Owners of the iPhone 18 Pro Max on AT&T’s network may find their new handset unable to perform its most essential task: making calls. The fault also prevents emergency calls to 911. Apple has confirmed that affected devices will be replaced free of charge.
The problem emerged last week, when some iPhone 18 Pro Max owners on AT&T reported a complete lack of cellular access. AT&T sent a text message this week urging customers to update to iOS 27.0.1 immediately, with estimates suggesting thousands of users have been affected.
On Friday, Apple said it was issuing a separate carrier-settings patch to accompany the iOS 27.0.1 update. However, the fix arrives too late for those already experiencing the issue. An Apple representative confirmed that the updates are intended to guard against the problem in the future and will not resolve it for handsets already affected. Owners in that situation will receive a new phone at no cost and should contact Apple Support or AT&T.
Some owners have reported on Reddit that installing the 27.0.1 update alone did not resolve the fault, nor did upgrading to the public beta of iOS 27.2.
Only the iPhone 18 Pro Max is affected
So far, the issue appears limited to iPhone 18 Pro Max models on AT&T’s network. Both T-Mobile and Verizon report they are not seeing similar problems on their networks. The standard iPhone 18 Pro, which also runs on AT&T, has not shown the fault, and an iPhone 18 Pro Max on Google Fi, which uses T-Mobile’s network, is also unaffected.
A possible hardware link
It remains unclear whether the loss of connectivity is tied to the handset’s hardware. While the standard iPhone 18 Pro is fitted with Apple’s C2 modem, the iPhone 18 Pro Max in the US is the only model equipped with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X80 modem. Qualcomm has supplied Apple’s modems for years, though Apple has been working to reduce its reliance on the third-party component, with that arrangement due to expire this year.
Teardown analysis indicates the X80 modem is also used in the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. The iPhone 18 Pro Max adds a new millimetre-wave antenna, a technology that offers much faster data speeds in areas where it is installed, though it can have a shorter range and be weakened by obstacles. Apple’s C2 modem also includes a millimetre-wave antenna.
A Qualcomm representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Apple’s two updates began rolling out on Friday.
