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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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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Oct 15, 2011 4:55 AM

I'm having the same issue... 😟

1,365 replies

Dec 22, 2011 2:09 PM in response to robsdoghouse

PROBLEM FIXED! (Iphone 4S, 16GB, last version of IOS 5.0.1, Vodafone IT, micro sim (not cutted))

The sim-error problem started wiht IOS 5.0.1. I've changed 4 SIMs and restored the iPhone more than 10 times, also with the last version of IOS 5.0.1 (9....6) Error appared 5-10 times a day.I was loosing hope when I read Stephan's post... I've followed his procedure :


<QUOTE>

1. Plug in to iTunes and back up.

2. Hold down the power (top) button and the home (bottom) button together for approx 8 seconds.

3. Release the TOP BUTTON ONLY after 8 seconds. As iTunes begins to restore the phone you can release the bottom button.

4. The phone will go back to the factory settings. You can then restore from your save back up.

</QUOTE>


Now everything works!!! 50hrs and no sim error!!!

Dec 22, 2011 10:07 PM in response to robsdoghouse

Update: I posted about 10 days ago that my daughter's iPhone 4S experienced the feared "SIM FAILURE" popup with "No Service" displayed where "Verizon 3g" normally is displayed. Just to be clear, her phone said "SIM FAILURE"... not "Invalid Sim"...not "No Sim." Not sure that matters, but...


Anyway, in my original post I mentioned that after her SIM FAILURE occurred I asked my daughter when was the last time she totally shut down her iPhone 4S. She said "Never." That meant she had gone over a month where she just put the phone to sleep. During that time she accumulated 30 (I counted) apps listed in her multitasking bar. Besides so many apps in the background, not doing a total shut down also allowed other "nasty things" to accumulate in her phone.


Since that time we have been careful to do a total shut down (hold the home and sleep buttons down together until the sliding Shut Down icon appears at the top of the screen) at least once every couple days.


No SIM FAILURE popups for almost two weeks now.


I am by no means implying that this is the fix. But, hopefully, for a percentage of folks experiencing this diabolical problem this may be a fix that works. Some is better than none.


My understanding is that there are many, many things that can cause the messages "NO SIM," "SIM FAILURE," "INVALID SIM," etc. That is why this issue is probably such a difficult one to fix. Let's hope Apple gives us a holiday present soon with a REAL fix for this issue.

Dec 23, 2011 3:38 AM in response to robsdoghouse

Guys the problem is on some hw/sw device components. I went in an Apple store, changed my previous phone with a new one (with 5.0.1 - 9A405 on board) and I have now a completely different phone: faster, long-life battery, and above all no SIM errors. I believe that maybe there is a bunch of bugged devices around with some technical defects (5.0.1. itunes upgrade procedure, sim slots, or whatever...). Apple would be much more honest in recalling the wrong phones and to replace them... 😠 They well know what are affected by those issues!

Dec 23, 2011 3:45 AM in response to Vicking71

I agree with Vicking71.


After this endless journey of trying patches, new SIM Cards, reboots of all kinds without ever solving the issue, I receive a new iPhone 4S via Applecare yesterday.


- The new one came with iOS 5.0.0 ⚠

-> Ran OK for half a day


- Did the update to 5.0.1 OTA (so to the unpatched version)

-> Ran OK for several hours


- Did the update to 5.0.1 iTunes (the *patched* version)

-> Running _still_ OK 🙂


Battery is at 70% now. I loaded it the last time around 16 hours ago. Did some phone calls, text messages and have it on WLAN.


No problems and it really feel like a different phone. However, I think Apple would have recalled some phones if they really nailed the issue. But since they still have bug reports open in regard to iOS 5.0.1. and the SIM Card error, it sound they not 100% convinced what is really causing the issue.


However, for me and others the new iPhone did it. I hope those having problems will get a solution soon as well.


Happy Holidays.


./Stefan

Dec 23, 2011 8:08 AM in response to Mr. Luigi

P.S. With regard to my recent post about TOTALLY shutting down the iPhone on a regular basis I wanted to add some specifics. Instead of keeping my daughter's phone in sleep mode and plugged in every night to recharge, every other day or two we plug the phone in and THEN totally shut it down for the evening recharge. (If you shut down first and then plug the phone in to its charger it starts back up and you have to shut down again.)


I know this defeats the evening auto-backup, but in my daughter's case I believe she doesn't need to backup her phone every night.


OK, that's it. Again, this "fix" may only work for a small percentage of users. But...

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

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