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How to activate your iPhone 3GS and give your 3G to another person

fireshot91

fireshot91

macrumors 601
Original poster
Jul 31, 2008
4,721
1
Northern VA
Okay, This isn't one of those threads where I'm asking on how to do it- I'm explaining-




1) Receive your 3GS
2)Take your SIM card out of the 3G and put it in the 3GS
3)Take the other person's SIM card out of their current phone, and put it in the 3G
4)Activate your 3GS through iTunes- Pick your text message plan, and so on.
5) Activate their 3G through iTunes- Pick their text message plan, and so on.
6) Live Happily Ever After

Also, if you have the EDGE iPhone, and/or don't have a 3G SIM card, just activate the 3GS with the SIM card it came with, and throw away your old SIM card.
If the secondary person has an old non-3G SIM card, walk into an AT&T store, and tell them that you would like a new SIM card, they should give you one for free.

No calling AT&T necessary,they will just walk you through these steps.
 
Thanks I was actually going to give my 3G to a friend.

Here's my Scenario.

I Actually want to USE and keep the 3Gs sim card that is coming with mine... why? i'm a little picky and 1. i dont want to take the top off and remove it, and 2. I just want a brand new Sim, just to have a new one.


So i should be able to give him my 3G right? and tell him to take the SIm out don't use it, and go to the ATT store and get a new one and put that in.
 
computermilk said:
Thanks I was actually going to give my 3G to a friend.

Here's my Scenario.

I Actually want to USE and keep the 3Gs sim card that is coming with mine... why? i'm a little picky and 1. i dont want to take the top off and remove it, and 2. I just want a brand new Sim, just to have a new one.


So i should be able to give him my 3G right? and tell him to take the SIm out don't use it, and go to the ATT store and get a new one and put that in.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I would take your SIM card out before you give it to him. Then tell him (If he doesn't have an AT&T 3G SIM card) to go to an AT&T store and get one.
 
This is a very helpful post!

Here's my situation: I've had my iPhone since 6/07. Even though it's EDGE, the ATT SIM says 3G. It's worked in other 3G phones I've put it in. Given that, will I be able to use my old SIM in my new 3GS? Or should I plan to just use the SIM that arrives tomorrow with my new iPhone?
 
GeekLawyer said:
This is a very helpful post!

Here's my situation: I've had my iPhone since 6/07. Even though it's EDGE, the ATT SIM says 3G. It's worked in other 3G phones I've put it in. Given that, will I be able to use my old SIM in my new 3GS? Or should I plan to just use the SIM that arrives tomorrow with my new iPhone?
Click to expand...


Your choice. It will work in the 3GS. If you want a new shiny SIM card, use the new one. If you don't care, use any. :p
 
SIM Card

fireshot91 said:
Okay, This isn't one of those threads where I'm asking on how to do it- I'm explaining-




1) Receive your 3GS
2)Take your SIM card out of the 3G and put it in the 3GS
3)Take the other person's SIM card out of their current phone, and put it in the 3G
4)Activate your 3GS through iTunes- Pick your text message plan, and so on.
5) Activate their 3G through iTunes- Pick their text message plan, and so on.
6) Live Happily Ever After

Also, if you have the EDGE iPhone, and/or don't have a 3G SIM card, just activate the 3GS with the SIM card it came with, and throw away your old SIM card.
If the secondary person has an old non-3G SIM card, walk into an AT&T store, and tell them that you would like a new SIM card, they should give you one for free.

No calling AT&T necessary,they will just walk you through these steps.
Click to expand...

im was told the new iphones comes with a new sim card. What do you do with it or do you NOT use the old card.
 
If you choose to use the new SIM card, will it automatically give you a new number?

My other question is if I have the 3G iPhone and get the 3GS online, how do I transfer over all of my apps, contacts, and data?
 
