Is it possible/safe to upgrade my 3GS ?

[Dee Ann]

Hi guys!

I'm using a 3GS.

According to the "About" in settings, I have

Version: 3.1.3 (7E18)
Model: MC135LL/A
Modem Firmware: 05.12.01-6.4_M3S2


When I bought it the previous owner had used Spirit to jail break it.
He wiped it, upgraded it to what ever was current at the time and mailed it to me.

I do not have an AT&T SIM, I'm using my old Centennial Wireless SIM from years ago when I had a Nokia. I have not told AT&T I have an iPhone and have no intentions of doing so because I do not need or want wireless internet and the HIGH bills that are forced upon you.

I use it as a cell phone away from home and at home it's on my WIFI and that's all I need. My old Centennial plan was grandfathered in and it's uber cheap compared to an iPhone plan. So I'm not going to tell them, ever.
I'm going to keep using my old Centennial SIM and keep my cheap plan even though I have no internet away from home.

Because it's jail broken and unlocked and using a SIM that it doesn't recognize as legit, I have to continue with the unlocking game despite the fact that I am now an AT&T customer (with crappy service )...

Jail breaking is a total must. Unlocking is a total must. Neither option is negotiable.

That said, is it possible, can I safely, upgrade to a newer 4.x iOS without pooching my phone and still maintain the unlock and jail break? It must be able to work with my Centennial SIM. We're talking a $29 a month plan versus $100 a month. No way I'm paying $1,200 a year for something I rarely use and internet that I do not need.

Thanks!


edit:

I was reading and saw someone mention an app called tinyumbrella. I googled it and ran it.
This is what it told me.

I do not know what this app is, I don't understand what I'm looking at, not even a little bit. I grabbed the screen hoping that it would provide more info and someone could tell me what steps I need to take now.

I have a windows 7 64bit pc, I do not have access to a Mac.
So whatever app I end up having to use to upgrade and JB/UL my phone, it has to be something I can do 100% on windows 7.

Thanks again!


Edit 2: I did more checking and found out that the bootrom reads iBOOT 359.3.2
I believe that makes a difference too.

As of now, it is untethered on Spirit. A tethered hack isn't good for me because I am going to be traveling soon and will not have access to a PC...

 

[Dee Ann]

77 views and nothing?

No one can tell me if it's safe to do this or have any suggestions on how to do it??

I've read and read and read and the more I read, the more confusing it gets!

I feel like I'm chasing my tail now and dizzy from it...

Please help??? Pretty please??

 

[wordoflife]

If you went to AT&T and asked them for another SIM, I think they might give it to you. That wouldn't change your plan, but it would allow you to use your iPhone without it being unlocked.

 

[Dee Ann]

So, am I to understand that I can NOT jailbreak AND unlock my 3GS under 4.x ??

It IS currently jailbroken and unlocked under 3.1.3

But the MMS capability is totally missing. I can send/receive plain text messages only.

My plan does allow me to do MMS because I can put my SIM back in my OLD Nokia and totally do MMS on it without restriction. I can send and receive text, music, videos and photos without problem on that dinosaur.

3.1.3 is supposed to have MMS but whoever did their magic that let us JB and UL 3.1.3 messed up and left out MMS ability and that sucks.

 

[Myzhi]

If the phone connects to ATT network, they will know you have an iphone, base on IMEI. No matter if you tell them or not. And, they will change your phone plan.

As to being able to unlock, that's base on what the modem firmware (baseband) is. You current 5.12 is unlockable. Normally, if you update the firmware, you also update the baseband = possibly loosing unlock ability. Thus, if you want to update the firmware and keep your current baseband, you must always update using a custom firmware file (one that keeps your current baseband).

And, since you have old saved SHSH files saved from 3.1.3 to 4.2.1, you can updated to anyone of those. Using your SHSH files, you can trick Itunes into allowing you to upgrade. Option:

1) Update using a custom firmware file and keep your current baseband. With this option, you can go go from 4.0 to 4.2.1. But, please note that the 3GS JB for 4.2.1 could be untethered (old bootrom) or tethered (new bootrom). If you have old bootrom, you can use custom 4.2.1 firmware for untethered JB. If you have new bootrom, suggest you update with custom 4.1 firmware for untethered JB.

2) Normal update to 4.0, 4.0.1 or 4.0.2 firmware & have 5.13 baseband (can still be unlock). Afterward, JB them and unlock. Do not do a normal update to 4.1 firmware / 5.1.4 baseband or 4.2 firmware / 5.1.5 baseband because their baseband can't currently be unlock.

 

[Dee Ann]

I was on Centenntial for years with an OLD Nokia flip phone.

My son gave me his old 1st gen iPhone in 2008 and I made it work on Centennial with the Nokia SIM. No one ever said anything at all to me, my plan has not changed.

When AT&T consumed Centennial, I got was still using the 1st gen iPhone with the Nokia SIM. I bought a 3GS on ebay last year about 8 months ago. I moved the Centennial SIM from the 1st gen iPhone to the 3GS.

The previous owner of the 3GS wiped it and then had updated it to whatever was current (idiot) and sent it to me. He had jailbroken it with Spirit.

I had to do the same and then had to unlock it after Spirit to use my Centennial SIM. At first iTunes (iTard) wouldn't recognize my SIM so I had to buy an AT&T blank SIM for $2 on ebay. Once I was able to restore the jail broken OS to 3.1.3 then I could unlock it and put my Centennial SIM in it and everything was fine. Except for the botched up MMS.

