Apple's iPhone SE brings poor Bluetooth call quality for some users

Posted:
in iPhone
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.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 27
    "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."

    How about letting them find a unit with the problem and they can document and troubleshoot on their own?
  • Reply 2 of 27
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    bdkennedy said:
    "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."

    How about letting them find a unit with the problem and they can document and troubleshoot on their own?
    I’m always leery of customer reports like this one. Too much temptation to enhance one’s importance. I don’t see Apple engineering working directly with a customer as this claim states.
  • Reply 3 of 27
    ceek74ceek74 Posts: 324member
    Bluetoothgate
  • Reply 4 of 27
    Yep, I've had the SE now for a week and I am totally having this problem.  Completely garbled audio in my car when connected to the car bluetooth.  Also, regular calls sound incredibly digital and tinny.  Otherwise I am loving this phone.  I really hope a software update can fix these issues.
  • Reply 5 of 27
    bobschlobbobschlob Posts: 1,074member
    Sigh...
    Why am I not surprised (anymore)? Guess I'm going to have to wait for the SEs model.
  • Reply 6 of 27
    Well, I had a similar issue with the latest iOS update on iPad Pro 9.7"

    “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.
  • Reply 7 of 27
    saltyzipsaltyzip Posts: 193member
    Don't Apple do any testing?
  • Reply 8 of 27
    rogifan_newrogifan_new Posts: 4,297member
    saltyzip said:
    Don't Apple do any testing?
    No Apple doesn't test anything ever. And only they have problems, every other smartphone launches with absolutely zero issues.
    bonoboblkruppmonstrositymagman1979argonaut
  • Reply 9 of 27
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    saltyzip said:
    Don't Apple do any testing?
    No Apple doesn't test anything ever. And only they have problems, every other smartphone launches with absolutely zero issues.
    And only iOS has security flaws. Every other mobile operating system is rock solid and un-hackable. That’s why the FBI doesn’t even ask other tech companies to unlock their devices. The FBI knows that is impossible because their security is perfect, unlike iOS which is a security sieve and easily cracked.

    Any more questions?
    magman1979argonautapplesidewinder
  • Reply 10 of 27
    wood1208wood1208 Posts: 2,904member
    saltyzip said:
    Don't Apple do any testing?
    If someone can show me any OS(Windows,Linux,UNIX,S/370,IOS,Android,BB, etc) release without any issue out the door than I will give you $100,000. If you bet and don't prove than you give me $10,000. 1 vs 10 pay out. In my experience, you can do all kind of testing but small thing will just slip especially a marriage of new hardware with new OS on it. There is no thing as perfect software.
    edited April 2016
  • Reply 11 of 27
    coolfactorcoolfactor Posts: 2,230member
    wood1208 said:
    saltyzip said:
    Don't Apple do any testing?
    If someone can show me any OS(Windows,Linux,UNIX,S/370,IOS,Android,BB, etc) release without any issue out the door than I will give you $100,000. If you bet and don't prove than you give me $10,000. 1 vs 10 pay out. In my experience, you can do all kind of testing but small thing will just slip especially a marriage of new hardware with new OS on it. There is no thing as perfect software.

    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.
    edited April 2016 magman1979argonaut
  • Reply 12 of 27
    monstrositymonstrosity Posts: 2,234member
    Bluetooth is a constant pig on any device from any manufacturer. 
  • Reply 13 of 27
    apple ][apple ][ Posts: 9,233member
    I briefly looked at the thread on the Apple forums and it seems as if this is a minor software issue which will probably be resolved pretty soon.

    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.
    edited April 2016 applesidewinder
  • Reply 14 of 27
    foggyhillfoggyhill Posts: 4,767member
    BT compatibility whatever the device is random, goes from fantastic to horrible; often its not Apple at fault by dumbass implementation in third party devices that don't implement the standard correctly.

    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).
  • Reply 15 of 27
    foggyhillfoggyhill Posts: 4,767member
    saltyzip said:
    Don't Apple do any testing?
    There are thousands of BT devices, many of them don't properly follow BT standards.
    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.
  • Reply 16 of 27
    crowleycrowley Posts: 10,453member
    haptic said:
    Well, I had a similar issue with the latest iOS update on iPad Pro 9.7"

    “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.
    Never heard that before, sounds like a useful tip, thanks!
    eideard
  • Reply 17 of 27
    I have this exact issue with my iphone se purchased last Wed from t mobile returned and replaced at Apple store Saturday after a horrendous wait same issue. Wasted a tremendous amount of time resetting the iphone to New. Having Chevy dealer update Bluetooth on car the Apple people are now trying to blame the carrier. They ordered me another replacement. Spent hours on the phone with Apple and T-Mobile tech support. Very disappointed with Apple store response. They are looking at me as I am crazy. Fed up
  • Reply 18 of 27
    crowley said:
    Never heard that before, sounds like a useful tip, thanks!
    You are welcome, I liked this quick shortcut very much myself when using it for the first time.

    Yes, Apple, I know we are not supposed to force-quit apps either, but I really like cleaning up…
  • Reply 19 of 27
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    I have this exact issue with my iphone se purchased last Wed from t mobile returned and replaced at Apple store Saturday after a horrendous wait same issue. Wasted a tremendous amount of time resetting the iphone to New. Having Chevy dealer update Bluetooth on car the Apple people are now trying to blame the carrier. They ordered me another replacement. Spent hours on the phone with Apple and T-Mobile tech support. Very disappointed with Apple store response. They are looking at me as I am crazy. Fed up
    Get rid of your Apple kit and buy something else. Why deal with horrendousness? By the way, how horrendous was it again? Nice first troll.
  • Reply 20 of 27
    I use a higher end pair of Sony Bluetooth headphones. The SE's bluetooth radio is really easy to accidentally attenuate. (Like if I'm sitting at a table in a food court and typing my arm will often get in the way of the signal and cause it to cut out. Though that happened with the 6 too. I still find that the bluetooth in the SE isn't quite as good as the 6. (Still wouldn't trade it for my 6 or even a 6S, I love my SE so much!)
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