Apple's iPhone SE brings poor Bluetooth call quality for some users
Some early adopters of the small but state-of-the-art iPhone SE have reported trouble with the audio quality of phone calls made over Bluetooth headsets and ear pieces, an issue which Apple is said to be investigating internally.
Many of the complaints registered in Apple's own support forums indicate that the problems are specific to the iPhone SE, as the same Bluetooth devices work properly with other iPhone variants. Audio on problematic units sounds robotic and distorted, as though there is corruption in the Bluetooth data stream.
Tests conducted by AppleInsider were consistent with reports. FaceTime audio quality -- usually pristine -- was significantly degraded in a Bluetooth headset.
As noted byMacRumors, at least one customer claims that Apple support has escalated the issue to the company's engineering teams.
"I have been working with a high level support person who has assured me he is working directly with engineering," one wrote. "Apple has very much become engaged in this issue. They have had me do extensive testing of various conditions in order to document and troubleshoot."
The Bluetooth problem is said to be "on top of the list" in Apple's internal issue tracking software.
Many of the complaints registered in Apple's own support forums indicate that the problems are specific to the iPhone SE, as the same Bluetooth devices work properly with other iPhone variants. Audio on problematic units sounds robotic and distorted, as though there is corruption in the Bluetooth data stream.
Tests conducted by AppleInsider were consistent with reports. FaceTime audio quality -- usually pristine -- was significantly degraded in a Bluetooth headset.
As noted byMacRumors, at least one customer claims that Apple support has escalated the issue to the company's engineering teams.
"I have been working with a high level support person who has assured me he is working directly with engineering," one wrote. "Apple has very much become engaged in this issue. They have had me do extensive testing of various conditions in order to document and troubleshoot."
The Bluetooth problem is said to be "on top of the list" in Apple's internal issue tracking software.
Comments
How about letting them find a unit with the problem and they can document and troubleshoot on their own?
Why am I not surprised (anymore)? Guess I'm going to have to wait for the SEs model.
“Quick cleaning” of memory fixed the issue in my case: (1) Press and hold the Power button for more than five seconds until you are offered to switch the device off or cancel. (2) Release the Power button, don't switch the device off but press and hold the Home button for more than five seconds also.
It has pretty much the same effect as pressing and holding the Power and the Home button simultaneously which would result in showing the Apple logo and restarting the device — but it is much quicker.
Any more questions?
Remembers how iPods worked flawlessly. Even years later without any updates? Yah... night and day. Software complexity and hardware capability of our mobile devices have increased 100-fold from where it was 10 years ago. I think people forget that sometimes. It's amazing our stuff works as well as it does.
Music via bluetooth works fine and sounds fine, it's only the calls for some people that have the issues it seems, according to what I read on the Apple forums.
If there are any losers out there looking for any new 'gates', then they would probably be wise to look elsewhere.
They'll probably fix it in software like they always do by handling those broken implementation as special cases.
Also, the use of "some" in titles should be a crime (and at one time, no journalist on earth would have used it).
This is the kind of thing you can't really test, especially in new hardware.
BT is basically the one thing that's almost certain to be a problem in any release of any device.
Yes, Apple, I know we are not supposed to force-quit apps either, but I really like cleaning up…