Sim Card Failure No Sim with iPhone 4S Anyone Else?

Got the new 32GB iPhone 4S today from AT&T, activated the phone was working all morning, I started experimenting with Siri and a couple minutes later the phone was hotter than usual and I get Sim Card failure, and Bad SIM messages. The phone now only says No Sim. I get home take out the SIM card and put it in my previous iPhone 4 and it works just fine. I then put in a blank micro SIM into the new iPhone 4S, but it still says NO SIM. Thinking the SIM reader got fried some how already.



Anyone else have this problem maybe a bad batch out there, or I just got an unlucky lemon?



I made an appointment for the genius bar tomorrow, but I seriously doubt they will have replacement stock of the 4S already. Guess I will find out what my next course of action will be tomorrow trying to get a replacement since new orders are taking 30 days to ship I am afraid I will have to wait awhile to enjoy the new features of my already paid for phone 😟

Posted on Oct 15, 2011 1:53 AM

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1,365 replies

Nov 22, 2011 12:25 AM in response to garnikg

Am In Kenya and my Iphone 4s worked fine without a hitch until one week ago like you when I was asked to upgrade to the 5.0.1 software and all **** broke loose. I agree with your thinking that the problem must be in the software upgrade that has left as I can see from the many comments on this issue somewhat frustrated. Sometimes I guess being so new is not so hot...huh? I did this to honour Steve Jobs work and actually bought the 64GB version cause I don't intend to replace it any time soon....but maybe I should have just been content with the Iphone 4 as most of the running bugs on this had been ioned out...my gurlfriend has a Samsung Galaxy II s and she is laughing at me right now cause my phone cost twice what hers cost and she has almost similar functions like mine and hers still works whilst mine has now gone from hi-tech to some-tech...its like buying your priced Porsche/Lamborghini/Ferrari and driving it home full of pride and joy only for it to start misfiring and being difficult to drive! Unfortunately in Kenya I recently upgraded to the latest Sim Card available because of my previous iPhone 4 not an S.


The more I read peoples comments and the consistency of most would indicate that something on the platform of the new software changed dramatically causing what was meant to be an improvement to become a disease. it would be nice for the guys at Apple to shed some light....and sometimes I wonder if this isn't the result of the Battle raging between Apple and Samsung over paternity rights as Samsung claimed that the 3g sofware Apple was using was their product and after what Apple did to Samsung with the Galaxy Tab in Europe, I wouldn't be surprised if Apple isn't trying to create their own 3G network Application which has gone...HAYWIRE.....but that's just me speculating...and probably throwing in another spanner in the cogworks....what do I know am no techie but a guy who just bought one of the best phones in the world that just so happens to be suffering from the flu right now! Apflu! Hope we get the cure real soon but in the meantime we can enjoy being the centre of the new techie jokes in town where this phone is concerned.😟

Nov 22, 2011 12:50 AM in response to robsdoghouse

iPhone 4S 64 GB Black, purchased in London Apple Store, used in Poland (T-Mobile).


"Invalid SIM" / "SIM Error" issue started appearing a few days ago. It occurs every couple of hours and is almost guaranteed to be in effect in the morning after the phone being switched on all night. We have replaced the T-Mobile PL micro-sim to a new one (not sure about whether it's the latest SIM model though), but this has not helped. The problem is still reoccurring. At this point I am going to do a hard-rest, followed by a restore. I am at a loss at what to do. Don't know if it's hardware issue, software issue (5.0.1?) or SIM card issue.


Did anyone fix their Invalid SIM issue without having to physically replace the phone?

Nov 22, 2011 12:58 AM in response to getresponse

Had Apple (France) on the phone yesterday.


They told me they are aware of the problem and are working on it in conjunction with the operator to find a solution.


They also told me the solution would be to have a SIM replacement, but only after they have solved this problem.

This solution is due to some time next week.


Meanwhile, they offered me a phone replacement beacause I proved that inserting my SIM into another iPhone 4S (with 5.0.1) would not cause any problem.


I am waiting to receive the phone today or tomorrow. Will write here if it solved my case.

Else, we need to wait for Apple to work out a solution with the operators involved.

Nov 22, 2011 1:03 AM in response to brunofromtetange

Interesting. Neither Apple Poland nor T-Mobile PL seem to have any clue about this issue. They're shooting in the dark with random advice like hard reset, clean restore etc.


This is all very weird because this phone (4S 64GB black) worked fine for like a month until I started to get "Invalid SIM" a few days ago. It seems that the intro of this problem was somewhere around the intro of 5.0.1.

