Many Verizon Wireless customers complain that their iPhone 7 and 7 Plus smartphones frequently drop data and GPS connections, but neither the carrier nor Apple will confirm or deny the reports. Credit: REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson Expensive new smartphones ought to work flawlessly out of the box, but hundreds of Verizon Wireless customers say their new iPhone 7 and 7 Plus phones frequently lose data connectivity and GPS signals. “My phone is saying ‘No Service’ in previously strong-signal areas. Mine has done this about 4 times that I’ve noticed in the past 24 hours. It lasts about 2-3 minutes each time,” wrote MacRumors.com user Mike6367 on a site forum. He is one of many consumers who left related comments. An Apple discussion board also contains similar sentiments. “So, had my new phone for about 4 hours now and have had both GPS and cell service drop at the same time at least 8 times- typically only for about 2 minutes but as I was traveling and using navigation it was very difficult,” wrote user Jaalwine. SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe MacRumors.com alone has about 1,000 entries, and something is clearly going on. Neither Apple nor Verizon have issued statements, but I reached out for comment and if I hear back, I’ll update this post accordingly. Latest Verizon exclusive: iPhone 7 network, GPS issues Customers on other U.S. carriers don’t appear to be complaining about the same issue, so the problem likely isn’t a flaw in Apple’s mobile OS, iOS 10. The issue more likely has to do with some interaction between iOS 10 and Verizon’s software or its network, perhaps a VoLTE-related upgrade it rolled out last spring. Wireless technology is very complex, and many users have potentially troublesome apps on their smartphones, as well. “I’ve noticed that whenever Waze or Google Maps is running the phone loses service every approximately 10 min then goes back to normal after 1 min,” wrote user Determined09 on the Apple forum. “I drove around NYC all day and noticed this disturbing pattern so I called Verizon and they had me reset network settings to no avail.” Toggling airplane mode on and off reportedly restores the connection, according to Gizmodo.com, but some users say they needed to restart their phones to get proper cellular connections. Both Verizon and Apple owe it to their customers to get to the bottom of this problem as soon as possible. It really shouldn’t take a lot of nagging by customers and the tech press to drum up action. Related content opinion Consumers love to hate the companies that deliver pay TV and broadband A survey of thousands of consumers shows that a lack of competition and u201cabysmalu201d customer service make cable companies and ISPs the most disliked industries in the country. By Bill Snyder May 24, 2017 3 mins Broadband Consumer Electronics opinion Get ready to say goodbye to T-Mobile A Japanese conglomerate wants to buy T-Mobile and merge it with Sprint. What a disaster for consumers that will be. By Bill Snyder May 12, 2017 4 mins Small and Medium Business Consumer Electronics Mobile opinion Cunning hack attacks built-in Windows anti-malware software Quick action by Google and Microsoft appears to have put out the fire. But itu2019s another reminder that running old versions of Windows can be dangerous. By Bill Snyder May 10, 2017 2 mins Small and Medium Business Malware Windows Security opinion How to survive a move when your ISP can’t go with you Moving is a huge hassle, but hereu2019s a two-step solution that will keep you connected to the Internet without busting your budget. By Bill Snyder May 05, 2017 4 mins Internet Consumer Electronics Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe