Unlocking an iphone 3GS from the US

[chris414]

I know there are hundreds of these topics, but I just wanna be sure... I'm off to the US in a week or two and since the price is so much cheaper there I was gonna buy myself an iPhone 3GS. The question is - will I be able to make it work in South Africa with a Vodacom simcard? And have you done this *yourself*?

Thanks:)

[EchoZA]

YES!!! Snow will help, RedSNOW if particular! If it fails, I will buy it from you for R250 :D

[Schwartz]

Yes... there are many programs that will do it... just google it :)

[Anony-mousse]

won't be a problem at all to do this. 3GS can be unlocked.

[chris414]

yay:D thanks guys

[km2]

TBH, I'm more interested in how you plan to get one in the states. They no longer sell them on prepaid, so you'd have to somehow pass an AT&T credit check and agree to the 24-month contract.

Also keep an eye out for when 3.1 is released, because then it'll be difficult to unlock your phone.

[chris414]

hmm this is a problem... any ideas?

[Budza]

Proudly SA- "Liberate" one from someone on the subway:D

[jasweb]

Ouch Budza. Remember what goes around, comes around (someday, somehow)... :)

[Azriel]

Hi guys,

my friend is currently in the US, but is coming back here at the end of the month, and she wants to buy an iPhone there.

Now I remember there were originally some issues regarding the activating of it? Or was this just because iPhone wasn't officially supported in SA yet?

But basically, if she brought it back here, would it work the same as if she bought it locally? Or does it HAVE to be activated in the US then brought here?
How exactly does it work?

[bwana]

Hi guys,

my friend is currently in the US, but is coming back here at the end of the month, and she wants to buy an iPhone there.

Now I remember there were originally some issues regarding the activating of it? Or was this just because iPhone wasn't officially supported in SA yet?

But basically, if she brought it back here, would it work the same as if she bought it locally? Or does it HAVE to be activated in the US then brought here?
How exactly does it work?How are they going to buy it when ATT wants a contract?

[Shake&Bake]

/hate it when mods clean up my mild rants ;) :D

Thanks bwana :)

[Azriel]

How are they going to buy it when ATT wants a contract?

Not sure, just a question she asked me???

[Grimspoon]

Well if she can't buy the phone then there is nothing to worry about is there? :D

[kaggel]

I recently picked up an iPhone 3GS while on holiday in the USA (a friend bought it off-contract to get around AT&T nonsense - so it is possible).

I have tried using Redsn0w and Ultrasn0w in Cydia to jailbreak and unlock it, but my 3G aint working. I'm on MTN MyChoice Topup and I have a data bundle loaded onto my account.

If I reset the phone with 3G set to ON, it sort of sees 3G for a second, but with no signal-bars (even though my area has good 3G coverage - I've checked on another phone). After a second, the signal then drops down to Edge and stays that way. I can browse internet fine, tether my phone to my computer and browse internet there and generally everything works ok. I just can't get 3G to work.

I have tried the exact same procedure on 3 different iPhones (all 3GS's) and 3 different SIM cards all with the same results.

Anyone else have any issues like this? Anyone else have a 3GS working on MTN-3G in SA? Please tell me your secret.

I have not had a chance to try a Vodacom SIM card yet.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.
K

[WyldPhoenix]

What about testing the unlocked 3GS to see if PUSH messaging works? (Not email)

I can't get it working at all, apparently you need to activate the iPhone using a legit Vodacom contract before you receive your PUSH notifications!

[Mokusei]

Guys, the iPhone 3GS is available directly from AT&T or any Apple Store on pay-as-you-go as of March 2009. Have to buy with a credit card though, otherwise purchase a gift card at Apple stores to the value of the iPhone with cash, and then redeem an iPhone. Clever workaround.

[fxit_man]

Guys, the iPhone 3GS is available directly from AT&T or any Apple Store on pay-as-you-go as of March 2009. Have to buy with a credit card though, otherwise purchase a gift card at Apple stores to the value of the iPhone with cash, and then redeem an iPhone. Clever workaround.

Not really.. http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/

[Gundam]

Guys, the iPhone 3GS is available directly from AT&T or any Apple Store on pay-as-you-go as of March 2009. Have to buy with a credit card though, otherwise purchase a gift card at Apple stores to the value of the iPhone with cash, and then redeem an iPhone. Clever workaround.