Nov 22, 2011 1:43 AM in response to robsdoghouse

I`ve got the same problem on Iphone 4 after upgrade to iOS version 5.0.1 - no inbound calls or sms while iPhone is switched on with locked screen. And Its not a sim card problem, because its working fine in old iPhone3G.

Apple guys, please solve this issue as soon as possible - I cannot use my Iphone4 anymore!!!

P.S. I did upgrade via WiFi. I`ll try to restore iPhone via iTunes, but not sure it will helpfull.

Nov 22, 2011 1:48 AM in response to robsdoghouse

Went to the Apple Store yesterday. They told me to get my provider to give me a new SIM card. I told this to my provider Vodafone, but they asked me to call their tech support first. So i guess i'll do that, they won't solve the problem, but in that way i can get a new SIM card for free, if not they wanted me to pay for it lol.


I haven't had problems since Saturday though, and it is only every now and then I experience this problem. It's very annoying when it happens though.

Nov 22, 2011 3:23 AM in response to robsdoghouse

Just talked to customer support at Tele 2 Sweden.


They are aware of the issue and working with Apple on fixing it. They claim they have no other type of SIM card (according to other posts in this thread, changing SIM card helps, so I guess they mean they don't have any other SIM card type in stock).


The fix will be in form of a software update, so it seems that replacing SIM card will not be necessary once the update is out. They say the update might come this week but it's not sure.


Unsurprisingly, they were quite elusive when it comes to eventual compensations for having basically rented the most expensive iPod ever in lieu of having a working phone... Will also have to call back to get updates... this is promising...

Nov 22, 2011 4:44 AM in response to robsdoghouse

Upgraded from a 3GS to a 4S about a week after it's release (both on Orange UK). Came with new micro-sim and worked fine for about 3 weeks and then got the 'SIM FAILURE' message out of the blue.


Initially no amount of restores and restarts would get the phone working again and once you restore you can't use the phone again, the sim didn't work in my old 3GS after that failure as well. Spoke to Orange who went through everything again and sent me out a new sim card.


New card worked for about 3-4 hours before the error came back, however this time I could re-boot my iPhone and it would work again fine for 2-3 hours at a time.


Spoke to Orange again and they said the phone needed replacing and it had to go through Apple (which I think is a joke as I bought the phone from Orange and they're my retailer... anyway). I've sent my phone off to Apple yesterday and I'll wait to see what the problem is, was nervous about sending it back as they said if they can't replicate the problem they'll send the same phone back again!


I guess worse case is I cancel my contract with Orange and get an Android instead... not that I want to but I can't live with this problem. I loved my 3GS and never had a days problem with it, very annoyed by this. I'll update when I hear back from Apple.

Nov 22, 2011 6:27 AM in response to robsdoghouse

So initially my iPhone 4s (black, 32gb, purchase in the uk from apple store on launch day) went "invalid sim" about once per day, switch off and on resolved. Got a new sim from Vodafone, no change. After upgrade to 5.0.1 went "invalid sim" 6 or 7 times per day. Made appointment with apple genius bar (40 mins drive away), took screen shots every time it happened for a couple of days, showed apple guy the screen shots, he replaced the phone immediately. No problems since (5 days).

Nov 22, 2011 6:53 AM in response to harmanfromtoronto

if the airtel sim card is 64KB (their micro sim cards are 64 KB), then you will have this problem. Exchanging the card for a 128 KB card which Airtel has (it is a mini sim card, which will have to be cut to micro sim size) will sort the issue immediately. It is likely that the next ios update may sort the issue too, but for immedaite results, change to 128 KB Sim Card. All the best

Nov 22, 2011 7:17 AM in response to robsdoghouse

Got the same problem here with 4S provided by Orange France and with the micro sim from my iPhone4. Things got better(actually everything was fine) when I switched off the SIM Pin Code but the problem came back since I upgraded to 5.0.1. I restored, rebooted, reinserted my SIM card multiple times but can't get rid of the problem. A friend of mine got his MicroSim the same day I did (back in June 2010) and got his 4S 5 days ago (upgrade from iphone 4) : he never had a single problem.

I called Apple France they told me they never heard of this problem and that I should get a new SIM before sending back my phone. I'll get my new SIM in 48H, if it doesn't solve the problem I will try to get my iPhone replaced. Once some tech guy at Orange told me that this is a known problem but it looks like few people a informed.

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Sim Card Failure No Sim with iPhone 4S Anyone Else?

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