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Has anybody put a 1st-gen iPhone SIM into a 3G iPhone?

E

elistan

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jun 30, 2007
997
443
Denver/Boulder, CO
Has anybody put a 1st-gen iPhone SIM into a 3G iPhone?

I know it's not necesary to activate a new 3G iPhone if you're replacing a 1st-gen. I just asking if you can pop a 1st-gen SIM into a 3G iPhone, activate the phone and start using it without having to sign up for the new 3G data plan. Or does iTunes recognize that it's an older SIM and refuse to activate the phone unless you sign up for a new contract?
 
elistan said:
Has anybody put a 1st-gen iPhone SIM into a 3G iPhone?

I know it's not necesary to activate a new 3G iPhone if you're replacing a 1st-gen. I just asking if you can pop a 1st-gen SIM into a 3G iPhone, activate the phone and start using it without having to sign up for the new 3G data plan. Or does iTunes recognize that it's an older SIM and refuse to activate the phone unless you sign up for a new contract?
Click to expand...

wow, all just to save 10 dollars......Just try it yourself, cant hurt.
 
elistan said:
Has anybody put a 1st-gen iPhone SIM into a 3G iPhone?

I know it's not necesary to activate a new 3G iPhone if you're replacing a 1st-gen. I just asking if you can pop a 1st-gen SIM into a 3G iPhone, activate the phone and start using it without having to sign up for the new 3G data plan. Or does iTunes recognize that it's an older SIM and refuse to activate the phone unless you sign up for a new contract?
Click to expand...

No you cannot put a first gen sim in the new phone. Well, you can, but it isn't going to work. Also, why do you think it is not necessary to activate a 3G iPhone if you're replacing a 1st gen iPhone? It doesn't matter what phone you had previously. Any and all 3G iPhone have to be activated before leaving the store.
 
Can you take the 3G sim and put it in the first generation iPhone? Can I do this just on atemporary bases for a day or two?
 
Next Tuesday said:
wow, all just to save 10 dollars......Just try it yourself, cant hurt.
Click to expand...

Well, to save $15/mo including texts, aka $180 year. (Not like its a real value proposition though since the purchase price of a 3G iPhone w/o contract would be a lot more than that. :) ) And I would have tried it myself already, sure, except I don't know anybody with a 3G iPhone to try it with. ;)
 
Jestered said:
No you cannot put a first gen sim in the new phone. Well, you can, but it isn't going to work. Also, why do you think it is not necessary to activate a 3G iPhone if you're replacing a 1st gen iPhone? It doesn't matter what phone you had previously. Any and all 3G iPhone have to be activated before leaving the store.
Click to expand...

Not true at all - here in the UK - if you upgrade you HAVE to put the old sim in the new phone.
 
Jestered said:
No you cannot put a first gen sim in the new phone. Well, you can, but it isn't going to work. Also, why do you think it is not necessary to activate a 3G iPhone if you're replacing a 1st gen iPhone? It doesn't matter what phone you had previously. Any and all 3G iPhone have to be activated before leaving the store.
Click to expand...

I *DO* think it's necesary to activate the phone - that's what I'm asking about: is signing up for a new contract a required part of phone activation? (Those are two separate processes. For example, when I updated my iPhone to the 2.0 software, I couldn't use it Friday because I couldn't activate it. But I didn't have to sign a new contract for that, you know?)

Why do you say that you cannot put a 1st-gen iPhone SIM into a 3G iPhone? They're the same sort of SIM. I can put my current iPhone SIM into other phones and make calls. I've heard reports of people even putting their iPhone SIMs into Blackberry's and not having any issues.

And by the way, plenty of people left the Apple or AT&T store on Friday without activating their phone, and told to do it at home - but they DID have to sign a new contract first. ;)
 
byron_hinson said:
Not true at all - here in the UK - if you upgrade you HAVE to put the old sim in the new phone.
Click to expand...

O2's website says:
"Already bought your iPhone 3G?
All upgrading O2 customers can start using their iPhone 3G straightaway by transfering their existing sim into the new device using the sim ejection tool in the box and syncing with iTunes."
 
Yep, my old SIM went into the new iPhone. Wasn't given a new SIM as it was an upgrade.

Stuck an old pay as you go O2 SIM into the old iPhone and its activated.
 
