What does 'Baseband' mean?

kdesign7 · Dec 14, 2010

My poor head is all frazzled over this new term (for me that is). I've had a Jailbroken iDevice now for a few years, and this is the first time that I've heard of 'Baseband' and to be honest, I'm not entirely... sure what it refers to.

I know where to go, within the iDevice to find the version?! My Baseband is 02.10.04. I'm curious though, what exactly does this mean for me?! My iPhone4 is with Bell. My phone is 'unlocked' to my understanding (that I can put any SIM card into the phone and it'll work on their network...here in Canada that is. Bell/Rogers/Telus).

So - What exactly does this Baseband mean?! Should I be worried or concerned with it? Will my version hinder future Updates to newer firmwares, and/or downgrade to previous?!

I'm just trying to get an understand about waht it is... and how it affects my device!

I appreciate your help in advanced. I tried going through the forum posts, but I found myself lost in a bunch of different definitions.

lucifiel · Dec 14, 2010

Baseband is the modem software version. The software which controls the modem.

The relevance for you is whether you can do a software unlock.

It sounds like you have what's called a factory unlock.

If you have ever installed ultrasn0w, then baseband is relevant, otherwise it is not.

kdesign7 · Dec 14, 2010

lucifiel said:
Baseband is the modem software version. The software which controls the modem.

The relevance for you is whether you can do a software unlock.

It sounds like you have what's called a factory unlock.

If you have ever installed ultrasn0w, then baseband is relevant, otherwise it is not.

Ya... I'm fairly certain I have a factory unlock - which is the case for all iPhone4's here in Canada.

I used LimeRa1n... does that matter?

BTW - thx for the reply!

Applejuiced · Dec 14, 2010

kdesign7 said:
Ya... I'm fairly certain I have a factory unlock - which is the case for all iPhone4's here in Canada.

That is not the case for all iphones in Canada.
Unless you bought it from an Apple store and paid full price without a contract then yes its probably factory unlocked.
If you bought it from a carriers store then its locked to that wireless provider.

kdesign7 · Dec 14, 2010

Applejuiced said:
That is not the case for all iphones in Canada.
Unless you bought it from an Apple store and paid full price without a contract then yes its probably factory unlocked.
If you bought it from a carriers store then its locked to that wireless provider.

LOL goes to show you what I dont know! Alrite, so I am on a plan for 3 years. Will I need to be conscienous of what Baseband I have,... ?!

For example. If I do use one of those 'none' offical jailbreaks... what does do that I would need to be worried about.

Im just really trying to get a grasp of what this whole baseband thing is. I appreciate your help! I really do!

BeauGiles · Dec 14, 2010

If all you want is a jailbreak, baseband means nothing to you

If you're jailbreaking because you need it to unlock your phone, or you think you might move carriers later, then you'll need to know what baseband is.

My 2c.

kdesign7 · Dec 14, 2010

BeauGiles said:
If all you want is a jailbreak, baseband means nothing to you
If you're jailbreaking because you need it to unlock your phone, or you think you might move carriers later, then you'll need to know what baseband is.

My 2c.

Thank you so much Beau! that's pretty much what I Wanted to know. I have no desire to switch my provider as I've been with them for nearly 7 years now... and their service is amazing here in the EastCoastCanada - so.. That answers my question!

Thx, you've been a great help!

Applejuiced · Dec 14, 2010

BeauGiles said:
If all you want is a jailbreak, baseband means nothing to you
If you're jailbreaking because you need it to unlock your phone, or you think you might move carriers later, then you'll need to know what baseband is.

My 2c.

Exactly.
If you dont plan to unlock your iphone to use on other GSM carriers then you dont need to worry about the baseband.

lucifiel · Dec 14, 2010

Applejuiced said:
That is not the case for all iphones in Canada.
Unless you bought it from an Apple store and paid full price without a contract then yes its probably factory unlocked.
If you bought it from a carriers store then its locked to that wireless provider.

That's not necessarily true, there are providers who will unlock handsets for free. My provider in Australia is one such provider. I suspect there are other providers in Canada who might do the same. Alternatively, an iPhone that was defective and issued by Apple will likely be factory unlocked.

The OP's suggestion that s/he can insert any sim and the phone works seems to indicate to me that it is unlocked. The BB being on 02.10.04 indicates that this ought not to be an ultrasn0w unlock.

To OP:

Do not confuse jailbreaking with unlocking. They are two related, but different concepts.

Jailbreaking provides you the ability to install tweaks and otherwise customise your phone. You have used limera1n to achieve this.

