first thing to do with a new iphone: try another SIM card [Archive]

appleii2mac

Jun 29, 2007, 08:29 AM

xUKHCx

Jun 29, 2007, 08:31 AM

The simcard is accessible, someone has posted an official apple image showing how to gain access to it. Therefore the reviewers are probably correct when they say other sims wont work.

mpw

Jun 29, 2007, 08:32 AM

has it even been confirmed that the SIM card is accessible? I know various reviewers have said "you can't use another carriers SIM card", which some people take as implying that the SIM card is accessible, but I don't think that's necessarily a given.

Does nobody read anything before they post anymore!!

These questions are being asked over and over again all over the forum and many of them are already answered at apple.com!

There IS a SIM card slot/tray, but no other SIM will work other than that whish is registered with that handset, even another valid AT&T SIM from another iPhone will not work in another iPhone.

cpnotebook80

Jun 29, 2007, 08:33 AM

cyberone

Jun 29, 2007, 08:34 AM

appleii2mac

Jun 29, 2007, 08:37 AM

Does nobody read anything before they post anymore!!

These questions are being asked over and over again all over the forum and many of them are already answered at apple.com!

There IS a SIM card slot/tray, but no other SIM will work other than that whish is registered with that handset, even another valid AT&T SIM from another iPhone will not work in another iPhone.

I have read the forums. All I've seen are assumptions that it will be accessible. If you can point to where apple says that the SIM card is accessible, that would be great, but I haven't seen anything to that effect on their site.

xUKHCx indicated that there is an image showing how to access it. Does anyone have a link to it?

And for the record, I'm not thinking of putting another carriers SIM card in the phone. I'm thinking of taking the SIM out and putting it in another phone (unlocked or AT&T), in case I don't want to carry around the iphone.

mpw

Jun 29, 2007, 08:38 AM

there must be a hack, mustn't there!

Not must, might. Maybe there will be, but there isn't yet, and there might not be.

I think they've locked it down very, very tight being both software and hard/firmware based for the US market at launch.

What will be interesting is when they launch in the EU where there's a possibility locking it down in this way will be illegal. What will they do then?? will EU version become more valuable on ebay to people in the US??

mpw

Jun 29, 2007, 08:40 AM

...And for the record... ...I'm thinking of taking the SIM out and putting it in another phone (unlocked or AT&T), in case I don't want to carry around the iphone.

That's actually one of the more reasonable ideas regarding SIM swapping etc.

I'll try to find a link, but it's on apple.com somewhere.

marksman

Jun 29, 2007, 08:41 AM

AHHHhhhhaaaa.....well thats a bummer.
Well lets hope for the best.

What does that mean?

That is the best.

Are you expecting for something magic to happen?

marksman

Jun 29, 2007, 08:43 AM

I have read the forums. All I've seen are assumptions that it will be accessible. If you can point to where apple says that the SIM card is accessible, that would be great, but I haven't seen anything to that effect on their site.

xUKHCx indicated that there is an image showing how to access it. Does anyone have a link to it?

And for the record, I'm not thinking of putting another carriers SIM card in the phone. I'm thinking of taking the SIM out and putting it in another phone (unlocked or AT&T), in case I don't want to carry around the iphone.

AT&T has said it in their employee training document. People can move their SIM from their iPhone to another AT&T phone. However, it will not work the other way, and SIMs from other carriers won't work either.

PowerFullMac

Jun 29, 2007, 08:44 AM

Remember the :apple: TV? Hacked within a month of release. Remember the iPhone? Also runs OS X, should be hacked easly, then its good bye one sim lock and hello Virgin Mobile!

xUKHCx

Jun 29, 2007, 08:45 AM

That's actually one of the more reasonable ideas regarding SIM swapping etc.

I'll try to find a link, but it's on apple.com somewhere.

