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

Hi Jainash,

We went to Apple yesterday who were awesome and happily gave us a replacement handset.

It is so fantastic to have this level of support for a product, really gives buying confidence.

Anyway, as I told the Apple Genius that morning, I did an "erase all content and data" reset because I had still not managed to get the sim/phone to work all week and once I did that it wanted to reactivate.

It took a couple of inserts before it actually saw the sim and activated but once it did it started working really well, and in fact worked perfectly all day til we took it into Apple (of course).

So when we showed it to the Genius I told him this and he gave us the option, but after a full week of intermittant operation we decided to go with a new handset.

He loaded our sim into the new one and this now works perfectly. It's been about 18 hours, and has been charged over night and still no sign of the dreaded "Invalid Sim" message.

So for optus post paid sims, I recommend getting a new handset mostly, but you could try a "erase all data/content" reset and do another activation as this seemed to make our old one work.

I'll keep checking back here for updates on the issue. Cheers.

Some German T-Mobile customers are experiencing the same problems described in this thread. The cause of their problems is an old Infineon chip on the SIM. T-Mobile started swapping the SIM's. T-Mobile Germany FAQ

Since I'm having the exact same problems on Vodafone I need to figure out if they use the same old Infineon chip.

The sim card is not the problem, nor is it the seating of the card in the tray. In fact I do not believe it is hardware related at all. I suspect that it might be a software issue; possibly in the version of iOS 5 that is pre-installed. One poster re-installed it and that fixed the problem for them. I have tried several sim cards (some old and some brand new) that all fail. All of them work in the old 4. As I had already sent the handset back before I read the post, it was too late to try it. They are sending me a new handset and will try that the re-install if I still get sim failure.

ℹ Background: Using a States model - ATT. 4Gs I have luxury of having old micro SIM card. But have same issue as is happening to a lot more folks than previous generation phones in my experience.. Was working for a couple of hours after initializing through Apple. My AT&T account looks good.

Problem: But now the phone, SIM card failure, then restarting, NO SIM CARD, no phone number etc.

Resolving: Instead of trying the reseat approach, based on the latest discussion,like yours, I will stick in my old iPhone 4 SIM Card. Even though this might cause some account/billing issues, such as No service... it should help isolate the problem, as this seems to be a hardware or firmware issue based on IOS 5 as far as I can tell. I will update this, for better or for worse.

If another Apple device savy tech can share a good link with me and save many like-minded enthusiasts; such as "don't waste your time and head to AT&T store, or better yet a fix --appreciated..." 😀

What I can confirm is that the Problem is Not Network related: I have a SIM Card from the German Provider O2, I am currently in a Business Trip in the US, using the AT&T Network is Creating the Some Problems.

On the Other Hand my iPad 1 3G which I upgrated on the same ios5 Release (5.0. 9A334) Works Fine! The difference between both devices is the baseband Chip, the iPhone 4s uses the Qualcomm mdm6610 and the ipad1 the Infineon Gold. Therefore my conclusion is that the Problem is a low Level driver of the mdm6610. What I read is that the iPhone 4 with ios5 also Works Fine, this device is also using a different baseband Chip: The GSM Version also the Infineon Gold and the CDMA Version a different Chip by Qualcomm. The iPhone 4s is the only device which uses the mm6610, which is a combined CDMA and GSM baseband processor.

If I am right Apple will have to provide a Firmware Update to fix the Bug. The Worst Case would be a Hardware Bug on the mdm6610 but in this Case an Exchange of the iPhone would Not be successful.

Nevertheless I don't understand why an Exchange of the iPhone 4s should work - does Apple deliver a New Firmware Already? My Modem Firmware is 1.0.11. Can anybody Check If an Exchanged iphone 4s (which Works Fine) has another version number?

frank140 wrote:

"Therefore my conclusion is that the Problem is a low Level driver of the mdm6610. ...The iPhone 4s is the only device which uses the mm6610, which is a combined CDMA and GSM baseband processor.

If I am right Apple will have to provide a Firmware Update to fix the Bug. The Worst Case would be a Hardware Bug on the mdm6610 but in this Case an Exchange of the iPhone would Not be successful.

Nevertheless I don't understand why an Exchange of the iPhone 4s should work - does Apple deliver a New Firmware Already? My Modem Firmware is 1.0.11. Can anybody Check If an Exchanged iphone 4s (which Works Fine) has another version number?

Agreed regarding network issue, as I much as I heart ATT 😝

The low level driver or firmware(hopefully) sounds like the cause; as you alluded to, my iPad 2, no problems. I have setup perhaps 200 of these things since the 3rd generation, and this is the first time I have bitten by this bug.