NotOwning said:
My other question is if I have the 3G iPhone and get the 3GS online, how do I transfer over all of my apps, contacts, and data?
Click to expand...
I will be a new iPhone owner myself so can't answer your question about the SIM card. But as for transferring data, I'm pretty you'll want to connect your old iPhone to iTunes first and do a backup. Then after activating the new 3GS, you can "Restore from Backup" and you can choose which backup file. I'm hoping this is going to work for me, restoring from my 1st gen iPod Touch backup, because I *really* do not want to lose all my various network settings.
 
levpa05 said:
im was told the new iphones comes with a new sim card. What do you do with it or do you NOT use the old card.
Click to expand...
Your choice. If you want to use the new SIM card, just put it in(If it doesn't come with it in) and go through iTunes. If you want your old one, put that in and go through iTunes
NotOwning said:
If you choose to use the new SIM card, will it automatically give you a new number?

My other question is if I have the 3G iPhone and get the 3GS online, how do I transfer over all of my apps, contacts, and data?
Click to expand...
No, your number will be on the SIM card when it comes (You entered in your info when you preordered)
You backup in iTunes (Sync), and then when you get your 3GS and after you activate, you restore and restore from a Backup. Choose your 3G backup
selianth said:
I will be a new iPhone owner myself so can't answer your question about the SIM card. But as for transferring data, I'm pretty you'll want to connect your old iPhone to iTunes first and do a backup. Then after activating the new 3GS, you can "Restore from Backup" and you can choose which backup file. I'm hoping this is going to work for me, restoring from my 1st gen iPod Touch backup, because I *really* do not want to lose all my various network settings.
Click to expand...
Yupp.
 
Thanks for your info Fireshot.

I have a Samsung phone and have been an AT&T customer for several years.

Am I correct in assuming that I should do the following:

1) Make sure all of my contacts in my Samsung are actually on my SIM card.
2) Insert old SIM in iPhone.
3) Install iTunes (haven't used iTunes before)
4) Activate my iPhone via iTunes
----- Will I actually need to activate since my SIM has already been working fine?
----- If I will need to activate, I am assuming there will be step-by-step directions arriving with my iPhone.
5) Start making phone calls

Am I missing something?
 
rcurry71 said:
Thanks for your info Fireshot.

I have a Samsung phone and have been an AT&T customer for several years.

Am I correct in assuming that I should do the following:

1) Make sure all of my contacts in my Samsung are actually on my SIM card.
2) Insert old SIM in iPhone.
3) Install iTunes (haven't used iTunes before)
4) Activate my iPhone via iTunes
----- Will I actually need to activate since my SIM has already been working fine?
----- If I will need to activate, I am assuming there will be step-by-step directions arriving with my iPhone.
5) Start making phone calls

Am I missing something?
Click to expand...
I would install iTunes right now, so you can start using your phone faster :p

But yeah, take your SIM card out of Samsung and put it into your iPhone 3GS.
-Activate through iTunes (There won't be directions, but it's really not hard. It asks you for your phone number, social security, and stuff like that).
 
Thanks for the instructions. I'll be unlocking my 3G and putting it up for sale tomorrow after my 3GS arrives. At what point do I wipe my data from the old iPhone, what is the recommended method for wiping, and when do I do the unlock?

To wipe, do I just do the "Erase All Content and Settings" through the Settings app on the phone or do I do a clean restore in iTunes?

To unlock, do I do it before or after I do the wipe?

Thanks
 
Merlosso said:
Thanks for the instructions. I'll be unlocking my 3G and putting it up for sale tomorrow after my 3GS arrives. At what point do I wipe my data from the old iPhone, what is the recommended method for wiping, and when do I do the unlock?

To wipe, do I just do the "Erase All Content and Settings" through the Settings app on the phone or do I do a clean restore in iTunes?

To unlock, do I do it before or after I do the wipe?

Thanks
Click to expand...

You wipe data first. Then restore from iTunes, then you unlock.
 
Can I give my scenerio?

I'm on a family plan with four phones. Line A is me, an iPhone 3G, Line B is a Blackberry, Line C and Line D are other phones.

Line B has the ability to upgrade, but I want to use their ability for myself (Line A). Can I get their upgrade and then just take out my sim and put it in the new iPhone 3G assigned to Line B, and just never use the sim card in the iPhone? The good part is that Line B has a $30.00 blackberry plan, so this should make the process easier...
 
Thanks for the info. Here's my scenario.

