Q: iPhone 4 Message:SIM Required (in phone that has no SIM card slot)

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Indeed,

i'ved tried too.. Online restore over the itunes and still facing same problem, why the apple only handle it case-by-case to who did make a phone call with them.. How about for us who cannot reach them by phone.. And now they only fixed this activation manualy through their server.. Is there any official confirmation from apple or verizon regarding this Issued? I'm just to make sure they both still do something to solving this problem.. so for who cannot reach them by phone can be patient waitting the best solution

Part of the problem is that Apple and Verizon never intended the Verizon iPhone 4 series to work outside of the US. It's a miracle that it has worked at all for you.

Yes,I'm in the usa&dont have phone service..I'm on my other iphone now.(my husband bought 2phones from our neice.this one is to be handed dwn to our handicapped son for iPod use on his birthday this Sunday.in saddened that this might not happen now!& the one w the sim lock is to be activated in the coming months for me)trying to get help online is like pulling teeth right now..unfortunately I'm not computer smart&I can't figure out the itune restore.everythings been backuped on icloud..uugghhh!!!lol I tunes just confirms that a sim is required &to unplug device..

Sent from my iPhone

so I finally got to speak with apple support,aguy named mike who tried to tell me that that the iphone had to have service in order for it to work,&be activated.. I explained to him that the issue was a cdma phone that was reading a gma requirement for a sim..I also explained this forum,gave him the title and had no clue that this was an issue..i was awaiting for a senior advisor to come online who had more knowledge and experience..i sat hee and waited over 30 min,typd backed asking if this was still a live session,and was advised that the session had expired over 20 min ago...WTH!!!!!!!! after 2 days and finally getting ahold of someone im hung up on??sighs....

I've been having the same issue with my iphone 4 after i updated it to the new operating system through itunes and I alerted the business who sold me the phone who directed me to this forum. I saw where a bunch of people had gone through apple support and had their case escalated to a senior engineer who is the ONLY way to fix this problem. I just got off the phone with a senior advisor and she was absolutely pleasant and understanding about the whole situation and is having my issue worked on right as we speak. I'm almost certain that this will fix the problem and I don't understand why anyone who contacted apple had any kind of problem getting them to work on it. I'm thinking maybe the problem wasn't with the rep, but the customer who was the actual problem because if you go to any business acting hostile, they're not going to be willing to help you. so start a chat with apple support, make sure you click exempt from being charged for their services as your reasoning will be that you updated to ios 8.x.x and refer them to this thread and kindly explain to them it's a bigger problem than a restore issue and that it needs to be escalated to a senior technician, who will then send a ticket to a senior engineer. they will tell you to power your phone off, take your phone number, and they will call you back as soon as the engineer is done doing his thing, and just make sure you're around wi-fi when they call so you can power your phone on and try to activate it. but most importantly of all, BE POLITE AND BE PATIENT!!!!!

@lowlife,I wasn't acting hostile in anyway,towards the representives @Apple support,we were chatting on the online support,which I know is being monitored &would be stupid to do so when I'm in need of this fix..I simply explained my situation,explained that I have no cell contact except email,explained this forum thread as well as others circulation on this problem..told a senior advisor would be with me,but it would be a wait &he was willing to wait with me.over 30min went by &typed "Hello is this chat still active?"&was informed that this session ended 20min prior with no warnings or explanation..A Billion $Company who has reprensitives that just hang up on their customers is very Unprofessional!!!

Sent from my iPhone

Did you reach a solution?

Read the last few pages of the thread you posted to. Or just the message 2 above yours, for a start.

I haven't yet..

Sent from my iPhone

I am currently on hold with Apple support.  So far, I'm at 50 minutes.  Talked to a rep who escalated me to another rep.  She checked with someone further up the line who said that she checked prior tickets related to this issue and that it is a Verizon issue.  I pushed back and cited several quotes from this thread.  Finally, she got me on the line with a Senior Advisor who was very familiar with this issue and has been working on it all week.  He simply had to fill out some paperwork and said it should be resolved in the next 4 hours and gave me his contact info if it is not.  I informed him about the other employee who had said that this was a Verizon issue, and he said it looked like she was confused and thought that I was talking about a GSM phone.  I asked him what specifically should someone mention and he said:

• Immediately ask for a senior advisor.
• Be sure to tell them that it is a CDMA phone asking for a SIM card. 
• The fix involves a senior advisor filling out paperwork.  Didn't think to ask what kind of paperwork.  Sorry!

Thanks so much to those who have taken the time to post their solution in this thread.  It was extremely helpful.  Hoping what I've added will be helpful as well.  My one hour on hold is nothing compared to what it sounds like some of you have endured trying to get this problem resolved.  Apparently, it also takes a village to fix an iPhone sometimes!!

I just spoke to a Senior Advisor who told me that Verizon caused this by flipping a switch in Europe to enable the SIM cards for the VODAphones. He said they are just like the CDMA phones we have but they have SIM cards. He believes an update is not too far away. I am waiting for my phone to be cleared. He said it would take 2-24 hours. In online chat or voice call you must get in touch with a Senior Advisor.

i want to thank you for helping me with the same issue on my iPhone 4s and for your dedication to this thread. I got my phone fixed after speaking to a senior advisor who was very familiar wother the issue. Solved in about an hour and I restored my phone; good to go!

Hi all, I have been following this discussion and it is a little bit relieve that actually it can be fix. Unfortunately I live in Indonesia and doesn't have contract with verizon. yesterday I contact apple support through chat and they seems did not quite understand that this is a big issue, they gave me a support number for my country but I couldn't get through, the line keep giving me a busy tone. I went to my provider too but they told me that my phone is only need to be reprovisioned again and that it is not their mistake, once I can pass the activation process then it will be ready again. Anyone live outside US having this problem fixed? Please help me to solve this... Mine is Iphone 4 CDMA 16GB white

Hi im from the philippines and got the same problem... i tried calling the 1-800 number they provided for our country and explained the problem. The operator, however, seems to have not heard of the problem yet, and was not yet aware of what i am trying to explain. The operator, however, gave me a control number for my query. I got high hopes because i know that conversations were recorded and my case might be heard somewhere and even though i was not forwarded to a senior tech, the problem was solved (after 2 days i think). Try calling the number for your country (im surprised its free), and dont feel bad if they wont understand...just make sure they'll give u a case number which u can use to follow up on online chats. I tried to sked a call online but was not able to do so bec i dont have a US phone number. Good luck