Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
My iPhone 4 signal issues are gone...
- Thread starter jav6454
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Short answer - It didn't work for me.
I get a full five bars in our home - always have on any phone. I grip the lower left corner with my left hand (called the death grip on these and other forums), and I watch as my always five bars of service fall one by one to no bars. I never completely loose service. I even almost dropped a call last night. I switched from holding the iPhone in my right hand to my left hand while on a call with my mother, and she said "your'e starting to break up". I switched back to my right hand and she said it was better.
I did what was suggested above, powered down my iPhone, removed the sim tray and sim, and found this....
http://picasaweb.google.com/spicoli.twitter/IPhone4#5488389960750836994
The contacts on the sim were actually contacting the metal frame. Gotta be the problem right? I proceeded to place a small piece of scotch tape over the edge of the sim, slightly overlapping the contacts. Placed the sim back into the sim tray and verified that the contacts were now insulated from the tray with the scotch tape. Waited the 20 minutes, reinstalled, powered on.
Still able to take my five bars of service down to no bars.
I guess I will continue to wait for Apple to announce a solution.
I get a full five bars in our home - always have on any phone. I grip the lower left corner with my left hand (called the death grip on these and other forums), and I watch as my always five bars of service fall one by one to no bars. I never completely loose service. I even almost dropped a call last night. I switched from holding the iPhone in my right hand to my left hand while on a call with my mother, and she said "your'e starting to break up". I switched back to my right hand and she said it was better.
I did what was suggested above, powered down my iPhone, removed the sim tray and sim, and found this....
http://picasaweb.google.com/spicoli.twitter/IPhone4#5488389960750836994
The contacts on the sim were actually contacting the metal frame. Gotta be the problem right? I proceeded to place a small piece of scotch tape over the edge of the sim, slightly overlapping the contacts. Placed the sim back into the sim tray and verified that the contacts were now insulated from the tray with the scotch tape. Waited the 20 minutes, reinstalled, powered on.
Still able to take my five bars of service down to no bars.
I guess I will continue to wait for Apple to announce a solution.
Attachments
I'm going to try this because I feel more comfortable holding the phone with my left hand.
Also, is everyone's SIM card touching the metal slider?
Here's a picture of mine... taken with the iPhone.
![IMG_0024.JPG]( "IMG_0024.JPG")
I put a small sliver of Scotch tape on the side of the SIM card. Just enough to keep it from touching the metal. I'm not too familiar with SIM cards since I just came from Sprint.
From the pinout that I found, mine could have been shorting VCC and GND. Bad bad stuff! I hope nothing was damaged in the phone itself due to a poorly cut SIM card.
Be back in 10 minutes to report my status.
Also, is everyone's SIM card touching the metal slider?
Here's a picture of mine... taken with the iPhone.
I put a small sliver of Scotch tape on the side of the SIM card. Just enough to keep it from touching the metal. I'm not too familiar with SIM cards since I just came from Sprint.
From the pinout that I found, mine could have been shorting VCC and GND. Bad bad stuff! I hope nothing was damaged in the phone itself due to a poorly cut SIM card.
Be back in 10 minutes to report my status.
I tried twice and didn't have any luck. My sim contact on one side did seem to touch the edge of the sim tray. There is no room for me to slide it over. Glad to hear that this is working for some.
While this is potentially a working "fix" for those having the issues (not for me, unfortunately, so far), it then causes one to wonder what's causing it:
- bad microSIMs
- bad design of the microSIM slot
- faulty machining of the microSIM slot (a few microns too much causing a short, or not enough?)
- mis-seated microSIMs
Could be a whole bunch of things... we're speculating like mad so far, so let's see what happens.
I say this because I've had nothing but problems with the iPhone 4 in my hand, and this "fix" hasn't resolved it, so while I may still be unique (others say the reseating isn't working for them so, maybe I'm not so unique after all) it could still be a problem in the long run.
Things move pretty fast around here...
- bad microSIMs
- bad design of the microSIM slot
- faulty machining of the microSIM slot (a few microns too much causing a short, or not enough?)
- mis-seated microSIMs
Could be a whole bunch of things... we're speculating like mad so far, so let's see what happens.
