Owners of Apple's new iPhone XS and XS Max, officially released on Friday, are reporting poor WiFi and cell signal strength. A report from a wireless-technology blog said the new iPhones demonstrated less signal strength than last year's iPhones in lab testing. The issues might be growing pains for new iPhone owners, and it's possible Apple could fix them with software updates after gathering a bunch of real-world data. Early adopters of Apple's new iPhone XS and XS Max are reporting poor WiFi and cell signal strength on their new smartphones. Some are saying their older iPhones, like the iPhone 7 and the iPhone X, had better signal strength than their new iPhones — or simply that the new iPhones don't impress with their wireless reception. Apple didn't immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment. Reports from Reddit users suggest that the signal-strength issues aren't confined to a single carrier. Owners of the iPhone XS devices posting on MacRumors and Apple's support forums have also reported poor signal strength. A report from the wireless-technology blog WiWavelength seems to confirm the lower signal strength on new iPhones. It said that testing in a lab environment found that their signal strength was significantly weaker than last year's iPhone 8 and iPhone X devices. The reports come as a bit of a surprise, considering the new iPhones have one more antenna band, placed along the bottom edge, than last year's phones. With all this said, it's possible that signal-strength issues on the new iPhones, which started rolling out on Friday, are growing pains that come with a new generation of devices, and that Apple might be able to fix them with a software update after gathering user data. Something similar happened with the iPhone 7, and Apple was able to fix it with a patch.<doc-sep>Bloomberg (Bloomberg) -- Hedge funds often measure their investments in minutes, not decades; but for Anchorage Capital Group, its long-held stake in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. is proving that patience can also be profitable.The New York-based money manager stands to make roughly $2 billion on its investment in the film and TV producer, one that began almost 11 years ago with MGM in bankruptcy court. Amazon.com Inc. agreed to buy the company for $8.45 billion Wednesday, a price that includes just under $2 billion in debt.The deal is in many ways a vindication for Kevin Ulrich, the former Goldman Sachs Group Inc. trader who co-founded Anchorage in 2003 and was part of a group of distressed debt investors that took control of MGM as it went through the restructuring process. In recent years the stake looked to be an albatross for the fund, one that came with significant drama in its own right.Ulrich brought in and later fired a high-profile chief executive officer, resisted efforts by activist investor Carl Icahn to take control, and held out for a bigger payday after years of considering various exit strategies. By selling now, as demand for media content from entertainment and technology companies alike is booming, he’s proving his long-held faith in the investment was justified.“There was a lot of maneuvering, a lot of financial engineering,” said Steven Azarbad, chief investment officer at New York’s Maglan Capital, an MGM investor who sold his shares four years ago. “But they’ve done great.”A representative for Anchorage declined to comment.When Ulrich first invested in MGM, he was new to Hollywood. He helped pick Gary Barber, a South African-born producer of films such as “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective” as chief executive officer of the storied but debt-laden studio. Barber brought to the table a shrewd business sense, and connections into a world Ulrich long admired from afar.Barber shepherded MGM’s development of “The Hobbit” franchise, a co-production with Warner Bros., that became a global smash hit. He helmed the release of the James Bond film, “Skyfall,” which generated over $1 billion at the box office, and he revived the studio’s work in television. Barber also brokered a deal to bring on TV super producer Mark Burnett, which gave MGM access to reality show hits like “Survivor” and “The Apprentice,” but would ultimately become personally troublesome.In 2012 the company bought back Icahn’s stock for $590 million. It also filed paperwork for a possible public offering of shares, and considered other options, such as a sale.As Barber boosted MGM’s film and TV pipeline, Ulrich was increasingly entranced by the allure of Hollywood. He became a regular at movie premieres in Los Angeles and New York, and frequented industry parties in the Hamptons and elsewhere. He became active in creative decisions after becoming chair of MGM’s board -- somewhat unusual for a non-executive lacking Hollywood experience -- even getting involved with business granularities like casting.Growing RiftBut over the following years a rift began to open up between Barber and Ulrich. When it was time