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

lolerby

Level 1

4 points

Nov 14, 2011 11:52 AM in response to lolerby

P.S. The new sim card also fixed the strange behavior when the ejected SIM was not detected as missing, and still showed the operator name and network bars.

nesse10

Level 1

0 points

Nov 14, 2011 12:04 PM in response to ed_got

@ed_got

Nice to hear that your problems are out of the way, I will receive my replacement phone from Apple on thursday and hopefully it will be ok, but my hopes are not that high.

The people at tele2 are fully aware of the signal issue and as I was told they have intense communications with Apple in order to fix it. How long it will take no one knows

nesse10

Level 1

0 points

Nov 14, 2011 12:13 PM in response to hejo82

@hejo82

I really do not think this is only tele2, as the lataet info I got was that according to Swedish standards we only use the 32k sim.

So that should apply for the other carriers as well.

"we do not have the sufficient technic to be able to use mobile modem sim in our phones in the current phone network"

That is really strange when countries like Egypt and turkey can offer 64 and even 128k to their customers!!!

Nov 14, 2011 12:16 PM in response to nesse10

hahaha come to Egypt and enjoy your iPhone

nesse10

Level 1

0 points

Nov 14, 2011 12:23 PM in response to nesse10

So that means that we will not have any benefit from the Iphone 4s 4g capability as even if they manage to fix the signal issue we will be stuck on 3g standard:(((

Bye the way, every one in here, be sure to go in to this link and share your expeinces on this facebook page so that more people can be aware of it

https://www.facebook.com/cnetukofficial?sk=app_221532061194252#!/cnetukofficial? sk=wall

Nov 14, 2011 1:54 PM in response to nesse10

what you mean by "countires like"

Nov 14, 2011 9:04 PM in response to Stuart Mchattie

Is anybody here experiencing this problem while using a genuine Micro SIM (rather than a SIM which has been cut down by hand or by punch from a larger size)?

Nov 14, 2011 9:17 PM in response to Wibbly le Mönde

@Wibbly - yes, official Optus MicroSIM.

Nov 14, 2011 9:33 PM in response to Stuart Mchattie

Have anyone contacted Apple Support recently on this problem? and if so what was there feed back on this issue?

f()ks

Level 1

0 points

Nov 14, 2011 10:27 PM in response to Stuart Mchattie

I am using iPhone 4S in T-mobile network in Slovakia and the same problem applies. I can not receive calls. The phone is like turned off even that it is switched ON and in network. Is it software issue?

lolerby

Level 1

4 points

Nov 14, 2011 11:46 PM in response to lolerby

P.P.S. Got a single Call Failed this morning - similar symptoms, but it resolved itself much faster, and afterwards everything was working fine, much better than with the previous cut-out-yourself SIM.

I'll (hopefully) be trying another MicroSIM today, so we shall see.

kitfr

Level 1

0 points

Nov 15, 2011 3:31 AM in response to nesse10

@nesse10

I have Telia and my sim is 64k. We also have 128k in Sweden but the operators only use them with BankID. Telia don't have 128k micro-sim though.

My iPhone 4S works great with a 64k sim card from Telia.

Nov 15, 2011 3:55 AM in response to rubeschinsky

Talked with LUXGSM, the guy told me that ALL iPhone 4S users had problems after 5.0.1... They are working with Apple on a "network-level" to find a solution... in the mean-time he offered me a sim-adapter to put my micro-sim card into an old phone 🙂

ronnie73

Level 1

9 points

Nov 15, 2011 5:19 AM in response to Stuart Mchattie

Hi,

I'm actually in Lebanon and I got a new MTC Touch micro sim card to use with my (Italian) iPhone 4S 16GB (Modem FW 1.0.13). Everything was working well with the Iphone BUT!!!! after I update it from iOS 5.0 to iOS 5.0.1 I'm not having anymore network (NO SERVICE) sometimes I get for few second and after...again NO SERVICE....so what I should do????...wich kind of update Apple released????

Waiting to see How I can use my iPhone as phone and not as knick-knack or paperweight.

sylver22

Level 1

0 points

Nov 15, 2011 5:58 AM in response to ronnie73

Me to, i think that there is problem on ios 5.0.1, becouse on the 5.0.0 it worked without any problems!

Apple! Please release 5.0.2 version with fixed problems!

There are many people from all over the world, that have the same problem since they updated their iphone to 5.0.1.

Im using iPhone 4s, 32gb.

This thread has been closed by the system or the community team. You may vote for any posts you find helpful, or search the Community for additional answers.

iPhone 4S dropping network and data at random