Users of the iPhone 17 and iPhone Air are encountering new problems. Just when we thought the “scratchgate” fuss had calmed down, problems with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are surfacing. Over on Reddit and the Apple forums, users are reporting issues which interfere with everyday tasks like using CarPlay or their AirPods. These problems appear to relate to the Apple N1 wireless chip. Apple is moving quickly on various solutions. See below to stay up to date.
Users are experiencing Wi-Fi dropouts upon unlocking their phones. The Wi-Fi drops for a second then reconnects. A split second is brief, but it causes a comedown in performance. For example, customers report serious issues in CarPlay where they experience audio skipping or lagging from a second drop.
Some users report that their connection with CarPlay drops completely while they are driving and cause hazards. In addition, Bluetooth suffers similar issues. AirPods frequently disconnect, as do other Bluetooth accessories. Sometimes the Vision Pro won’t unlock while in the user’s visor or helmet. Most issues are lead back to the iPhone 17 series of phones.
Many of these reports are packaged with Apple Watch problems. Wi-Fi connection fails when the watch is unveiled by the wrist timer. One user reported their CarPlay chart restarts immediately. This indicates a conflict within the software load instead of a hardware issue. Testing shows that bugs occur with Watches paired, once the users remove the Watches, the connections become stable.
Apple’s N1 chip allows the iPhone 17 to leverage Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 capabilities and is used in all of the iPhone 17 devices. Knowing this chip was new this year, the early bugs found are most likely associated with the N1 chip.
The difficulty with reliable connections may need a software joystick to run smoothly on connectability. No-widespread failures in the hardware has been discovered so far on the users’ iPhone 17 models.
The iOS 26.1 beta is addressing the problems. Testers claim that the device no longer drops Wi-Fi. Bluetooth now stays reliable and steady as well. In addition, update your Watch for the watchOS 26.1 beta. All devices should see some stability improvement. Apple has indicated that the release of iOS 26.0.1 is imminent. This release targets these bugs specifically. Beta trial users praised the quick fix.
While the narrative has grown but remained somewhat limited in reach, millions now own the iPhone 17 series; the reports tend to focus on a small number of users. All the reports of the issue on the iPhone 17 and Air, for all anecdotal experience, the devices did not show any problems.
The problems may be related only to a certain group of users or iPhone set-ups. Apple is monitoring the forums very closely.
If your are able, upgrade to the latest iOS beta. Temporarily unpair your Apple Watch so it is off the network. Restart, which clears some bugs. Monitor for iOS 26.0.1 to drop soon. Report problems through Apple Support.
Jump on the forums to see what others are experiencing, and how they have gotten past the problems.
Apple is reacting quickly to issues. We are now watching Scratchgate day by day, as the connectivity issues continue to hopefully be resolved. All iPhone 17 owners will be looking for a smooth experience soon. You can bet we will be posted on the updates other testers will publish.
Also Read: iPhone 17 Series Faces Early Trouble: Camera Bug Frustrates Buyers
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