Wasn't there the manual from at&t which said that if a person puts their iphone sim in another phone it will work and they will actually get additional features such as mms, discussed in this thread (http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=321145&highlight=iphone+mms)

mpw

Jun 29, 2007, 08:47 AM

Remember the :apple: TV? Hacked within a month of release. Remember the iPhone? Also runs OS X, should be hacked easly, then its good bye one sim lock and hello Virgin Mobile!

BUt the :apple: TV isn't registered and reliant on have another piece or hard/firm/sotware installed to work is it? and then even if you hack the SIM or handset to work independantly how you going to fool the carrier network?

I'm sure some features will be made to work, but not all, and not seamlessly. I predict without authority.

cpnotebook80

Jun 29, 2007, 08:47 AM

I have read the forums. All I've seen are assumptions that it will be accessible. If you can point to where apple says that the SIM card is accessible, that would be great, but I haven't seen anything to that effect on their site.

xUKHCx indicated that there is an image showing how to access it. Does anyone have a link to it?

And for the record, I'm not thinking of putting another carriers SIM card in the phone. I'm thinking of taking the SIM out and putting it in another phone (unlocked or AT&T), in case I don't want to carry around the iphone.

Here is the link to sim card removal
http://www.macrumors.com/2007/06/29/iphone-screenshots-calendar-widgets-sim-removal/

psychofreak

Jun 29, 2007, 08:48 AM

If you could get another OS on there (iPhoneLinux?) could you use another SIM card on that? Or is it a firm/hardware constriction that you can't do anything about?

xUKHCx

Jun 29, 2007, 08:49 AM

xUKHCx indicated that there is an image showing how to access it. Does anyone have a link to it?

Sorry got distracted by my work, the image is on this page (http://www.thinksecret.com/archives/iphoneinterface/source/iphone05.html) but i think it is getting absolutely jammed at the moment very slow loading times for me.

This is actually from the front page article (http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=321585&highlight=iphone+paper+clip)

appleii2mac

Jun 29, 2007, 08:50 AM

Remember the :apple: TV? Hacked within a month of release. Remember the iPhone? Also runs OS X, should be hacked easly, then its good bye one sim lock and hello Virgin Mobile!

Yes, but the Apple TV is running on Intel processors. There are no publicly available OSX compilers for ARM processors.

mpw

Jun 29, 2007, 08:52 AM

If you could get another OS on there (iPhoneLinux?) could you use another SIM card on that? Or is it a firm/hardware constriction that you can't do anything about?

I think the stumbling block is going to be iTunes, if you can't sync the phone 'cause it's hacked and not recognised what's the point of having it. Isn't syncing easily THE point of the thing?

xUKHCx

Jun 29, 2007, 08:52 AM

Attached is the image after the page finally loaded

PowerFullMac

Jun 29, 2007, 08:55 AM

BUt the :apple: TV isn't registered and reliant on have another piece or hard/firm/sotware installed to work is it? and then even if you hack the SIM or handset to work independantly how you going to fool the carrier network?

I'm sure some features will be made to work, but not all, and not seamlessly. I predict without authority.

You dont have to fool anyone, under all the glass and multi-touch technology its just a mobile phone, and once unlocked will work on any network, the activation is something done by AT&T, and is not required to do on any other network for it to actually connect, but Apple probably have put a block so it wont work it cant detect the sim is activated, but thats what hack is for.

So, it WILL be hacked. Just have trust, faith and patience.:apple:

appleii2mac

Jun 29, 2007, 08:55 AM

Sorry got distracted by my work, the image is on this page (http://www.thinksecret.com/archives/iphoneinterface/source/iphone05.html) but i think it is getting absolutely jammed at the moment very slow loading times for me.

This is actually from the front page article (http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=321585&highlight=iphone+paper+clip)

Thanks xUKHCx! Greatly appreciated.

mpw

Jun 29, 2007, 08:58 AM

...So, it WILL be hacked. Just have trust, faith and patience.:apple:

FileSafe's been around awhile now, how the hacking of that going?

