Invalid SIM Card on iPhone 4S (5.0.1)

Only those who experienced sim card failure know how annoying it is

http://www.forbes.com/sites/mobiledia/2011/11/21/iphone-4s-owners-report-sim-car d-failure/

I tried yesterday night the Jannee/Jose Geraldo protocol. The phone work well for a few hours, but, again an "Invalid SIM" wake up today! We´re still trying, but sadly, I´m really thinking in change to Android. Come on Apple!

Protocol is:

Did you turn off cellular data(3G) also not using phone lock? Also key is that you change pin nr to 2 different pin# then back to your favorite nr. Can do it in succession like so... Enable sim pin, put in pin if was on before, enter favorite pin if it was never enabled(in this case reboot hold home and power at same time till phone is off, keep holding buttons till you see apple logo). Then go to sim pin setup, change nr, wait 30 seconds to minute, change number again, wait again, then change back to your favorite pin nr as it was after reboot. Enjoy... Location services don't seem to kill sim reader, leaving 3G on does, on Sunday I will enable 3G to check emails then turn it off as soon as that's done.

Results are:

Let you all know results. So far phone was on all day yesterday, plugged in for charge at 40% and this morning no faults:-) turned off flight mode at work, full bars no 3G remember so no data today. Used tomtom it works with no net and have no issues sim is still live phone works get SMS and all calls and can call too, no fail. It's now 7:00pm and....still working!!!! Battery is below 77% now usually it fails just checked SMS and voice mail all passed phone now at 71% ps geraldo got it wrong puk code not needed ok I forgot a sim pin and that's why I used puk just to unlock my locked sim.. This protocol must be adhered to no variations. I notice that using sim pin does increase drain on battery even in flight mode! That's a surprise but it does tell me that sim reader uses too much power for simpin on but leaving pin off seems to disallow power spikes thus invalid sim occurs. This is an educated deduction based on all my tests ok, may be other reason why if sim pin off causes invalid sim. The protocol I mention above does seem stable enough, signal strength does drop to 1 or no bars it does leave provider name on though, never goes SOS or invalid sim though. I'm not calling this a fix but rather a stable solution which I hope stays that way but cannot be certain ok. If apple does not release new update by end January and it stays stable then I will feel confident with solution, and any way if it gets to this Sunday ok then it's looking neat enough.

Still working, me thinks more and more that turning on sim pin and change pin3x resolves it but we all know time will tell. Battery does drain quicker too, but iPhone 4s can defiantly do a light loaded 24 hrs and heavy loaded 12 hrs not too bad for all stuff it can do. I believe though that apple should do its best to deliver on best battery life as they can in all products. The apps are efficient indeed uses less power. Also believe that if apple keeps using the end user as test platforms their customers will flee, most users hate to debug hardware that is taken for granted to work well in this digital era. People buy apple for design security and it just works oh forgot intuitive ease of use. And the fix for battery use would be case with built in battery to boost autonomy from power point. So try that protocol it works but for how long I do not know. Try if you will to engage 3G for data transfer then turn off 3G as soon as data is retrieved. But be scientific one change then observe then draw conclusions---> to a workaround. That's what I call the protocol. Jannee's invalid sim workaround. All you guys test it please want to know if it really works across the board... Cause it may be some apps screw it up via 3G net. The bigger the sample size the better the science. Post your findings cause we need observations to draw conclusions.

Still working. Now it's 12:30 and have 59% batt looking good. Will charge up and see if in morning it's still ok like this morning. Sad that we must keep cell data off, defeats most of smart phone features, not so sharp eh. Unless on wifi net. So now it's a waiting game... Just thinking...this unit has Samsung chips... Maybe with legal proceedings between both parties pushed Samsung to lay random Trojan horse in h/ware... Just a devious thought that popped up... Hope it's just my imagining. Hope it's just iOS tripping off... That's most likely scenario and I still bet on it more than the conspiracy theory, but this world is a mad one with some real loons out there; even in high places... Goodnight and hope no sim fault;-)

Thank you for your suggestions. I´ll try today and let the group know the results!

