iPhone 7 Plus Phone Call Sound Quality

Thank you so much!!! Hubby and I were getting so irritated; hate having to take all calls on speaker. We both had to, because neither of us could hear the person we were talking to via regular ear speaker!! Loud and clear now after turning off the voice roaming!!! Thanks for sharing!!

I have the same issue with iPhone X: I turned off noise cancellation and this sis not improve issue. I have also performed all of the following isolation steps along side Apple at the McArthur Center Apple Store.

iPhone x - People constantly complaining the voice quality is muffled or very low when using phone to ear without bluetooth

People tell me they cannot hear me on my new iPhone X. I've performed so many isolation steps and even exchanged my phone, and nothing seems to help. I've tried so many things to isolate the issue.

Initial steps performed:

1) Erase and reset phone to factory software

2) Reset Network settings

3) Noise Cancellation Off

4) Restored iPhone as new without any previous restore from iCloud

5) Taken phone to Apple McArthur store and have them perform all of the above steps again and also install new software from iTunes

6) Tried phone with Apple Folio cover and then without Folio cover

7) Carrier = AT&T

- Asked carrier to reconfigure phone to network

- Replaced SIM card and had carrier reconfigure to network

- Turned off AT&T features

- Cellular Data set to data only

- Cellular Data set to Voice and Data

- Typical signal is 5-6 bars LTE when this occurs

8) Replaced iPhone X, Same issue with new phone

Additional steps performed:

7) Performed Voice Memo Recording

1) Recorded voice with Apple Folio Case - Result Clear Sound

2) Recorded voice without Apple Folio Case - Result Clear Sound

My Conclusion: There must be a serious bug in the new IOS 11 software causing this issue. I've been reading that a number of iPhone 7, 8 and X users are complaining about the same issue. The muffled voice is so bad that IVR systems and even people on the other end of the phone simply can’t understand what we're saying. If you change the phone to communicate through Bluetooth or simply put on the speakerphone everything is fine.

Please fix this issue. The battery on blue tooth doesn’t last long enough and often times we must use the phone up to our ear and mouth.

Just sent in my Iphone Plus 7 for sound quality problems in calls and even for music it sounds so cheap. They "didn't find any problems". Not sure what to do. I have a 250 euro phone that sounds much better than my 900 euro Iphone 7 plus. I feel ripped off badly.

Actually, It turns out after lots of investigation and replacing the phone three times, its the folio cover. I tried the tape with the folio cover and it improved slightly according to others, but the most significant improvement is completely removing the phone from the folio cover. I'm returning the Folio cover and going back to open face leather cover.

I’m in the uk on the 3 network, having purchased an iPhone X I’m finding exactly the same problems with audio on phone calls while using the handset earpiece as previously mentioned by fellow users of the 7, 8 and X series iPhones.

When I had my IPhone 6+ I would talk frequently with a friend who was using a 7+ many a time his voice would fade away unless he spoke directly into the phone, he on the other hand had no difficulty hearing me while both of us were using the earpiece.

This problem to my thinking is a hardware issue, mic, earpiece or both because if it could be rectified by a software update, don’t you think it would have been addressed by now - I do.

These devices are incapable of performing their most basic function - phone calls without issues, they are even supposed to be VOLTE capable, you would never think so, it’s like taking a step back in time from digital to analogue audio.

The best audio seems to be available when you are using your 7,8 or X series handset with a car system or Bluetooth device, AirPods for example although even those have issues such as wind and background noise because they do not have a noise cancelling system.

Ill be returning this, my second iPhone X for a full refund, phone and case and reverting to an older model until I can find a suitable alternative having become increasingly dissatisfied with the brands recent compromised offerings.

From the uk.

Having spent £1149 on the super shiny, super slippy iPhone X it deserves to be protected and what better than a case from the phone manufacturer, so let’s throw another £39 at protecting it and get the silicon case in white, there we go - lovely.

