Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Iphone 3gs

K

kevo1011

macrumors regular
Original poster
Oct 3, 2010
121
0
I got a used iphone 3gs from a friend that upgraded. I was planning to update it to IOS 5.0 and let my kid use it for an ipod touch. The phone does not have a SIM card. I have read that I can not update the IOS or restore it unless I have the orginial SIM card. Does anyone have any advice? I have some old SIM cards from other phones, but they are not the orginial SIM card. Thanks.
 
Last edited:
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A405 Safari/7534.48.3)

Yes it's my AT&T sim card from my old iPhone 3G. It does not have service. I just want to put it in long enough to update the iOS. I'm just scared that it will brick the phone. I'm new at all this kinda stuff. Any other info or advice would be appreciated. Thx.
 
kevo1011 said:
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A405 Safari/7534.48.3)

Yes it's my AT&T sim card from my old iPhone 3G. It does not have service. I just want to put it in long enough to update the iOS. I'm just scared that it will brick the phone. I'm new at all this kinda stuff. Any other info or advice would be appreciated. Thx.
Click to expand...

You can't go to OS5 because Apple is not longer sign this firmware. So, if you restore your phone, it will restore to 5.0.1. Once it is done, all you need to do is to pop your old sim inside the phone, make sure that you have wifi access and you can activate/by pass the activation screen directly from the phone. Just follow the instruction on the phone. You don't even need to hook it up to Itune.
 
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A405 Safari/7534.48.3)

That's my bad. I meant ios 5.0.1. I just wanted to get some info from more experienced iPhoners before I attempted it. I was scared it would brick it after I read it has to be done with the orginial card. Thx.
 
kevo1011 said:
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A405 Safari/7534.48.3)

That's my bad. I meant ios 5.0.1. I just wanted to get some info from more experienced iPhoners before I attempted it. I was scared it would brick it after I read it has to be done with the orginial card. Thx.
Click to expand...

With Iphone, I bet you can't brick it... So, don't worry about bricking it. If something goes wrong, come back here and we will help you to fix it.
 
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A405 Safari/7534.48.3)

I forgot to metention that the phone is currently in an active state. I can use it now as it stands. It's running 4.3.5. Can I put an old sim card in it and do a restore. I want to set it up as a new phone. Sorry to be so nervous about this. I just want to be sure before I go forward.
 
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A405 Safari/7534.48.3)

??
 
kevo1011 said:
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A405 Safari/7534.48.3)

I forgot to metention that the phone is currently in an active state. I can use it now as it stands. It's running 4.3.5. Can I put an old sim card in it and do a restore. I want to set it up as a new phone. Sorry to be so nervous about this. I just want to be sure before I go forward.
Click to expand...

Is the phone currently jailbroken? If it is not, all you have to do is go to setting and reset all setting & contents. It will reset your phone to factory setting with 4.3.5 fw on it.

If it is jailbroken, you can't do the above method because it will hang at Apple logo forever.
 
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A405 Safari/7534.48.3)

No it's not jb. Thanks again. I just wanted to explain the best I could so it would be easier for to reply. Thanks.
 
kevo1011 said:
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A405 Safari/7534.48.3)

No it's not jb. Thanks again. I just wanted to explain the best I could so it would be easier for to reply. Thanks.
Click to expand...

Great, just use that reset all content & setting and you are good. However, please note that once you do that, the phone will boot up to activation screen and if you want to by pass that screen, you will need original carrier sim to activate/by pass that screen or hactivate it with jailbreak tool.
 
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A405 Safari/7534.48.3)

Thanks. I guess I misunderstood when it said orginial sim. I was thinking I had to have the orginial sim card that the phone was activated on, which I don't. But now I see you are saying orginial carrier sim. So yes the sim I have is a AT&T sim card which is the phones orginial carrier. it just doesnt have service, but that doesn't matter in my case. Thanks again.
 
kevo1011 said:
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A405 Safari/7534.48.3)

Thanks. I guess I misunderstood when it said orginial sim. I was thinking I had to have the orginial sim card that the phone was activated on, which I don't. But now I see you are saying orginial carrier sim. So yes the sim I have is a AT&T sim card which is the phones orginial carrier. it just doesnt have service, but that doesn't matter in my case. Thanks again.
Click to expand...

Great.....glad it works out for you.
 
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A405 Safari/7534.48.3)

I inserted my nonactive sim & updated the iOS. It worked no problems. Now my mother wants to fully use the phone. She has a rugby now with an active sim. Is it possible just to put her sim into the phone and add a data plan or do you behave to go to/call AT&T for it to work. Thanks.
 
kevo1011 said:
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A405 Safari/7534.48.3)

I inserted my nonactive sim & updated the iOS. It worked no problems. Now my mother wants to fully use the phone. She has a rugby now with an active sim. Is it possible just to put her sim into the phone and add a data plan or do you behave to go to/call AT&T for it to work. Thanks.
Click to expand...

She can stick her sim in and then call up AT&T to add the appropriate iphone data plan to her account.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back