Iphone 3G (activate without SIM)

[xpsm1730]

Ok so here it is

A friend said i can use the iphone 3g without the SIM - I only want to use all the features on the iphone except the actual phone feature. He said I should take the SIM out before starting the phone.

My phone just arrived in the post. I opened the package, took the sim out and started the phone for the first time. It read - insert sim to activate the phone.

My question is - can I activate and use the phone without the sim? I don't want to use it as a phone, just as an ipod and use the wifi and organizer etc.

Can someone help me activate it? What happens if i start it with the AT&T sim that came with the phone and then take the sim out after activation - will it get locked? will it still work?

Ideally i want to activate it without ever putting the sim in.

Thanks in advance

 

[jmann]

What you need to do is download pwnage tool and run that to jailbreak your phone. You will be able to download a bunch of cool stuff that apple doesn't allow, like a video recorder, mms etc. for example. When you are running pwnage tool it will ask you if you are using an official carrier and you click "no". It will "hactivate" your phone and you won't need to use a sim card.

 

[xpsm1730]

are you on gtalk? can you guide me through it?

 

[SchneiderMan]

are you on gtalk? can you guide me through it?

go to hackint0sh forums..

 

[jmann]

are you on gtalk? can you guide me through it?

I have a google email, how do i do gtalk? pm with your screen name or something

 

[ex8886]

In order to activate it through iTunes, you need a working AT&T sim card, either the one that came with it, or you can buy a cheap $10 prepaid phone and use that AT&T sim card that came with that phone to activate it (worked for me). The phone works perfectly fine for everything except the phone when you take out the sim card (even GPS), and it says "No Sim" in the status bar.

 

[xpsm1730]

I have a google email, how do i do gtalk? pm with your screen name or something

can you add me

amitbmehta@gmail.com

In order to activate it through iTunes, you need a working AT&T sim card, either the one that came with it, or you can buy a cheap $10 prepaid phone and use that AT&T sim card that came with that phone to activate it (worked for me). The phone works perfectly fine for everything except the phone when you take out the sim card (even GPS), and it says "No Sim" in the status bar.

right

i have the atnt sim that came with the phone

how do i do it?

 

[SchneiderMan]

right

i have the atnt sim that came with the phone

how do i do it?

forget about that att sim card, use your own sim card that works

 

[xpsm1730]

forget about that att sim card, use your own sim card that works

i dont have one

i use a cdma phone

 

[SchneiderMan]

i dont have one

i use a cdma phone

then you should just get a free sim card and use it as a prepaid phone. it works just like the one you have, no contract

 

[xpsm1730]

then you should just get a free sim card and use it as a prepaid phone. it works just like the one you have, no contract

is there any way to activate it without a sim?

 

[CocoaPuffs]

Why can't you just activate the phone through iTunes? Activate it and then remove the sim card, and it'll work just fine. Jailbreak is not necessary.

 

[xpsm1730]

Why can't you just activate the phone through iTunes? Activate it and then remove the sim card, and it'll work just fine. Jailbreak is not necessary.

how do i do that

 

[bradenwh]

Why can't you just activate the phone through iTunes? Activate it and then remove the sim card, and it'll work just fine. Jailbreak is not necessary.

I'm assuming that you do not understand that he does NOT have an AT&T contract. Without one, iTunes will not activate his iPhone.
He'll need to hacktivate it.

 

[NFLBlitze1]

wouldn't you be better off with an ipod touch?

 

[xpsm1730]

I'm assuming that you do not understand that he does NOT have an AT&T contract. Without one, iTunes will not activate his iPhone.
He'll need to hacktivate it.

correct

i just got the phone today in the post

it is NOT on any contract but has an att sim

i want use it without the phone feature

but when i start it without the sim it says insert sim to activate phone - im afraid if i insert the sim to activate it it will get locked

how can i start it without the sim?

 

[jason72780]

If you got it from att in the mail then you have 30 days to activate it through them or you'll get charged $175 early termination. I'm assuming that's where you got it from because if you bought it on eBay it wouldve been activated in store when the original purchaser bought it.

 

[jason72780]

Best bet would be the touch. You'll only lose the gps and camera.

 

[SchneiderMan]

correct

i just got the phone today in the post

it is NOT on any contract but has an att sim

i want use it without the phone feature

but when i start it without the sim it says insert sim to activate phone - im afraid if i insert the sim to activate it it will get locked

how can i start it without the sim?

dude. do what i tell you,
1. put the sim card back in.
2. it will tell you to connect to itunes or activate.
3. dont do anything.
4. download the program from the link i gave you, step by step to unlock and activate your iphone.
if you have a pc
if you have a mac

 

[Mr. Giver '94]

wouldn't you be better off with an ipod touch?

I was thinkin' the same thing....

 

[Mr. Giver '94]

correct

i just got the phone today in the post

it is NOT on any contract but has an att sim

i want use it without the phone feature

but when i start it without the sim it says insert sim to activate phone - im afraid if i insert the sim to activate it it will get locked

how can i start it without the sim?

Did you buy it on ebay??? The seller may have been confused because it seems odd that they sent you a SIM card but said it wasn't on contract. It's impossible to buy one from AT&T or Apple without activating it and adding it to your contract etc. first unless you cancel and pay the ETF but there are a bunch of other policies that go along with it. My serious advice would be to return it if you have the option and buy an iPod Touch. You won't have to deal with all of this and you still get almost all of the same features. Plus with all the hacking you'd have to do to the phone you'll lose those features anyway because GPS needs a SIM card to work. Hope you're able to work this all out.

 

[Robby9279]

I was thinkin' the same thing....

I think most of us were as well...

 

[xpsm1730]

dude. do what i tell you,
1. put the sim card back in.
2. it will tell you to connect to itunes or activate.
3. dont do anything.
4. download the program from the link i gave you, step by step to unlock and activate your iphone.
if you have a pc
if you have a mac

It says hold down shift and click the restore button

where is the restore button on itunes ? I cant find it anywhere

 

[jmann]

wow..... anyways did you even look at the tutorial that shneiderman told you to look at? look at step nine if you are using a mac... it shows you right there what the restore button looks like

 

[xpsm1730]

wow..... anyways did you even look at the tutorial that shneiderman told you to look at? look at step nine if you are using a mac... it shows you right there what the restore button looks like

the restore button would come up only if i have activated the phone first and am now trying to jail break it right?

This is a NEW phone just out of the box - never been activated.

so when i connected it to itunes the options i got were

register and continue