I'm having a frustrating issue with my mom's iPhone. Her old phone stopped being able to make or receive calls, although it could still send texts for a while—until that stopped too. We tried everything: updating her carrier settings, performing a hard reboot, getting a new SIM card, and even starting from scratch. Sometimes calls would work for a bit, but then the issue would return, and eventually, it stopped altogether. We could only text or use FaceTime when connected to Wi-Fi. I was told it was a motherboard problem, so we decided to get her a used iPhone 11. Unfortunately, the same call issues are beginning to reappear with the new phone. She can still send texts and do FaceTime video calls, but regular calls only go through after I reboot the phone. I'm worried that it will completely stop working like the last one did. Has anyone experienced similar issues? We've already updated the SIM and iOS, but the problem persists—though it does feel a bit different this time.
3 Answers
I'm a bit confused. So, you replaced the phone but the issue keeps happening? Have you considered asking your carrier directly instead of focusing on the phone itself? There could be problems specific to your service provider that need addressing.
It sounds like you're dealing with a pretty persistent issue! Just to clarify, who told you it was a motherboard problem? I doubt Apple would say that directly without checking for things like a baseband or SIM reader issue first. If the problem is occurring even with a new phone, it could be more about your carrier's service or provisioning than the devices themselves. Have you checked with them?
Yeah, after troubleshooting, we went to the carrier and they replaced the SIM and reset settings, but nothing worked. I initially thought it could be the phone since we got a used one, but it's frustrating that the problem continues.
Honestly, I wouldn’t jump to conclusions about the phone being the issue just because it followed to a new device. It’s far more likely that it’s a problem with the cellular service in your area or on the carrier’s end. Have they mentioned anything about potential network issues?

That’s a good point! I just assumed since it was a new phone that we'd be in the clear. AT&T mentioned something about software issues recently, but they claimed they did all they could on their end.