cellForRowAtIndexPath returns nil on device - iphone

Question

I spent few hours trying to resolve one very strange issue, but I really don't know how to proceed.
I have a grouped UITableView referenced from XIB populated with custom (subclassed) UITableViewCell cells. All the cells (two section with one cell each) are visible and I am trying to get one of them by calling:
NSIndexPath *indexPath = [NSIndexPath indexPathForRow:0 inSection:1];
LocationSearchFilterCell *cell = (LocationSearchFilterCell *)[filterTable cellForRowAtIndexPath:indexPath];
On Simulator 4.2 the cell is returned properly;
On Device 4.0.x the code returns NIL;
On Simulator 4.0.x the code returns NIL;
On Simulator 4.1 the cell is returned properly BUT NOT on Device 4.1.
The strangest thing is that I am using this approach on few other places within the application and the cell is always returned properly. I guess it is some strange combination of me doing something differently combined with some iOS bug.
Any idea ?
P.S. In situation where NIL is returned, by using GDB I get the pointer of the cell when it is created and call:
(gdb) po (void *)[filterTable indexPathForCell:(UITableViewCell *)0x7b08520]
and I get a valid index path (that matches the one I am providing) which means the cell is valid and present into the table view.
I have even tried passing the object returned by this last call (by pointer) and I still get NIL.

Answer 1

Interesting,
It turned out someone is hiding the table view before I try to get the cell (stupid me :)).
What I was doing was, triggering an animation to hide the table view (nested into some methods I am calling from the method where I try to get the cell). Because I was stopped on a breakpoint the animation was also stopped, so it seamed to me like the table view is visible.
What I don't understand still is why the table view is threaded as hidden although the animation is still not finished (and I only change the frame in the animation and set the table hidden after the animation is finished) ?
I guess the answer to this question is the key point why on different combinations of Device / Simulator / iOS I get different behavior. Anyway the solution is as simple as moving the two lines I've posted above at the top of the method.
Thanks to Rits for his question that triggered my reasoning ;)
regards