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iPhone SE Bluetooth issues

I have a new iPhone SE and have so far paired it to a 2014 BMW 328i and a 2011 Kia Optima and a 2015 Kia Santa Fe. In all cases, I have terrible quality bluetooth call reception... the audio while on a phone call is extremely scratchy and distorted.


If I pair an iPhone 6S to each of these vehicles (same iOS version - 9.3.1), I do NOT experience these issues and calls are clear.


When I use the iPhone SE to make phone calls outside of Bluetooth, I have no issues and calls are clear.


This bluetooth issue on my iPhone SE does NOT impact Bluetooth music streaming. Only sounds scratchy / distorted with phone calls.


Apple, so far, is blaming the vehicle manufacturers despite there being multiple vehicle models and brands involved.


BMW and Kia state this must be an Apple problem.


Apple Genius bar is absolutely no help -- they state they can't report "software issues" to Apple and are only able to replace bad iPhones.


I'm at a complete loss as to how to get this to Apple's attention so they can fix the issue.


For now, I don't know what to do. All I know is that Bluetooth audio is very important to me in California since it is illegal to use your phone except in a hands free manner.


Anyone know how we can get this information to someone at Apple that can actually do something about it?


Robert

Posted on Apr 4, 2016 5:27 PM

Reply
934 replies

Apr 28, 2016 10:47 AM in response to grantfromhickory

Hello,

I have the same problem with my iphone SE with a 2015 Audi A3. It's sometime acceptable but not perfect, and sometime it's so bad that it's impossible to understand the caller. I live in France.

It's the first time I buy an iphone and may be the last time if Apple don't solve the problem in the next days. I have 10 days left before returning the iphone SE.

Before I had several Android smartphones without any problem. I think this iphone SE was a good opportunity for Apple to get more custumers from Android, like me, we currently don't find equivalent (performance, small size, good battery, price) with an android smartphone. But with a such problem and absence of communication and commitment on a solution, Apple will lost their opportunity.

What can we do ? write a message like "don't buy this iphone se, it can not be used in your car !" in all internet forums as a protestation ?


RIcko

Apr 28, 2016 10:52 AM in response to RickoFr45

RickoFr45 wrote:


Hello,

I have the same problem with my iphone SE with a 2015 Audi A3. It's sometime acceptable but not perfect, and sometime it's so bad that it's impossible to understand the caller. I live in France.

It's the first time I buy an iphone and may be the last time if Apple don't solve the problem in the next days. I have 10 days left before returning the iphone SE.

Before I had several Android smartphones without any problem. I think this iphone SE was a good opportunity for Apple to get more custumers from Android, like me, we currently don't find equivalent (performance, small size, good battery, price) with an android smartphone. But with a such problem and absence of communication and commitment on a solution, Apple will lost their opportunity.

What can we do ? write a message like "don't buy this iphone se, it can not be used in your car !" in all internet forums as a protestation ?


RIcko

A software is coming soon, likely within the next 10 days, but if it is not available within 9 days and it clears up your problem, you should definitely return it before the return period has expired.

Apr 28, 2016 1:36 PM in response to akordion

akordion wrote:


I am searching the inventory of Apple stores(T-Mobile stores as well) for SEs and it has been a week, since stores in 600+ miles radius received the stock. Could it be that apple makes some changes to Bluetooth hardware and because of that there is a delay?


No, for 2 reasons. The problem has been fixed for those of us who have signed up for the Public Beta program, and since the introduction of Bluetooth 4.0, BT devices can get updated firmware via software upgrades. Under Bluetooth 1.0 to 3.0, the firmware in BT devices could not be upgraded in this manner.

Apr 28, 2016 2:02 PM in response to RickoFr45

Hello Ricko


Sorry that you have a very bad experience with your first Apple product. I working with Apple since nearly the beginning (1979).


In the mid 90 I had also a bad experience with some Apple Products, but after Steve Jobs came back to Apple in the late 90 I am a very happy user of Apple products, but after 2011 I am more and more disappointed.