No one from AT&T has ever said squat about me having an iPhone. I do not use wireless data, it's not even available because of my OLD SIM.

There is no way I'm going to tell them I have an iPhone because I refuse to accept their draconian FORCED plan that is far over priced and for the most part, useless to me. I don't need internet away from home and even then, I'm rarely away from home. I have WIFI at home and that's more than good enough for me. If I'm out somewhere and I really need to use the internet, I'll pull into a McDonalds and use their WIFI.

I don't need nationwide coverage, I never leave the house more than 4 miles away at the most. I don't call people in other states. I rarely use the damn thing but when I leave the house, I want a cell phone, just in case.

They can cram their over priced, over valued, over done iPhone plans where the sun don't shine.

Whether they know or not, they're not charging me an iPhone plan and I'm not about to tip the canoe over. What I have now is affordable and works well for me. I do not need or want more. I won't pay for things I don't need, don't want and won't use.

 

[wordoflife]

So, am I to understand that I can NOT jailbreak AND unlock my 3GS under 4.x ??

It IS currently jailbroken and unlocked under 3.1.3

But the MMS capability is totally missing. I can send/receive plain text messages only.

My plan does allow me to do MMS because I can put my SIM back in my OLD Nokia and totally do MMS on it without restriction. I can send and receive text, music, videos and photos without problem on that dinosaur.

3.1.3 is supposed to have MMS but whoever did their magic that let us JB and UL 3.1.3 messed up and left out MMS ability and that sucks.

No internet = no MMS.

 

[Dee Ann]

No internet = no MMS.

On my Nokia I never had internet and I was doing MMS on it a Looooooong time ago....

Where was the internet then? MMS doesn't go through the internet, it's sent over the cellular network. I had MMS in like 2002 on my Nokia and I KNOW that I did not have internet service on that phone, ever.

 

[KentuckyHouse]

If the phone connects to ATT network, they will know you have an iphone, base on IMEI. No matter if you tell them or not. And, they will change your phone plan.

As to being able to unlock, that's base on what the modem firmware (baseband) is. You current 5.12 is unlockable. Normally, if you update the firmware, you also update the baseband = possibly loosing unlock ability. Thus, if you want to update the firmware and keep your current baseband, you must always update using a custom firmware file (one that keeps your current baseband).

And, since you have old saved SHSH files saved from 3.1.3 to 4.2.1, you can updated to anyone of those. Using your SHSH files, you can trick Itunes into allowing you to upgrade. Option:

1) Update using a custom firmware file and keep your current baseband. With this option, you can go go from 4.0 to 4.2.1. But, please note that the 3GS JB for 4.2.1 could be untethered (old bootrom) or tethered (new bootrom). If you have old bootrom, you can use custom 4.2.1 firmware for untethered JB. If you have new bootrom, suggest you update with custom 4.1 firmware for untethered JB.

2) Normal update to 4.0, 4.0.1 or 4.0.2 firmware & have 5.13 baseband (can still be unlock). Afterward, JB them and unlock. Do not do a normal update to 4.1 firmware / 5.1.4 baseband or 4.2 firmware / 5.1.5 baseband because their baseband can't currently be unlock.

OP, you can spout off about how they aren't going to change your plan, you can threaten AT&T all you like, but this is the info you've been asking for. I'm sorry it doesn't fit your idea of what the cell company should charge for being able to use an iPhone to it's fullest extent, but that's the way it is. It looks like, to me, you've got a choice. Upgrade to one of the unlockable firmwares (and basebands) above (and start paying the normal cost of an iPhone plan), or keep it just the way it is. To keep yelling that your Nokia from years ago could do what your iPhone now can't do isn't doing you, or the people that are trying to help you above, any good.

Just out of curiosity, is MMS REALLY that important for you? You apparently don't go far from home, so I can't imagine you're seeing things that a digital camera and home internet connection can't do in place of MMS. Obviously, it's not as fast or as convenient, but unless you're willing to pay the extra $$$ per month, like the rest of us, then I'm sorry to say you're SOL.

/thread

 

[wordoflife]

On my Nokia I never had internet and I was doing MMS on it a Looooooong time ago....

Where was the internet then? MMS doesn't go through the internet, it's sent over the cellular network. I had MMS in like 2002 on my Nokia and I KNOW that I did not have internet service on that phone, ever.

The iPhone works differently.
More specifically, I think iPhone sends MMS data through a different APN, ultimately through a data connection.
What more can be said? If you want MMS, subscribe to data. Otherwise, don't buy a smartphone.

 

[nebo1ss]

On my Nokia I never had internet and I was doing MMS on it a Looooooong time ago....

Where was the internet then? MMS doesn't go through the internet, it's sent over the cellular network. I had MMS in like 2002 on my Nokia and I KNOW that I did not have internet service on that phone, ever.

I am going to try and answer the original question you asked and stay away from the rest of the debate.

Your best option is to use custom firmware to upgrade to 4.1. Since you have shsh saved for 4.1 it should be no problem for you to do this and also retain your existing baseband for an unlock. The only issue is getting hold of the custom firmware, you need a MAC to use pwnage tool to create the custom firmware. It is also always easier to have an ATT Sim to activate the phone after the restore, there are alternatives like hactivation and SAM but the original SIM is easy option and it does not need to be active.

If you want to go ahead with this process I would be more than happy to post you some more detail instructions on getting to 4.1