Unlocking is concerned with allowing your phone to bypass being tied to a specific carrier. In the USA, there is only one official carrier - AT&T, and so all iPhones are locked to AT&T; they will not work with any other carrier's SIM. However people have hacked the baseband and unlocked the iPhone in USA and therefore there are people who are using an iPhone without being a customer of AT&T.

Applejuiced · Dec 14, 2010

lucifiel said:
That's not necessarily true, there are providers who will unlock handsets for free. My provider in Australia is one such provider. I suspect there are other providers in Canada who might do the same. Alternatively, an iPhone that was defective and issued by Apple will likely be factory unlocked.

The OP's suggestion that s/he can insert any sim and the phone works seems to indicate to me that it is unlocked. The BB being on 02.10.04 indicates that this ought not to be an ultrasn0w unlock.

In Canada they will not unlock it untill the contract has been fulfilled.
Not sure what the OP meant with any sim will work cause obviously she didnt purchase the phone from Apple for full price but rather with a 3 year term. How providers operate in Australia is different and will vary by country and company so keep that in mind also.
Again, depending in what country and Apple store you get your phone replaced the refurbs will NOT be factory unlocked. Correct your assumptions.

kdesign7 · Dec 14, 2010

lucifiel said:
That's not necessarily true, there are providers who will unlock handsets for free. My provider in Australia is one such provider. I suspect there are other providers in Canada who might do the same. Alternatively, an iPhone that was defective and issued by Apple will likely be factory unlocked.

The OP's suggestion that s/he can insert any sim and the phone works seems to indicate to me that it is unlocked. The BB being on 02.10.04 indicates that this ought not to be an ultrasn0w unlock.

To OP:

Do not confuse jailbreaking with unlocking. They are two related, but different concepts.

Jailbreaking provides you the ability to install tweaks and otherwise customise your phone. You have used limera1n to achieve this.

Unlocking is concerned with allowing your phone to bypass being tied to a specific carrier. In the USA, there is only one official carrier - AT&T, and so all iPhones are locked to AT&T; they will not work with any other carrier's SIM. However people have hacked the baseband and unlocked the iPhone in USA and therefore there are people who are using an iPhone without being a customer of AT&T.

What a great reply! Thanks so much! And... my iPhone4 is ACTUALLY a replacement phone from Apple, as the first one I got from my Carrier had the big GREEN BLOB issue with the Camera.

Alrite.. well I've heard of Unlocking and Jailbreaking (JB which Im familiar which, not so much unlocking) but then again, I've had no reason/use for unlocking!

Right on - thx a lot mate for your reply! You just added some more knowledge to the pot!

Cheers!

kdesign7 · Dec 14, 2010

Applejuiced said:
In Canada they will not unlock it untill the contract has been fulfilled.
Not sure what the OP meant with any sim will work cause obviously she didnt purchase the phone from Apple for full price but rather with a 3 year term. How providers operate in Australia is different and will vary by country and company so keep that in mind also.
Again, depending in what country and Apple store you get your phone replaced the refurbs will NOT be factory unlocked. Correct your assumptions.

and Im a guy

So... How come this works, or does it work for anyone!? Im able to take my Sim Card out, and place it in my friends LG phone, and it works like a charm. Same with his phone... he can take his Rogers SIM from his LG, place it in my iPhone4 and it works?!

Again - Im not 100% familiar with all of this year - but I very much appreciate your input! THX!

lucifiel · Dec 14, 2010

Applejuiced said:
In Canada they will not unlock it untill the contract has been fulfilled.

Fair enough, I ought to have been clearer in respect of the differences that will appear between Canada and Australia.

Applejuiced said:
Not sure what the OP meant with any sim will work cause obviously she didnt purchase the phone from Apple for full price but rather with a 3 year term.

Well I suppose we haev the answer to this now.

Applejuiced said:
Again, depending in what country and Apple store you get your phone replaced the refurbs will NOT be factory unlocked. Correct your assumptions.

Surely in a country where there are multiple carriers, it would be a strange practice that the refurbed phones are not factory unlocked. I can understand that in America, the refurbed phones remained locked to AT&T, but in other countries (well at least those where there exists more than one carrier), it would appear somewhat silly to issue locked phones.

Applejuiced · Dec 14, 2010

kdesign7 said:
and Im a guy

So... How come this works, or does it work for anyone!? Im able to take my Sim Card out, and place it in my friends LG phone, and it works like a charm. Same with his phone... he can take his Rogers SIM from his LG, place it in my iPhone4 and it works?!

