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iPhone 5 - intermittently drops service, goes to 4G

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desistyle

macrumors regular
Original poster
Sep 20, 2007
152
3
I have an AT&T iPhone 5 - i've noticed that it intermittently drops service completely or goes from LTE to 4G at random times. At first I thought this was normal, but my girlfriend recently got an AT&T iPhone 5 and hers does not exhibit this issue.

In fact, we were on the bus this weekend and i pulled out my phone to see that my service had dropped. However, my gf had 3 bars on LTE and continued to browse the net. In order to get service, i had to turn on airplane mode then turn it back off.

Later in the day when we were in the mall - my iPhone went to 4G. I figured this was normal given I was in a mall. However, I asked my GF to pull out her phone and she again had LTE!

What's going on here? I want to take it to the apple store but I don't know how to reproduce the issue in front of them. They likely won't replace my iPhone unless I can reproduce it, right?
 
J

Jades

macrumors 6502
Oct 15, 2012
317
51
Start off with reset network settings
Then try to restore the phone from scratch
Last option go to apple store for exchange
 
A

Amblydoper

macrumors newbie
Mar 14, 2009
20
0
I was in the Apple Store, and they recommend turning off LTE. Solved the problem for me. They say that AT&T is having trouble with their towers passing off between LTE and 4G.
 
ECUpirate44

ECUpirate44

macrumors 603
Mar 22, 2010
5,750
8
NC
Amblydoper said:
I was in the Apple Store, and they recommend turning off LTE. Solved the problem for me. They say that AT&T is having trouble with their towers passing off between LTE and 4G.
Click to expand...

I hate how that's the answer for everything. "Just turn off features when they don't work."
 
S

Starrbuck

macrumors regular
Jun 8, 2010
171
6
90miles said:
not that it is gonna kill you, you're still faster than EDGE.......
Click to expand...

Agreed! I suffered with my iPhone 4 on AT&T and EDGE for too long.

If you are in 4G on your iPhone 5 and have decent signal and speed, it should be fine.
 
AlphaDogg

AlphaDogg

macrumors 68040
May 20, 2010
3,417
7
Ypsilanti, MI
My AT&T iPhone 5 also does this... But with a twist.

It will often drop LTE, and fail to connect to any data network at all. It'll go from LTE to no data, to 4G, to LTE all in the span of about 10 minutes. I figured if I want reliable data, I have to turn off LTE. That's just how it goes. :mad:
 
D

desistyle

macrumors regular
Original poster
Sep 20, 2007
152
3
I did a reset network settings and then a full restore last week - didn't help.

I just don't understand how this is normal if my gf is not experiencing the issue..
 
trvsglr

trvsglr

macrumors member
Sep 20, 2009
81
0
Once and a while my iPhone 5 will do the same thing. AT&T does not support LTE in my are yet, but it does go from 4G to E and my bars fluxuate. Sometimes it says no service or I just have a cirlce there. It does all this sometimes for a couple mintues straight. My girlfriend also on AT&T has an iPhone 4 and she does not have the same problem.
 
I

InsideTJ

macrumors regular
Mar 18, 2012
114
13
AlphaDogg said:
My AT&T iPhone 5 also does this... But with a twist.

It will often drop LTE, and fail to connect to any data network at all. It'll go from LTE to no data, to 4G, to LTE all in the span of about 10 minutes. I figured if I want reliable data, I have to turn off LTE. That's just how it goes. :mad:
Click to expand...

I posted about a similar AT&T issue. The handover from wifi to LTE fails aout 5% of the time. There is no notification of this until I try to use data (cell phone works fine for voice). Toggling LTE off fixes it.
 
D

desistyle

macrumors regular
Original poster
Sep 20, 2007
152
3
I don't understand how my experience is normal when my gf doesn't seem to have the issue.

Think Apple will replace my iPhone?
 
H

harcosparky

macrumors 68020
Jan 14, 2008
2,055
2
desistyle said:
I don't understand how my experience is normal when my gf doesn't seem to have the issue.

Think Apple will replace my iPhone?
Click to expand...

If they don't then wait until your gf is asleep and quietly swap SIM cards between the phones.

Make a video for YouTube, along the lines of that coffee commercial ...


" I quietly replaced her good iPhone with my bad iPhone ...... Let's see if she'll notice.

ALSO .....

Don't forget to record her reaction when she finds you what you did.

Sort of a sequel to the first video!


:D :D :D
 
nburwell

nburwell

macrumors 603
May 6, 2008
5,451
2,365
DE
Amblydoper said:
I was in the Apple Store, and they recommend turning off LTE. Solved the problem for me. They say that AT&T is having trouble with their towers passing off between LTE and 4G.
Click to expand...

I have the exact same problem, and I thought it's because I live in a rural area where AT&T hasn't fully rolled out LTE. However, I turned LTE data when I'm at home, and I have never had an issue since.

I would experience issues where I would drop to no bars on LTE and then have full bars but switched to 4G. There were also instances where friends and family would call me and my phone would never ring (same for texts). But again, after I switched LTE off, I have not encountered the issue at all. However, whenever I'm close enough to the city, I will turn on LTE. But 90% of the time LTE is turned off for me.
 
PNutts

PNutts

macrumors 601
Jul 24, 2008
4,874
357
Pacific Northwest, US
desistyle said:
I did a reset network settings and then a full restore last week - didn't help.

I just don't understand how this is normal if my gf is not experiencing the issue..
Click to expand...

Metal case on yours? Any other way your phone could be "shielded"? You can go into diagnostic mode and look at the raw signal strength.

Perhaps her's is extra sensitive and your's is normal. That would be a tough one to live with. :D
 
D

desistyle

macrumors regular
Original poster
Sep 20, 2007
152
3
PNutts said:
Metal case on yours? Any other way your phone could be "shielded"? You can go into diagnostic mode and look at the raw signal strength.

Perhaps her's is extra sensitive and your's is normal. That would be a tough one to live with. :D
Click to expand...

No case on my iPhone or my gf's.
 
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