I used my dad's upgrade to buy my 3GS. I'll be giving him my 3G. We have 2 separate accounts. He has the original iPhone. I want to keep the new 3GS SIM card, I'm fine with popping it open though. I do believe his original iPhone SIM card has "3G" on it though. Is there anyway that I can keep the new 3GS sim card at all *easily* or not?

Thanks again.
 
3Gs can only be activated for prescribed AT&T account / SIM?

My wife's phone was eligible but mine wasn't, so we ordered an upgrade for hers with me plotting to steal it of course.

It just arrived and I plopped in my SIM and tried to activate - no go. Somehow iTunes knows that the phone is for her account and it won't activate it with my SIM installed.

Am I going to be able to swap phones by swapping SIMs after her activation or have they really locked the phone to an AT&T account in some way?

Does any of this make sense? Are they tying the phone to an account by some means other than the SIM now?


Pat
 
True: 3Gs can only be activated for prescribed AT&T account / SIM

I just ran into this problem. Here's what I needed to do:

Wife had upgrade eligibility on her 2G. I have 3G and bought the 3Gs on her upgrade.

I needed to activate the new 3Gs on her line first to "unbrick" it. Then take my old SIM from the 3G and put it into the new 3Gs. Now the 3Gs works as mine on my number.

She wants to keep the 2G and not use my old 3G. I was issued a new SIM for her to use. (Remember, momentarily, her phone got deactivated because I activated the new 3Gs under her number). She just needed to go through all the activation steps in iTunes as an "existing" customer.

Everyone is happy.
 
BrownManUPS said:
Can I give my scenerio?

I'm on a family plan with four phones. Line A is me, an iPhone 3G, Line B is a Blackberry, Line C and Line D are other phones.

Line B has the ability to upgrade, but I want to use their ability for myself (Line A). Can I get their upgrade and then just take out my sim and put it in the new iPhone 3G assigned to Line B, and just never use the sim card in the iPhone? The good part is that Line B has a $30.00 blackberry plan, so this should make the process easier...
Click to expand...
Yes, Get an iPhone 3GS on Line B, put Line A's SIM card in it, activate through iTunes, put Line B's SIM card in the iPhone 3G (Not 3GS), and activate through iTunes.

Merlosso said:
Thanks. Do I do that before or after step 2 where I remove my SIM card and put it in my new 3GS?
Click to expand...
After Step 2.
thatoneguy82 said:
Thanks for the info. Here's my scenario.

I used my dad's upgrade to buy my 3GS. I'll be giving him my 3G. We have 2 separate accounts. He has the original iPhone. I want to keep the new 3GS SIM card, I'm fine with popping it open though. I do believe his original iPhone SIM card has "3G" on it though. Is there anyway that I can keep the new 3GS sim card at all *easily* or not?

Thanks again.
Click to expand...
Yeah, You can use his SIM card if you want that number. If you want your current number, you use either your upgrade, or your current SIM card.
patniemeyer said:
My wife's phone was eligible but mine wasn't, so we ordered an upgrade for hers with me plotting to steal it of course.

It just arrived and I plopped in my SIM and tried to activate - no go. Somehow iTunes knows that the phone is for her account and it won't activate it with my SIM installed.

Am I going to be able to swap phones by swapping SIMs after her activation or have they really locked the phone to an AT&T account in some way?

Does any of this make sense? Are they tying the phone to an account by some means other than the SIM now?


Pat
Click to expand...
Huh. I never heard of that. They can't tie a phone to a specific account/number. They can only tie a SIM card to it. I would try again ,and when it says enter in your number, I'd enter in your number, not your wife's.
Adobo said:
I just ran into this problem. Here's what I needed to do:

Wife had upgrade eligibility on her 2G. I have 3G and bought the 3Gs on her upgrade.

I needed to activate the new 3Gs on her line first to "unbrick" it. Then take my old SIM from the 3G and put it into the new 3Gs. Now the 3Gs works as mine on my number.

She wants to keep the 2G and not use my old 3G. I was issued a new SIM for her to use. (Remember, momentarily, her phone got deactivated because I activated the new 3Gs under her number). She just needed to go through all the activation steps in iTunes as an "existing" customer.

Everyone is happy.
Click to expand...

That should work.
 
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