In the States, I have the same modem firmware. Of course, over wifi and NOW! ➕ everything is copasetic .

Before listing the solution that has worked for me for a short while anyway, here are my unique variables: Exchange wise, we are on Exchange 2010. But yes, same modem firmware, same IOS Everything is working as it should in every aspect. I also use Lion, I also procurred the iPhone through Apple, who then pushed me to AT&T's site.

I had suspended my account, while waiting, went online and reactivated today upon receiving it. I noticed that the AT&T site said I still had the iPhone 4, and I was no longer eligible to get discount phone for approx 2 years. Plugged in my iPhone to iTunes as per norm, at which time it activated it fine, all worked good. Confirmed my ATT account reflected the new device as well... A few hours later I posted here, after some texts and a nap.

Hard reset didn't help. Putting in the older sim card(which was not deactivated) gave the predictable No Service availible message. Most importantly, not the SIM card error noted. I still went ahead and loaded my backup onto it. Still in iTunes, as within the phone, it didn't have provisioing/account tied to the older SIM card.

Took extra care in placing the original SIM back in based on people's past experiences. Did a hard reset --all good. Went into iTunes, did a local backup, instead of the iCloud backup. Assuming that this works, my conclusion is that it's same issue that has affected other folks with getting a snugfit with their micro SIM card, or else, there is a security/IOS issue that is running and failing at same point. Likewise, the mm6610 dual baseband conclusion you mentioned, is highly likely.

Though I can't speak for your Exchange variables, I am hopeful that you will be fine there, as I was setting up some of these new phones, and mgrating them in my IT enviroment last week, where we still have some users using ActiveSync through exchange 2007 EWS

ℹBased on both of those conclusions, I went ahead and toned down my phone, that is to say. I disabled much of the iCloud backups, and large data transfers. I noticed iTunes defaults to iCloud device backups, so ---million of people soon will be backing up many gigs. I disabled bluetooth. I didn't disable WiFI, which could also be confusing the chip. I went through and tried to limit apps, updates and what not, based on the intermittent nature of people's complaints, in hopes of not confusing the IOS regarding some security feature they need to patch, and likewise. Also I disabled almost every option inmy apps that gave an option to sync data not using WiFi. I did not turn off Location Services. In particular I turned off icloud's synching of email, to cause less traffic on AT&T's network, however I still left my three email accounts on PUSH, all of this in hopes of not confusing whatever firmware may be in; apparently ALL new iPhones, and triggering a lower level security check that may cause this issue as well.

So if driver issue or IOS, whatever the case, IOS, iCloud all that stuff is very very data intensive, and I'm sure hardwre and network engineers on both sides have added new variables to keep people like me, with grandfathered unlimited data plans, and the trend of everyone doing the tethering scenario, in conjunction with providers getting ready to let people buy unlocked phones soon. One bothersome feature they took away was the ability to turn off 3G, as this would have been a good test. Again, that points to the mm6610...

➖ The best guess by this hippo is that something triggers a shutdown of this SIM card, on the device end. Whether it's a poor driver or a security check that is getting triggered I don't know. Until then I won't feel satisfiend until there is an update that explicitly addresses this issue. I have never seen this many people complain of this error, so early, and Apple doesn't have it's techs play dumb on the phone without reason...

Good luck to rest of you.

Meanwhile I read in several Forums that People have Exchanged their iPhone 4s in a Apple store and the New phone is working with the Same SIM Card they used in the Trouble phone!

If the Hardware is still the Same Apple MUST have Changed Some Software in the New Phones otherwise there is no Reason that they work Fine.

If they did so the Following questions have to be answered:

1) Which Part of Software was Exchanged (Updated) by Apple in the New Phones?

2) Why isn't there an Official Update available?

Assumed that there is no change in the Software there is only One - nearly unbelievable - Explanation available: Apple and Qualcomm discovered a Bug in the mdm6610 but didn't want to postpone the delivery of the iPhone 4s again (and of course Save Money). So they Decided to deliver the Phones with the buggy Chip anyway. Meanwhile Qualcomm fixed the Bug and Starting with Day xyz Bug-Free Chips have been manufactured. Let's assume that 4 Mio. Buggy mdm6610 have been manufactured, in this Case 4 Mio. Iphones 4s may fail. Starting with the delivery of iPhone 4s 4 Mio.+1 (which now includes a Bug-Free mdm6610) there will no more Problems occur which could explain that Exchanged iphones 4s work Fine.

In this (Unlikely?) Case everybody who ownes a phone with a buggy Chip would have to Exchange it - or Apple and Qualcomm find a fix how to make the phone working Despite the buggy Chip.

