Connectivity issues put damper on Apple iPhone 7's robust sales

By Ed Oswald Published September 30, 2016

The iPhone 7 might not have the explosive problems and double as a high-tech hand grenade like Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7, but it sure seems to suffer from connectivity issues. Reports indicate that some Android Wear devices are not pairing correctly with it, while BMW owners seem to have issues with Bluetooth connections.

Now there’s reports of issues with LTE connectivity among AT&T and Verizon iPhone users, where customers lose LTE data service and are unable to get it back. The issue appears to be similar to one caught shortly after the iPhone 7’s launch on the T-Mobile network and fixed in iOS 10.0.2.

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The various bugs sully what has otherwise been a solid start sales-wise for Apple’s iPhone 7, with analysts saying sales estimates are in line with what was expected (Apple is not releasing sales numbers itself), and that the device is expected to push iPhone sales for the year past 100 million.

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As for the Android Wear bug, Google tells DigitalTrends that it affects five watches specifically: the ASUS ZenWatch 2, Fossil Q Founder, both the Moto 360 Sport and 360 second-generation model, and the TAG Heuer Connected. The watches are not pairing correctly with the iPhone 7, but can pair with previous iPhone models.

Google says it is aware of the issue and is working with Apple, but did not provide any further details beyond what watches were affected. The fact that it is working on older devices running iOS 10 is potentially troublesome, and may point to some type of hardware issue.

BMW owners aren’t having much luck, either. Their Bluetooth audio connections fail after a few seconds, and repairing or even trying to restore the phone itself have no effect. According to copies of e-mails to customers from BMW’s support team, the automaker is saying that the iPhone 7 is currently “not an approved device” and telling customers to continue to watch its update website for new details.

Finally, both AT&T and Verizon customers seem to be dealing with issues related to LTE connectivity. While it doesn’t appear to be exactly like the T-Mobile issue, where some customers were losing service completely, once affected, users on either carrier lose LTE data and it does not return without a reboot.

Verizon is reported to be aware of the issues, but requests from DigitalTrends for confirmation of any work on a fix from either Apple, AT&T, or Verizon were not received as of press time.

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For fifteen years, Ed has written about the latest and greatest in gadgets and technology trends. At Digital Trends, he's…

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