My partner has been getting insistent messages from Telstra telling her she must upgrade her ‘phone and they won’t allow triple O calls and won’t support the ‘phone. My ‘phone and hers are identical iPhone 11s running the latest operating systems, and I have had none of these messages. I know there were issues with old ‘phones running on the 3G network, but we are on the G4 network. But our ‘phones can hardly be called old. Telstra seem unwilling to help.
The model number of the phones may be different, or your wife’s phone is a foreign model such as one designed for the US. One can check compatibility here:
The age of the phone does not necessarily give guidance to compatibility. This has been discovered by some Samsung phone owners where some fairly recent phones have been identified as having 000 calling issues. These phones can’t be updated and have been a subject of another thread within the community.
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This is a somewhat credible explanation.
Investigation could involve knowing whether they were bought at the same time at the same place.
Indeed. I just Telstra-checked a spare iPhone 8 and Telstra gave it a tick.
It seems unlikely that Apple managed to do 000oLTE correctly in the iPhone 8 but somehow lost the ability in the iPhone 11. However, as @phb says, bugs do happen. 
Note that when using the Device Capability Checker, there is no need to call *#whatever to get the IMEI. Just use Settings / General / About and scroll down to IMEI.
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iPhone 11 is a product name. There is also a model number; check if both phones are the same model. GSMArena shows iPhone 11 includes models A2221, A2111, A2223. How each might differ I do not know. If they are different models that could explain it.
Step one is to make sure both phones are the same model (about device in Android). Checking IMEIs is something of a gold standard in what the telcos ‘see’ as the phone.
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And to forestall the next question (since it is obscurely non-obvious) … to get the model number, use Settings / General / About and you will see “Model Number” with some meaningless letters and numbers next to it. Touch the meaningless letters and numbers and they will change into the model number.
Then the OP and wife can see whether they have the exact same model.
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Some useful responses there, thanks. Though as an aside, you have to wonder how Apple and/or Telstra could possibly encourage planned obsolescence in this day and age.
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I believe that the issue potentially lies with how the 000 system works, now that 3G is no longer in use. Its transition from 3G to 4G possibly wasn’t well managed/planned for by all involved, and now consumers are paying the price.
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But there’s no question about being on 3G. We’re on 4G, always have been. Can’t be anything regarding which Network we are on.
Your phone would have dropped to 3G when 4G signal wasn’t available, but a 3G signal was.
No differently to 5G dropping to 4G (and 3G when it was available) when higher signals weren’t available.
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The 3G network has been switched off. So the ‘phone wouldn’t have “dropped” to 3G.
The ‘phone gets all calls on the 4G network
That’s correct, but before 3G was turned off, the phone would have used 3G and 4G (and 5G if it was a 5G handset).
Since 3G has been switched off, all emergency calls are now through 4G. Prior to that, calls could operate through the 3G network as well.
Connection to the 000 network using 3G wasn’t an issue. It only has become an issue since 3G has switched off and now 000 calls are through the 4G network. Incompatibility arose and many 4G handsets (both older and more recent models) were found not to have the required firmware to make 000 calls, including hunting for any alternative network to make a call where one’s network didn’t have adequate signal to make a 000 call.
The 4G network works differently to past 3G and as I indicated above,
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Unfortunately, your phones are old. Apple support (and can reasonably be expected to support) each model for five years. For goodness’ sake, go to your supplier without delay and upgrade to newer models; they will be only too happy to give a discount for trade-in and/or spread the cost in your plan.
The ‘11’ is indeed a bit old but may have a year or more of life left if the 000 status can be sorted.
Those buying mobiles on a contracted plan are usually paying a premium for what is essentially a payment plan. Some include gratis or discounted upgrades every few years for extending the contract or other perks to keep their customer happy and current.
But not everyone buys a mobile on a plan. Many of us buy them outright, trades not always accepted and when they are the value is usually highly discounted making an upgrade relatively expensive out of pocket.
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Some people blithely assume that everyone has plenty of money to get new ‘phones every few years.
Not so! We’re not all rich-kids. My last ‘phone lasted about 8 years.
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I think it is not so much a matter of being “rich” (and a new phone does not cost “plenty” of money) but doing what is appropriate and of benefit and value to you. An old phone that cannot be supported has no real value and is dangerous. Not only (as we have heard lately) will you not be able to dial 000 but old lithium batteries can be unstable, spontaneously combust and hold less or very little charge rendering your phone completely useless in an emergency. The message from telcos, manufacturers and governments is clear, get a new phone….Now. Keeping a phone for more than 5 years is both unwise and potentially dangerous.
Yes, haha. I’ve been using Lithium batteries for about 20 years, ever since they’ve become available commercially. The misunderstanding is that the safety aspect is all about bad handling and bad charging, not what they actually are (the chemistry). Another scare tactic by manufacturers and people with little actual knowledge, which sucks people in, resulting in too much toxic landfill and wastage. But the manufacturers make more money. Conveniently. Excuse my scepticism, but I’ve watched it happening for too many decades!
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Exactly. Basically, there are 2 types of commonly-used lithium ion batteries….cobalt and iron phosphate….the latter being more stable and more recyclable. The drawback is that they are larger and heavier which is why Tesla opts for cobalt technology. They may be scare tactics but the scare is real. Unfortunately there are plenty of DIY Wallys out there who give the technology a bad name when things go wrong…I have seen some pretty appalling YouTube hack videos of idiot know-it-alls giving tips on how to save money by reviving a depleted battery off another via a 15 amp direct AC supply…what the???!!!
They don’t…. but there is a reason that iPhone models vary depending on the territory they were intended to be sold in!
And, the reason? …
Each country mobile networks operate slightly differently to another. They use different spectrum (radio wavelength), have different regulations and functional operations.
An example is what is being discussed here. The 000 calling system is designed for Australia, based on Australian conditions and regulations. It isn’t universally adopted worldwide, which means a phone designed to operate in another country may not have the functionality needed to meet Australian requirements for making 000 calls.
Edit: This recent post by @PhilT highlights the spectrum differences between countries and impact of using a phone designed for use in one country, in another country.
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