New iPhone 4S unresponsive, requiring a hard reset on several occasions

An update on my problem: after seeing my 64GB 4S lock up 3 times, at the same time each day, I restored the phone as new, instead of using the backup from my 3GS as I had originally.

Since I restored the phone as new 2 days ago, I haven't had any problems. I've re-downloaded my apps, set up my wifi settings and email account, and copied the music back onto the phone, and I still haven't had the lockup recur.

I'd recommend that anyone else who is seeing this problem does the same - while it's a pain to lose app data by doing this, syncing contacts, bookmarks etc to icloud before doing the restore minimised the inconvenience for me. And having the phone lock up daily was *definitely* way more inconvenient!

My guess is that SEEX07 is correct, and what most people are seeing here is an ios5 software problem caused by some incompatibility of old backups, while a few of the instances are genuine hardware problems which cause similar symptoms. I wish Apple would at least own up to this problem's existence, and preferably fix it!

Thanks for the update brumeye and for taking the plunge with your restart. Mine has packed up 4 or 5 times already today, twice I must have just caught it because I could press the home button a few times and get it to boot back up but it's bugging me. I was considering restoring as a new phone and I think you've just convinced me it's worth the hassle to be honest mate. Will post how I get on. Ad.

I deleted and readded my email accounts after my phone crashing 3 times in one day and it has not crashed in 4 days now. Hope that helps somebody. I refuse to restore my phone as new.

Ok people, I just got back from the Apple Store...the guy listened to my issues, looked at the phone and then replaced it no questions asked! As a matter of fact, I did not even ask for a replacement, I asked what suggestions he had and if he thought there was something I could have done. As soon as he saw my diagnostic & usage page he said he was replacing the phone!

I told him several of us on this forum were experiencing this same issue and he said absolutley, 100% do NOT restore from a back up of an older phone or OS!!!

So anyone reading this who has just gotten their 4S or is about to get their 4S; activate as a new phone, do NOT restore!!

Well, I restored as a new phone last night and it made it through the night for the first time but this morning I put it on charge and a couple of minutes after taking it off charge went to use it and had to keep pressing the home button to get an apple logo reboot :(. Appointment made for Friday morning at the genius bar.

Add me to the list. 16GB Black 4S; awoke to find the phone unresponsive 3 out of the past 4 days, requiring a restart. I had set up the phone from an iOS 5 backup from my iPhone 4.

I'm considering wiping the phone and starting fresh, but will make an appointment to have some diagnostics run just in case new hardware is the best fix. Should be doing so Tuesday, will report back if the news is different than previously reported in this thread.

following my restore as a new phone I had 4 lockups yesterday so roll on Friday's genius appointment.

I was having all of the same issues. 4S 16GB. I restored from my 3GS. I went to the Apple Store yesterday. They tested the hardware and found no issues. The Apple employee thought it was a software bug that would be corrected in the next ios update. I attempted to reset to factory setting but I still had the problem again today. At this point I am thinking I am going to wait for the software update (the employee indicated it would likely be coming in a week or so) to see if it resolves. Does anyone have any other advice? I really do not feel like restoring as a new phone.

Mine's powered itself down twice today after a week of no problems, but occasionally feeling very hot.

BUT it has never been restored from a backup - it was a new 'build' fresh out of the box, so in my case at least this is not a backup issue. If it happens again I'll be heading for the Apple store.

My new iPhone 4S (Sprint) 64GB is also going into an unresponsive state sometimes more than once a day. This phone was not restored from any backup. I suspect that it must be an iOS 5.0 issue because it also occurs when no apps are running. I hope Apple releases an iOS update soon as it is becoming quite frustrating!

Sigh. After my restore as new last Thursday, I noticed the phone resetting itself twice over the weekend (as if I'd powered off by holding the sleep button and then powered back on). Looking at the diagnostics log (Settings -> General -> About -> Diagnostics & Usage -> Diagnostics & Usage Data) I can see that I've had a kernel panic at least once a day, sometimes twice a day.

As far as I'm concerned this indicates either a severe software problem that should never have been shipped, or a hardware problem. Looking at a friend's 4s and another's iphone 4 (running iOS 5) neither has been seeing these panics, so I guess it's hardware.

Called support again, who booked an Apple store appointment for me and said my phone would be replaced.

Turned up to appointment today; they agreed the hardware should be replaced, but had no 4S 64GB in stock so have said I have to wait at least a week for them to get service replacement (refurb) stock.

Not too impressed with Apple at the moment - I've spent £700, am relying on the 4s as my only phone, and it seems to be a low priority for them to provide me with one that doesn't crash every day. 😠

Sorry to hear that you're in the crash club again brum. Mine went about 5 times Sunday, not at all Monday but so far 5 times today.

Can't imagine how they are offering you a refurb to replace though. You must be entitled to a brand new one, hopefully they will have one when I go in Friday.

16gb 4S on Vodafone UK here.. .

Crashed for the first time on Saturday night (22/10/11), phone felt really warm, was unresponsive to any buttons or plugging the charger in. Performed a reset by pressing the sleep and home button together and the phone lit up and said it needed charging, plugged it in and it worked fine.

Got home from work today (26/10/11) with the phone asleep in my pocket and again was feeling really warm and again was unresponsive and I had to reset it.. .

Checked the diagnostics and I have a .panic.plist for each of the days it occured on, so something software wise must be upsetting it I guess, hope Apple fixes the issue ASAP! 😐

quick update on my situation.

the diagnostic on the hardware at the apple store didn't reveal any issues, so the advice i got was the typical: restore to factory settings and set up as a new phone.

i did that last night, and besides crashing out of Settings once, i don't have any kernel panics (yet). i'm keeping my phone pretty minimal at the moment, and we'll see how it goes for the rest of the week. if i could get through to next wednesday without any kernal panic / shutdowns, then my case is probably due to restoring from a backup. time will tell.

Everyone,

Had the same issues as everyone with kernel panics which casued the phone to reboot/lockup etc. This happened only when unplugged and even with no apps running besides those by Apple. After being called today on my case# at Apple (to follow up and state that the same issues were happening), they immediately stated that they would overnight me a phone (I have Applecare+).

Having been a QA tester for software, I wasn't convinced it was hardware related. Like many of you, I thought it might have something to do with the restore. I even had a friend who is a huge techno geek state, "Might be a power issue actually. Interesting that it doesn't happen when powered externally. Could be that the battery/voltage regular might be inadequate and browning out the mobo."

Regardless, at this point it appears that I will have a new phone tomorrow. I am eager to see if this phone behaves normally.