You can make a difference in the Apple Support Community!

When you sign up with your Apple Account, you can provide valuable feedback to other community members by upvoting helpful replies and User Tips.

💡 Did you know?

⏺ If you can't accept iCloud Terms and Conditions... Learn more >

⏺ If you don't see your iCloud notes in the Notes app... Learn more >

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

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

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Mar 2, 2017 5:26 AM

User uploaded file

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.

Recommended by Forbes

Study Shows Huge LTE Performance Differences Between Intel And Qualcomm Versions...

First Look Inside The iPhone 7: Teardown Shows Intel Inside

MOST POPULAR

Photos: Hip-Hop Cash Princes 2017

TRENDING ON FACEBOOK

Intuition Is The Highest Form Of Intelligence

MOST POPULAR

Photos: The Richest Person In Every State

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

504 replies

Dec 13, 2016 8:13 PM in response to nowXorXnever

I totally agree with you. If it's bad batches of phones, fix and recognize the problem and fix it. I've got the same problem. I've been out of town in Mexico and dread solving this problem when I get back. No one could hear me when I left on vacation. I've only been using the internet for 2 weeks. I'm hoping all of these posts will make Apple acknowledge the problem.

Dec 13, 2016 10:46 PM in response to Steven Fisher1

I think it's just possibly poor design.

On my iPhone 7+ it's typically pretty hard to hear when using it as an actual phone -- you know, putting it up to your ear. Speaker is fine. Bluetooth is fine. I've found that you have to align the teeny tiny speaker just perfectly to hear it decently.


Everyone I know with the 7+ has the same complaint. A friend also said it was the same with the 6 line but I can't confirm that one independently.


It seems that usability as a regular phone was backburnered


Anyone else having the same thing -- where you can get it to sound okay but only if you align it carefully to your ear?

Dec 13, 2016 10:56 PM in response to nccdrewster

I can't get mine to work as a phone and I don't think it's the way I'm speaking into it just because it "sounds robotic voice breaking up".... I think it's a defective microphone honestly. It happens on speaker phone too.


I had the 6 (and 3G, 4, 4S, 5) , my boyfriend had the 6S, several friends and family had the 6S+ and 6+ and one other friend has the 7+..... my 7+ and the replacement one are the only ones having this issue. That's what makes me think it's a batch of them and not all of them.

Dec 13, 2016 11:55 PM in response to nowXorXnever

I'm United Kingdom based and I know the guy that set up the F B page is too. With my 3 handsets I tried every possible trick from changing noise cancelling settings to removing from the case. I'm 100% certain it's not the carrier as when I gave up and went back to the competition, the exact same SIM card went into my new phone and all has been crystal clear since. Come on Apple, stop deleting people's posts on this and do something about it.

Dec 14, 2016 12:06 AM in response to nowXorXnever

I'm based in the UK and on my second 7+, I agree with everything you've said and more. Apple send replacement phones in a plain box so you end up with a phone that doesn't match the serial and EMEI on the original box which makes it more awkward to sell and Apple send no paperwork with the replacement. Also my 7+ is insured the insurer must be wondering what's going on with me phoning them to change the EMEI and Serial numbers for my policy then they request I get proof of ownership from Apple which then becomes another pain. After all this and Apple promising they fully tested my replacement 7+ prior to dispatch it exhibits exactly the same call issues as the phone it replaced. Apple should have made some form of announcement on this issue long ago, whilst it may not affect all 7/7+ phones it seems to be affecting a lot. As you rightly say if it's limited to certain batches then announce the serial numbers affected.

Dec 14, 2016 12:45 AM in response to Pip129

I'm also UK based on EE, my sim has worked fine in numerous non Apple phones. I'm on my second 7+ both have exhibited the same call quality issue where people on the other end of a call say my voice is breaking up but it's fine during Facetime calls and using Voice Memo app. I've recorded with Voice Memo talking into my 7+ as if making a call and it's clear as a bell. I continue to believe it's a software issue related to making calls, as someone also suggested perhaps the voice conditioning software is to sensitive and attenuating my voice during calls hence the breaking up. I worked offshore on the North Sea for 30 years and experienced many occasions when our public address system would break up during announcements and we found that settings had drifted over time resulting in the system being over driven causing the auto attenuation to kick in and voice cut outs, when this happens we had to switch to the standby PA system and set the main system up again. There is suggestion that restoring from backups is causing the fault and factory resetting then setting up as a new phone works, this isn't the case with both 7+'s I've owned. I'm not sure why restoring from an old backup would cause call problems, if that was the case wouldn't it be rectified during an IOS upgrade, 10.2 hasn't made any difference for me...

Dec 14, 2016 1:11 AM in response to Steven Fisher1

To prove a point one way or the other I've just recorded my voice using the Voice Memo app whilst holding the phone to my face exactly as I would during a call and my voice was as clear as a bell with no breaking up. This points toward the poor call quality fault being related to the processes involved with making a call most likely software voice conditioning. The voice cut outs remind me of attenuations that take place when PA systems are over driven resulting in voice cut outs.

Dec 14, 2016 1:45 AM in response to Steven Fisher1

I've just made a series of calls leaving myself voice messages with case on/off, holding the phone to my face as normal and speaking directly into the mic with a phone signal of 2 out 5 bars. All recordings were of similar quality, none exhibited the severe voice break up and fading being reported to me during normal calls, I could hear what I was saying though quality wasn't brilliant possibly a combination of the quality of my message recorder and week signal. I'm more confused than ever as to why call quality is poor when speaking to someone with a stronger signal...

Dec 14, 2016 3:52 AM in response to Steven Fisher1

I've commissioned complex equipment packages around the world on oil/gas pipelines, power stations. North Sea Rigs etc when we encountered technical issues the supplier provided the correct technical support to rectify the issue or where required supplied fully functional replacement equipment. Having to work out why my mobile phone won't make clear phone calls because the manufacturer isn't interested is incomprehensible. It makes me wonder if Apple are trying to be to clever with their technology and it's not working. So far my 7+ and replacement don't work properly for the same reasons, now there's a possibility Icloud backups are corrupt and affecting phones during the restore process. Right now is there anything good about using the recent iterations of the Apple mobile phone. I wish the Samsung Note 7 battery issue hadn't occurred as I'd still have it and none of these issues. We keep saying what about this, what about that and what about the other when we should be saying what about Apple supplying a phone that makes calls properly like other top brands of mobile phone. Are we sick to death of trying to work out why our Apple mobile phones don't work properly when Apple should be doing this, YES, YES, YES......

Dec 14, 2016 3:52 AM in response to nowXorXnever

I'm not sure about the previous battery issues as I've just moved over from Android after the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 battery issue, what a massive mistake on my part, I should have moved to the Galaxy S7 or 7 Edge then I wouldn't be looking for reasons why my phone won't make clear calls. My first 7+ battery life was poor, I found myself having to recharge around 6pm dauly, it was replaced by Apple due to the poor call issue, the replacement 7+ battery life is infinitely better such that for the same usage by 6pm I generally still have 50-60% battery life remaining unfortunately the call quality is still terrible. This suggests an inconsistency in the quality of the Iphone 7 series phones and components.

iPhone 7 Plus Phone Call Sound Quality

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.