Apple has yet to explain why some $1,299 iPhone 18 Pro Max phones on AT&T lose cellular service, days after saying affected units must be replaced.
Key Points:
- Apple and AT&T have not said why some iPhone 18 Pro Max phones lose cellular service.
- Phones that already lost service cannot be fixed with software and must be replaced.
- The U.S. model uses a Qualcomm modem, but nothing so far links it to the failures.
AT&T Service Failures
A follow-up report published Monday said Apple had not answered fresh questions about what is causing the fault. An AT&T spokesperson referred the matter back to Apple. The silence follows an Oct. 2 statement in which Apple confirmed that a "small number" of iPhone 18 Pro Max users on AT&T had lost service.
Affected phones cannot make calls, send texts or use cellular data, and some owners see "SOS" in the status bar. Apple told reporters that no software update can restore service, so owners must seek a replacement through Apple Support, AT&T or either company's stores.
Apple released iOS 27.0.1 on Sept. 28, and an AT&T carrier settings update followed on Oct. 2. The carrier update downloads automatically over 14 days. The company urged all iPhone 18 Pro Max owners to update now and said the two releases together are meant to prevent the fault.
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Qualcomm Modem Questions
U.S. versions of the phone use Qualcomm's Snapdragon X80 modem, while units sold in other countries carry Apple's own C2 chip. The smaller iPhone 18 Pro, which runs the C2 worldwide, is unaffected, and Apple says it has seen the failure only on Pro Max units connected to AT&T.
Longtime Apple journalist Michael Simon noted that the iPhone 17 Pro line uses the same Qualcomm modem without showing the problem. He argued the trouble appears to lie in software tied to AT&T's network. Monday's follow-up report read it differently, saying the need for full replacement hints at hardware failure, though no evidence so far ties the modem to the fault.
Apple Repair Precedent
Apple has not disclosed how many phones are affected, though thousands of owners have reportedly complained on its support forums and other platforms.
Some reportedly lost service as soon as they got the phone and others days later, and what triggers the fault remains unclear.
The phone went on sale about two weeks before Apple acknowledged the problem. The company handled earlier iPhone defects through free repair programs, including a 2021 fix for iPhone 12 models with no call audio and a 2024 fix for iPhone 14 Plus rear cameras. No formal service program exists yet for this fault.
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