She was in the middle of a call when it just dropped, and an SOS signal popped up. Then it restarted and gave this weird message. Folks at AT&T and the repair shop hadn’t seen it before. Any ideas on what could be wrong?
Might be a modem failure, you should try calling Apple support. If they can’t help, try restoring the iPhone through a computer. Here’s a link that shows how to restore. Just make sure you have her Apple ID and password handy.
@Marshel
We’ve already tried restoring it, but that message still keeps popping up.
Bela said:
@Marshel
We’ve already tried restoring it, but that message still keeps popping up.
Then it’s likely the modem is gone. If she doesn’t have insurance or warranty, she’ll probably need a new iPhone.
@Marshel
Luckily, she has insurance, so it’s being replaced. Just wanted to know what was wrong since no one had answers.
Bela said:
@Marshel
Luckily, she has insurance, so it’s being replaced. Just wanted to know what was wrong since no one had answers.
I work over at T-Mobile and actually see this a lot. It’s almost always the modem giving out. Replacement is usually the way to go.
@Dexter
How often do you come across this?
@Dexter
Seems more common with the 13 Pro Max, especially with that white screen glitch too.
I’ve run into this before. The baseband chip that manages the cellular modem has probably failed. When your phone starts up, it tries to read the IMEI from the baseband to connect to the cell tower. If the baseband chip is dead, there’s no IMEI to read, and you get that error. If you’re under AppleCare or within warranty, take it in to the Apple Store. If not, you might need a new phone.
@Tatum
When you say baseband, are we talking about the chip where the antenna is, or is it deeper under the frame? Seems like a super fragile piece for something so important.
Taryn said:
The back of mine needed replacement when my signal kept dropping. AppleCare took care of it for me.
So it’s definitely hardware-related then? Maybe delayed damage from the drop. Thanks. Some people on here don’t get troubleshooting.
Taryn said:
The back of mine needed replacement when my signal kept dropping. AppleCare took care of it for me.
Haha, what’s this even about? Chill.
Sounds like the modem or baseband failed. Either a board repair or new phone might be needed.
I’d just go straight to an Apple Store at this point.
Definitely a modem fail. With how thin phones are now, a drop could easily mess that up. My wife is rough with her phones too, and they end up like this.
Get her a more protective case for the new phone, maybe something from Mous or similar.
Had a similar problem and had to get my eSIM checked along with the IMEI with my carrier. T-Mobile thought I had a Samsung 24 even though I was using an iPhone 13 Pro Max.
Pretty sure it’s a problem with her iPhone.
I love cases from Torro, they’re real leather and have rubber bumpers around the edges. I’ve dropped mine so many times, and it’s still perfect.
I’ve never seen this issue before.