Almost 50 percent of iPhone 17 users report problems with its most basic function: making calls

It appears that Apple has another controversy stirring, very similar to past fiascos like Antennagate and Bendgate, with this one possibly looking at being named Antennagate 2. The iPhone 17 has cellular issues, according to multiple user reports emerging online across various forums and tech sites.We held a poll, where almost 50 percent of iPhone users said that they were also experiencing cellular problems with their iPhone 17. It seems to be a complete luck of the draw, because those not experiencing any problems are generally getting much better reception than their iPhone 16 or prior.

The poll is still open to vote in, in case you own an iPhone 17 and would like to share your experience.

This issue is being reported across T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon, and MVNO services, making it very clear that this is a device-specific issue. What’s funny is that the iPhone 17 Pro redesign was supposed to help make cellular reception a lot better, due to its much larger antenna surface area.

However, due to the almost 50/50 split between users reporting this issue and those saying that their phone works fine, this is very likely a software issue. There has already been at least one account where updating the firmware solved the problem for a customer.

Other consumers are being told by Apple support advisors that they can initiate a return, or send in their phones for a reset. Apple’s customer support is, thankfully, acknowledging the problem, which should mean that a fix is under way.

While the iPhone 17 series, including the iPhone Air, are excellent phones, this is a pretty major issue. These devices are, at the end of the day, made to make calls and send texts. Not being able to do that makes them very expensive cameras instead. It doesn’t help that, with the new aluminum chassis, the iPhone 17 gets scratched pretty easily.

That’s not all, either: the anti-glare coating on the iPhone 17, while a welcome addition, pales in comparison to even the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. Meanwhile, iOS 26 is apparently exhibiting many glitches and visual bugs, giving off a very unpolished feeling.

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