BLACK MAC said:
Can you take the 3G sim and put it in the first generation iPhone? Can I do this just on atemporary bases for a day or two?
Click to expand...

I have had ATT add the old iPhone data plan to our iPhone 3G phones, and it works like a charm.

Now, when i go into a core store, they think that a glitch has worked in my favor!



BTW, does anyone have a copy of the stinkin contract that we sign at purchase!?!?!?! I still havnt gotten to read it
thanks
 
elistan said:
Eh? Do you mean you're paying the old $20/mo "IPHONE DATA + 200" plan instead of, or in addition to, the new $30/mo SMS-lacking data plan?
Click to expand...

Instead of!
I guess that as long as any type of data plan exists, if it be medianet,iPhone 2g data plan, or iPhone 3G 30 dollar data plan!

Where can I read the contract though. Any online links??
 
Jestered said:
No you cannot put a first gen sim in the new phone. Well, you can, but it isn't going to work. Also, why do you think it is not necessary to activate a 3G iPhone if you're replacing a 1st gen iPhone? It doesn't matter what phone you had previously. Any and all 3G iPhone have to be activated before leaving the store.
Click to expand...

That's how I activated my 3G iPhone in the store when iTunes wasn't working. Popped my old sim in and boom, works. 3G coverage and everything, they updated my plan to show that as well.
 
at&t took my old iphone sim out and replaced it. they upgraded my plan to 3g so i don't know but they didnt have to scan a new imea or something, and i was one of the first out of the doors opening day!
 
BLACK MAC said:
Can you take the 3G sim and put it in the first generation iPhone? Can I do this just on atemporary bases for a day or two?
Click to expand...

I've been wanting to know the answer to this for quite sometime now. I want to use the 1st gen iPhone as a backup occasionally.

Can you use the 3G sim card in the 1 gen iPhone?

Will someone who has both iPhones try this please?


Thank in advance!
 
I unnecessarily received a new 3G sim card from O2 for my new iPhone. O2 set it up on the computer and said it can take up to 24 hours for the new sim to be activated and the old one deactivated.

So I put the original sim card from my old phone in the 3G and it worked perfectly and got 3G, however after a few hours when my old sim got deactivated and I then had to use the new one, when I tried putting the new sim back in my old iPhone it wouldnt work, which was a shame as I am still not overly impressed with the 3G iPhone and was going to keep my old one.
 
iPhonedHome said:
I've been wanting to know the answer to this for quite sometime now. I want to use the 1st gen iPhone as a backup occasionally.

Can you use the 3G sim card in the 1 gen iPhone?

Will someone who has both iPhones try this please?


Thank in advance!
Click to expand...

It should work. I just traded my first-gen iPhone to a guy for his 3G iPhone, and he tested his 3G iPhone SIM in the old one. It worked. The first-gen was unlocked and everything, don't know if that matters though.
 
island said:
That's how I activated my 3G iPhone in the store when iTunes wasn't working. Popped my old sim in and boom, works. 3G coverage and everything, they updated my plan to show that as well.
Click to expand...

That's exactly what I did. Got so annoyed of my new iPhone not working that I took the old SIM out of my iPhone 2G and popped it in the iPhone 3G.

Bam.
 
island said:
That's how I activated my 3G iPhone in the store when iTunes wasn't working. Popped my old sim in and boom, works. 3G coverage and everything, they updated my plan to show that as well.
Click to expand...

So you put your 1st Gen iPhone SIM in an unactivated 3G iPhone and everything works, but what did your plan update to, specifically? Are you paying the iPhone 3G rates and you lost your 200 free text messages? Or are you still on your old iPhone rates but are getting 3G coverage and download speeds on your 3G phone?
 
I'm interested in this also. My iPhone 2G just broke, a crack on the screen that has rendered the entire touchscreen inactive.

O2 are being prissy stating that I can't do a iPhone 3G upgrade, since their deal ended a month or two ago, and that I'll have to wait till April.

Would like to know if I can just buy an iPhone 3G from elsewhere and stick my sim in it. Possibly worth a try!
 
switching back and forth

When I got my iPhone 3G I took the SIM right out of my previous iPhone (2.5G). Of course I had to activate it but I can use the SIM (T-Mobile Germany) in both the new and the old iPhone.
 
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