Is the Iphone 3G unlocked?

Forums › Apple iOS and devices › Is the Iphone 3G unlocked?

mertles

8 posts

Wannabe Geek

#23950 11-Jul-2008 17:14

As I seem to be reading a lot of BS on this topic I thought I'd offer my own view having tested an overseas SIM card in it.

When I put a an o2 UK sim card in I can quite happily roam (all be it on the VOD network of course) and enter whatever APN I want together with whatever Username and Password I want. i.e. the 'Cellular Data Network' option becomes available when a non-NZ vod SIM card is inserted. I'd therefore say the phone comes completely unlocked for both voice and data straight out of the box.

As an aside, I also cancelled out of the activation process (because I realised I still had a UK address registerd in itunes) and so never activated the phone - and it works quite happily. And I didn't/don't get offered the activation process again.

(Edit: FWIW I bought the phone outright and brought it home sealed and unactivated).

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Geek
Inactive user

#147140 12-Jul-2008 14:38

I take it your already on a vodafone plan?

I'm quite interested to get one, however the dealer has been instructed to "not sell phones without a plan at this stage". Maybe things will change once the initial rush is done and they have tried suckering on as many as possible to plans.

PostmanPatsCat

58 posts

Master Geek

#147208 12-Jul-2008 19:03

Would it be possible to mail me the 10kb or so file in this folder.maybe we can use it to change the APN

C:\Documents and Settings\[Username]\Application Data\Apple Computer\iTunes\iPhone Carrier Support

manhinli

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#147215 12-Jul-2008 19:28

PostmanPatsCat: Would it be possible to mail me the 10kb or so file in this folder.maybe we can use it to change the APN

C:\Documents and Settings\[Username]\Application Data\Apple Computer\iTunes\iPhone Carrier Support

Why not just download it straight from Apple's servers? They've got an XML file full of the stuff (+ other iPhone/iPod/iTunes related stuff)

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LennonNZ

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#147217 12-Jul-2008 19:40

the ipcc files are just zip files which you can just unzip

http://appldnld.apple.com.edgesuite.net/content.info.apple.com/iPhone/CarrierBundles/061-4903.20080710.3eTr5/Vodafone_nz.ipcc

but without having a 3G Iphone with me I cannot test if you can just change the files and update again (I presume not) until the iphone unlocker comes out soon.

sbiddle

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#147222 12-Jul-2008 20:15

I guess the money is on... how long until the APN restriction is broken?

I'd put money on Vodafone actually wanting somebody to break it - something tells me the $1 casual data plan launch date isn't necessarily a coincidence...

PostmanPatsCat

58 posts

Master Geek

#147240 12-Jul-2008 21:35

LennonNZ: the ipcc files are just zip files which you can just unzip

http://appldnld.apple.com.edgesuite.net/content.info.apple.com/iPhone/CarrierBundles/061-4903.20080710.3eTr5/Vodafone_nz.ipcc

but without having a 3G Iphone with me I cannot test if you can just change the files and update again (I presume not) until the iphone unlocker comes out soon.

It'd be worth ago, if you could "force load" them on.

Anyone with an iphone?

mertles

8 posts

Wannabe Geek

#147292 13-Jul-2008 00:48

Viking325i: I take it your already on a vodafone plan?

No, just prepay. Can live without the 3G bit for now.

I'm quite interested to get one, however the dealer has been instructed to "not sell phones without a plan at this stage". Maybe things will change once the initial rush is done and they have tried suckering on as many as possible to plans.

My local VOD store pushed me reasonably hard to go on any sort of plan they offered and suggested I go on the internet to buy one outright, but then sold me one in any case.

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dauckland

290 posts

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#147314 13-Jul-2008 09:34

I found an interesting link:

http://ax.phobos.apple.com.edgesuite.net/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/com.apple.jingle.appserver.client.MZITunesClientCheck/version

I simply did a google search for Vodafone_nz.ipcc

I have edited the bundle and replaces the iphone specific APN with www.vodafone.net.nz

I am now going to try and load it. Will let you know if it works.

nzbullet

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#147324 13-Jul-2008 10:22

I have also changed the settings in the carrier bundle, however can't seem to get it onto the iPhone. Anyone else managed to do this yet? Obviously once 2.0 is jailbroken it will be easy to do and we will be able to get data on Prepay Voda with the 3G version. I am just impatient and want to do it now ;D

Viking325i

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#147395 13-Jul-2008 13:19

mertles:
Viking325i: I take it your already on a vodafone plan?

No, just prepay. Can live without the 3G bit for now.

I'm quite interested to get one, however the dealer has been instructed to "not sell phones without a plan at this stage". Maybe things will change once the initial rush is done and they have tried suckering on as many as possible to plans.

