Excavator100
Level 1 (11 points)
iPhone

Q: Scratchy bluetooth reception on new iPhone 5se.

Got a new phone 2 days ago. I have several bluetooth earsets. Apparently I sound good to the callers, but I can't understand them for the scratchy reception in the iPhone 5se. I think I have a defective phone. My old iPhone 4 and iPhone 5 would exhaust 2 bluetooths a day. I am on the phone a lot. This new iPhone 5se eats bluetooths just like the old iPhones I had, so I am used to that. My issue is that I have 6 Plantronics in 3 different models and I can't understand callers on any of them. Any settings that I am overlooking? Or do I have a defective iPhone 5se?  The cell phone store says I need to buy an Apple bluetooth. Hah!

 

As a side note, I went with the 5se because I refuse to carry something that is size of an aircraft carrier everywhere I go. The old iPhone 5s I had would not get a signal at my home because of being located on a waterfront in a valley, and it would run out of battery searching for signal overnight. (No wi-fi at home) However, the new 5se shows 2 bars on the signal from my cell provider, and it will have 70% charge remaining the next morning. So that is a good thing with the 5se. The old iPhone 4 would not get a signal inside my home, but it would work outside in the driveway, but the iPhone 5s would not work at all at my home.

 

I also had no-signal issues on the iPhone 4 and iPhone 5s when traveling, even though my provider says this state has 100% coverage. I think that depends on the phone you have, not the cell provider.

 

I also carry an old Motorola SLVR that responds only to our alarm systems calls... same cell provider... but it shows a full 5 bars signal at my home... where the iPhones do not work. I carry it all the time and I can make a call anyplace in my state with it. When the iPhones don't work, the old SLVR does. The old SLVR is a far better phone than the iPhones, as far as sound quality and reception and just being a phone even though it is 12 years old. And, no, the SLVR is not paired with any bluetooths, so there is not crossover issues there.

iPhone SE, iOS 9.3.1, Plantronic bluetooths

Posted on Apr 7, 2016 5:04 AM

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Excavator100

Q: Scratchy bluetooth reception on new iPhone 5se.

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  • Helpful answers

  • by Bat Drive,

    Bat Drive Bat Drive Apr 26, 2016 8:10 AM in response to Excavator100
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Apr 26, 2016 8:10 AM in response to Excavator100

    I just returned my second Plantronics @710 bluetooth headset. The first one was junk; didn't work with any of my devices. The second one worked OK with my desk phone, fabulously with my MacBook Pro using Skype, but horrible with my new 5SE. If anyone has had success connecting a 5SE with a bluetooth headset, please let me know.

     

    Thanx.

  • by BenOr,

    BenOr BenOr Apr 28, 2016 8:54 AM in response to Excavator100
    Level 1 (4 points)
    iPhone
    Apr 28, 2016 8:54 AM in response to Excavator100

    I just replaced a 5C and a 6 with two 5Se. Both have the same horrible, scratchy, garbled audio.  New car with BT and my old 5 and my 6 both sounded fine in this one year old car. Plus reception is much weaker than the 6. 

     

    ATT said to make sure LTE was only for data.  It was set as such. Any suggestions?  Only iphones I've ever had that had this issue and both sound the same.

  • by Bat Drive,

    Bat Drive Bat Drive Apr 28, 2016 9:08 AM in response to BenOr
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Apr 28, 2016 9:08 AM in response to BenOr

    At least ATT is consistent: they also told me to make sure that LTE was set to data only. The issue is looking more and more like Apple is the culprit.

  • by Bat Drive,

    Bat Drive Bat Drive Apr 28, 2016 11:43 AM in response to Bat Drive
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Apr 28, 2016 11:43 AM in response to Bat Drive

    I just got off the phone with Apple customer service. The rep informs me that Apple is aware of the bluetooth audio quality issue and is working on a fix. She did not have a release date.

  • by rsbr0wn,

    rsbr0wn rsbr0wn Apr 28, 2016 4:36 PM in response to Bat Drive
    Level 1 (4 points)
    iPhone
    Apr 28, 2016 4:36 PM in response to Bat Drive

    I have hearing deficits and wear hearing aids, so when I discovered my new iPhone SE had a problem with the scratchy sound, I googled the problem, I found your first post.  While I had been using  a iPhone 5 and liked the size, etc., I made the decision to return it right away and I bought a 6S, even though it was 200+ $ more.  I have been much more satisfied because it has worked flawlessly and being sixty now, I must admit to liking the somewhat larger screen.  I do not like it's larger feel in my pocket and pocketbook though.