to renew Barber’s contract in 2017, Ulrich conducted an extensive search for a new CEO. When it ended, he ultimately chose to sign Barber to a new five-year deal. Yet around the same time, the pair split on whether to sell the company, with Ulrich wanting to hang on to the studio and Barber saying it was time to find a buyer.The company would hold buyout talks with Apple Inc. as well as Chinese investors that would ultimately prove fruitless.Only months after renewing Barber’s deal, Ulrich fired him. The shock departure meant the company had to pay Barber for five years of salary and buy out his equity, a package totaling $260 million. In the three years since Barber left, Ulrich hasn’t replaced him, instead operating an “office of the chief executive officer,” comprised of various people that each have their personal vision for MGM.Barber declined to comment via his spokesperson.Bounce BackAfter the initial period of success following the restructuring, the gains became harder to come by, as they did in Anchorage’s overall credit-focused business. Two senior managers left the firm in January 2020, and another in November. Anchorage’s flagship strategy, with about $8.5 billion under management, returned just 0.6% in 2018, 1.5% in 2019 and 4.4% in 2020, according to people familiar with the matter.In December, MGM hired investment bankers for a potential sale.MGM only released one film in theaters in 2020. Its biggest potential hit, the latest Bond film, “No Time to Die,” was pushed from last year to this October as a result of the pandemic.Yet the value of MGM’s library rose as everyone from media companies to technology giants have sought to build video streaming platforms that can compete with industry leader Netflix Inc. Earnings jumped 48% last year, to about $307 million, even as sales declined.Anchorage holds a roughly 30% stake in MGM, worth about $2.5 billion in the sale, said people with knowledge of the matter. Anchorage invested around $500 million in the company more than a decade ago. Including the MGM stake, Anchorage’s flagship fund is up 18% this year, the people added. The fund has gained about 8% in 2021 not counting the studio.More stories like this are available on bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2021 Bloomberg L.P.<doc-sep>Some users who upgraded to an iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max over the weekend have reported poor cell and Wi-Fi reception and noticeably slower speeds when comparing their new phones to their older models. According to users on Apple’s support forum, MacRumors forums, and Reddit, the issue appears to be widespread across the country and not limited to any specific carrier. It’s a frustrating issue, especially considering that the iPhone XS is supposed to have significantly faster data speeds on Wi-Fi and LTE compared to the iPhone X, according to data tests conducted by SpeedSmart. There’s even a new antenna line running along the bottom of the phone as discovered by a recent iFixit teardown, which should have helped with reception. “AntennaGate2k18 boys we here now“ User theories have ranged from simple explanations like networks being overloaded to more serious hardware issues echoing the “Antenna-gate” scandal that plagued the iPhone 4 at launch. For now, users are waiting for a software update that will hopefully solve the reception issues. We’ve reached out to Apple for comment and will update when we hear back.<doc-sep>It seems the first week with the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max isn’t as sweet as it should be for some. A growing number of users are reporting poor Wi-Fi and LTE performance with both of Apple’s newest flagships. The problem could be caused by an “antenna issue,” one report claims. The iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max should have better connectivity than any other iPhone. Both handsets feature three new radio technologies: 4×4 MIMO, QAM, and LAA — which should mean faster and more reliable performance on Wi-Fi and cellular networks. That’s certainly the case for most users, who are enjoying faster download and upload speeds. For some, however, connectivity could be better. iPhone XS and XS Max connectivity woes Users are taking to online forums like Reddit and Apple Support Communities to complain about poor Wi-Fi and LTE performance. It seems their new devices have trouble maintaining connectivity — even thought their previous iPhones worked just fine. “I’m in the same boat, in places where my iPhone 7 Plus and iPad (2017) are able to connect to the 5ghz network just fine, the XS has trouble,” explains one user. “It only shows two bars and doesn’t maintain the connection that well. Really disappointing.” “Same here on my XS (not Max),” writes another. “My X connected to 5ghz all the time, but even right next to my access point, the phone is kicking over to 2.4ghz. I suspect I’m going to have a tough time when I go to the office tomorrow and we have a 5ghz only network.” Could