Again - Im not 100% familiar with all of this year - but I very much appreciate your input! THX!

Sorry about that bro, thought you were a female.
Your friend took out his rogers sim from his LG phone, he then cut it down to microsim size and it worked on your iphone 4?

Applejuiced · Dec 14, 2010

lucifiel said:
Surely in a country where there are multiple carriers, it would be a strange practice that the refurbed phones are not factory unlocked. I can understand that in America, the refurbed phones remained locked to AT&T, but in other countries (well at least those where there exists more than one carrier), it would appear somewhat silly to issue locked phones.

Its not silly, the way the system works is by transfering your devices properties/carrier lock or unlock from the serial number onto the new refurb replacement given.
If you iphone is locked to a carrier the replacement you will receive that replaces your old iphone will also be locked to the same provider.
If it worked the way you said then everyone with a US iphone will try to get their iphone replaced in other countries outside the US to get a factory unlocked iphone.
Even people that travel to the US with factory unlocked iphones and get a replacement in the US when the new serial number is input into their system and the old phone was unlocked the new US replacement is also factory unlocked.
So they do have protocols in place for situations like that and not all replacements given are unlocked cause there's more than one carrier in a particular country.

kdesign7 · Dec 14, 2010

Applejuiced said:
Sorry about that bro, thought you were a female.
Your friend took out his rogers sim, he then cut it down to microsim size and it worked on your iphone 4?

Actually to be honest - IM NOT entirely sure.. but That rings a bell. I recall him saying his was too long?!?!? and then he trimmed it? ya ya.. Im fairly certain that was the case...

Applejuiced · Dec 14, 2010

kdesign7 said:
Actually to be honest - IM NOT entirely sure.. but That rings a bell. I recall him saying his was too long?!?!? and then he trimmed it? ya ya.. Im fairly certain that was the case...

ok, if you say so

And after he trimmed it how did it work again with his LG?

lucifiel · Dec 14, 2010

Applejuiced said:
If you iphone is locked to a carrier the replacement you will receive that replaces your old iphone will also be locked to the same provider.
If it worked the way you said then everyone with a US iphone will try to get their iphone replaced in other countries outside the US to get a factory unlocked iphone.

I thought that the iPhone warranty wasn't international?

kdesign7 · Dec 14, 2010

Applejuiced said:
ok, if you say so
And after he trimmed it how did it work again with his LG?

LOL! he 'taped' it in place cause... it would slide if he caused too much motion on the device. It was his idea... I tried to tell him it WOULDNT work, but he was determined to prove me wrong, which.. he did and got a case of beer out of it. lol

lucifiel · Dec 14, 2010

kdesign7 said:
LOL! he 'taped' it in place cause... it would slide if he caused too much motion on the device. It was his idea... I tried to tell him it WOULDNT work, but he was determined to prove me wrong, which.. he did and got a case of beer out of it. lol

Now that's a story to tell at the pub.

Applejuiced · Dec 14, 2010

kdesign7 said:
LOL! he 'taped' it in place cause... it would slide if he caused too much motion on the device. It was his idea... I tried to tell him it WOULDNT work, but he was determined to prove me wrong, which.. he did and got a case of beer out of it. lol

Lol

And Im George Bush

lucifiel said:
I thought that the iPhone warranty wasn't international?

Recently the changed it and iphones can be serviced/replaced at Apple stores in other countries.

kdesign7 · Dec 14, 2010

Applejuiced said:
Lol
And Im George Bush

Recently the changed it and iphones can be serviced/replaced at Apple stores in other countries.

Hi George... nice to meet ya?! lol I'm Stephen Harper (bahaha)(

Applejuiced · Dec 14, 2010

kdesign7 said:
Hi George... nice to meet ya?! lol I'm Stephen Harper (bahaha)(

Good to meet you too eh

kdesign7 · Dec 14, 2010

Applejuiced said:
Good to meet you too eh

LOL @ Eh

Ya... First... when I had the Green Blob Issue.. I had the phone replaced under the factory warranty, and at the same time, I purchased the AppleCare for 2 years... so.. my phone is pretty much covered till the day it dies. This is my first iPhone, so its pretty stellar.

kdesign7 · Dec 14, 2010

I just thought of a nother question...

If I were to upgrade to 4.2.1... Jailbreak (tethered... or whenever the untethered comes out)... Will I be able to restore at any point to a refresh factory setting so that all traces of the JB will be gone?

What does 'Baseband' mean?

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