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iPhone 7 Plus Phone Call Sound Quality

So we just got 2 new iPhone 7 Plus' and I am noticing that the incoming call audio quality on both sounds strange. I have the Apple leather case on the phone and incoming audio sounds distant. Like it is coming from behind the phone or something. It almost sounds like the phone is on speaker phone but it isn't. Turning the volume down helps a bit but it seems off. Previous I had an iPhone 6 so I don't know how this compares to the 6 Plus.

Any help is appreciated!

Thanks!

MacBook Pro with Retina display, OS X El Capitan (10.11)

Posted on Sep 16, 2016 11:36 AM

Top-ranking reply

eXactMat

Level 1

8 points

Posted on Mar 2, 2017 5:26 AM

The iPhone 7 (Photo credit: John Taggart/Bloomberg)

With the launch of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, Intel finally made its way into Apple's most important product. Good news for Intel, no doubt, but not for consumers.

Tests of LTE connectivity, released on Thursday by Cellular Insights, show a huge performance gap between the iPhone 7 equipped with an Intel modem and a Qualcomm modem. The difference in performance is a black eye not only for Intel, but also for Apple, which for the past five years had relied on Qualcomm exclusively for its iPhone modem chips. With the iPhone 7, Apple decided to make two versions -- one with an Intel modem and one with a Qualcomm modem. (Neither Intel nor Apple have commented on the performance gap so far.)

For consumers, the downside of owning an Intel version is significant. The tests revealed that Qualcomm-powered iPhone 7s are able to consistently establish stronger connections to LTE networks than Intel-powered iPhone 7s. Qualcomm modems outran Intel modems by 30% in overall performance, and 75% when the signal was at its weakest.

Since writing a story about these modem benchmarks, readers have asked FORBES -- directly and via Twitter -- how to make sure they're buying the better iPhone 7 with a Qualcomm modem. If you want to get the best bang for your buck, you probably should be careful which iPhone 7 you end up buying.

Here are some ways you can make sure you're not buying the inferior iPhone 7.

Model number

As this Apple spec page shows, Apple created two distinct versions of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus to segment out devices with an Intel modem or a Qualcomm modem.

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By checking the model number on the back of the iPhone 7, you will be able to tell:

Model A1660 and Model A1661 means they have a Qualcomm modem.
Model A1778 and Model A1784 are equipped with an Intel modem.

Carriers

If you're a United States-based customer buying from a carrier, the best way to make sure which iPhone 7 you're getting is:

Verizon and Sprint sell the Qualcomm-powered iPhone.
AT&T and T-Mobile sell the Intel-equipped iPhone.

The Apple spec page indicates that the Intel-powered

A1778 and A1784 phones won't support CDMA (or code division multiple access), a cellular technology used on some LTE networks. That means an Intel-powered iPhone 7 simply won't work on CDMA networks, such as Verizon's and Sprint's.

Qualcomm's modem works on all the four big carrier networks in the US. And o

verall, Qualcomm's modem supports a much wider variety of cellular technology than Intel. Qualcomm hardware supports GSM/CDMA/WCDMA/TD-SCDMA/LTE, while Intel's only support GSM/WCDMA/LTE. That means that in addition to improved connectivity performance with a Qualcomm modem, Qualcomm can work on more networks.

Apple also sells unlocked versions of the iPhone 7 and iPhones 7 Plus that

come with a Qualcomm modem.

The relationship between modem makers and carriers is a close one. Supporting various cellular technologies is extraordinarily complex. Each carrier has their own unique network demands and features. Qualcomm has been in this game a lot longer than Intel, and as a result, it has a lot more to offer the consumer, according to experts.

“Building modems for today’s cellphones is an extremely daunting task,” said Sundeep Rangan, an engineering professor at New York University who specializes in wireless technologies. “It has to support a dizzying array of features and get the chips down to a form factor and low power performance.”

Follow me on Twitter @aatilley or send me an email: atilley@forbes.com

View in context

504 replies

yanis.l

Level 1

4 points

Nov 3, 2016 4:53 PM in response to Steven Fisher1

Hi Steven Fisher1,

Did you check out this page "If you can't hear a person on a call or voicemail or if the sound isn't clear on your iPhone - Apple Support" ?

If not, I highly recommend you to do so because this will help to check if your iDevices have any sound problem.