this be caused by buggy software or faulty hardware? Andrew Shepherd of the networking blog WiWavelength believes he may know the answer. ‘Antenna issue’ could be to blame Shepherd has analyzed the radio frequency performance of the iPhone XS and XS Max using the lab test measurements disclosed in their FCC authorization filings. Some of the data raises “potential red flags,” he explains. “Now, both iPhone XS and XS Max this year incorporate four antennas operational across many but not all bands. That antenna diversity in and of itself is a good thing. “However, even with the four antennas — and possibly because of the four antennas crammed inside — antenna gain is universally negative. And simultaneous transmission from multiple antennas is not possible due to a ‘break before make’ switching mechanism among the antennas.” This is particularly concerning for those with weaker cellular or Wi-Fi connectivity. Apple may be able to fix the problem with software Shepherd notes that a software update could fix this problem. “Yes, iOS revisions and/or carrier updates can tweak the way the baseband modem interacts with wireless networks at large. And, from an end user perspective, this can improve (or degrade) perceived performance,” he writes. “However, what software cannot do is update physical qualities locked in during design and manufacturing.” If a software update doesn’t work, then, the only real fix for this issue would be a hardware alteration. Apple obviously isn’t going to recall all iPhone XS and XS Max units and make that alteration, so affected users would either have to live with it or downgrade. Via: 9to5Mac<doc-sep>
As is the case every year, some iPhone XS early adopters are reporting issues with their new device. Since the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max were released last week, a handful of users have taken to Reddit and Apple’s Support Forums to complain of poor Wi-Fi and cellular connections on both of Apple’s new iPhone models. One user writes on Apple’s Support Forums: I’m in the same boat, in places where my iPhone 7 Plus and iPad (2017) are able to connect to the 5ghz network just fine, the XS has trouble. It only shows two bars and doesn’t maintain the connection that well. Really disappointing, for now I’ve switched to the 2.4ghz network on the XS. I hope Apple can fix this with a software update. Another user on Reddit says explains that they had their original iPhone XS Max swapped by Verizon, only to discover the replacement unit had the same LTE connectivity issues: Previously had 8 plus. My house has always maintained 2 bars of lte with occasional drop to a solid 1 bar. Never had disconnect issues, could still watch videos on that 1 bar, etc. now have xs max and mostly have 1 bar. Occasionally 2. Occasionally zero and searching for service. Very disappointed and a noticeable negative difference. I thought I had a defective device and had Verizon swap it out today. New unit has the same issues. I love this screen but I may have to downgrade back to my 8 plus. Networking blog WiWavelength today explains that lab measurement show the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max feature disappointing radio frequency performance compared to preview iPhone models. WiWavelength says that the performance problems some users are experiencing are caused by an “antenna issue,” specifically related to weak antenna gain. As for whether or not this can be fixed via a software update, the blog says that iOS updates and carrier updates can change how baseband modems interact with networks: Some have proposed that, if necessary, an Apple firmware update or two will sort this out. Yes, iOS revisions and/or carrier updates can tweak the way the baseband modem interacts with wireless networks at large. And, from an end user perspective, this can improve (or degrade) perceived performance. One possible software fix would be to increase conducted power, but WiWaveLength says that this is unlikely as Apple is already applying “conducted power somewhat liberally.” Ultimately, a hardware fix would be the most optimal solution, but that is of course nearly completely out of the question for Apple this late in the game. Thus, WiWavelength says it’s likely worth waiting to see just how much and how often these radio issues affect users. However, on the flip side, many users are seeing faster data speeds with the iPhone XS thanks to three new radio technologies into the iPhone XS: 4×4 MIMO, QAM and LAA. More than anything, it seems that cellular performance with the iPhone XS is going to vary largely depending on where you live, but it’s certainly clear some users are experiencing connectivity issues in areas with weaker signals. Are you experiencing LTE and Wi-Fi performance issues with the iPhone XS? Let us know down in the comments. Subscribe to 9to5Mac on YouTube for more Apple news: FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More. Check out 9to5Mac on YouTube for more Apple news: