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iPad mini No "Cellular Data" menu in Settings

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tudy25

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Aug 16, 2013
28
1
I recently bought a 32GB iPad mini w/ Retina display for a pretty low price of about 200 USD. The guy who sold it to me said it was a Wi-Fi model but when I unboxed it I realised it also had cellular capabilities since it has the SIM tray and the antenna plastic cover.
At first I was a little bit surprised but then I thought "Sweet! I got a retina mini 32GB + 4G"

So here's the weird thing about it. When I go into the settings app there's no "Cellular data" tab/ menu like it's supposed to be. iTunes recognizes it as being a "iPad mini 2" and when I click on the serial number to switch to the type of product it says it's an "iPad 4,4" => this means it's a rMini Wi-fi only, right?

Going on Apple's warranty checker webpage and inputing the serial number it says it's a Wi-Fi + Cellular model and I still have warranty till February 2016. Also, on the back it's written model number A1490 + the same serial number as in settings.
So what's really happening?
 
T

tudy25

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Aug 16, 2013
28
1
Aspasia said:
Antenna plastic cover? Not sure what you're describing as I have a cellular iPad and there's no antenna cover. You turn cellular data on and off in the settings.
Click to expand...

I'm talking about that thing. And I cannot turn Celullar data On and Off because there is no Celullar data menu in Settings.
 

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IrishVixen

IrishVixen

macrumors 68020
Jun 20, 2010
2,497
104
You can try to fix it by using Reset Network Settings (General > Reset > Reset Network Settings). If that doesn't work, restore as new via iTunes. If cellular settings doesn't still doesn't appear, take it to Apple.
 
T

tudy25

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Aug 16, 2013
28
1
IrishVixen said:
You can try to fix it by using Reset Network Settings (General > Reset > Reset Network Settings). If that doesn't work, restore as new via iTunes. If cellular settings doesn't still doesn't appear, take it to Apple.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I'll probably end up goind to the Apple store. Also, I tried restoring my iPad with a Wi-Fi + celullar firmware (iPad4,5_8.1.3_12B466_Restore) and I get a message saying the firmware is not compatible with my device.
 
Gav2k

Gav2k

macrumors G3
Jul 24, 2009
9,216
1,608
Could be a demo unit have you checked the serial number with apples site
 
hungx

hungx

macrumors 6502
May 8, 2012
346
47
Davis, CA
As previously stated, try a clean restore from iTunes. If that doesn't work, you can bring it to Apple.
 
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nikolaavr

macrumors newbie
Jan 12, 2014
3
0
I have the same problem with iPad mini 1 ( 64+cellular) , but there is no cellular in setings.
 
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nikolaavr

macrumors newbie
Jan 12, 2014
3
0
No, I didn't. It's used... I dont use cellular on iPads ( i have ipad air too) because I have wifi all around, but it's a little annoying to have something and couldn't use it because of some bug or whatever is the problem with this iPad mini. Maybe I will take it to the Apple Store soon.
 
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nikolaavr

macrumors newbie
Jan 12, 2014
3
0
I found that my serial numers on the back and in iOS settings/general/about are the same. But the model number (product type) is different. Itunes and os settings say that is 2.5 (wifi only), but back number and apple site say ipad 2.7 (a1455, wifi+cellular). I tried restore with 2.7 firmware, in DFU mode too, but gives me itunes window which says " the ipad could not be restored because the firmware is not compatible..." So, that's it so far!
 
T

tudy25

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Aug 16, 2013
28
1
nikolaavr said:
I found that my serial numers on the back and in iOS settings/general/about are the same. But the model number (product type) is different. Itunes and os settings say that is 2.5 (wifi only), but back number and apple site say ipad 2.7 (a1455, wifi+cellular). I tried restore with 2.7 firmware, in DFU mode too, but gives me itunes window which says " the ipad could not be restored because the firmware is not compatible..." So, that's it so far!
Click to expand...