Ok here it is now...working great, came off charger at 8:30 am and still good now at 7:19 pm. It has past the max time between failures by 2x now so looking real good. Possible stable work around. It has more bars than my iPad 1! Make sure you follow protocol to the t. It's stable for 2+ days now and I cannot believe that I trusted it today, it did not let me down..so happy so far. This Sunday I will switch on 3G just to get info/data that I need then switch off 3G ( we all know it as cell data on or off. Not actually like iPhone 3s. Just switched iPad to edge only and it has same nr of bars as iPhone 4s does looks like it works.

Turn off cell data switch reboot. Hold power and home thru switch off until see apple logo

Turn on sim pin then change pin 3x then make sure that cell data switch is off.

That's it no crazy stuff. See my report on Sunday night of cell data test results.

Note I observe a max of 6hrs inbetween sim failures. Quicker with cell data on, like 2-4 hrs but all this might be variable. Take note of your device failure times and calculate intervals you will see consistency. Also with use of various net dependant apps it shortens interval period. I think it's related to battery algorithm and app CPU/net demand. Removing net demand does seemingly stabilize things in phone department. So STILL NO SIM FAULT it's 7:40 pm now dinner.

forgive me but, just to be clear - have you turned on 3g data again - or are you keeping it off all the time you're using the phone?

thanks

cygn

Running without 3G data now just as a test. Read my notes 3G kills it if left on. Tomorrow testing 3G turn on long enough to get data I need then off the 3G. Will run this intermittent test of 3G for three days then report. Ever since I did my work around its stable not on invalid sim yet. Well over 4days now plenty overnight charges and discharge to 20%. Looks good. Even took sim out and put it back because telco was enabling mms service. Still stable, many hours later(9). So turn 3G on only when retrieve email or Facebook etc, try not to leave 3G on idle for more than 15 mins.

Hey dis is Prashant, the Indian boy!! I had the same problem of INVALID SIM,SIM FAILURE n I was anable to make call frequently....

Now ma iphone is working better...I just updated iphone software by 5.0.1 9A406 n dats it!!! No prblm at all 🙂🙂

thnks Apple!!!

unfortunately the sim pin no. hack with mobile data off has not worked for me - it did seem to extend the time between failures, but has not solved the problem.

am now trying another sim.

will update.

cygn

swapped sim didn't help - in fact it failed faster 🙂

may be a new phone to try next --

anyone care to share if they've had a phone swapped - was that easy to do - go into any apple store and say "sim failure; tried the following"

and do you go in with your phone wiped?

has anyone whose swapped for a new phone had the problem recur?

thank you

Here is more info...

1. Cygn bet wifi was on. I learned today after testing... It fails if wifi or 3G data is on, left on.

2. Use simpin and change sim code 3. Use 3G/wifi temporary then switch off it should exhibit stability.

3. A reboot(hold power and home till see apple) every 2nd day seems to guarantee stability.

But I'm sick of all this an apple better right it soon. Getting battery case to keep it lit. Merry Christmas y'all have a happy new year. We maybe should have waited for the IPhone 5 eh... Giggle, we got burned, bought mine outright. Happy seasons ok.

hi i havent been on this for a while. yes i swaped my phone as the invalid sim got worse and worse then my signal was poor and 3g didnt exist i have tried everything myself everything in this forum i had already done with no success so i went in phoned apple tech support and they booked me in with genius bar at local apple store and told them everything and they gave me a new phone straight away i was in and out in 15mins and this was roughly 3weeks ago and i have had no problems at all full signal most of time always have 3g and no sim problems at all i would reccomend just swap your phone. i can see where the other members are coming from and they are so helpfull but it shouldnt have to be done i now 100% fully trust my iphone 4s.

here is my tip only one step hopefully it works

STEP 1..

PLEASE GET A NEW REPLACEMENT FROM APPLE

ps my phone had signal when i handed it in and sim was working but i had screen shots of the message ie press and hold power and home button together for split second.