Q: iPhone SE Bluetooth issues

ok, 2nd try!something.something.2 fixes this problem, YAY

Full disclosure, I did not read the entire thread here.

However, I did have a quick call this afternoon with Christina (Sr Advisor at Apple support) and in a few minutes, she fixed my issue with the call quality on Bluetooth connections (Audi Q5 and VW Passat with a Parrot kit).

Go to Cellular Data Options (under Settings/Cellular) and TURN OFF  "Enable LTE".

This is a temporary fix of course as LTE is disable but until the engineering team comes up with a long term solution, this is the best she could do.

This will also need to be tested with more calls, but I tried it on both cars and the call quality was a lot better.

Maybe you should read some more, the solution is in wat we can not  discuss  *.*.2

good luck

Right, but not everyone is able or want to install a beta version on their phone, especially if the phone is used for work. I still prefer to live without LTE until the next update comes up than going beta...

However, the jump is tempting... especially if we can not discuss about it ;-)

Hi Alexandre.L

I have already posted a few times two solutions which work for some people:

-Disable LTE (or at least VoLTE)

-Reset network settings.

But it's good that more people post this works for them, as my posts get lost in this thread... and I'm bored of dozens of posts whining without reading and without trying the potential solutions.

Now there are three potential solutions, but we can not mention the third or our posts will get deleted because talking about using the latest  b e t a  of iOS is not allowed. ;-)

I just wanted to weigh in again, especially since the beta release and the initial positive responses from those that have gone that route.  I have had success by simply lowering the BT volume all of the way on the SE and keeping my car system ('11 Prius) audio low, too.  I've had several good calls this week with cellular, land-line and my wife's SE in her, and while not 100% they were certainly useable — in particular I was able to focus solely on the conversation without thinking about the BT itself, which is, after all, the whole point.  Knowing that Apple's engineers have been working (very hard, I presume) on this, I decided against trying any other fixes that have been suggested here, including network reset, reset via iTunes and then restoring, etc.

I opted against the beta iOS because, well, it's a beta.  The whole point is to gather feedback so that the engineers can learn what still needs fixing.  I just don't have time for that.  Thanks to those of you who are using the beta and presumably providing feedback.  I have trusted that it would get resolved and the next iOS release will be the one.  It's a relief — so far — that it does not appear to be a hardware issue, my main concern and something I hoped wasn't the case.

That said, I am otherwise very pleased with the SE, for size, power, weight and price.  I don't regret getting the SE, at all.  Granted, I do think that Apple would've better served their customers by acknowledging their awareness of this serious safety problem, and their commitment to fixing it ASAP.  It reeks of corporate arrogance, which doesn't make sense when a new product launch is met with bad word of mouth which could permanently damage the product's success, not to mention how many exchanges or outright returns they're dealing with.

The problem with a wide-sweeping proclamation by Apple is that while a satistically significant number of people have had problems, myself included, not everyone has had BT problems. There are numerous reports of people who have no trouble with clarity between their SE and their BT devices, and I myself had perfect clarity when my SE was paired with a 2016 GMC Acadia while my 2014 Acadia Denali was briefly in the shop.

This is the nature of BT in general.....there will ALWAYS be incompatiblity issues between some BT devices because BT is a protocol, not a standard like wifi. The BT SIG claims backwards compatibility, but in reality they don't give a crap. It's just a money grab with a very poorly written protocol.

Well put, dcpmark.  Thanks for that perspective.  Reminds me of the "100% IBM-compatible" from the old IBM clone PC days...

Of course.  People are ridiculous.  They think bluetooth is some universal system that just works across multiple platforms.  They know nothing about LE or profiles...

IF your car worked with a 5s, 6,6s,5c and then doesn't work with a Se, that tells me Apple has stuffed something to do with bluetooth, now that's  ridiculous to me.

Same problem here with a Ford Ranger Limited 2015. Cracks, distorsions. The car is now unable to make voice control calls, it simply do not recognise anymore the contacts no matter how clear you spell them.

@ ELZALE,

I'm a whiner who tried everyrhing including

your tricks ( alltough we've got 4G instead

of LTE in Europe, but about the same).

Good that it works for you! but a shame it

doesn't for others.

Besides that a customer may expect that a

newly bought device should work as promised

and proven million times before without closing

features or whatever.

My hope now is that a IOS update will work for

me and all the other whiners.

"Besides that a customer may expect that a

newly bought device should work as promised

and proven million times before without closing

features or whatever.

My hope now is that a IOS update will work for

me and all the other whiners."

Please point to something that shows Apple promised that the BT on their phone will work with your BT device, or work with every BT device.

Let's put it this way then: if you buy a brand new car with

a build-in engine, do you  or may you expect it to run?

I think the main issue here is  to get our phones working with bt in our cars/

with our headphones as you may expect from Apple,don't you?

Gijsteraar wrote:

 

Let's put it this way then: if you buy a brand new car with

a build-in engine, do you  or may you expect it to run?

I think the main issue here is  to get our phones working with bt in our cars/

with our headphones as you may expect from Apple,don't you?

That's a silly analogy.....a car without an engine cannot drive, which is the core function of a car. The core function of a cell phone is to make phone calls. If Apple sold you a phone that couldn't make phone calls, then you would have the correct analogy.

To further explain it to you, ask yourself this: did your car manufacturer promise that the BT in their brand new car that costs $30k+ would work with the BT in your cell phone, or promise that it would work with the BT in every cell phone?? No manufacturer, of any product that uses BT, ever does that because BT is not compatible with every device. It never has been, and it never will. If you spent as much time educating yourself as to why this is so as you do to posting complaints, perhaps you wouldn't feel so self-entitled to perfection In your consumer electronic devices.

I can tell you from personal experience that "the main issue" has been solved. If you are not willing to try it for yourself, right now, then at least be patient until it appears as a update on your phone.