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iPhone 4S dropping network and data at random

Hi,

I've been using an iPhone 4 on a Vodafone contract for the past 16 month and just bought an iPhone 4S direct from Apple. It arrived on Friday morning and I got it set up correctly as far as I can tell.

When I first turn it on, it works lovely and exactly as I would expect, able to make calls, send texts and access the internet via the cellular network. However, at what appears to be random, the network will disappear (no bars of signal) stopping me making calls and texts, but still allowing me to access the internet. Sometimes, the Internet goes, but I can still make calls and texts. Other times, everything is gone and I get "No Signal" where it normally says Vodafone UK.

So when trying to fix this problem after it's noticed, I try putting it into Airplane mode and back out. The phone scans for a network and goes back to the same state as before I tried this fix. I have tried resetting network settings, but this doesn't change anything. The only thing that actually fixes it temporarily is turning the phone right off and back on again.

At this stage I assume this is a bug with the software, but I wondered if anyone else is experiencing anything like this? If no one is, I will take it up with Apple, but I don't really want to do that as I love the new phone so much!!

Cheers, Stuart

iMac (late 2009), Mac OS X (10.6.3), 27" i7 Quad-Core, 4GB RAM, 1TB HDD

Posted on Oct 16, 2011 2:53 AM

1,022 replies

TJroksta

Level 1

15 points

Nov 12, 2011 6:13 AM in response to Stuart Mchattie

yea i have been having the same problem even though I dont have a sim pin. iPhone 4s is great and all but its been disappointing me ALOT!

Nov 12, 2011 6:24 AM in response to Benpalmason

strange !

Nov 12, 2011 6:27 AM in response to Stuart Mchattie

32GB has a Model number MD245FB Firmware is 1.0.13 working fine except battery drain

16GB has Model number MD239FB Firmware is also 1.0.13

I want to add that disabling the SIM pincode did not change anything !

Nov 12, 2011 6:26 AM in response to rubeschinsky

@rubeschinsky: mine is 32GB and exactly same model nr, firmware and GSM operator as you... so the problem seems to be completely random... 😟

Nov 12, 2011 6:42 AM in response to cjbiom

I had the same issue in Montreal, Canada and got it exchanged after 24 hours. They new one is working perfectly and hasn't dropped the signal once.

Nov 12, 2011 7:01 AM in response to Benpalmason

Model Number: MD235B (4S, 16GB, Black)

Modem Firmware: 1.0.13

as i said before, was working fine until the 10th. I don't believe that hardware would fail in this way to cause this problem especially not with so many people at around the same time.

Frustratingly friends who have the Iphone 4s are all using other networks so we can't swap sims around to test the handsets. Thus far i am the only one in our group to be experiencing these problems.

Spoke with the vendor i bought the phone from today (Carphone Warehouse) and they're washing their hands and telling me to approach Apple direct. very annoying.

Nov 12, 2011 8:23 AM in response to Stuart Mchattie

same problem

posted here yesterday...

firmware 1.0.1.3

ios5.0.1 = FAIL!!!!!

ed_got

Level 1

0 points

Nov 12, 2011 8:32 AM in response to panzert4

Panzert4,

Tele2 gave me a new phone, which I got this morning. I disabled the sim pin request before putting the sim in the new one. Did the set up as a new phone with the "no pin" sim. Tested for a while, and it worked without any problems.

Reluctantly upgraded to 5.0.1 and it still working!!!

Regards,

Kosiak

Level 1

0 points

Nov 12, 2011 9:27 AM in response to Stuart Mchattie

Hi,

I have bought 4S in London - came back to Lithuania and has exactly the same problems with "Call failling" and "Undelivered SMS at the end".

I have tried to use 2 different GSM carriers - it`s not working, boths are failing.

Definately, it`s iPhone 4S software bug.

Model: MD239B, Modem firmware 1.0.13.

I can not use it like a phone at all.

Does anybody know, if I have a chance to replace this iPhone here in Vilnius/Lithuania (it it`s bought in London).

There are no any AppleStore here. Only some local official dealers of Apple products.

Looking for comments.

/Kosiak

Nov 12, 2011 10:00 AM in response to Stuart Mchattie

Hi from Egypt i have the same issue with my network Vodafone Egypt the network bar at 4 then cannot make a call then drop and searching then no coverage my iphone 4s 16GB latest IOS 5.0.1 (9A405) Modem firmware 1.0.13

vZ10

Level 1

7 points

Nov 12, 2011 10:14 AM in response to Stuart Mchattie

I like my Iphone, but I just can't use it after upgrading. It's just like Ipod with sim card inside.

Apple, do something, please!!!

Dweazer

Level 1

0 points

Nov 12, 2011 10:23 AM in response to Stuart Mchattie

Apple, please let us downgrade to ios 5 at least!!!!!!!

Now we all have a phone we can't use.........

Nov 12, 2011 10:36 AM in response to Stuart Mchattie

I have to say that today I activated "diagnostics- and userdata" (or what it´s called in english, I use swedish)

And one of the logs say: "metricsCCBasebandReset {reason: "modem reset: Call state out of sync"

Whatever that means it propably has something to do with me being unable to make calls and use 3G network. And that does happen several times a day. What do you guys think?

Best regards, Petri

Nov 12, 2011 12:33 PM in response to PetriFromStockholm

I can't even send SMS. With 2-3 bars of signal. Sms fail witg this msg:

metricsCCBasebandReset {

reason: "modem reset: ATCS_TIMEOUT on message for svc=5 client=1 (txid=13 msgid=0x20) [SMS Service]"

Evidently a lot of phones have modem/antenna issues. There are also large threads here where ppl talk about 3G dropouts and battery drainage because of it. I've disabled Cellular Data but that does not help me.

Nov 12, 2011 12:36 PM in response to Benpalmason

Can Apple pls speak upp! carriers just say awaiting answer from apple!

iPhone 4S dropping network and data at random