28% of iPhone users facing call drops and network issues after iOS 18 update: LocalCircles


New Delhi: It is rare that upgrades fail to meet expectations and instead create problems.

Since its initial release in September, Apple iPhone users who have installed iOS 18 software have reported issues ranging from connectivity issues to faster battery drain, unresponsive touchscreen, issues in iMessage, less effective controls, confusingly redesigned apps, and more.

A LocalCircles survey found that 28% of respondents said that most or some voice and OTT calls do not connect or are interrupted; 12% said the screen goes dark at random times, and 12% said their apps often crash.

Did the upgrades resolve the technical issues?

To address some of the new issues reported by many after installing iOS 18, Apple released iOS 18.0.1, a software update, to fix a bug that caused the touchscreen to temporarily become unresponsive in certain situations.

The upgrade also aimed to fix issues with the ultra-wide camera freezing when recording macro videos in 4K without HDR, the Messages app closing unexpectedly when replying with an Apple face Watch shared and memory allocation or security issues. The upcoming iOS 18.1.1 update, which introduced a feature called Apple Intelligence, while providing convenience through personalized suggestions and deeper Siri integration, also raised significant questions and concerns about privacy users.

Subsequently, the next version released was iOS 18.2, which had updated advanced intelligence functionality such as image generation tools and system-wide ChatGPT integration. However, according to many iPhone users, this upgrade also didn’t fix some issues. The iOS 18.3 beta was subsequently released as iPhone users continued to report various issues.

What does the LocalCircles survey reveal?

After over 100 posts and comments in different online communities complained about the issues they were facing after upgrading to different versions of Apple iOS 18, LocalCircles conducted a pan-India survey among iPhone users .

The survey received over 47,000 responses (31,000 from Apple iPhone device users and nearly 16,000 from Android device users) from 322 districts across India. As many as 67 percent of respondents were men, while 33 percent of respondents were women. As many as 42 percent of respondents were from Tier 1, 27 percent from Tier 2, and 31 percent were from Tier 3 and 4 districts.

6 in 10 Apple iPhone users experienced difficulty

The survey asked iPhone users: “If you are an Apple iPhone user and have upgraded to iOS 18 or later, are you experiencing any issues?”

The top answers to this question were about connection issues and call drops, reported by 6 in 10 Apple iPhone users in the survey.

What about network and WiFi issues?

Nearly 9 in 10 iPhone users who upgraded to iOS 18 or higher attribute their technical difficulties to their iOS upgrade and not their mobile network or WiFi connection.

Qualitative user feedback indicated that users face these issues regardless of mobile network or WiFi connections. These issues were reported primarily after upgrading to a version of iOS 18. Although complaints have been reported against several iPhone models, the highest number of complaints are for the iPhone 13.

App freezing is one of the top complaints

The survey also attempted to determine whether the problems faced by iPhone users are unique to them or whether users of the other major mobile operating system, Android, also face the same. The survey asked Android users: “If you are an Android user and have upgraded to Android 15 or later, are you experiencing any issues?”

As many as 4 in 10 Android users surveyed who upgraded to Android 15 said they had difficulty with their apps freezing, which was the top complaint.

However, no one has reported having call connection or call dropping issues with Android updates.

In summary, more than 60% of Apple iPhone users who upgraded to iOS 18 or later are facing multiple issues that have not yet been resolved and iOS 18.3 beta would not work not correctly either. Unlike iPhone users, fewer Android users face issues after upgrading, the survey revealed. However, the Android phone challenges don’t seem to be related to calls but to app blocking.

According to LocalCircles, based on the survey results, it is clear that Apple needs to find the root of the problem, as multiple upgrades have not fixed the issues, leaving many users angry and dissatisfied.

Chamath Palihapitiya, a Silicon Valley venture capitalist, recently expressed his frustration in a video that went viral: “Is it just me or was 18.1.1 a total update? The iPhone no longer works.

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