Apple confirms iPhone 18 Pro Max AT&T cellular issues, affected devices require hardware replacement

Apple has acknowledged a problem affecting a "small number" of iPhone 18 Pro Max devices on the AT&T network, causing these devices to lose cellular service. Apple has issued software and carrier updates to try to prevent this issue from happening again, but for devices that have already lost service, the company states that a hardware replacement is necessary.

Apple has released iOS 27.0.1 and is pushing a carrier settings update, which users can manually download. These updates are intended to help stop the problem from recurring. However, the software updates cannot restore service for devices that have already been affected. To get service back, iPhone 18 Pro Max users should contact Apple Support or AT&T, or bring their device to an Apple Store or AT&T location for a hardware replacement.

The connectivity issue doesn't impact all iPhone 18 Pro Max users on AT&T. For those affected, an "SOS" symbol appears in the iPhone's status bar, indicating the inability to make calls, send texts, or access data.