iPhone 4s losing data connection multiple times/day

Like everyone else on this thread, my 4G data drops connection randomly throughout the day. Sometimes resetting network connections works, sometimes doing Airplane mode works.

I have tried complete factory restores as well, no luck.

I have called ATT tech support about 8 times, no luck.

This isn a seriousy flaw that appears to have been introduced with iOS 5.1.

I really wish someone from Apple Care would actually read this thread and perhaps fix this in their OS since something is obviously broken.

I tried restoring the iOS completely and it didnt help the drop connections for me.

This phone is a now an iBrick and is about to get dumped in the river.

Hi, this problem is definitely a hardware problem and a design flaw in the iPhone 4s.

I notice this problem the most when I am watching movies or playing games when I am holding the phone in landscape mode. This is a serious problem! When the connexion drops, I go back into the settings and then the wifi tab. This reconnects me back to the Internet. This problem is so annoying! I am about to switch to android! Please get apple to act on this.

Just wanted to chime in that I am also expirencing this. I have a 4s 16GB with vers 5.1. Mine used to drop out every couple of days, now it is getting more frequent. I have tried what everyone else here has tried and no luck either. I have a co worker that has the same model and version and his only drops out about once a week. I told him he was lucky.

Hi All

Let me give you my update as of yesterday.

I visited my local Austin Apple store and explained the problem. The Genius Bar tech suggested we try a new SIM card and a new phone. I realized that when I switched out my first iPhone 4S that was not working, the Best Buy rep had kept the SIM card that came with the first iPhone 4S.

So this is now the third iPhone 4S with a new (second SIM card). So far this morning everything appears to working fine. I did not do a restore from iCloud of previous backups and instead set this phone up as a brand new phone just to make sure.

So it may be a bad lot of SIM cards or perhaps the iPhone 4S was more sensitive to the sim cards.

I will check in here in a few days to let everyone know if its still working for me.

Here's my update.

After 2 days with a new iPhone 4S and a new SIM card on the AT&T, my 4G data is dropping again and I have no interenet when I am not on a WiFi network.

Needless to say, this may be it for my on an iPhone. I've owned every iPhone since it came out, I've spent over $1000 on apps alone, and I have all Apple in my house. The fact that NO ONE FROM APPLE will acknowledge there is a problem tells me THERE IS A BIG PROBLEM with the iPhone 4S.

Goodbye iPhone, we had a few good years. If only you would pull your head out of the ground and fix this issue...

I had similar problem when I bought my Iphone 4s in Feb 2012 in India. I followed the below procedure and it started working fine without any problem.

IPhone 4S purchased any where have lot of problems while using in India particularly..Airtel Network. I have struggled for 2 weeks with Airtel micro SIM..finally solved the problem. Just down load itunes(latest version) in your computer. Connect I-Phone 4s to the computer.Open i tunes.Your i-phone name will appear on the left side of itunes menu. Click on that.Right side option for Version is available.Under Version..there are 2 options..update and restore. Click on restore..It took me 1 hour (my internet speed was 2 mbps) to upload latest factory setting with unlock option.While download never disconnect your i-phone or internet.If in between any interruption then download starts from the begginning.Once restore setting your i-phone 4s works without any problem.

Same problem here in Wisconsin. Full bars, losing data connection only. AT&T tried changing my IMIE number, resetting everything. No good. I have 9 friends with iPhone 4 & 4S that this is happening too. We have all noticed it post iOS 5.1. I can't take it anymore. I don't know if it's iOS 5.1 or AT&T or both but no one can fix it. They want to try a new SIM card but that's not going to do anything.

Hello,

I picked up a new iPhone 4S from AT&T yesterday in Chicago, IL. I gave my iPhone 4 to my wife. On my ride into work this morning, I couldn't get a byte of data on my 4S. I was livid by the time I got to work. I spoke to a gentleman at the AT&T retail store and he said this is a common issue (and judging by the size of this thread, it seems he's right). He suggested I visit the Apple store and claimed he'd sent 10 people there last week alone for the same problem. He also mentioned swapping the SIM card, but given it's my original SIM card from my iPhone 4 (with no issues), I doubt that's the problem.

This is completely unacceptable. My iPhone 4 may have been a little slow on AT&T 3G, but at least I had the option to ride the Edge network when necessary. This "4G" is a joke. I had to toggle airplane mode twice to get data. I also concur with the other users about battery life. My phone was 98% charged when I left home and was 78% by the time I got to work. If this doesn't get straightened out I'll be returning it and finding a refurb 4 for myself. Siri isn't that cool.

I've been thinking for a while now that the problem seems to be related to movement and connecting properly to the cell tower/network. I've changed a bunch of settings on my phone to try to fix the problem. I have one change that I'm wondering if folks on here would test. So far, this has helped my phone and I haven't had the issue in probably about 7 days:

Settings > Location Services > (Scroll to the very bottom) > System Services > Turn OFF Cell Network Search

Note, I also turned off Diagnostics, Location iAds, and Traffic. I did some research and these seem to mostly be related to information that Apple collects FROM you (except that Time Zone one). Though there is some discussion of what exactly the Cell Network Search does (thanks Apple for not listing it anywhere) most folks think it involves the phone mapping the closest towers to you for either sending the info to Apple or perhaps maybe to let the phone connect to towers quicker.

I'm wondering if this "feature" could be part of the issue. I'd be curious if anyone else notices a difference (good or bad) with it turned off.

Hi all,

I'm having the same issues as many others. Full signal strength, 3G icon, but losing data connection randomly.

Usually switching to airplane off and on, restores my problem.

Additional details. I've two iPhone 4S (mine and my wife's). Both are 16GB, and the only difference is color, mine is black and hers white. Both are running iOS 5.1 (9B179), and modem firmware 2.0.10. Also, we live in Costa Rica.

She's not experiencing any data problems at all, and she moves around the city and no problems.

I've problems everywhere, home, work, street.

I've tried changing many settings without succesful results. I called my service provider and told me to restore the iPhone as a new phone, not using the backup, and if still fails they will "analyze" my phone, which I think it can be a replacement.

I tried using my wife's SIM in my iPhone, and same thing. So I probably discard a SIM problem, however, I also noticed that my wife's SIM was a regular SIM cutted to fit the microSIM. And my SIM is a real microSIM.

I've restored my iPhone, and used the backup. The data connections still fails.

I've restored my iPhone again, and set it up as new phone. I've only installed Facebook, and now it's working much better. I used to have a lot of apps that were network consuming.

Any progress I have, I'll post it here.

This has worked for me so far. I'll post back at the end of the week with an update. No data cutouts and no wild battery consumption since turning off Cell Network Search.

Hey randroid,

I'm testing out your theory and started running wifi/3G again with Cell Network Search disabled. If I run into any issues I'll post an update.

I am having the same issues as everyone else...Phone shows 5 bars on "4G." Makes calls and texts just fine but no imessage or internet (safari as well as any other apps that require connectivity).

Right now the two things I have noticed are that I'm more likely to have it work late at night (11pm-2am) and more likely to have it work when I'm outdoors. Most of my problems are experienced while at work (9am-6pm) and when I leave work it tends to work for a while (lunch break, errands) but not always.

I did try turning off all the 'System Services' under 'Location services' and have not noticed any difference in my phone's behavior.

Day two with a new SIM card and so far so good. I'm not too optimistic. I only seem to notice it between noon and 7 PM at my work. I really hope it's fixed because it seems like everyone on this forum has tried everything and nothing seems to work.