If it solved your problems please let us know
If it didn't contact the Apple Support in order to get your iDevice fixed

Nov 3, 2016 9:51 PM in response to Shingo1

Please read previous posts, try use your case when calling someone and make sure not to cover Rear mic with the case flap (rear mic is between

gail 255

Level 1

4 points

Nov 4, 2016 2:05 PM in response to Steven Fisher1

I have poor audio on my iphone 7. Took it to genius bar and they ran diagnostic and said nothing was wrong. Still continues, people have a hard time hearing me some times, goes in and out. Called ATT, they said it was something to do with the new software Apple put on the 7 to help distort the wind when you are making calls outside. True or false don't know but it is terrible. I recorded a couple of calls and over 20 minutes it can be fine for a while then it breaks up the person I am calling can't hear me, it breaks up then comes back. I have had iphones before and never had this problem

Nov 7, 2016 9:01 AM in response to afromvalkenswaard

I have Iphone 7 2 weeks old 1st got it perfect sound incoming downloaded new update by apple incoming calls hear ok people cant hear me they say muffled or distant. took back to rogers after a week they put new sim card perfect then 2 days later update by apple and abck square one! I took phone back to Rogers they say take to Apple store which I done they done full diagnostic on sound and mic all good. Apple says Rogers has cell tower issue they need to update I go back to Rogers Tech support explian them whats happened they excalate to level 2 tech says give them 72 hours.No calls I waited 72 hours they say my issue was deleted due to not enough information. He didn't phone and ask me. I back onto tech support this am Monday excalate again hopefully someone will admitt what is the issue with these Iphone 7 obviously numerous people are having this issue. I can buy my phone out right i have to fork $600+ to swap over to another carrier but is it the carrier issue?

Nov 7, 2016 9:03 AM in response to gail 255

Nov 7, 2016 11:53 AM in response to i_rina

This doesn't help the issue when talking on the phone, the issue isn't with the external speaker.

Nov 7, 2016 1:57 PM in response to rosebud76

What is the issue?

Nov 8, 2016 5:23 PM in response to Steven Fisher1

Me too!

gail 255

Level 1

4 points

Nov 8, 2016 5:27 PM in response to jcasali123

I went back to Genius Bar and complained they ran tests which said phone fine. Then they made phone calls and heard the muffled sound. In the end they gave me a new phone which has solved the problem.

kierrapl

Level 1

4 points

Nov 10, 2016 10:27 AM in response to Steven Fisher1

if you go to settings>general>reset> reset network settings and then re-enter your wi-if password or use cellular data; make a call to test your volume and you should be able to hear.

red1mp

Level 1

37 points

Nov 11, 2016 2:27 AM in response to Steven Fisher1

My Iphone 7 plus does the same with my Otterbox Strada case fitted, I've read many articles about this issue and came to the conclusion the most common remedy is to go to settings>>general>>accessibility and turn off noise cancellation. I understand that if the noise cancellation mic is impeded the sound to the caller will be affected by false noise cancellation. Let me know how you get on with this suggestion...

Nov 11, 2016 7:33 AM in response to gail 255

Try turning off Noise Cancellation in settings/accessibility/noise cancellation. Tried this and vastly improved voice quality on cell to cell calls.

Nov 11, 2016 7:38 AM in response to red1mp

YYes, vastly improved voice quality. Not perfect but sounding like being in a barrel and background bleed over sounds seem to be gone. Will monitor for a few days.

Nov 14, 2016 4:14 PM in response to Steven Fisher1

I took my phones back to the apple store. They were all aware of the issue and were willing to switch them out, but did not have one of the colors in stock. Nobody said exactly what the problem was but that some phones have it and some don't. I have 10.1.1 loaded and nothing seems to get rid of the canny sound. Will check back with them in a day and replace them. If continues to happen will do the same again. I hope that apple fixes this issue or at least acknowledges it and what is going on with the phone. It's a great phone otherwise, but not happy with this as it is my primary phone.

Nov 14, 2016 10:19 PM in response to lbranson1

Rogers told me LTE was data now it's does. Voice also, the tech made it so it went to LG or G3 what ever the old was it was better by about 80% then Rogers worked on it for 2 days. Ow it's fine it's a soft ware issue. I'm all good now

iPhone 7 Plus Phone Call Sound Quality