Increasingly worse bluetooth connection?
My iPhone 4 is steadily getting worse about dropping bluetooth connection with my headset.
I'm on my second iPhone 4 with this same issue. The symptoms:
- Bluetooth works great on the iPhone for several months and is fine with different brand headsets, including Samsung and LG
- After several months, the iPhone will start dropping bluetooth connection with the headset when in close proximity and on standby (that is, not actively in a call, just paired and waiting).
- Once the problem begins, it gets increasingly worse in just a week or two, with the connection dropping and re-establishing multiple times a minute even with the iPhone in my front pocket, less than 3 feet from the headset, and on the same side of my body.
- The bluetooth connection seems slightly stronger when a call is active. Although, the call participants might sound garbled to each other if there's anything between the phone and headset (like my body).
- The problem is reproducible even with a brand new headset.
The following suggested resolutions did not work for me:
- Power off/on the iPhone
- Reset the iPhone (Power + Home Button)
- Toggle Airplane Mode
- Toggle Bluetooth radio
- Delete and re-pair the bluetooth device(s)
- Reset Network
- Pair a brand-new, out of the box bluetooth headset.
With my first iPhone, I was able to demonstrate the problem at the Apple Store. They provided a free replacement iPhone on the spot. Great!
Fast-forward a few months and now, with the second iPhone having the same problem, the Apple Store is less eager to replace the unit. Their back-room diagnostic testing with connection to clock-radio units did not demonsrate the problem (for one thing, that uses the A2DP bluetooth profile, not supported on any of my headsets). They offered to replace the unit again anyway to "make me happy", but I prefer a real solution. The Apple Store rep didn't find any technical bulletins about this problem.
After purchasing yet another brand-new headset, I now plan to return this second iPhone to the Apple Store for replacement... but I want to know if I alone have uncovered this particular hardware issue with the iPhone 4.
iPhone 4, iOS 5.1