The 3GS was only officially announced in June at Apple's WWDC and launched later that month. Do you mean the 3G?

[Mokusei]

The 3GS was only officially announced in June at Apple's WWDC and launched later that month. Do you mean the 3G?

Well it counted for all the iPhones available at the time, so yes, the 3G was part of it. Once the 3GS had released, it applied for that too.

[Mokusei]

Not really.. http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/29/apple-not-just-refusing-cash-also-refusing-apple-gift-cards-for/

Then I truly feel sorry for this guy, 'cause that only applies in the USA. In the UK it can DEFINITELY be done.

[paulgondwana]

Hi everyone
A friend of mine brought me an iPhone 3 GS from US. This new phone is supposed to be unlocked but when I put my MTN pay-as-you-go sim card in it, it says 'invalid sim'.
I am totally new to the iPhone but OK with Mac.
How do I know if the phone is locked or not?
What is the best procedure to follow to unlock the phone and have it working with my MTN card?

[fxit_man]

What firmware are you on?
And what modem firmware?

Settings > About

[DION786]

i too came back from the UK with an iphone,. 2g 8gig version,.. locked to 02,..
jailbreaked it with redsnow 7.0.2 i think,. the one below redsnow8,..
BUT,. and big warning to any others bring into country and actually spending crown on such device,..
How the heck do you get it to work properly,..!?!? ahahah,.. as in chap with 3g problems on MTN,. i am on vodacom prepaid and this thing surfs the net fine, but you think it will accept calls regularly!? one minute subscriber not available,. the next minute all is fine,.. just too darn buggy really,..

[DION786]

hahah,. literally just tried again,.. first call rang,. second two unavailable,.. go figure,.. easy to jail break once you have it figured,. but y,. seems networks win this battle afterall,..

[Schwartz]

i too came back from the UK with an iphone,. 2g 8gig version,.. locked to 02,..
jailbreaked it with redsnow 7.0.2 i think,. the one below redsnow8,..
BUT,. and big warning to any others bring into country and actually spending crown on such device,..
How the heck do you get it to work properly,..!?!? ahahah,.. as in chap with 3g problems on MTN,. i am on vodacom prepaid and this thing surfs the net fine, but you think it will accept calls regularly!? one minute subscriber not available,. the next minute all is fine,.. just too darn buggy really,..

go to www.blackra1n.com
Download it... go to intunes and upfate your phone if it aint on 3.12. Then run blackra1n

[Michaelmw]

I recently picked up an iPhone 3GS while on holiday in the USA (a friend bought it off-contract to get around AT&T nonsense - so it is possible).

I have tried using Redsn0w and Ultrasn0w in Cydia to jailbreak and unlock it, but my 3G aint working. I'm on MTN MyChoice Topup and I have a data bundle loaded onto my account.

If I reset the phone with 3G set to ON, it sort of sees 3G for a second, but with no signal-bars (even though my area has good 3G coverage - I've checked on another phone). After a second, the signal then drops down to Edge and stays that way. I can browse internet fine, tether my phone to my computer and browse internet there and generally everything works ok. I just can't get 3G to work.

I have tried the exact same procedure on 3 different iPhones (all 3GS's) and 3 different SIM cards all with the same results.

Anyone else have any issues like this? Anyone else have a 3GS working on MTN-3G in SA? Please tell me your secret.

I have not had a chance to try a Vodacom SIM card yet.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.
K

That Sounds like a Unlocking problem that u faced, well maybe just get out there more, afaik unlocking cannot brick the phone in anyway so try and see, or maybe someone here can walk you through it

[DION786]

go to www.blackra1n.com
Download it... go to intunes and upfate your phone if it aint on 3.12. Then run blackra1n

You have to be nutts,.. have you not read regards 3.1.2,.. i had the choice of two iphones to bring back,. one had already been updated to 3.1.2,. it was nightmare to break,. so just sat with the 3.0,..

Erm,. maybe if you spelt a little better and erm,.. seemed a little more like erm,. provided some expertise,. as opposed to just mentioning the obvious,..
Like whats your similar experience there guy!?.

[DION786]

Okay,. well it seems that if you turn off push functionality,.. All incomings work,.. well thats pretty late in the evening,..
If all goes well in the morning, should be working just as well,.
Many thanks to Brendan Babb for the fix there,..
:cool::cool::cool: