We praised the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max as “obscenely powerful phones” in our full review of Apple’s new flagship phones, but two weeks after they hit store shelves, the newest iPhone is launching with problems.
Two separate issues affect cellular connectivity and speakers on the iPhone 18 Pro models. Fortunately, one of them seems to already have a fix.
And these are separate from the already fixed iPhone 18 Pro Face ID freezing bug.
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AT&T Cellular Connectivity Issues
Last week, reports of cellular connectivity issues for AT&T customers started popping up on Reddit and the Apple Support Community Forums. Basically, the new iPhones, especially the iPhone 18 Pro Max, started in SOS mode and did not connect to the AT&T network or operated extremely slowly when they managed to connect.
It seemed that some of the problems were with eSIM transfer from older phones or between accounts.
AT&T acknowledged the problem via a text message sent to affected customers. The network carrier is urging customers to update to iOS 27.0.1.
An AT&T spokesperson confirmed the message to Tom’s Guide.
Here is what the text says:
“Hello, this is AT&T. Action required: An important Apple software update for your iPhone 18 Pro Max is available. Some phones may not be able to complete calls/text/data, even to 911. Update to iOS 27.0.1 immediately – Settings > General > Software Update. Please contact AT&T or Apple if you have any questions.
The spokesperson added, “Our top priority is making sure customers can stay connected when they need it most, and we’re working with Apple to get it right.”
Some users said the iOS 27 update didn’t fix the problem, but I’ve seen several comments suggesting that AT&T replace your phone. Although it has proven debatable whether Apple or AT&T will take responsibility for the exchange.
Interestingly, the Pro Max is the only new iPhone with a Qualcomm cellular modem, while the Pro and iPhone Duo come with Apple’s internally designated C2 modem. However, it is not clear if this is what is causing problems or if it is a software issue.
Tom’s guide was told that if you experienced problems, you could go to an Apple or AT&T store for additional support. We’ve also contacted Apple about this issue and will update this article if the company responds.
Popping speakers
The other issue we cannot confirm is a potential audio or speaker issue in the iPhone 18 Pro models.
Users on Reddit and the MacRumors forums are reporting a crackling or “popping noise” coming from the iPhone’s speaker. One theory concerns the earring. One person described the sound as if you “pull out an aux cord and you hear a short click-pop noise.
To begin with, at Tom’s Guide we had both the iPhone 18 Pro and the iPhone 18 Pro Max for testing and were unable to recreate this issue on either phone.
“When it was set up I could hear a cracking sound from the speakers a few times and replaced it,” one person wrote. “I put the second one on, everything was fine, but I heard it again. Is this happening to anyone else?”
Some people have reported that Apple and Best Buy have told them it’s likely a software issue.
We’ve also asked Apple about the speakerphone issue and will update if the company says anything.
Other topics
We’ve seen other reports of control center freezes, springboard and widget crashes, overheating and rapid battery drain, as well as strange camera colors.
However, it seems that most of the problems have been solved thanks to iOS 27.0.1. update.
If you experience any of these problems, or something else entirely, let us know in the comments!
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