Smartlink Issue - any Help?

I have been using Smartlink on my iPhone with no issues over the last couple of months. Today I did a little road trip and when I started it up it said it had been updated. It's now app version A5.0.2, database D4.0.1

So while on the road I connect via the cell service and the audio was very choppy. Not usable at all. I pulled into a rest stop, deleted the app and reinstalled it. This has worked before after an update but not this time. So I pulled up the manual and turned off everthing it said to do. I am using an iPhone 12 Pro so it should have plenty of CPU. I finally gave up and decided I would take a look when I got back home.

After some testing what I found was really strange. I will try to explain. So, in the settings I have the connection type set to both. When I connect to my 6600M via WIFI all is good. Then I turned my WIFI off in the iPhone to be 100 percent sure I was on the Cell network. Plus before I connect I hit the "i" by the connection and looked at the ip address. It was a cell ip as expected. I connected and the audio was still choppy with all the things turned off as it said in the manual.

Now, here is where it gets real interesting and quite puzzling. I then turned the wifi back on. Now remember my connection type in the setting is set to smartlink only now just to be sure. I then start up Smartlink and all I see is the Smartlink connect as expected. I again check the ip address and it's a cell address. Now remember the ONLY difference is I now have WIFI on even though it shouldn't be using it. I then connect to the 6600 and the audio is perfect!! I disconnect, turn WiFi off, reconnect and audio is choppy. I can go back and forth as many times as I want and see the same thing.

Conclusion: Somehow or other it is still using Wifi even when you connect via the Cell service if the Wifi is turned on in your phone. If you turn off WiFi or are out away from Wifi, only on cell service the audio is choppy and not usable. It's either still connecting thru Wifi even though the menu clearly says it's clearly a Smartlink cell connection or it's somehow using both. I can't tell.

Has anyone else seen this? If not can you please try to do what I did? At you house, turn your Wifi off on you phone and connect via Smartlink and see if the audio is choppy. Then turn Wifi back on but still connect thru Smartlink and see if it's good.

Finally, is there anyway I can get back to the old version before this one? I am retired but someone told me it would be fun to drive a school bus. I won't comment on that but during my schools I have a break and play with the radio via Smartlink all the time. Now it looks like I am dead in the water. BTW, in the past I have had choppy audio after an auto app store update. By deleting the app and reinstalling it has always fixed the issue. Not this time.

Sorry for the long post but I want to be as detailed as possible.

Thanks for any help.

Harold

W5ZZT