My local VOD store pushed me reasonably hard to go on any sort of plan they offered and suggested I go on the internet to buy one outright, but then sold me one in any case.

Thats good news, I'll go try and twist the arm of my local shop to sell me one, they wouldnt on friday. Good thing they have some black 16gig ones left too

ahmad

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#147397 13-Jul-2008 13:26

sbiddle: I guess the money is on... how long until the APN restriction is broken?

I'd put money on Vodafone actually wanting somebody to break it - something tells me the $1 casual data plan launch date isn't necessarily a coincidence...

With respect, do you really think Vodafone NZ were not able to support the $1 casual data plan with an iPhone if they wanted to?

It's not like they couldn't allow outright 3G iPhones to be charged at the same rates using the new APN, or allowed change of the APN to support that data plan.

Far more likely Vodafone have used the restrictions to push iPhone 3G users onto post-paid plans that score them profits.

dauckland

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#147417 13-Jul-2008 15:17

Hmm.

I managed to load the updated bundle.

Steps:

After editing the bundle I copied it over to one of my linuxes into the apache root

Creating the folder structure content.info.apple.com/iPhone/CarrierBundles/061-4903.20080710.3eTr5

I moved the bundle file into that folder

On my mac I edited the host file:

## # Host Database # # localhost is used to configure the loopback interface # when the system is booting. Do not change this entry. ## 127.0.0.1 localhost 255.255.255.255 broadcasthost ::1 localhost fe80::1%lo0 localhost 10.0.1.xxx appldnld.apple.com.edgesuite.net

Then I restored the iPhone.

It did ask to download an updated bundle, which after all the redirection settings would be server up by me.

After restore the bundle (the custom one) did appear in the library folder, so I presume it's loaded onto the phone (APN set to www.vodafone.net.nz).

But. It still doesn't work. I think the iphone specific APN is just a way of Vodafone knowing it's an iphone.

I think they detect the phone's IMEI.

I will keep trying.

sbiddle

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#147425 13-Jul-2008 15:38

ahmad:
sbiddle: I guess the money is on... how long until the APN restriction is broken?

I'd put money on Vodafone actually wanting somebody to break it - something tells me the $1 casual data plan launch date isn't necessarily a coincidence...

With respect, do you really think Vodafone NZ were not able to support the $1 casual data plan with an iPhone if they wanted to?

It's not like they couldn't allow outright 3G iPhones to be charged at the same rates using the new APN, or allowed change of the APN to support that data plan.

So you know this for sure or you're just guessing?

I'm sure a lot of people would be very surprised over the control Apple have over the iPhone and the way it is both sold and marketed. Vodafone took a lot of blame this week for decisions that are all made by Apple and yet Apple's reputation hasn't been tarnished, Vodafone's has.

There are very good reasons why things are the way they are and many of these aren't necessarily by choice. As I said above Vodafone may actually be very happy to see the iPhone broken..

ahmad

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#147433 13-Jul-2008 15:50

sbiddle: There are very good reasons why things are the way they are and many of these aren't necessarily by choice. As I said above Vodafone may actually be very happy to see the iPhone broken..

Do other countries where iPhone can be purchased and used on prepay also have data restrictions?

Would seem highly illogical for Apple to have placed that restriction.

Of course nothing *has* to be logical here.

leemajors

73 posts

Master Geek

#147448 13-Jul-2008 16:06

So you know this for sure or you're just guessing?

I'm sure a lot of people would be very surprised over the control Apple have over the iPhone and the way it is both sold and marketed. Vodafone took a lot of blame this week for decisions that are all made by Apple and yet Apple's reputation hasn't been tarnished, Vodafone's has.

There are very good reasons why things are the way they are and many of these aren't necessarily by choice. As I said above Vodafone may actually be very happy to see the iPhone broken..

It just seems logical that you could just use it on Prepay, since all other 3G phones can. There may be technical reasons that we don't know about but just doesn't seem right. Just seems like an attempt to move people away from prepay and commit to contracts.

I think you would be surprised at how little control apple has over the carriers. They seem like they have just given up the original 'Apple' model and are just letting the carriers do what they want.

If Vodafone wanted prepay users to be able to use it they would have... like every other Vodafone. VF New Zealand made an intentional decision to block Prepay users. This is an educated guess but, since I know a little about vodafone I know that there is a huge push to move people away from Prepay. They aren't making enough money out of us that way.

Look at their plans... you get a set amount of minutes say 20 mins for $20 and you are committed to paying that every month if you use it or not. While a prepay user pays 89c/min if they use 20 mins then they only pay $17.80.