Hey everyone,
I just made an account to share my updates and experiences as well. I've been following this thread since it was first made, and I want to personally thank everyone for their posts. I live around North East Georgia, and I upgraded from an iPhone 6 to an iPhone 12 (regular, not Pro) when it first released. On my old phone, I never had any real issues except for the occasional phone drop... but I did notice more issues as time went on. I chalked it up to a 6 year old phone, and it was a big reason why I got a new phone. My wife refuses to replace her iPhone 6 because I'm having so many issues with mine right now.
When I got the new iPhone 12, I noticed several drops, people saying they couldn't hear me, call failures, people sounding like robots on the other side, etc. Pretty much EXACTLY what most of you have been reporting. Over the course of the last 3 weeks, here's my experience:
- Apple blamed Verizon, Verizon blamed Apple -- same as everyone else said.
- All diagnostics ran by Apple said my phone was fine. Verizon ran reports and said according to my call logs, there were no dropped calls (blatant lie). After calling them and going in store several times, Verizon said no one else had the issue and recommended me to exchange my phone. I went to Apple and got a brand new phone, had them set it up in the store... still experiencing the same issues. This led me to believe that it wasn't a phone issue or setup issue. I've had two new phones and two new SIM cards, all doing the same thing. I did every fix they recommended, but my LTE - 5G - bars are going crazy all the time.
- I initially thought it was because I don't have 5G service (my area has it and supports it, but I didn't pay for the extra $30 a month for it). But after calling, Verizon told me they gave me 5G service. Sure enough on my bill it says I'm receiving 5G service at no extra charge. (Thanks?) It didn't help any.
- My issue happened at the same places without fail: Around my job area (I work at a hospital, and this is VERY inconvenient and my coworkers and patients are getting annoyed), a few miles down the road on my way home, and around the off-ramp before I get home. The call quality isn't as good as my iPhone 6 (that's saying something). I never had dropped calls around the hospital where I work, and we don't have cell blockers up. There's no reason why I shouldn't have a great signal. It also doesn't matter if I'm moving or if I'm standing still.
- Verizon put in a ticket to follow the issue more closely. I called them last week for an update and they said that there were 3 towers within the proximity of where I am at work to where I live at home. They believe the issue is that the 3 towers need adjusting with the 5G and LTE. What boggles my brain is, if this is true, why this wasn't done PRIOR to releasing the phones? My city boasts about being 5G ready, but then this happens. This makes me feel like we're all beta testing the new 5G. I called them just now to speak with them to get an update as I stopped receiving text message updates, but I've been waiting forever and it's proving more and more difficult to reach someone.
- My coworker, who has an iPhone 11, is also experiencing the same issues with her calls dropping around where we work at the same area that I've been dropping calls. She also has Verizon as her carrier. This also leads me to believe this is a Verizon issue specifically with cell phone towers.
So tl;dr: Same issues as everyone, I got fed up and switched out my phone entirely for a new phone with a new SIM card to rule out Apple/phone being a dud, did all diagnostics and recommendations asked, updated all software and carrier settings as asked, and my phone continues to drop at the SAME places EVERY day without fail. I believe Verizon is to blame because it happens to my coworkers who are also with Verizon, and it's happened to two brand new iPhone 12s. I think we are being lab rats in this test for 5G, and the ones who complain to Verizon will get a minor compensation off their bill, and they get to perfect a system that they didn't properly test and push out for a minimal fee. That's just my two cents. I'll also keep posting as I get updates if that will help anyone else.
