Q: iPhone 4S dropping network and data at random

Hi all,

Since I got my new iphone yesterday I haven't got any network drop but I had a 2 problems, one when I wanted to send SMS messages it failed to send but after trying for several times and after switching the airplane mode it finally worked, the 2nd one is the battary drainage is very fast so I don't think it will last for a day without charging.

more information about the iphone:

Version: 5.0.1 (9A406)

Model: MC922LL

Modem Firmware: 1.0.14

What do you think guys?

I have to admit at first the "tape" idea sounded a little bit ridiculous.  To think that the sim could be barely  moving off of it's connection... well you think Apple would have checked into that.  I have been having issues for weeks with this new 4s... enough to make me want to trash it and go get a droid or something that actually works properly.  Anyway yesterday i gave it a last ditch effort and tried the tape fix.  Since yesterday i have had 1 hickup, buffering etc during iheartradio.  Normally I have buffering coming up constantly, i would be lucky if i could get through 1 song let alone an hour w/o having to hit airplane mode on and off or just reset it.  I did contribute some of the problem to AT&T but honesty the phone is where the problem lies... whether it's just the sim holder / software related or a hardware issue.  Apple has to find a fix for this there is no doubt about it.

But for now I'm still testing the tape fix (which if that fixes the problem they need to send out a replacement sim tray that will hold the card properly apparently) so I'll update after a few more days and see if today wasn't just a fluke of the phone actually working properly.

Thanks!

My longest susceed with signal and no sim failure was a day and half with a tape thing. I doubt that there is anything else that I didn't tried in last past month. I got in my diagnostic and usage data some crash key reports which means that this is unlickely but true, related hardware issue or if u wanna call it hardware issue "created" by software upd. o.O geez so awkward.

I have to change my phone something tells me that this is the only solution...

Thanks

Bye

Im from The Lodi ca area, I'm on my third pone in less than three months. Same problems you are having!  I got another iphone 4s and four days later same issue! I will be making another 80 mile roundtrip to Modesto for I gues phone # 4!!!!! Bull****!!!

I bought my iPhone 4s from Lebanon, Class. It came originally with iOS 5.0.1 v. 9A405 preinstalled. I used it for a week with Alfa without troubles except for a slight overheating I noticed. However, I started facing a majer network problem when I came to Iraq and wanted to use Zain. The SIM card from Zain that I'm using works perfectly with any other phone I have except the Iphone 4s. The Iphone 4s connects to the network "Zain IQ" but loses it occasionally and the message "searching..." appears in the left upper corner for about a minute followed by "No Service" message, then it hooks back to the network. I updated to v. 9A406 thinking that it would be solution but the problem is the same.

This frequent loss of network is a major problem because it makes the phone unusable, unless I want to use it as an iPod that I paid $760 for.

I tried tens of methods suggested in this discussion board and elsewhere, from insulating the SIM card holder to all kinds of tinkering with the settings. I was very surprised to know that I'm one among at least thousands other desperate Iphone 4s users who are suffering from the same problem and asking for a solution without being addressed by Apple.

This tape solution works for me just a couple of days. At least I don't have the "no SIM card installed Issue" 5 times a day, but the connection issues continues.

The thing is that threads like this one shouldn't exists having "the most advance movil device on the market".

I really hope it's a firmware issue. I didn't have problems before update to the mother ******* 5.0.1 firmware version. I wont be able to be 2 weeks without an smartphone if I send it to the technical Support, and I don't want to take the risk to have returned the same one or and older one.

I can't hardly wait for the new firmware upgrade from apple, and I hope works properly.

BTW, I'm writing from chile, and the carrier is MOVISTAR.

Saludos

Loyo!

Hey Loyo, it is not a firmware issue. It is most likely to be a hardware issue. I have the newest firmware, and my phone is working OK now... I suggest exchanging your phone and getting a new one just like I did.

Good luck buddy

I was surprised to see one of my colleagues using an iPhone 4s with the same career. At first I thought she didn't update to 5.0.1 but she actually did. She told me many of her friends have iPhone 4s with the same career that I'm having trouble using my iPhone 4s with. However, she heard of some people having trouble getting their iPhones working with this career, and those people all got their SIM cards from the company lately, which means they all have the new type of SIM card that is a bit different than the old one. And she assured me that iPhone 4s works perfectly with the old one.

When I went back home, I immediately asked my brother, whom I know has the old SIM card from the same company, to give me his and I put it on trial for few hours. I made several lengthy phone calls and sent few messages and received others with the same iPhone 4s that I was complaining from, and with the same carrier, without any network issue.

It seems that it's a COMPATIBILITY issue between the iPhone 4s and some types of SIM cards.

I'm heading to the cellular company and ask them to provide me with whatever SIM card that works like the ones they used to make before.

Hope that this can give you a hint to what you can do to solve this issue.

has42 : can you tell me in witch country are you and what is your career ?

Tanks in advance.

I'm in Iraq. My career is Zain, which operates in many countries in the Middle East region.

http://www.zain.com

Folks let me just say it is a software/firmware issue.

My previous posts have been removed since I'm not allowed to talk about unreleased software/updates.

Let me just say I'm running a much newer version and it Does fix the issues you are having. I suffered a lot from dropped signals and sim errors.

All those are fixed and even the 3G switch will be added to the iPhone 4S.

Please be patient, Apple is working on it. Although not as fast as people would like.

Excactly the same, like when I did the tape thing I completly solve the sim card failure issue, didn't have it anymore but the signal and bug with outgoing calls and failed sms still remains.

Peace

Ive taken mine to the shop and instantly got a replacement. The engineer there told me it was a know problem, he knew exactly what i was talking about and told me it was a hardware problema.

Got a fresh new iPhone 4S with 5.0.1 preinstalled. Lets hope it works !

well just an update on the tape thing.... 5th day in and still running strong.  ******** that you have to "rig" a new phone to work properly.  I still agree it's a software issue but either way atleast for the moment it's doing what it's suppose to do....

guys and gals, my replacement iphone came today. so far no sim card failures, dropped calls or unsent texts. lets see if it sticks as the phone worked perfectly for me the first week i had it.

but i'd advise anyone who has these problems to have their phone replaced. it's better than these "hacks". i know lot of you replied that it's a software failure but as far as we know there was no official acknowledgement from apple so it's been pure speculation up until now.

you never now - maybe we all got units from bad batch and the problem started revealing after 5.0.1.

just a thought.

P.S.: if it stops working in a week then i'll know I was wrong - iP4S - 64GB - iOS 5.0.1 (build AXXX6)