Of the five iPhone 18 Pro Max problems Matt Talks Tech rounds up, Apple has confirmed the one that matters: a small number of Pro Max units on AT&T lose cellular service entirely, and a phone that's already been hit needs a hardware replacement. The other four are cosmetic or still unexplained.

Still open, per the video

  • AT&T service loss. Apple says iOS 27.0.1 and a carrier settings update keep more phones from losing calls, texts, and data, but they don't bring service back. iPhoners on AT&T whose Pro Max still has signal should install both now; US models are eSIM only, so there's no physical SIM to fall back on.
  • Face ID misses. One of the Face ID sensors moved under the display, the change behind the iPhone 18 Pro's smaller island, and the video says some owners still need two or three scans to get in. A few have re-registered their face.
  • Speaker crackle. Owners hear clicks and pops from the earpiece and the bottom speaker on some audio. Apple hasn't said whether a part or the software is to blame.
  • Camera plateau smudge. A smeared, discolored ring around the lenses that won't wipe off, reported mostly on black and burgundy units. The channel's own black Pro Max has it, and a case that covers the plateau hides it.
  • Back glass gap. On the channel's unit the glass sits flush in one corner and leaves a hairline gap in the other, something it admits it wouldn't have spotted unprompted.

Three earlier bugs are already gone. iOS 27.0.1, out two weeks after iOS 27, stops Pro models restarting after a failed Face ID scan, clears a color artifact from some 2x photos, and fixes a touchscreen that froze when Notification Center and Control Center opened together.

What to know

  • Weight is the complaint no update changes: about 249 grams, per the video, which shows in long one-handed sessions.
  • The cosmetic reports lean on the darker finishes. The video has seen few from the silver and light blue models.

The speaker crackle is the report I'd watch next. Until Apple names a cause, nobody can say whether an update or a swap fixes it.