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gophone sim card to Iiphone 3gs, Still work?
- Thread starter JoeJITSU
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I went to the AT&T store just now and they wouldnt sell me a sim!!They asked me if I had an account and all this crap...
Go on eBay. We bought 10 sim cards for .99 cents each last week.
That's your first problem right there: you went to the AT&T store. When you buy the SIM from Target or another store, they're less likely to ask those kind of questions.I went to the AT&T store just now and they wouldnt sell me a sim!!
FYI: you could've lied. You could have told them you got this gophone off freecycle. Since the owner didn't include the old SIM, you needed to buy a SIM for the phone. Simple.
This is another option. No chance of questions.
Yes that works. All you have to do is go to this site on your iPhone:
http://unlockit.co.nz/
That will enable data by installing a profile. Very easy to do. Remember, the biggest data plan on GoPhone plans is $19.99 for 100MB.
It depends on how heavy you use the Internet. Apps also use the internet. The iPhone itself will use data just for push notifications and email. I've used 100MB in just one day.
Guys, why isn't it possible to just purchase the AT&T sims off ebay and then activate it on the iphone itself? I have a genuine factory unlocked iphone 3GS and I plan on using the AT&T network when I go to the USA for a visit. I already ordered an AT&T blue sim from ebay and was delivered to a friend's place in the USA. Can't I just pop in the sim to my 3GS, then activate it online at AT&T's site and give the IMEI number of my iphone?
A 3GS iPhone needs to be activated in store. Here in the U.S. this requires going to an AT&T store if the phone is used.
What I did to activate a 3G: I have a original iPhone. I activated it through iTunes and then called AT&T and had the account setup for my 3G so that MMS works. This avoided me having to go to AT&T and have it activated.
Kindly correct me if I'm wrong, but with a genuine factory-unlocked iphone 3GS (such as those from Hong Kong, Australia, Italy, etc.) no activation is necessary since the phone isn't locked to any specific carrier right? All along I though the process was simply just activate the ATT sim while it is inserted in the iphone, load up the sim via online or phone in order to activate the $19.99 data plan, then go to Benm's site to load the carrier specific profile.
I just want to replicate what TheMacbookPro did to his phone in this thread: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/835535/
You won't be able to simply insert the sim in the iPhone and activate it here in the U.S. It still would need to be activated at an AT&T store.
If the phone is unlocked, you could get a prepaid AT&T sim and then use that in the iPhone or some other already activated sim would work also. This is what the guy did in that thread that you are linking to.
Yes my 3GS is unlocked already straight from the factory. In fact I've been using it with several network providers already in the Philippines. Currently I'm roaming on my Philippine home network while I'm here in Seoul.
I just don't get it how come it still has to be activated at an AT&T store? Does AT&T do some programming to it? Do they take note of its IMEI and enter it into their system (whitelisting?)
TheMacbookPro didn't go to an AT&T store, I believe. I think he just popped in the sim directly into his factory unlocked 3GS. We have the same units coz his is from HK too.
My apologies on being such a nuisance and for my questions. I'd just want to clearly understand it. I'm sure this would also benefit the other forumers who may be reading this thread too.
The sim would need to already be activated such as a GoPhone sim. That can be done online if you already have a GoPhone with a new sim in it. Once the sim is activated online by using the GoPhone, it then can be used in the iPhone.
Otherwise, it needs to be activated in store.
Otherwise, it needs to be activated in store.
How about these Gophone sims that are being sold in ebay: http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-AT-T-Cingular-GoPhone-Prepaid-SIM-Card-Go-Phone_W0QQitemZ170430496739QQcmdZViewItemQQptZPDA_Accessories?hash=item27ae72ffe3#ht_1138wt_1153
Would these sims have the same predicament also?
Those are unactivated cards. They just save you from having to go to the AT&T store to get one in person. They still need to be activated in a GoPhone online or at an AT&T store to activate any other phone.
Ok. So Basically I need to have a Gophone phone unit. And this gophone would serve as the medium to activate any AT&T sims right?
So if let's say my sister and I came to the USA, and we both had 2 factory unlocked iphones, the steps to be done would be to:
1. Purchase a Gophone unit (phone comes with a sim.) The sim that comes with the phone will be unusable since it will be tied down to the gophone unit so I can't transfer it to any of the 2 iphones right?
2. Purchase 2 unactivated AT&T sims
3. Power-on the Gophone, activate the gophone with its own simcard that came with it
4. Insert 1 of the unactivated new AT&T sim cards into the gophone. Go online to activate it. When prompted for the simcard ICCID, I enter the ICCID of the unactivated simcard that is inserted. When prompted for the IMEI, I type in the IMEI of the go phone, NOT the IMEI of any of the iphones.
5. Remove the now activated simcard from the gophone and insert into iphone 1.
6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 for activating unactivated simcard for iphone 2.
7. Call AT&T to activate the 100mb data plan for the 2 now-activated simcards on the iphones
8. Connect both iphones to BenM's site to download carrier profile.
That's it right?
It's a bit easier than that. Make sure you have two sim cards to use instead of the sims that come with the GoPhones.
All you need is ONE GoPhone and you can activate both sims with one GoPhone. Go online to the GoPhone activation site and follow the instructions. After the first sim is activated, take it out and put it in one iPhone and then do the same exact thing for the second iPhone. It will take less than five minutes to get each sim activated, it's that easy. The GoPhone can be used unlimited amount of times to create new accounts and this is why you only need one.
You can then login to the GoPhone website and add money and then buy the 100MB data package for each phone. The Benm site is next.
All you need is ONE GoPhone and you can activate both sims with one GoPhone. Go online to the GoPhone activation site and follow the instructions. After the first sim is activated, take it out and put it in one iPhone and then do the same exact thing for the second iPhone. It will take less than five minutes to get each sim activated, it's that easy. The GoPhone can be used unlimited amount of times to create new accounts and this is why you only need one.
You can then login to the GoPhone website and add money and then buy the 100MB data package for each phone. The Benm site is next.
Ok thanks SpaceKitty. I appreciate and admire your patience in answering and explaining everything in detail. Kind regards.
No problem...
If you really want to be cheap and save even more money...
Go to Wal-mart and look at any GoPhone. On the package will be a label with the IMEI number and some other numbers. Take your 3GS and take a picture of the label and then leave the store. Use the info to activate your sim cards since the sims don't have to be in an actual phone to activate them for a GoPhone account. Once they are activated, they will work in the iPhone.
No problem...
If you really want to be cheap and save even more money...
Go to Wal-mart and look at any GoPhone. On the package will be a label with the IMEI number and some other numbers. Take your 3GS and take a picture of the label and then leave the store. Use the info to activate your sim cards since the sims don't have to be in an actual phone to activate them for a GoPhone account. Once they are activated, they will work in the iPhone.
That's a good idea. Now I understand what you guys were talking about in the other thread when you all were discussing about just copying the IMEIs. I'll probably just get those cheap Nokia 2xxx for about $29 so I can have a small spare backup phone.