iPhone 4S SIM Card Failure -- "NO SIM CARD". Anyone else getting this?

mcpanse · ‎10-16-2011

My black 16GB iPhone 4s reported "invalid SIM card" and then "No SIM card" 24 hours after activation. There is a growing number reports of this problem on Apple's user forum.

Anybody here experience the same thing? Some folks have had luck rebooting their phones and/or removing and reinserting their SIM cards. That hasn't worked for me.

If you're having the same problem, I encourage you to report it here and over in this Apple thread : "Sim Card Failure No Sim with iPhone 4S Anyone Else?". Google it and you should find it. There were 22 reports at last count.

Also, please share any experiences you have either fixing this problem yourself or trying to get help with this problem from Apple, AT&T or other carrier.

joe.oconnell · ‎10-16-2011

Same problem here. I'm thinking it might be related to my "restoring" my new iPhone 4S with a backup from my previous iPhone 4 (which I upgraded to iOS 5 prior to backing up). I went through this process yesterday without issue, but sometime overnight the "Invalid SIM" error started occuring.

dww0311 · ‎10-07-2011

I haven't had this problem, but I am leaning towards believing they'll find it's a problem with excessive heat.

Mine lost its microphone 6 hours after activating and had to be replaced. I'm betting that in the rush to get these things manufactured they caused quality problems.

GMak · ‎10-16-2011

YES! I am getting the same problem! I received my phone promptly Friday 10/14/11 morning. It took about 2 hours to finally "upgrade" my phone (I figured it would be busy, no complaints there) and then my 3Gs stopped working for telephone service. So far, so good. My 4Gs telephone features work but.... my email does not!

I have 3 different email account types (IMAP, POP and Exchange) and none of them work. Further, none of the internet applications work because I can't connect. So, this isn't an isolated email account problem . (Do we need still more proof of why AT&T has such a bad reputation?)

I will try the solution offered of powering down and putting the SIM card back in and report back here. Unfortunately, I have other pressing things to do today so it'll have to be later.

dww0311 · ‎10-07-2011

Best advice is to take the phone back to an Apple store ASAP and ask for a replacement.

GMak · ‎10-16-2011

OK, I powered down the phone, left it off for about 15 minutes, then powered back up. NOW I get email! So, at least for some of us, this works. This is a typical problem solver for errant service. I know a couple of people posted that it didn't work, but some posted that it did. So try this. I did and it worked. It's a good place to start.

casterink · ‎10-17-2011

Same here, SIM Card Failure, NO SIM CARD, showing ATT E on status and cannot connect to internet at all. any advise!

fastflat6 · ‎10-17-2011

I had the same thing happen to me twice, so I decided to take a look at the SIM itself. The slot was unusually difficult to pop open with a paperclip - it took more force that I was expecting, but it did finally pop. I found that the SIM still had some excess plastic on it from where it had been attached to the larger card, and it wasn't sitting in the tray properly because of that. I trimmed off the excess plastic, put the SIM back in the tray, and it slid back in with no effort at all. Now all seems better.

mavperez · ‎10-17-2011

Same here. I was successful in restoring after taking the SIM card and rebooting (twice)

Estouch · ‎10-18-2011

I am also now getting this less then 8hrs after activation. I was able to activeate and make calls now I charged the phone over night and in the morning I got the error of invalid sim, I rebooted the phone and now I get error of no sim.called AT&T and they said they are getting a lot of calls about the new iPhone 4s and this issue they recommend having my sim card tested at the store. They might have to give me a new phone as the sim reader might be defective.
Thank you apple for the Q.C

kbash · ‎10-18-2011

Yep...me too. It's happened 3 times since I got my phone last Friday. All 3 times the phone was just sitting on my bed and when I realized I hadn't received any calls for hours at a time, I'd pick up my phone and sure enough, I'd have the Invalid SIM message. I reboot and it seems to fix it but I can't figure out why it's happening in the first place.

sl2mickey · ‎10-18-2011

A little confused. I did not even have to use my sim card

I went from a non Iphone to the 42 and it never asked for my sim card

It has been working for four days without the need of the sim card

mcpanse · ‎10-16-2011

^ Your AT&T phone came with a SIM card already installed.

Brief update: AT&T store replaced my SIM card Sunday. Four days later and everything is copasetic, although the phone does tend to run warm.

I share the concerns posted here and on the Apple support forum that the phones are defective.

jamileh · ‎06-20-2011

If you ordered your new phone from www.apple.com and did not activate the new phone with the SIM card that came with it *or* used a different phone number other than the line you upgraded, you might experience this issue.

