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Jailbroken or factory unlocked
- Thread starter hrv888
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1) Jail break is not the same as unlocking. I guess you mean software unlocking vs. factory unlocking. To the check, connect the iphone to itune and make sure the automatic update is on. If the phone is software unlocked (with jail break) it will restore and relock again. However, if it was factory unlock it won't. Also software unlocked phone will normally have installer and cydia app icon (though people can hide them)
2) with software unlocking and jail breaking, yes you will need to unlock and jail break after each update (that's if you want the update)
3) with factory unlocked phone you will have the peace of mind of using any sim you want and updating whenever you want without the phone being locked ever.
1. Jailbreaking and unlocking are two completely different things. If the phone is Jailbroken, you will most likely see a brown icon called "Cydia". Cydia is the program that lets you install all of the jailbroken features.
2. If jailbroken phones are updated through iTunes, the jailbreak is lost.
3. Yes, however, jailbreaking is a very simple and relatively fast process, so doing it after every firmware update is not all that much of a hassle.
in other words the only way to unlock a phone is to jailbreak it? is there any risk if i bought a phone jailbroken already? how can i distinguish if the phone is jailbroken or factory unlocked when im still in the store without access to itunes? the store is g-world in hong kong. they are selling unlocked iphone for HKD7200. anyone here bought from them?
apple only sells it online in hong kong. and g-world is a store saying that theirs is also factory unlocked. anyway that i could check if its factory unlocked? their price is HKD1000 on top of Apple online store price but they have units in stock. since apple online have to wait for 1 to 2 weeks shipment, i wont stay in hong kong that long.
well then just open it in the shop as soon as you buy it - if the box is sealed and your uk sim works in the phone, you can be pretty sure it is apple unlocked
if the box is already open, they could have jailbroken and unlocked it - therefore making it not apple unlocked
if the box is already open, they could have jailbroken and unlocked it - therefore making it not apple unlocked
Bought the iPhone 3gs and it was sealed. No cydia app installed. Any sum works. How can I check if this is factory unlocked? Or it sure is since I can use any sim without the cydia app? Thanks no access to itunes yet since I am out of the country now.
Again, if it is sealed, then that means that it hasn't been touched by anybody outside the Apple factory. Meaning that if any SIM card works in it, it is factory unlocked.
If it is not-sealed, and they claim it's factory unlocked, but there's no Cydia, they might have just "poofed" it. So if it was not-sealed, then the only way to check is through iTunes. Restore it. If any SIM card works, it's factory unlocked. If only the provider of that country works, then it's locked, and it wasn't factory unlocked.
Wow! 
twenty-eight hours later, and you have a factory unlocked 3GS iPhone. You should have picked up a 2nd one and sold it for even more money. Congrats.....
twenty-eight hours later, and you have a factory unlocked 3GS iPhone. You should have picked up a 2nd one and sold it for even more money. Congrats.....