Update:

I am in the UK on Orange network. Got my iphone 4s 32g on day of release (well done Apple). After registering my sim, I got the dreaded "sim failure" message and "invalid sim" for network status. I turned phone off and to reboot phone. Got onto Orange, they said it was Apple. Got onto Apple, they said it was Orange!! I reset settings on iphone, still got error message. Arranged for replacement sim. After 4 days the replacement arrived. I treated the replacement sim like gold dust making sure I placed it in the metal tray very carefully. What I will say is that the previous sim card was cut very close to one edge so that may have had a bearing on it. Activated new sim on Thursday night, it is now Sunday afternoon and (touch wood) I have not had the error message since then and everything is working as it should.

Will come back to this thread if message appears again.

Status Update:

So, after getting replacement sim from AT&T around 4PM Thursday, the 4s has had no further occurrences of the sim problems. Before replacement I got the "invalid sim" mesage twice; each after about 1 hour. The replacement sim was new and the AT&T store person put it in the phone (carefully).

So I have been up and running with no further occurrences for over 48 hours.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

I have same issue with Sprint 32g white iPhone 4s and no service. In last 24 hours had no service twice with message No SIM. I have a Sprint phone and should not need a SIM card. I can get service back with a reboot but I don't trust my phone now as I have missed some important calls. Only have phone for 3 days. Went to the Sprint store and they want me to take a screen shot when this happens again. They also put me on the list for a new phone incase this happens again.

Just finished reading everyone's posts. Here is one to add, and why I think this is a sim card problem and not hardware problem. I owned an iphone4. My wife owned a 3gs. She was able to upgrade, I wasn't. Long story short, on Saturday, we upgraded her phone to a 4s (activated it in store), and when we got home, I switched sim cards. Voila, both of us now have upgraded iphones (I'm sporting the 4s-white-32gig, she has my 1 yr old 4). Fast forward 29 hrs.

She gets a "no sim card" error in the upper left. My 4s is still going strong (cross fingers/knock on wood/other anti-jinxing mechanisms). The 4 has never had problems and was robust as can be over the 1+ years I used it. The 4s, so far is using my old sim card and is flawless.

I reseated the sim in the 4 after blowing on it and the slot. Seems to have fixed it for now, but if it gives me an issue again, I'm planning on getting a new sim from ATT.

Good luck all.

So I got an appointment at the Genius Bar this AM. The guru had no specific answer for the problem but surmised that it could be a sim problem. He did not dismiss the possibility of it being software related but he has not heard this from Apple.

I have a personal issue going on such that there is no way I can be without phone over the next few days. Since my 4s problem is very intermittent (3X over 4 days) and always recovers with a re-start, I do not want to replace this with new 4s which, based upon this board,could be worse.

So, my plan is to live with situation for a few days and if I get in real jam, revert back to old 3G (I would have to have AT&T switch their records for sim card number).

If sim issue does not get worse, I will wait for next IOS update to see whether this fixes things. Otherwise I will swap for new 4s w/ Apple. They said that would not be a problem anytime within a year.

If it helps anyone here. I got the 16Gb ATT on launch weekend and had no problems.

Then I upgraded yesterday and got the 64GB and started having the no sim error today.

Called applecare and they said take it to genius bar and they'd replace it.

tinkered abit with it and found that if i took my wifes micro sim from her 4 and put it in it works but mine wont work in hers. On close inspection the copper contacts on the new sim are smaller than on the old. Don't think that would make a difference but it is undoubtably a different type of sim card

(looks like ATT tried to save a couple cents by shaving off a couple millimeters of copper, bad ATT ➖)

Given that I think I'm going to try to go to ATT before my genius bar appointment tomorrow.

SUMMARY:

Old SIM (from wifes iPhone 4) works in iPhone 4s

New SIM (that came with 4s) doesn't work in iPhone 4

Update: My 4S progressively got worse over the first 48 hours until it could no longer recover from the No Sim error. Apple geniuses had no answer. A new sim from AT&T worked immediately and has now performed flawlessly for over a week.

hi,

i bought the iPhone 4s in silicon valley 2 sundays ago.

The $400 version, because that was all that was left. The $400 version, because that was all that was left.

Since then it was giving occasional "No SIM" messages.

Finally tonight (Monday, Oct 24, 2011) it only says "No SIM" on top left corner, and in a popup window.

I've shut it down, restarted, taken out the SIM card, put it back, restarted. Same error message.

Have to take off from work now to drive to an ATT store to convince the minimum wage clerk to replace the SIM card.

Thanks Apple.

I should have cut my losses with the Apple ][gs lack of support.