AT&T users lose the ability to make calls with their iPhone 18 Pro Max, but Apple will replace their smartphones for free

Buyers of the latest iPhone 18 Pro Max face an unpleasant set of circumstances – if they are also AT&T users, the smartphone will not allow voice calls in some cases. Apple has issued a software fix, but it will have to replace some smartphones at its own expense.

Image source: Apple

This issue only affects iPhone 18 Pro Max users using AT&T carrier services. On its network, the flagship smartphone may simply show a lack of connection, although text messages will still get through. It is with their help that AT&T informed its subscribers that if they own an iPhone 18 Pro Max, they will urgently need to update to iOS 27.0.1 and will also receive a separate software update that takes into account the smartphone’s specific network settings.

Importantly, this issue does not even allow the owner to make emergency voice calls. In the meantime, these updates are being distributed as a precaution to prevent the issue from recurring for users who haven’t yet experienced it. If this has already happened, trying to install updates or even switching to the beta version of iOS 27.2 will not help. In this case, Apple agrees to replace the defective iPhone 18 Pro Max with a working iPhone 18 Pro Max at its own expense; victims can also seek help from AT&T.

The author of the publication on the page computer network It was emphasized that in their environment, owners of iPhone 18 Pro Max in other telecom operators’ networks did not encounter similar problems, regardless of which version of the iOS operating system was used. According to some estimates, thousands of iPhone 18 Pro Max users on AT&T’s network could be affected by multiple disadvantages.

So far, the “culprit” of this situation has not disclosed the cause of such problems, but it is obvious that the reason lies in the use of Qualcomm Snapdragon X80 modem equipped with iPhone 18 Pro Max. The regular iPhone 18 Pro has Apple’s own C2 modem; there are no such issues even on AT&T’s network. Both smartphone models use millimeter-wave antennas. Meanwhile, the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are equipped with Snapdragon X2 modems but encountered no issues while working on the AT&T network. It’s true that these smartphones don’t come with the same antennas in the millimeter wave range.