I say this because I've had nothing but problems with the iPhone 4 in my hand, and this "fix" hasn't resolved it, so while I may still be unique (others say the reseating isn't working for them so, maybe I'm not so unique after all) it could still be a problem in the long run.
Things move pretty fast around here...
I was skeptical but looked anyway and immediately noticed the the metal edge of the sim was touching the tray it sat in. It almost appears that the sims were incorrectly aligned in manufacturing. I'll just speculate and say maybe that is why Apple says "stay tuned" as they could be working something out with AT&T to get everyone new sims?
You cannot see it in the picture I took but the gold edge of the sim is toching the tray. I opted to take a thin piece of electrical tape to shield the sim but I have to admit, it is working and I am very pleased.
You cannot see it in the picture I took but the gold edge of the sim is toching the tray. I opted to take a thin piece of electrical tape to shield the sim but I have to admit, it is working and I am very pleased.
Attachments
ok this is weird. i just got my camera out to make a video of the process. I started by trying to show I can recreate the problem with ease. I've tested my phone numerous times and was ALWAYS able to get it to drop by placing a finger on the seam. I'm at my desk where I have recreated the issue numerous times with 100% of the time the issue presenting itself.
Only before even attempting the solution, I cannot recreate the issue. Anyway the issue is being corrected some other way? or is a time of day thing? This is weird.
IF YOU ARE TRYING THIS SOLUTION--MAKE SURE TO SEE IF YOU HAVE THE ISSUE IMMEDIATELY PRIOR
Only before even attempting the solution, I cannot recreate the issue. Anyway the issue is being corrected some other way? or is a time of day thing? This is weird.
IF YOU ARE TRYING THIS SOLUTION--MAKE SURE TO SEE IF YOU HAVE THE ISSUE IMMEDIATELY PRIOR
This is what mine looks like. I still have the issue.
![YpXqu.jpg]()
So i guess my hunch might be right? I for one cant seem to get my sim card to reposition correctly as its basically the same as this one (not enough plastic).
Some people might have more plastic around the metal and so a simple sim tray reload might be just disconnecting the metal on the card from the tray thereby "fixing" it.
If this is really the fix, apple should give me 5 cents for every iPhone sim tray they replace.
I may be "extrapolating"...
and yes, more testing is needed.But as of tonight, i am not losing any signal bars while holding my IP4 as I have done many times before. I am posting my observations in hope that it will help others as the OP helped me by posting his observations.
I don't know what it was with the sim card or the tray.
When I took my tray out again, I had the same signal issues and my calls would drop and wouldn't go.
I repeated everything again a few times and I still have signal dropping, but not to the point of zero bars anymore, and I can successfully make phone calls without them lagging or dropping or seeing "calling..." for more than 10 seconds.
The tray is simply too tiny for us to give some kind of precise method on how to properly insert it so this problem goes away.
The last thing I did (for the most recent sim insertion) was I tilted my phone 75 degrees with the sim slot facing up and i put the sim tray in. The sim looked like it was going to come out, it raised up from the tray a little as I pushed the tray in but I never re-adjusted it. I left it alone. Slid the tray in and this is where I am now.
When I took my tray out again, I had the same signal issues and my calls would drop and wouldn't go.
I repeated everything again a few times and I still have signal dropping, but not to the point of zero bars anymore, and I can successfully make phone calls without them lagging or dropping or seeing "calling..." for more than 10 seconds.
The tray is simply too tiny for us to give some kind of precise method on how to properly insert it so this problem goes away.
The last thing I did (for the most recent sim insertion) was I tilted my phone 75 degrees with the sim slot facing up and i put the sim tray in. The sim looked like it was going to come out, it raised up from the tray a little as I pushed the tray in but I never re-adjusted it. I left it alone. Slid the tray in and this is where I am now.
Trying to video this fix but can't get it okay again!
I had drop-off in my basement before seeing this thread. As everyone was clamoring for video proof, I decided to shoot the before and after. Only problem is that the after is worse!! I drop immediately and it is barely better with a case. Off to try the electrical tape now...
I had drop-off in my basement before seeing this thread. As everyone was clamoring for video proof, I decided to shoot the before and after. Only problem is that the after is worse!! I drop immediately and it is barely better with a case. Off to try the electrical tape now...
I assue the take doesnt have an ill effect on the sim. I am worried about tape residue and what not
Did it not work until you put tape on it?