William Gallagher
Apple and O2 have confirmed user reports of being unable to make or receive calls, use text messages, or get a reliable 4G internet connection, exclusively on the iPhone XR.
Users of the O2 cell carrier in the UK have been reporting issues with connectivity specifically on the iPhone XR. Apple and O2 have now both confirmed the problem and say that a fix is coming.
"We are aware of an issue causing intermittent network connectivity effecting some O2 customers," an Apple spokesperson told BBC News, "and we will have a fix in an upcoming software release."
It's not known how many users were affected, but customers told the BBC that problems began some weeks ago. Certain users are saying they noticed a problem in late November, and iPhone XR owner Jim Buckley told BBC News that it began on December 16.
"I've had virtually no signal at all since," he said. "It may come with a weak signal for a few minutes once or twice a day, then go again."
Buckley, who says he subsequently bought a secondhand iPhone 7, claims that O2 support personnel told him Apple introduced the fault with an iOS update. Neither O2 nor Apple have confirmed this.
"We're working closely with our partners to resolve an intermittent issue affecting some of our customers using iPhone XR," said an O2 spokeswoman. "We thank any customers affected for their patience."
When the iPhone was launched in the UK in 2007, it was exclusively on O2. The carrier remains one of the few that supports all the iPhone features, such as visual voicemail.
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5 Comments
O2 are a really crap operator. Ever since Telefonica bought them they've gone downhill hard, and were once fined by Ofcom for violating the terms of their 3G license by not covering enough of the UK with 3G by a certain date.
I'd been with O2 for 7 years, from about 2005 onwards, upgrading to the iPhone in 2007. I was after an upgrade, and called to see what deals they'd give me since I had been with them for 7 years. The representative told me the exact deals they had on their website, which I pointed out to her, and she said "they don't do special offers for loyal customers". I cancelled my contract there and then, and changed to Three, who I've now been with for 8 years, and I couldn't be happier. Fast 4G pretty much everywhere, 5G on its way, great customer service, free roaming abroad and cheap contracts. They stomp all over O2.
I had the same problem with a SIM card from UK 3 while I was in the UK from November to December, 2019: both text messaging and voice 'phone service were in and out.
WooHoo my iPhone XR has been dropping calls on Sky Mobile using the O2 network since iOS 13