iPhone Conspiracy?

[Mac-A-Matic]

About three or four weeks ago, I upgraded the software and my iPhone 4GB started acting up. If I set it on the table, it would shut down and would require a restart. First, it happened sporadically. Then, over the course of a week, it started happening all the time - seemingly whenever I put the phone down.

After a while, it wouldn't restart at all until I plugged it back into the USB cord. Then it would restart. I thought it might be the battery but the battery indicator is usually over 75% full. After that it would work for about half a day without problems then it would start acting up again.

I took the iPhone to the local Apple store where the "Genius" promptly informed me that I would have to replace the iPhone with a new model (of course). I decided to pass on that "option."

Then I went on a trip to Central America where the phone ran on the Claro network. After two weeks of problems with the iPhone mysteriously shutting off, I decided to bring along an old Nokia in case the iPhone kept acting up and I needed to switch SIM cards.

Bewilderingly, the iPhone did not shut down once during my entire week in Central America on the Claro network. No problems, no shut downs - nothing.

I returned to the United States on Monday.

Yesterday (Friday), the iPhone started acting up again and shutting down.

Considering that the iPhone had the condition before my trip, but didn't during my trip, and now has developed the condition once again, I can only think that there is more to this "problem" than what they're telling me.

I should note that while my iPhone is the 4GB model that came out over two years ago, this particular phone was replaced by Apple in June 2009 and is only four months old.

Thoughts?

[space-time]

hmmm, are you sure there is nothing else that makes it shut off? are you saying that the ATT network somehow makes it shut off? have you tried to unlock it and use a T-Mobile SIM for a while, just to prove the conspiracy theory?

or get a tin foil case for the iPhone

[Mac-A-Matic]

Space-Time-

Well, I would certainly consider what you suggested. However, I did mention my one-week trip to Central America on the Claro network where the iPhone demonstrated no problems or shutdowns whatsoever.

[space-time]

"Then, over the course of a week, it started happening all the time - seemingly whenever I put the phone down."

This made me ask "are you sure there is nothing else that makes it shut off?"

Did you carry it in the pocket most of time while in Central America? did you put it down on the table like you do here at home? maybe it has a bad sensor or a bad solder joint somewhere and when you put it down this makes it shut down, but it works properly in vertical position. Are you running any Apps here at home that you didn't run while abroad?

Just saying that there could be other factors that you can easily overlook besides the networks, but yes, assuming everything else is the same and you can reproduce the problem here at home, i.e. make it run fine on T-Mobile and prove that it shuts down on ATT, and if this problem can be verified by other users, I think it will create a lot of bad publicity and legal problems for ATT (and maybe for Apple)

[macphanatic]

Have you done a factory restore? Maybe your carrier settings file is messed up.

[davester]

macphanatic wrote:
Have you done a factory restore? Maybe your carrier settings file is messed up.

That would be my first thought and first troubleshooting action. I'd be shocked if the genius did 't do a restore though.

[Filliam H. Muffman]

Maybe it is the different network? Was the phone running on a different frequency/network in Central America? The electronics in the phone for the Edge/3G network could be damaged and it overloads and shuts down when operating in the U.S.

[RAMd®d]

I think some of your off hand remarks here ticked off Stevie, and now he's making your life miserable.

And he's only just begun.

[DRR]

I'm guessing you used a different charger when you were down there?

[Mac-A-Matic]

The Genius asked if I had restored the iPhone - which I did prior to my visit to the Apple Store. He said that there's probably a corruption in the system (I'm guessing the "upgrade") and that I should restore the phone to factory settings (which I did not do then and still have not done).

I want to note that these problems did not occur prior to the upgrade to the iPhone OS.

With the iPhone practically untouched and in the same condition that it was demonstrating problems in the United States, it did not exhibit these problems in Central America on the Claro network.

I was considering that perhaps it could be a "lying on the table" thing that caused the phone to shut down but it did so (shutting down) on the Continental flight to Houston and down to Central America in a vertical position.

While in Central America, I used the iPhone as normal. Both in my pockets, on the table and no problems with shut downs whatsoever.

As far as apps are concerned, I'm not a power user. Outside of the standard apps that come with the iPhone, I use Shazam, Facebook, Tweetdeck and ReMovem Free. In spite of the expense of using the iPhone while outside of the United States, I did end up using the apps on several occasions.

With regards to the network - I was on the Claro network while in Central America which, I presume also uses the Edge system because the "E" on my screen would be active. Outside of that, I don't know whether the frequencies are the same but I can't imagine that damaged/overloaded Edge circuitry would foul up in the US on the ATT network but not foul up on the Claro network.

Charger- Same style of charging as in the USA: through the computer (though it now is a Dell Mini9 Hackintosh, but not the computer to which I sync the phone.

Thanks again for your thoughts.