iphone 3G sticky suggestions

godskitchen

I have been working on what I think should be a sticky for the iphone 3G for sometime now. I am sure other users on here are sick of answering the same questions over and over again.

I have covered most of the usual questions, "Can I get an iphone in the USA and will it work over here?" for example.

I am sure I will have missed something along the way, so if anyone could suggest questions to be answered I will work them in with relevant links and information.

Remember......no question is too silly!

Random

Why don't you post your list of questions/answers that you have already here, and people can see what's missing?

There's a link to a random assortment of threads here too which you might get some information from
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=58418545&postcount=2

godskitchen

Here is what I have so far.....

I am sure I will have missed something so if anyone would like to add something just say.

Thanks to Random for the help.



iphone unlocking stickey

Buying an iphone 3G


A friend is going to the USA, can they get an iphone 3G for me to use over here.

No. To get the iphone in the USA you need to sign up to a contract with AT&T, to do this you must live in the USA and have a Social security number. Of course if you find a second hand iphone 3G you can use it over here, subject to unlocking.



I am going to the UK, can I get an iphone there and use it here on o2?

No. It must be unlocked, see unlocking section.



Where can I buy an iphone 3G in the UK?

There are only two retailers in the UK that sell the iphone 3G, on contract or on PayAsYouGo.
O2 sell the iphone 3G at their physical stores, located throughout the UK, including NI, Store Locator.

They also sell the iphone 3G in their online store O2 UK online store you do however need to have a UK address for the phone to be delivered to if ordering on line.

You can of course buy an iphone 3G from sites such as ebay. Again, you will have to unlock the handset for it to work here on any network.



What details do I have to give when buying a PayAsYouGo iphone 3G in the UK?

You can pay for the phone in any manner you choose, be it credit card, laser card/debit card or with cash. You do not need a UK address and do not have to supply one when buying the iphone 3G. Carphone Warehouse do ask for a post code and will tell you it is for the warranty. It is not. They want to add you to their database. O2 stores do not ask for any information. Your receipt is all you need for the warranty.



I heard that if you buy an iphone 3G in Italy it comes unlocked, is this true?

Yes. Due to a law in Italy the iphone 3G must be sold unlocked and open to all networks anywhere in the world. It comes from Apple in this state. There are a number of other countries with the same rules. The main advantage to buying a factory unlocked iphone is that no update by Apple will render its sim free status void.

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Jailbreaking/Unlocking



What is the difference between jailbreaking and unlocking?

You will find a comprehensive description of both here, Raj's tech Blog



Should I be worried about jailbreaking/unlocking?

Jailbreaking a iphone 3G voids any warranty from Apple. To unlock the iphone 3G you must jailbreak. If you have concerns about either a quick google search will give you all the information you need.



How can I Jailbreak my iphone 3G?

Windows users
http://www.iclarified.com/entry/index.php?enid=1881

Mac users
http://www.iclarified.com/entry/index.php?enid=1842



How can I unlock my iphone 3G to work on other networks?

You must first jailbreak your iphone 3G, you can then unlock using yellowsn0w.
http://www.iclarified.com/entry/index.php?enid=2538



How will Apple updates for the iphone 3G effect my unlock/jailbreak?

When Apple update the iphone you will be notified the next time you sync with itunes. It will ask you if you want to upgrade to the latest firmware.

If you choose to do so then any jailbreaking/unlock you have preformed on your handset will be wiped, including apps downloaded via cydia/installer.

If you wish to continue using your iphone in its jailbroken/unlocked form you must wait for the iphone Dev-Team to crack the latest firmware before installing it.

Going on past experience it takes no longer than a week for the dev-team to crack any new firmware Apple release.



What is the score with TurboSims?

Before yellowsn0w was released by the dev-team the only way to get a iphone 3G working on a network other than the one it was sold on, was with a turbo sim.

A TurboSim is a small peice of plastic that sits between your regular sim card and the sim reader in the iphone. Early versions required the user cutting the edge off their sim card, more recent versions did not. It worked by fooling the phone into thinking you had inserted a valid sim card.

This method is no longer popular due to Apples firmware crippling the turbosims and the release of yellowsn0w.

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Irish Networks

How does the iphone work/preform on the Irish networks?

This topic has already been covered on boards.ie, the links below cover each network in Ireland.

3

Meteor

Vodafone

O2 PrePay

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iphone 3G features/lack of


Is it ture that the iphone 3G can not send/receive MMS Messages?

Yes and no. Out of the box the iphone 3G can not send/recieve MMS messages. There is are a number of apps, both jailbroken and official that enable MMS on the iphone 3G.



Is it true that the iphone 3G can not copy/paste.

Yes this is true. There are a few apps that let you do very basic copy/paste.
PasteBud works well for copying/pasting between Safari and Mail
http://www.iclarified.com/entry/index.php?enid=2434

mobius42

I'd add how to add your own ringtones to the iPhone. That question comes up a lot.

Mac: http://www.iclarified.com/entry/index.php?enid=465

Windows: http://www.iclarified.com/entry/index.php?enid=439