Yep, the exact same thing happens to my iPad. Here's a response from a reddit user:

"I hate to bring bad news, but I had this exact same issue on my "New iPad" (iPad 3) a while back. It happened after upgrading from iOS 6 > 7 when it came out. The cellular data said "activating" at the top but then just disappeared after the update. I tried everything - downgrading, restoring, a new SIM, and more. I eventually took it into an Apple Store and they had no idea what the issue was.
After running some tests, they said there is a firmware update for the cellular radio that runs during the iOS update and it caused it to fail. They said there would be no software solution to repair it, and they swapped the device out. It sounds like at some point your radio failed and, from my experience, it won't be coming back.
Whether you're in warranty or not, I recommend you take it in to an Apple Store to see what they say. It's a bad situation, sorry it happened to yours too."
 
Channan

Channan

macrumors 68030
Mar 7, 2012
2,866
3,051
New Orleans
tudy25 said:
Yep, the exact same thing happens to my iPad. Here's a response from a reddit user:

"I hate to bring bad news, but I had this exact same issue on my "New iPad" (iPad 3) a while back. It happened after upgrading from iOS 6 > 7 when it came out. The cellular data said "activating" at the top but then just disappeared after the update. I tried everything - downgrading, restoring, a new SIM, and more. I eventually took it into an Apple Store and they had no idea what the issue was.
After running some tests, they said there is a firmware update for the cellular radio that runs during the iOS update and it caused it to fail. They said there would be no software solution to repair it, and they swapped the device out. It sounds like at some point your radio failed and, from my experience, it won't be coming back.
Whether you're in warranty or not, I recommend you take it in to an Apple Store to see what they say. It's a bad situation, sorry it happened to yours too."
Click to expand...
That's weird, because it seems several people are having this issue with iPads, yet I've never heard of this problem with an iPhone. I wonder why the iPad's radio seems prone to failing and the iPhone's isn't.
 
carlosm15

carlosm15

macrumors newbie
Oct 18, 2016
4
1
thats a work on the motherboard, change the board_id to a wifi only board, this is for bypassing the icloud, thats why you cant see the cellular or any mobile data tab on the device, its not a easy job, for example,

board_id 1= cellular + wifi = icloud locked (baseband + imei locked to icloud)

board_id 2= wifi only = no icloud locked (serial number is not locked to icloud)
 
hungx

hungx

macrumors 6502
May 8, 2012
346
47
Davis, CA
carlosm15 said:
thats a work on the motherboard, change the board_id to a wifi only board, this is for bypassing the icloud, thats why you cant see the cellular or any mobile data tab on the device, its not a easy job, for example,

board_id 1= cellular + wifi = icloud locked (baseband + imei locked to icloud)

board_id 2= wifi only = no icloud locked (serial number is not locked to icloud)
Click to expand...
The serial number in settings matches the serial number on the casing on the iPad, so the logic board was not swapped.
 
carlosm15

carlosm15

macrumors newbie
Oct 18, 2016
4
1
hungx said:
The serial number in settings matches the serial number on the casing on the iPad, so the logic board was not swapped.
Click to expand...
yeah, nothing is swaped on the job, only remove a resistor near the cpu and then the board_id change to a wifi only, then you restore and done, a wifi only ipad without icloud
 
hungx

hungx

macrumors 6502
May 8, 2012
346
47
Davis, CA
carlosm15 said:
yeah, nothing is swaped on the job, only remove a resistor near the cpu and then the board_id change to a wifi only, then you restore and done, a wifi only ipad without icloud
Click to expand...
Removing a resistor won't magically remove the iCloud lock. Either swapping out the entire logic board or reprogramming th memory chip with a different serial number will remove it. The iCloud lock is tied to the serial number.
 
carlosm15

carlosm15

macrumors newbie
Oct 18, 2016
4
1
hungx said:
Removing a resistor won't magically remove the iCloud lock. Either swapping out the entire logic board or reprogramming th memory chip with a different serial number will remove it. The iCloud lock is tied to the serial number.
Click to expand...
well, i have several cellular ipads right now on my hands and i made the job removing the resistors, that work only in cellular models, and the SN is not tied to the icloud if the device is cellular model, the only ties to the SN are the wifi only models, (3g= icloud lock is on the baseband but not on the SN; wifi= icloud lock is on the Emmc which carry the SN)
 

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