Can someone please explain how you can quickly set the YEAR within the date and time settings?
If the battery has been removed then the iPhone is reset back to Jan 1st 1970. This means that the network will not sync and you won't get a signal. Therefore the automatic date setting will not work either.
The only way I have managed so far is to literally scroll through everyday of every month of every year up to the present day until it is correct. This is naturally tiresome and also impractical as often in swiping you drag up the quick menu from the bottom.