Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Calls cut out but do not "fail" and cannot be ended

cjbryce

cjbryce

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jun 4, 2008
566
285
London
I wonder if anyone else experiences this fault?

I have a recurring but intermittent fault in iPhone 4 (4.3.3). Call duration does not seem to be a factor, nor does power state of the battery, nor does calling party (incoming or outgoing are equally susceptible.

  • Call cuts out - neither party can hear anything
  • Call does not "fail" - no failed call triple beep
  • Call cannot be ended from the keypad - phone requires full power-off/on reboot Windoze style.

Now, this used to happen on my iPhone 3GS too, but this is a brand new phone, with a brand new SIM, and was "built" as a new phone rather than a restore from backup.

Any ideas (apart from getting shouty with O2)?
 
I never had this happen on my 3GS, but it happens almost routinely on the iPhone 4. Always dropping calls, dodgy keyboard, iffy response on buttons. You name it. I think I'll be off to HTC after this.
 
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_2_8 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8E401 Safari/6533.18.5)

Get a Verizon iPhone. I've never had any problems on Verizon with dropped calls.
 
johnfnwhiteside said:
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_2_8 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8E401 Safari/6533.18.5)

Get a Verizon iPhone. I've never had any problems on Verizon with dropped calls.
Click to expand...

I've never had a problem with dropped calls on AT&T even when using my voice and data at the same time. How does that work out for you?
 
johnfnwhiteside said:
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_2_8 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8E401 Safari/6533.18.5)

Get a Verizon iPhone. I've never had any problems on Verizon with dropped calls.
Click to expand...

Minor problem with that idea. Hint: my location.
 
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_2_8 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8E401 Safari/6533.18.5)

Interstella5555 said:
johnfnwhiteside said:
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_2_8 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8E401 Safari/6533.18.5)

Get a Verizon iPhone. I've never had any problems on Verizon with dropped calls.
Click to expand...

I've never had a problem with dropped calls on AT&T even when using my voice and data at the same time. How does that work out for you?
Click to expand...

I've toured the country several times and all I can say is Verizon consistantly out performs at&t in more locations. I think for me having having better service in more places heavily outweighs being able to use data and voice at the same time.
 
Update

Well, it happened again this morning about 2 minutes into a call. I called O2 support and explained the issue and they came back with "it can't be the network, it must be the hardware, take it to Apple".

Strange that since its happened across two iPhones and two SIM cards. However, I'll traipse off to an Apple store when I have the time available.

In the meantime, any other ideas from here?
 
Update - the story so far.

  • Called O2 - no known issues, all well with my account and setup and all well with the towers I use the most.
  • Surveyed those I know on O2 and iPhone 4 in my office - they all have the same issue. Checked the internet and found a few similar stories
  • Called Apple - no known issues but try resetting the phone
  • Reset and rebuilt the phone as a new phone - issue remains
  • Called O2 - "please visit an O2 store and they will check the hardware"
  • Visited an O2 store - only Apple can check the hardware and it must be hardware as our network and carrier update is perfect. "But look at the evidence - 3Gs, iPhone 4, changed SIMs, rebuilt phone, colleagues have exactly the same fault. Commonality is iOS4.x.x and Carrier Update 10.0" says I. Nope, O2 say, it must be the hardware - go see Apple.
  • Genius bar appointment for tomorrow, where I expect to be given a new phone, which will then demonstrate the exact same issue.

Looks like Vodafone might be getting me back - I can live without Visual Voicemail. Maybve even Orange/T-Mobile now that their networks can be combined here in the UK.
 
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_2_8 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8E401 Safari/6533.18.5)

Deffinitely sounds like a service issue and not a hardware issue.
 
I have never had that with my 3GS on Orange. I do occasionally get dropped calls, but I am on the edge of the range of the local mobile phone mast.
 
This problem is due to an Apple software quirk. Basically, the phone is supposed to send a message to the tower (and vice versa) when the signal is starting to degrade to unsustainable levels. This prepares both sides for a potential drop. Apple it seems hasn't programmed the phone well enough to handle a sudden cutout. So the phone doesn't know what to do when the notification signal is unable to be received by either side of the call. This would be an incredibly easy fix. Too bad it doesn't happen often enough to be higher on the priority list.
 