Compile 'em all

Jun 29, 2007, 08:58 AM

If you could get another OS on there (iPhoneLinux?) could you use another SIM card on that? Or is it a firm/hardware constriction that you can't do anything about?

Expect to see an unlocked iPhone in 1 week tops :cool:.

ldhilljr

Jun 29, 2007, 09:18 AM

Does nobody read anything before they post anymore!!

These questions are being asked over and over again all over the forum and many of them are already answered at apple.com!

There IS a SIM card slot/tray, but no other SIM will work other than that whish is registered with that handset, even another valid AT&T SIM from another iPhone will not work in another iPhone.

Actually, I have read that another ATT SIM card would work, but Apple prefers that you use the SIM card that came with the iPhone. The key here is the locking of the iPhone -- that is what will usually prevent another SIM card from working in any GSM phone. If the iPhone can be unlocked (and I strongly suspect that it can be, as there are news reports saying folks are already doing this in India), then any SIM card should work in the iPhone. But I would strongly recommend to anyone that they wait and see how the unlocking process works first before buying an iPhone with the hope of using it on a non-ATT network.

I fully expect that within a few months I will be able to purchase one and use it on T-Mobile in the US and Orange in the UK, but I also want to wait and see if anyone develops modem scripts for the iPhone so that it can be used to transmit data to/from my MacBook Pro.

marksman

Jun 29, 2007, 09:20 AM

Actually, I have read that another ATT SIM card would work, but Apple prefers that you use the SIM card that came with the iPhone. The key here is the locking of the iPhone -- that is what will usually prevent another SIM card from working in any GSM phone. If the iPhone can be unlocked (and I strongly suspect that it can be, as there are news reports saying folks are already doing this in India), then any SIM card should work in the iPhone. But I would strongly recommend to anyone that they wait and see how the unlocking process works first before buying an iPhone with the hope of using it on a non-ATT network.

I fully expect that within a few months I will be able to purchase one and use it on T-Mobile in the US and Orange in the UK, but I also want to wait and see if anyone develops modem scripts for the iPhone so that it can be used to transmit data to/from my MacBook Pro.

People have already unlocked the sim card in India. Amazing. Unlocking the SIM is not going to unlock access to the entire phone. That is where I think people are confused. You might be able to use it to make phone calls, but that does not mean the iPod, Wifi, web browsing, mail or anything else will work.

TurboPGT

Jun 29, 2007, 09:34 AM

You guys do realize how many people with be using the iPhone to its fullest, enjoying every little feature.... and never touching the SIM card. Ever.

jshbckr

Jun 29, 2007, 09:53 AM

You guys do realize how many people with be using the iPhone to its fullest, enjoying every little feature.... and never touching the SIM card. Ever.

I don't get what you mean from this. Are you saying they'll never use features that are SIM card dependent (iPod, etc.) or that they'll just sign up for AT&T and use the iPhone and never even realize there is a SIM card?

And onto a different topic: iPhone hacking. I'm pretty confident that if it gets hacked in the next week or two, Apple will release an update saying "Oh hey guys, did you want MMS support?" and within the update is a hack fix. Then if it gets hacked again, "Guess what?! The camera can now capture video with this NEW UPDATE!" and contain another hack fix.

ldhilljr

Jun 29, 2007, 11:57 AM

People have already unlocked the sim card in India. Amazing. Unlocking the SIM is not going to unlock access to the entire phone. That is where I think people are confused. You might be able to use it to make phone calls, but that does not mean the iPod, Wifi, web browsing, mail or anything else will work.

They are not unlocking the SIM card. The SIM card is not what gets locked. It's the phone that gets locked/unlocked. Unlock the phone, and another SIM card will work. I've done this with Motorola and Sony phones several times. Once that's done, all you need are the data settings for your network to get the mail & web browsing. The iPod and WiFi should work without a problem -- they are not SIM-dependent. The only thing that will never work on a non-iPhone-approved network is the visual voicemail, since that is network-dependent.

mpw

Jun 29, 2007, 12:00 PM

...The iPod and WiFi should work without a problem...

