let me know if the new replacement phone works for you🙏🏼

Joshj985 wrote:

It’s an AT&T issue. Ordered 3 pros and 2 pro max everyone’s phones activated successfully on the 19th. On the 22nd my wife’s phone went into sos. I tried the airplane mode turn the phone off and on also factory reset and activated again. Goes through everything as it should but still comes up sos. Called AT&T sat on hold for 15mins before accepting the call back an hour later they tried some things and it worked for al of 2 hours. After went to the AT&T corporate store stayed there for 3 hours and they told us it will be fine in 24-48hrs. Well today is October 1st and her phone still doesn’t work. After multiple calls to AT&T they acknowledge over the phone it’s on their end but don’t have a resolution. Was told I’d have to pay the taxes for a new phone and a restock fee in order for them to replace a phone they sent me that is faulted. The nearest appointment we can get with Apple is Sunday coming so hopefully we get some type of resolve. But AT&T is not helping their customers. They continue to give excuses no resolutions. In 3 years we will hear on tv did you buy an iphone18 pro max through AT&T well you may qualify for a settlement.

Of course it's an AT&T issue. I'm lucky, both of our iPhones (18 Pro and 18 Pro Max) both on AT&T haven't had any issues since launch day. But I can tell you that I'd be switching to either Verizon or T-Mobile if we didn't have cellular service for days on end. Fortunately, our phones are fully paid for and under no carrier lock.

With all these issues being reported with the iPhone 18 Pro Max on AT&T, I'm seriously wondering whether I should go through with my upgrade or cancel my order.

I have two iPhone 18 Pro Max phones on order, one for me and one for my son. I've been using iPhones since the original iPhone, and the iPhone was actually one of the reasons I switched to AT&T in the first place.

But reliability comes first.

I can deal with an occasional software bug on my own phone. What I can't risk is my son's phone suddenly dropping into SOS mode and being unable to reliably make calls, send texts, use data, or potentially reach 911.

I'm not ready to jump ship yet. New technology can have problems at launch, and I'm willing to give Apple and AT&T an opportunity to get this fixed. But the number of reports online is definitely concerning.

For now, I'm going to keep monitoring the situation before making a final decision. If Apple and AT&T can identify the problem and actually fix it, great. I've been happy with the iPhone ecosystem for a very long time.

But if basic cellular reliability becomes questionable, then I may have to seriously consider whether it's time to move away from AT&T, the iPhone, or possibly both.

A smartphone can have the greatest camera, fastest processor, and best display in the world, but if my kid can't reliably make a phone call when he needs me, none of that matters.

I am going through the same thing. AT&T sent me to Apple now I am at Apple is saying it's an AT&T issue. Meanwhile I haven't had service for 6 days. This is unreal, no accountability from either company. You both made billions of dollars a year. I just want a phone that works.

My Issue is that I have to do a hard reboot occasionally to make and receive calls.

I’m also not getting text alerts most of the time.

i have had my phone for a week now and the AT&T store said they can replace my phone with a $55 restock fee!!

A brand new phone that isn’t working properly and that was there answer???

Unfortunately us 17 pros max users have had this issue forever. They replace it, same problem. Ive been dealing either with this for 6 months. Got my replacement again today- same issue.. and we cant search or open apps 😂

Στο νέο μου Iphone 18 pro max (το έχω 6 ημέρες) όταν παίρνω ή με παίρνουν τηλέφωνο δεν με ακούνε και δεν τους ακούω καλά, ακούγεται θολά και από βάθος η φωνή καθώς και αδύναμα δηλαδή με φασαρία δεν ακούς τίποτα εντελώς. Ενώ αν κάνω κλήση μέσω FaceTime ή ηχογραφήσω κατι ακούγεται τέλεια κανονικά όπως πρέπει. Άλλαξα κάρτα sim , σύνδεσα κάρτες από άλλους παρόχους αλλά δεν άλλαξε τίποτα, Σε Iphone 18 pro από φίλους μου δεν συμβαίνει τίποτα τέτοιο με το ίδιο δίκτυο στην ίδια περιοχή. Επίσης το ακουστικό μου κατά την διάρκεια κλήσεων κάνει ενοχλητικούς ήχους κρατς κρατς συνεχώς. Το έχει πάθει κάποιος άλλος ; Δικαιούμαι αντικατάσταση τηλεφώνου ; Το έχω 6 ημέρες από εξουσιοδοτημένο κατάστημα και το κάνει από την πρώτη μέρα τους το έχω αναφέρει.

I have a new 18 pro max using Verizon and I’m having the same experience —> signal dropping completely MANY times per day. I’m ready to go back to my 14 pro max where this NEVER happened

I’ve done that 5 times and mine still isn’t fixed!