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Using iPhone 4 without cell phone service... what features won't work?

A

Astro7x

macrumors regular
Original poster
Mar 3, 2010
168
21
So my brother upgrade from AT&T to Verizon and said I could just have his iPhone 4! Very nice... I have no plans to join AT&T just yet (have a year left on my Sprint contract, I am not so quick to just pay the ETF like he is), but until then I want to use the iPhone 4 like a glorified iPod Touch.

Besides the obvious like Texts, Phone Service, etc... what features can I expect to not work on the iPhone 4 without a cell plan activated on it? I'm mainly curious about the GPS. Can I use the compass with Geocaching applications? Will it add GPS data to the photos that I take? Can I still make Facetime calls?

I use an iPod Touch 3G already. I assume I can just plug this thing in an restore using one of my iPod Device backups and everything will magically work, right? When I lost my iPod Touch 2G I was incredibly surprised how simple it was to get back up and running with a new device, no neededing to install everything again or anything like that!
 
Prodo123

Prodo123

macrumors 68020
Nov 18, 2010
2,326
10
Astro7x said:
So my brother upgrade from AT&T to Verizon and said I could just have his iPhone 4! Very nice... I have no plans to join AT&T just yet (have a year left on my Sprint contract, I am not so quick to just pay the ETF like he is), but until then I want to use the iPhone 4 like a glorified iPod Touch.

Besides the obvious like Texts, Phone Service, etc... what features can I expect to not work on the iPhone 4 without a cell plan activated on it? I'm mainly curious about the GPS. Can I use the compass with Geocaching applications? Will it add GPS data to the photos that I take? Can I still make Facetime calls?

I use an iPod Touch 3G already. I assume I can just plug this thing in an restore using one of my iPod Device backups and everything will magically work, right? When I lost my iPod Touch 2G I was incredibly surprised how simple it was to get back up and running with a new device, no neededing to install everything again or anything like that!
Click to expand...

My testing shows that yes, GPS will work!
FaceTime is Wi-Fi only, so it'll work as long as you have Wi-Fi.
Compass relies on accelerometer+gyroscope+digital compass. It is separate from the GPS.

The only thing that won't work is the Maps.app. You need an internet connection for you to see the map, because it's downloaded real-time from Google Maps. As long as you have a Wi-Fi signal, though, Maps will work. Most navigation maps will not work, unless they're 5GB and have all of their maps offline, or connected via Wi-Fi.
 
A

Astro7x

macrumors regular
Original poster
Mar 3, 2010
168
21
Prodo123 said:
My testing shows that yes, GPS will work!
FaceTime is Wi-Fi only, so it'll work as long as you have Wi-Fi.
Compass relies on accelerometer+gyroscope+digital compass. It is separate from the GPS.

The only thing that won't work is the Maps.app. You need an internet connection for you to see the map, because it's downloaded real-time from Google Maps. As long as you have a Wi-Fi signal, though, Maps will work. Most navigation maps will not work, unless they're 5GB and have all of their maps offline, or connected via Wi-Fi.
Click to expand...

That sounds great! I'm use to Maps not working having a iPod Touch, and that's fine and expected.
 
A

Astro7x

macrumors regular
Original poster
Mar 3, 2010
168
21
Now I'm just confused...

I was using the iPhone 4 under the original settings, and FaceTime worked fine! Now I restored the phone to my iPod Touch settings, and FaceTime seems to be missing completely. Restored back to the original iPhone settings, and FaceTime is still gone completely.

Did I screw myself here and now I can't get FaceTime on it? Because I've read that you need to activate FaceTime in order for it to work, and in the settings under FaceTime is says "Waiting for activation..."
 
wordoflife

wordoflife

macrumors 604
Jul 6, 2009
7,564
37
You might need a working SIM to get it up and running again. Not sure.
But it will be more or less like your iPod Touch. (but I think you figured that out already)
 
Prodo123

Prodo123

macrumors 68020
Nov 18, 2010
2,326
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wordoflife said:
You might need a working SIM to get it up and running again. Not sure.
But it will be more or less like your iPod Touch. (but I think you figured that out already)
Click to expand...

Yeah, activation requires the SIM. You could always hacktivate it, though.
 
wordoflife

wordoflife

macrumors 604
Jul 6, 2009
7,564
37
Prodo123 said:
Yeah, activation requires the SIM. You could always hacktivate it, though.
Click to expand...

It seems like he is talking about FaceTime exclusively though.

Wow, I love how my Mac gave me a red line under facetime but not for FaceTime Screw you, Apple. xd
 
A

Astro7x

macrumors regular
Original poster
Mar 3, 2010
168
21
Well I think I just might have to Jailbreak.

One of the reasons my brother gave me his iPhone 4 was so that we could do FaceTime. We tried it after the cell phone service was deactivated, so you can only imagine that disappointment when I've seen the feature disappear.

I've read about this being a common problem too when people have restored from a 3GS backup
 
Prodo123

Prodo123

macrumors 68020
Nov 18, 2010
2,326
10
Astro7x said:
Well I think I just might have to Jailbreak.

One of the reasons my brother gave me his iPhone 4 was so that we could do FaceTime. We tried it after the cell phone service was deactivated, so you can only imagine that disappointment when I've seen the feature disappear.

I've read about this being a common problem too when people have restored from a 3GS backup
Click to expand...

You will not need a SIM card to FaceTime. In fact, you won't even need a SIM card at all after the activation (or hacktivation) is complete.
 
A

Astro7x

macrumors regular
Original poster
Mar 3, 2010
168
21
Prodo123 said:
You will not need a SIM card to FaceTime. In fact, you won't even need a SIM card at all after the activation (or hacktivation) is complete.
Click to expand...

How do you do that? The phone was activated with AT&T service at one point, why would it say "waiting for activation..." below the FaceTime option in settings.
 
Prodo123

Prodo123

macrumors 68020
Nov 18, 2010
2,326
10
Astro7x said:
How do you do that? The phone was activated with AT&T service at one point, why would it say "waiting for activation..." below the FaceTime option in settings.
Click to expand...

Then it hasn't been activated. A Wi-Fi feature does not require activation.
 
A

Astro7x

macrumors regular
Original poster
Mar 3, 2010
168
21
Prodo123 said:
Then it hasn't been activated. A Wi-Fi feature does not require activation.
Click to expand...

But everywhere I am reading it says that it DOES require activation. It sends Apple an SMS. It makes sense, because how do you call somebody w/ FaceTime on an iPhone4 if they don't have cell service? It's tied to the phone number, which is not active. Not an E-mail address like on a Mac or iPod Touch.

http://img854.imageshack.us/i/photof.png/
 
Prodo123

Prodo123

macrumors 68020
Nov 18, 2010
2,326
10
Astro7x said:
But everywhere I am reading it says that it DOES require activation. It sends Apple an SMS. It makes sense, because how do you call somebody w/ FaceTime on an iPhone4 if they don't have cell service? It's tied to the phone number, which is not active. Not an E-mail address like on a Mac or iPod Touch.

http://img854.imageshack.us/i/photof.png/
Click to expand...

Like I said, hacktivate it. Or after activation, enable FaceTime first then pull the SIM out.
 
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