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

Reply
1,022 replies

Nov 30, 2011 3:04 AM in response to Stuart Mchattie

Hi guys,


So I've been following this particular post ever since I upgraded my iPhone 4S 32 GB factory unlocked to 5.0.1 as like most of you, the signal on my phone would keep dropping intermittently. To make a single call or even to send a text was a tedious job where I needed to first make a call or attempt to make one and the call would fail, the signal would then fall out and subsequenlty return and I had to make the call or send the text within 30 seconds of the signal returning or else I needed to follow the same ritual again.

Being in India, I couldn't even return the phone to Apple here and expect a replacement. Chopped up SIM cards of every service provider but to no avail.

Tired and irritated I decided to give the 5.1 developers beta a go by having my UDID registered with Apple. And to my surprise it worked resolving my problem to a great extent. I have had the signal fail on me 2 times all day instead of a 100 times daily. That gusy for me is a major relief as I don't have to restart my phone again and again.

Please also understand that this may not work for all as I read in a post earlier but I have to say it has for me to a great extent.

Hopefuly it helps some of you guys out there too.

Good luck!

Nov 30, 2011 3:20 AM in response to Stuart Mchattie

I am beginnning to wonder whether my investment in this device was a good one to begin with. 3 times I have had the phone replaced by the provider, to no avail. I still have this problem. This is getting ridiculous!! Does Apple even care ? I do not see this problem acknowledged. I am pretty disgusted with myself...for falling into Apple's trap. "Pay more money , our product is refined, it just works, Android *****, Windows *****" ...I am having a difficult time getting out of this mindset! ****...!!! I need to figure out a way to get out of the Apple eco system and get back to paying sane prices for the products i use. Dman u Apple!

Nov 30, 2011 3:48 AM in response to dmaynard83

ha...changed the phone 3 times here in SIngapore. For the first few days with the phone, I felt the same thing. And then it starts all over again....leaving me back to square one...Every phone I return to the operator had the screen guard applied...lost 30 bucks so far. Just holding out for the Nexus Prime to come here....I will then request the operator to change my phone to the Nexus Prime. Sick of Apple charging so much, giving a defective product and acting like it did us all a great favor by selling us the 4S! And for all decency, it does not even acknowledge the problem. I really believe that Apple thinks that its customers are mindless sheep!!

Nov 30, 2011 4:38 AM in response to Stuart Mchattie

Same problems in Netherlands(Telfort) and after installing 5.0.1

Different sims and restore and all the other stuff didn't work

Fail in network issues


I replaced my iphone with a new one with ios 5.0

As expected everything works now.
i did update my original iphone to 5.1 Beta but that didn't solved the problems.
So i have to wait for a fix in the upcoming commercial 5.1 software before i try to update again

Nov 30, 2011 8:11 PM in response to Stuart Mchattie

Hi everyone.

My name is Marina, I'm 19, I'm from Brazil and I don't even own a 4S. Mine is just the plain ol' 4.

And I am having the EXACT SAME PROBLEMS as you guys. I've called my carrier (TIM Brasil) four times since yesterday and they gave me a 5 day deadline to contact me and tell me if it is their issue or if it is my phone.

I'm done with this. Seriously. I'm about to throw my phone off the window and buy a Blackberry.

My signal wasn't very good before the update (never more than 4 bars of signal), but after I did it, my iPhone seems like an iPod. No one can call me, I don't recieve any text messages and my voicemail is messed up too. Plus, the signal bars jump from 5 to 1 without even touching the phone!

I swear I'm going to get rid of this phone. And I'm not even going to give it to another person, because that would be just cruel. I'm going to smash it so hard untill my anger goes away. I'm done with this BS.

Oh, btw, for those who didn't know: An iPhone 4(NOT the 4S, the 4!) costs R$1700,00 in Brazil, which is about US$950.00 in USA. Seriously, how do you expect me to feel after spending this amount of money on something that does as much for me as a calculator?

P.S.:Sorry for any misspelling.

Dec 1, 2011 1:59 AM in response to ratik

Hey Ratik, this is Arvind from Bangalore. I'm facing similar problems as you are. I got my iPhone 4s on Monday and started having the network problems by evening. I had turn off and turn on the phone to get it worked. Went to the Apple care on Tuesday and got my phone replaced. But now the replaced phone is also behaving the same way. Is this a problem with 5.0.1 or the phone? Even the Apple care people dont know what the problem is. Any help is appreciated! Thanks.

Dec 1, 2011 11:26 AM in response to Stuart Mchattie

Hi i am from Chennai, India. Got the Iphone 4s yesterday and its really frustrating, never had a single call completed successfully. iphone 4 was far better (with a bumper) planning to break this phone into pieces, atleast i`ll get the satisfaction of breaking this piece of ****.,

Dec 1, 2011 2:39 PM in response to Stuart Mchattie

I have the Same Problem.

The network Drops randomly. I deactivated the SIM Pin but this did not change anything.

To overcome the problem sometimes toggling the flight Mode helps. Often this does not help and I have to switch it Off and restart the phone. This is really annoying!


Sometimes it does not even show "no service". Instead it Shows Edge or 3G but no Data is transfered.

Can anyone at Apple please solve this Problem. Its a very annoying One!

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

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.