I've had that issue a couple of times (unable to end call), but seems restricted to when I am at home ie shockingly bad signal in my flat - have to stand near teh window to get a decent reception. This can be said for numerous different handsets on various providers. I'm on O2 also, and when it has occurred I have just reset the phone. Sadly don't have much option other than to remain with O2, partly due to the great call plan I have but also due to the shocking reception available on pretty much all networks here in Edinburgh. Outside of Edinburgh the phone works a treat.

....oh and don't bother getting shouty at O2 you will just get transferred to the RLS dept ie they hangup....it's what we all did when i worked there!!
 
Update 3

Yet another update.

Went to see the Genius, who agreed it is not a h/w issue but ran daignostics on my phone anyway. No faults found. He offered me a new phone anyway on the grounds that "O2 can't say we haven't tried everything else"

So far no drop outs, but so far very few calls made or received. Let's see what happens.
 
Last edited:
blevins321 said:
This problem is due to an Apple software quirk. Basically, the phone is supposed to send a message to the tower (and vice versa) when the signal is starting to degrade to unsustainable levels. This prepares both sides for a potential drop. Apple it seems hasn't programmed the phone well enough to handle a sudden cutout. So the phone doesn't know what to do when the notification signal is unable to be received by either side of the call. This would be an incredibly easy fix. Too bad it doesn't happen often enough to be higher on the priority list.
Click to expand...

Interesting - but these dropouts occur when I have 4 bars of 3G signal and in any event the issue, although across two phone models, is relatively recent - since O2 Carrier 10, I think.

I also thought there might be some correlation with incoming emails/texts, but I can't see a pattern there either.
 
What sort of earpiece do you use? I had problems with sporadic cutouts (not same symptoms as yours, but annoying as hell) with several iPhone 4s. After many shrieking calls to AT&T about their gawdawful network (and I gotta say, they stuck with me and tried many things), it dawned on me that the common thread was my wired headset. The issue only occurred when I was driving, and finally I tried it with a different headset-- and the issue did not recur! I suspected an incompatibility with the iPhone's noise cancellation technology.

Anyway, try looking for a common thread like that. For example: Is your SIMM card fresh or has it gone from phone to phone?
 
sjinsjca said:
What sort of earpiece do you use? I had problems with sporadic cutouts (not same symptoms as yours, but annoying as hell) with several iPhone 4s. After many shrieking calls to AT&T about their gawdawful network (and I gotta say, they stuck with me and tried many things), it dawned on me that the common thread was my wired headset. The issue only occurred when I was driving, and finally I tried it with a different headset-- and the issue did not recur! I suspected an incompatibility with the iPhone's noise cancellation technology.

Anyway, try looking for a common thread like that. For example: Is your SIMM card fresh or has it gone from phone to phone?
Click to expand...

No earpiece used at all.
 
I've had similar issues, but not necessarily when "on" a call. Mine hangs when I initiate a call. The handset calls out, but the phone on the other end doesn't ring... When trying to end the call, it wont. The only way out of the call is a shutdown, reboot. It doesn't happen often, but it is a PITA when it does.
 
thatisme said:
I've had similar issues, but not necessarily when "on" a call. Mine hangs when I initiate a call. The handset calls out, but the phone on the other end doesn't ring... When trying to end the call, it wont. The only way out of the call is a shutdown, reboot. It doesn't happen often, but it is a PITA when it does.
Click to expand...

OK, let's try to establish a pattern if we can

Location
Signal strength
Battery level
Network provider
iOS version
Carrier update version
 
I had the same issue when I had my at&t iPhone 4, the call would drop, and you can press end all day long and nothing would happen. This seemed to have also only happened when I was in my apartment.
 
Location: Edinburgh, but only occurs when home in the New Town area
Signal strength: 1 bar,3G
Battery level: >80%
Network provider: O2
iOS version: 4.3.2


I'm pretty sure it's down to the crappy signal I get at home as it's yet to happen away from my flat.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back