Restoring firmware to iPhone 4
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regalman • May 13, 2013 at 11:06pm
I have an iPhone 4 that was run over by a car. After replacing the front screen, the phone worked normally, but there was no IMEI or firmware listed. I attempted a restore in iTunes and now it cannot be activated via Wi-Fi or iTunes, even with a SIM card inserted. TinyUmbrella shows an IMEI and serial number, but no firmware. I realize the logic board could be damaged, but is there a way to try and restore the firmware?
Answers
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iClarified • January 13, 2026 at 3:24am
A missing IMEI or Modem Firmware (Baseband) version usually indicates a hardware communication failure between the logic board and the baseband chip. Since the phone was physically crushed, it is highly likely that the solder joints under the baseband CPU have cracked or the chip itself has been damaged. You can attempt to put the iPhone into DFU mode and perform a full restore via iTunes. If the restore process fails with Error 1 or Error -1, it confirms a hardware-level failure related to the baseband. While a professional repair technician could potentially reflow or reball the chip, the most reliable solution for a device with this level of physical trauma is typically a logic board replacement.