Not true according to Apple. I guess the WiFi might work, but the iPod won't sync without the SIM. At least that's what I understand from the Apple registration video.

ldhilljr

Jun 29, 2007, 02:07 PM

Not true according to Apple. I guess the WiFi might work, but the iPod won't sync without the SIM. At least that's what I understand from the Apple registration video.

Most GSM cell phones will not boot up without a SIM card (e.g., my Sony K790i will not boot up without one installed, and neither would my old Motorolas). So the need to have some kind of SIM installed would not be unusual. But if the iPhone were unlocked, I don't think you would need the original SIM for the phone and almost all of its contents to work.

StolenPhone

Jun 29, 2007, 03:35 PM

Yes, but the Apple TV is running on Intel processors. There are no publicly available OSX compilers for ARM processors.

Not true. OSX is based on GCC, and wouldn't you know...a full tools kit for compiling ARM with GCC on MacOS:

http://www.gnuarm.com/

appleii2mac

Jun 29, 2007, 03:38 PM

Not true. OSX is based on GCC, and wouldn't you know...a full tools kit for compiling ARM with GCC on MacOS:

http://www.gnuarm.com/

I stand corrected.

That'll teach me to quote people from /.

padrino121

Jul 1, 2007, 08:12 AM

I stand corrected.

That'll teach me to quote people from /.

That's what you get for quoting posts from any large community without verifying first. Slashdot is frequented with a lot of well qualified individuals, and bozos all at the same time.

SpookTheHamster

Jul 1, 2007, 09:35 AM

There IS a SIM card slot/tray, but no other SIM will work other than that whish is registered with that handset, even another valid AT&T SIM from another iPhone will not work in another iPhone.

If that's the case, it's pretty stupid. What do you do if your battery runs out and you need to use your SIM in someone else's phone, or vice versa? Or when you carry around more than one SIM card?

meagain

Jul 1, 2007, 09:40 AM

There IS a SIM card slot/tray, but no other SIM will work other than that whish is registered with that handset, even another valid AT&T SIM from another iPhone will not work in another iPhone.

Did you or anyone actually try it?

I read on another forum where one guy took his Sim from his activated iPhone and put it in his RAZR and it worked for him.
I fail to grasp how moving the Sim from an activated iPhone to another non-activated iPhone wouldn't work.

But if one can put the iPhone's sim into another phone, that could solve the tethering issue for many. Anyone else play around with all this?

mpw

Jul 1, 2007, 02:02 PM

Did you or anyone actually try it?

I read on another forum where one guy took his Sim from his activated iPhone and put it in his RAZR and it worked for him.
I fail to grasp how moving the Sim from an activated iPhone to another non-activated iPhone wouldn't work.

But if one can put the iPhone's sim into another phone, that could solve the tethering issue for many. Anyone else play around with all this?

If that's the case, it's pretty stupid. What do you do if your battery runs out and you need to use your SIM in someone else's phone, or vice versa? Or when you carry around more than one SIM card?
Stupid or not that's how it is, the iPhone handset is locked to the SIM that is registered to it, otherwise SIMs can be swapped as normal.

danny_w

Jul 1, 2007, 03:45 PM

But if one can put the iPhone's sim into another phone, that could solve the tethering issue for many. Anyone else play around with all this?
I don't have an iPhone, but have read that at&t says that the data plan will not work if you do this (but the voice will work). If that is true, then tethering in this way is out.

danny_w

Jul 1, 2007, 03:50 PM

Stupid or not that's how it is, the iPhone handset is locked to the SIM that is registered to it, otherwise SIMs can be swapped as normal.
While I beleve that this is true, it flies in the face of the original intent of the SIM card. One of the real beauties of the SIM card has always been that you could simply plug your card into a different phone and get your "personality" transferred to that phone. When I worked for Siemens years ago (at the start of the GSM era) they even called it a "personality" card.