Overview
- Apple confirmed Monday that a "small number" of iPhone 18 Pro Max units sold for AT&T have lost cellular access and will be replaced because software updates cannot restore service on already-affected phones.
- The failure shows the status bar reading "SOS" and prevents calls, texts and emergency calls over the AT&T network while Wi‑Fi continues to work.
- Apple released iOS 27.0.1 and AT&T pushed a carrier‑settings update to stop new incidents, with the carrier update scheduled to roll out over roughly two weeks.
- Apple and AT&T are offering in‑store or support‑line swaps rather than a formal recall or service program, and customers are instructed to back up data, install updates, document failures, and contact Apple or AT&T for a replacement.
- Engineers say the fault appears to be a software interaction tied to carrier configuration rather than a clear hardware modem defect, and teardowns showing U.S. Pro Max units use Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X80 have not yet explained why only AT&T devices are affected.