First they killed the xserve (2011), then in 2014 they killed the power of the macmini to half of its mid 2012 performance. In the meantime they create a couple of new bug in their OS X. Everytime you contact you AppleCare protection plan for help, they try to tell you, you are the first user with a problem. But when you read the forums all over the world you read about all theses bugs. But official their are no bugs in Apple Products.


In the past they delete 3 threads in this Apple Support Communities because I blaming on the not documentated bugs.


Apple became to a company that their are blaming in their superb "1984" Ad. It hurts me that this company doesn't learn about mistake form the past and making one management mistake after another. It is time their will be a small revolution in the top management. Maybe then they will hear to their costumers and communicate their is an issue with the iPhone SE.


I hope the lose of 10% of it Market Capitalisation during the last 3 days bring them back to the realist business perspective.



Regards

Gérard

Apr 28, 2016 3:10 PM in response to Gerard Dirks

Gerard Dirks wrote:


Hello


how can I check which version of BT does my care has? Is their a tool to read out my Car Device? I own a Car with BuiltIn BT Handfree set.


Gerard

There are really only two ways: 1) if you are lucky you'll have a system information screen somewhere in your Settings menu, and if you are even luckier it might tell you which version of Bluetooth the built-in car system uses, or 2) you can figure who the manufacturer of the infotainment unit was, and when it was built, and then contact the manufacturer. The manufacturer of the carkit is not the same as the car company, so good luck there.


The general rule is that the newer the car the better chance it has later BT technology, but that is not guaranteed, and even if it has BT 4.0 or later, that is not a guarantee of compatibility or that the automobile manufacturer will make a firmware upgrade available for better compatibility with BT 4.1 and 4.2. This is another thing that is so bad about Bluetooth.

Apr 29, 2016 8:49 AM in response to skierrob2

Called Apple again today (my third call) talked to another senior advisor who said the issue is with the engineering team and they have no further information about when it will be fixed. He also said the engineering team is saddled with lot of high priority fixes which I interpret as 'Do not expect a fix any time soon'. I asked him why does'nt Apple publicly acknowledge there is a BT issue with SE phones and he had no answer. This is the last F###ing iPhone I will buy and I am also doing my best to tell everyone and his uncle not to buy another iPhone because of the crap they put out and not even caring to fix.

Apr 29, 2016 9:07 AM in response to grantfromhickory

Ha! 🙂 It is funny that every "senior advisor" has a different answer. When I was exchanging my phone(10 days ago) one of Apple employees did say that he read about Bluetooth issues on SE, but others... "Genius bar" - say "we never heard of Bluetooth issue on SE" and connect the phone to an iPad that has some audio testing software and the end results of course is "no issues found!"

Apr 29, 2016 9:12 AM in response to akordion

A genius bar Pro is an advisor after a 3 weeks brainwash. Off course he doesn't know about any issue because he had learned "Apple make no mistakes", they a from god selected people, hollier as the pope!


Same for the senior adviser, he had only a 3 months brainwash!


Every issue I have, is not know by any person from apple. In the forums worldwide everyone talking about issues but apple know nothing, or better doesn't want to know about it. I have at this moment still 2 OS X issuess (keychain & smb) which are not solved for more then 2 1/2 years and a couple of OS Upgrades!!!

Apr 29, 2016 9:26 AM in response to Gerard Dirks

I think Apple should rename "genius bar" to something like "we will swap it out bar" or "never heard of bar". To be honest there are some nice people that would really try to help, I had that couple of times, but there are some that don't try much, say there is no issue and don't offer any exchange or another resolution. I normally don't buy Apple phones, but I do use Macbook. It is just iPhone SE's size, camera + 2 GB RAM and because of these specs I bought it(returned already)

Apr 29, 2016 10:01 AM in response to skierrob2

I also had this issue while i was watching a football live streaming on this awesome website **** and my new iPhone SE ruined the football match and i don't know if some had the issue of distortion and then disconnecting with live streamings or maybe it is the website but i have checked it with iPad the live streaming was fine but my new iPhone SE is really crappy in wireless,hoping to return it today and buy the 6s i have heard that it is fast and good with wireless stuff...Hope this helps everyone....


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iPhone SE Bluetooth issues

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