iPhone 5 bad call voice quality

That worked. Thanks. I still heard an echo. I used to get that with bad connections on other phones as well. I hope a software update fixes this soon, or I won't be buying any more Apple phones. Even with all the apps and gadgets, it's still an iPod with a phone. If the phone doesn't work, we overpaid for an iPod.

I'm delighted to report (a) Apple replaced my iPhone 5 and (b) I immediately noticed the incoming voice call quality is better...and found this improvement was consistent during a few hours of calls I've placed so far since receiving the replacement. (My carrier is Verizon in the United States. Note, I have not yet upgraded from iOS 6 to 6.0.1.)

I will continue to read this thread with great interest, but may not have further constructive thoughts to share.

Thank you very much, Apple, for standing by your products.

Apple is not reading these forums officially. And they certainly don't use them for bug reporting from users.

Sorry

I am also having dropped calls in my house constantly and sometimes outside the house too.

This is not a Verizon or ATT problem i think, since i live in Denmark and use a provider called Telia.

The problem started after updating to 6.0.1 on my iPhone 5 (not sure if it was a problem on 6.0).

Also people try calling me but can't get through to me... they get a busy tone instead.

I am returning the iPhone 5, since a can't accept this problem.

I've got pretty much the same problem as ddw123456. Very bad quality on some calls. Not all, just some. So far only on calls I've made, not on the ones I recieve. It basically just sounds like static, and if you're lucky you will understand a word or two.

I'm also on Telia in Sweden. I've been afraid of going to the store where I bought it since they will probably just send it in for repair and then I will have to do without a phone for a few weeks. :/ I guess I'll have to do it at some point though...

I returned mine today at Telia and they say apple will probably replace it (don't think they can repair it nor find the culprit)

Luckily i still have my stable iPhone 4.

Because the bad sound quality when i make calls, with my new iphone 5,like many people have all over the world, i asked after 2 days i use my new iphone 5, for support at apple centre Amsterdam, and i phoned the support line, and told them that the calling sound problems do not excist when i turn off 3G.

Apple support Amsterdam thought directly ( Erik) that this could be a software problem in the/my new iphone 5. Because they think that there are some apps using at same time 3G ( in a wrong way) when making a calls and give bad interferences.

To see if it is a software or hardware problem, they ask me to do the total setup again of the/my new iphone 5. And adviced me first to make a back up at my computer, of the iphone 5 (using itunes). They help me and guide me how to do. After i did again a new setup of the iphone 5 and after i checked first (before i put my personal data from itunes at the iphone 5) if the calls now, after the new set up, have the same problem with sound quality.

AND THE PROBLEM WAS GONE, SO IT WAS A SOFTWARE PROBLEM !!! CLEAR GOOD SOUND WHEN MAKING CALLS !! ALSO WITH 3G !!!

I am very happy that apple support Amsterdam found so fast the problem.

Hope everybody can solve the bad sound when calling with this solution.

Thanks Apple Amsterdam support (Erik) for the great job you did.

Hi Johannes,

I'm from Holland too and had similar problems regarding the iPhone 5 (upgrading from an iPhone 4).

Most calls were ok (I did find the iPhone 4 overal sound quality better though), some of them were not ok and sometimes a call would even drop. And sometimes when I'd make a call, after the other person picked up, I could only hear myself talk VERY LOUD, not hearing the person on the other side of the line.

I received a new simcard from T Mobile, this did not help. I restored my iPhone 5 as Apple told me to do.

Nothing helped, and now I received a new iPhone 5. I experienced 1 dropped call (it's always my mom....) but the sound quality is better than my first iPhone 5. it does seem there's a issue though.

And when I text my mom, she doesn't receive them anymore(she did when I had the iPhone 4). She didn't change carrier whatsoever.

Confusing, annoying, and what else. I hope Apple fixes this very annoying bug.

Good work with your website by the way!

Regards, Thomas Gaarthuis

Update:
Apple Ireland contacted me. They wanted to know more about my call quality issue. I had a phone conversation with them yesterday and found out they didn't even look at the website and video I sent them in my email. They also told me they never read the Apple Support forum. Needless to say I was not impressed.
Anyway, I was asked to answer some questions about the problem and hopefully they will get back with me with a solution.

@all:

I'm on my third iPhone 5. The first one had a serialnumber starting with C34JG.
The one I'm using now is newer, it has a serialnumber starting with C39JK.

@Tomac5:

Thanks for liking the website!

<Edited By Host>

I just found a website where you can enter your iPhone 5 serial number and they show Production year, Production week, Factory, etc: http://www.chipmunk.nl/cgi-fast/applemodel.cgi

My iPhone 5:

Production year: 2012, Production week: 42 (October) , Model Number: MD299, Capacity: 32GB, Factory: C3 (China).

C39JJ

DNPJF

DNQKG

UPDATE:

Reminder:

things apple support asked me to do:

1) home button + on/off switch holding down for 5 sec = this helped but after 2 days I had the same problem again.

2) Factory default reset via Itunes = I did this last week friday and what I noticed is that the factory default was IOS 6.0.1 and not 6.0

I already tried a manual upgrade to 6.0.1 but the voice problem was still there, now that I did the factory reset with Itunes and it downloaded IOS 6.0.1 via Itunes and installed it, the problem is gone.

Every call is loud and clear now on my iphone, now for almost 5 days, so I hope it is gone forever now :-)

Now I'm sure it is a software problem and not a hardware problem.

What I also did but not sure it has to do something with it:

Cleaned my sim with a degreaser (use brake cleaner for cars) so no fingerprints on it

I found also a lot of problems with SIRI on the internet, speaking with robotic voices, to solve this activate the compact voice option under voice over http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3577

So I activated the compact voice options (NOT the voice over option, only compact voice)

Will keep posted to let know if problem stays away, I really really hope so...

What out about using brake cleaner to clean SIM card, it may harm plastic parts. There are cleaners for electrical products, suppose to be safer.

@ BORg529

You are probably right but this was the only thing I had in my garage :-)

I used the spray on a tissue and only cleaned the metal part of the sim.

I'm pretty sure the brake cleaner will not harm the plastic of the sim (maybe only remove some paint).

And like I said I'm not sure this has something to do with the resolution to my problem, I'm almost sure that the factory default via itunes is the way to fix the voice quality problems.

So far, my phone is working great now (and I'm hoping it will stay !!!) and that is the most important, I hope more people can fix the sound problem with the factory reset in Itunes...

I just mentioned the extra steps I did in case someone is trying the factory reset and it is not working.

For the moment even Apple cannot say what is the exact solution to this annoying problem.

Hi all,

Received my second iPhone yesterday and it seems that the problem is still there. Again in approximately 30% of the calls I have the issue (drop outs and robotic voices). I'm quite desperate of what I have to do now. I'm not keen on replacing it once again since I don't believe it's a hardware issue or I must be very unlucky to have received 2 faulty iPhones.

I already tried a new install with iTunes (as mentioned above) and did a reset, but nothing worked.