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

I'm trying firmware 5.1 beta 3 now. I'll keep you informed.

I cannot find a working download link for the 5.1 beta 3...cand anyone help me out? Thanks in advance.

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Well, I had the SIM card failure thing with a prepaid Singtel MicroSIM. **** poor reception and data would work for a couple of minutes after reboot. Calls would drop and eventually would go No Service.

did the restore with the 501/406 thing and it's been working fine ever since. My 4S receives signal fine, data works as it should and calls no longer drop. I consider this "fixed".

Actually, this first cropped up a couple of months ago in Shanghai using a cut China Mobile SIM. I thought it was because it was a cut SIM instead of an iOS issue. Looking forward to trying it out when I return.

Hi Pleistocen, You may have noticed several posts on my part in this discussion informing all that installing iOS 5.1 beta 3 ended my SIM problems immediately on the two iPhone 4S's that were exibiting the flaw. Having said that, my opinion at this point (Feb. 25th) is that it may be prudent to wait for the formal release of iOS 5.1 as many indicators point to a March 7th release of the update...or at least an announcement of its imminent release. March 7th is just over 10 days away and considering this problem has been harvesting justified ill will towards Apple since October of last year...well...10 days seems like a relatively small wait.

I will say this, if the iOS 5.1 update does not bring relief to a good number of folks in this discussion forum (and other discussions on the topic) I would not want to be in Mr. Cook's shoes...or sandels...or whatever he wears. Apple's total silence on this subject has made an extreme inconvenience for its customers an insult to them. As a long time Apple supporter (since the days when the Apple II was first released) I almost find myself being embarrassed by their handling of the SIM problem.

Mr. Luigi

I don't want to push it but hey ho I may as well give an update.

Since receiving a new sim on the 20th Feb and the chip looked noticeably different, I have not had any dreaded sim failures.

I don't get why some solutions work and some don't, it's all the same tech isn't it.

Hopefully the next iOS update fixes it for the rest of you.

I'm on iOS 5.1 beta 3 and am still having problems with my sim card. This has me worried. Maybe the update wont fix the problem after all. I get "Invalid Sim" then if I reset or restart my iphone it becomes "No Sim" error.

The only way is to became a developer...you have to pay 99 or wait until 5.1 is released

IOS 5.1 beta 3 fix the problem for me. More than 30 hours without a problem.

Hi Maria,

Actually, you do not have to become a developer to get the iOS 5.1 beta 3 download...although that is definiftely the standard and Apple Preferred method. In fact, throughout this forum links to the beta download have been posted with directions. No developer credentials needed. However, it does appear that Apple has combed this forum and removed all references on how to get and install the beta software. I won't even bother to repost the link and directions here as I'm sure I'll get spanked by Apple.

I used those links myself to download the beta software. It immediately solved my SIM problems on two iPhone 4S's. I've been SIM problem free for...jeeze...weeks and weeks and weeks now. I am not a developer.

Having said all that, I recommended in my most recent posts to wait for the formal release of iOS 5.1 since the rumors are fairly strong this should occur around March 7th. Considering this problem has been polluting the waters since October of last year, a little over a week seems worth the wait for the final product.

Cheers, Mr. Luigi

Hi hoodwinkedfool,

That is very disappointing news about the lack of efficacy of the iOS beta in removing your SIM problem. You may be one of those iPhone owners for whom the most prevalent cause of the SIM problem, that the beta software seems to effectively address, is not the cause of your problem. Something that is not mentioned a lot in this forum is that SIM problems are actually not a rare issue for cell phones and, unfortunately, can occur due to many, many, reasons. That is why diagnosing them can be so problematic. (Don't get me wrong, I am not excusing Apple's behavior in this particular case. But, it is true that SIM issues can be really difficult to pin down.)

This is just my opinion. If I were you, I would wait for the formal release of iOS 5.1 and do the install. There may have been some tweaking of the software from its beta 3 release and its final release to the general public. If that works...stand up and do a jig. If not, I would go to your local Apple Store and DEMAND a NEW PHONE. Get the link to this forum and bring it with you to show the Genius that your problem was shared by MANY people who have tried eveything under the sun. (There are actually other forums on this same issue. You could drown him/her with supporting evidence if you wanted to include links to those discussions too.) Tell them you tried the new iOS 5.1 software and it didn't work (as it seems to be working in the beta state for many).

If it was me, I wouldn't bother with swapping out SIM cards, blowing the SIM contacts clean, etc. Just demand a new phone and lay prostrate in the middle of the Apple Store until you get that new phone.

Hopefully, Apple's reputation for good customer service will make those last desperate steps unnecessary.

Good luck. We are all pulling for you.

Mr. Luigi

After 2 weeks of waiting (here in Portugal there are no Apple Stores) i have a new iPhone 4S. I'm sure that it is a new and not a refurbished one. It has ios 5.0.1. Let me see how it works and if the problem is solved.

That is good for you coz you bought it at a carrier which is recognized by Apple in Manila, how about us who bought it from someone else or ordered it from a seller? You know how it is in the Philippines, there is virtually no customer service unless you bought the item from either Globe or Smart. I guess we have to wait until the 5.1 release. What is 7 more days after all? *sigh*

This may seem like an off topic question, but it actually is spawned from reading a lot of posts from folks who have tried the strategy of getting a replacement iPhone to fix the SIM problem.

Question: In general, is it better to buy your iPhone FROM APPLE...in a Apple Store or via the Apple Online Store. Or, is it better to buy your iPhone from the cell carrier you contract with? Again, this discussion is filled with folks who have tried the strategy of returning their phones for new ones. I think it would be good to know which purchase method is best if you are caught in the unenviable situation of having to return your phone for a replacement.

Thanks for any feedback, Mr. Luigi

P.S. 7 days till we learn just how much attention Apple has given to this SIM issue!

Hi Mr. Luigi,

In Kenya I found the whole process worked out better for me on both price and service outside the appointed dealers. When I first got my IPhone 4 that worked well & when I upgraded to the iPhone 4s I was able to trade back in my previous 4 that I had only had for about 3 months and get a good price for it...it helped that I still had the original packaging which by the way has the original phone serial number & colour Pasted on the back to confirm that what you're getting is the genuine product. I have read cases in this Forrum where people are getting supposedly "new" phone delivered/handed to them over the counter without them being in their original packaging which in all my cases were sealed as from the factory.

Suffice to say I would not accept that all...unless my phone wasn't new & had broken down outside the warranty & I had opted for a refurbished one!

To stay on topic...my experience with my supplier who was not per say an official iPhone dealer even though he supplied th phones with one year warranty, was certainly more personal, better value for money compared to the apointed dealers and effective and when the 4s failed and we both tried what we could he was quick to take it back and give me another new one still in its original casing & sealed at that...which is what I am currently using running on IOS 5.0 without a glitch so far...battery gets drained when I use 3 g but since I can access most other functions without it. I only use it when checking my Emails or surfing the net.

Hope this helps.