The case does not obstruct the mic hole on the back between the two camera lens but as people are reporting and as I have now tested and proved for myself, covering it with my finger while using the phone in normal set to ear mode does actually improve things for the person on the receiving end however the silicon case is also not without issues where pressing the single side button does not respond, a second press takes you straight to Apple Pay and that is why the first iPhone X was replaced, my friends iPhone X exhibits the same issue with his silicon case too. Five items with issues - we’ll done mr cook.

I tried all that You just said, and nothing helped, but...i replaced sim card from 4G to old 3G, and YES it sounds perfect with 3G old sim from the same carrier.

The problem is with cell modems that Apple installs into phones. There are two kinds - Intel and Qualcomm and their relation with the carrier signal. Qualcomm modems are much more better than Intels (specially with smaller antenna area on newer iPhones).

Now sound is perfect, and everything else but internet speed. I am always connected on 3G network instead on 4G. That would be fine, but I am just a little bit frustrated that I can not use 4G speed.

THERE IS NO OTHER SOLUTION. Apple must stop using Intel inferior modems and solve the court problems with the Qualcomm (or just buy them).

There is another solution if you are correct about the modem. Apple sells unlocked GSM/CDMA versions of the iPhone that has the QUALCOMM modem, it will work on AT&T or Version/Sprint, etc., the downside is you cannot get one from your carrier that is multi-network usable. Or you could change to Verizon for your carrier because the intel modems will not run on a CDMA network, all iPhones on Verizon or Sprint must have the Qualcomm modem. Not an option for me, where I live only AT&T works, I’m thinking about buying the multi-network version from Apple.

Upgraded my wife’s and daughter’s iPhones to iPhone 7 at the same time - one gold one rpose gold. Daughter’s, rose gold, no problem. Wife’s, gold, she says I sound far away-in a tunnel. I hear a crackling scratchy voice. Not happy!!

This has been answered probably a dozen times in the thread you posted to. If you have a case that covers the small hole near the camera lens (the noise reduction microphone) remove the case; If you have a folio case do not fold the flap all the way back when on the phone.

The case is not always the solution Lawrence. It's often the cell towers not being upgraded to handle transmissions from the newer cell phones. The new phones have less powerful antennas in them. I spent a bit of time chatting with engineers who shared this info as they monitored and tracked my bad phone calls. Calls to call centers are often heard clearly because they're using VOIP (voice over internet protocol) I also had a phone replaced twice so after 3 cell phones doing the same thing - we figured it out...

Tracybone wrote:

The case is not always the solution Lawrence. It's often the cell towers not being upgraded to handle transmissions from the newer cell phones. The new phones have less powerful antennas in them. I spent a bit of time chatting with engineers who shared this info as they monitored and tracked my bad phone calls. Calls to call centers are often heard clearly because they're using VOIP (voice over internet protocol) I also had a phone replaced twice so after 3 cell phones doing the same thing - we figured it out...

Well, a lot of users in a lot of threads have reported that changing the case has resolved the problem. So, while it may not be always, it's a simple thing to try.

😕 Unless as Tracy states you aren't using a case. Unless there's a very clever invisible apple case I don't know about 😉, then mines got same issue as many others report. Anyone I call reports distance and echo.

Cases may be true for some but most definitely not all.

I had this issue with the 7+ and now the X, I'm convinced it's related in some way to the rear mic. It happens when the front cover is moved to the back during a call. My case incorporates the sleep wake function which I want to use to extend battery life so leaving it closed during a call isn't an option as it puts my X to sleep and kills the call. When I receive a call I fold the front cover to the back with my finger between the two leaving a gap which seems to allow the rear mic to do it's job, callers tell me it works.

Hi there, Steven Fisher1!

Thanks for reaching out to the Apple Support Communities! It sounds like you are having issues with the sound quality on the iPhone 7 Plus. I know how important it si to be sure the sound is working properly at all times. Check out this article here If you hear no sound or distorted sound from your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch speaker. This will give you some steps to try to see about getting the issue taken care of.

Cheers!