The best course of action is to head to an AT&T store and ask them to swap SIM cards for you.

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wintermute1 · ‎12-12-2003

OK. This just happened to me today. I have an iPhone 4s 16Gb. I rebooted the phone and it seems to be ok now. Can I take this to any ATT store to get the SIM tested, or can I go to an Apple store to have this taken care of under Applecare (the Apple warranty)?

Thanks

David Mussington

youngjm · ‎05-02-2003

wintermute1 wrote:

OK. This just happened to me today. I have an iPhone 4s 16Gb. I rebooted the phone and it seems to be ok now. Can I take this to any ATT store to get the SIM tested, or can I go to an Apple store to have this taken care of under Applecare (the Apple warranty)?

Thanks

David Mussington

Apple may have some SIMS but just go to an ATT corporate store and have them activate a new SIM in your phone. There is not really a way to test a sim except put it in a different phone. If it works then it points to the hardware. Since the iPhones do not store anything on a SIM, getting a new one activated should not cause you any issues or lost information.

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wakaman · ‎11-06-2011

The problem is that the tray that holds the sim card is made of metal and makes contact with the sim card. When this happens, it shorts out the sim and you get the 'no sim' error. What you need to do is remove the sim card, place a VERY THIN sliver of tape on the long edge of the sim ( the side opposite the notched side) that sits in the tray. What you are doing is insulating the potential connection point between the sim contact and the metal tray the sim sits in. There are a couple of videos on youtube that show you how to do it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2y0abjPFfk

Should we have to do this? No. Should Apple should fix this immediately and offer the fix to everyone asap? Better believe it!

Are you listening Apple?

smoorej · ‎11-22-2011

I got my IPhone 4s at 5:30PM and at 10:30 PM, suddenly: Invalid SIM card.

graphite07 · ‎10-16-2007

4S 16 Gb white apple store 10/15/11, no sim card problems at all. if you have a sim card problem go to AT&T ask them to replace your sim card for free.

ikorosec · ‎12-04-2011

I had the same problem within the very first weeks after I bought 4S Phone. I went to Apple store, they reset it, I got to the street and got the same message SIM FAILURE/NO SIM CARD. I went back and got my phone exchanged. Almost after a month, I repeatedly started getting this message again today. I needed to turn off the phone after noticing this message and turn it back on. That helped. But before I have noticed it passed some time and I have lost an important business deal.

kendrak09 · ‎05-17-2012

I'm having SAME problem!!! REALLY REALLY annoying! I tried taking sim card out and re-inserting (watch video on you tube for how-to) and still getting NO SIM message. Called att and they told me to go to store... WELL i can't go to store until tomorrow so VERY frustrating that I have no phone until after work tomorrow!!!!!! THEY really need ot fix this problem!

wingrider01 · ‎05-26-2008

kendrak09 wrote:

I'm having SAME problem!!! REALLY REALLY annoying! I tried taking sim card out and re-inserting (watch video on you tube for how-to) and still getting NO SIM message. Called att and they told me to go to store... WELL i can't go to store until tomorrow so VERY frustrating that I have no phone until after work tomorrow!!!!!! THEY really need ot fix this problem!

they will fix it by probably replacing the bad sim card that you have - that requires a store visit to get a new one. If the sim card is not bad then you will probably have to make an appointment at a Apple Genius bar to have them look at the phone. Apple supplies the warranty and hardware support for the iphone for all carriers, not the carriers

brainwaver · ‎04-10-2009

Also, if this continues after you get a new sim card be sure to take "screen shots" of your home screen showing the "no sim" error before you take it into the Apple Genius bar. If you don't and they can't make the problem replicate then there's nothing they can do except note it on your account. This happened on our iPhone 4 and the Apple guy told us if it recurred to be sure and take screen shots for them to see. Then they would replace the phone. Thankfully it hasn't recurred. In case you don't know how to take a screen shot, push the power button and home button at the same time (you'll hear a click) and it will take a picture of the screen and put it into your camera roll.

kendrak09 wrote:
I'm having SAME problem!!! REALLY REALLY annoying! I tried taking sim card out and re-inserting (watch video on you tube for how-to) and still getting NO SIM message. Called att and they told me to go to store... WELL i can't go to store until tomorrow so VERY frustrating that I have no phone until after work tomorrow!!!!!! THEY really need ot fix this problem!