iPhone Need Advice re "Unexpected JB+Locked" eBay iPhone 3GS

[beegie]

Hello MacRumors: I've been reading at this forum for ages but don't have questions very often.

Situation:
Just bought an advertised-as "BRAND NEW" "CARRIER UNLOCKED" iPhone 3Gs from eBay but once I got the phone two days ago, I see it is jailbroken & has a "blackrain app" on it (which I know NOTHING about; not a tech geek here). I was NOT seeking a JB phone & do not want a JB phone. The eBay ad nowhere said it was JB.

Yes I know I can return it for a refund. But the phone looks really good & everything seems to work. The MAIN reason I bought it & would like to KEEP it is because it has iOS 3.1 on it which is impossible to find out there these days (iOS 3.1+ is what I was looking for in order to use it with my only backup which was made under my own iOS 3.1.2 iPhone 3GS which has been stuck in white-Apple-mode since Oct. 2013. Boo!)

So I would consider keeping this guy's iPhone 3GS iOS 3.1, if I could un-jailbreak it AND un-lock it (to use w/the $30 T-Mo Data Plan that is the rave around here. ).

Seller's iPhone 3Gs says in...

Settings > General > About:

• His name is still at the top. Is that normal? Shouldn't his name have been taken off/out of the phone? Is that a "good sign" or a "bad sign"?
  
• Version 3.1 (7C144)
  
• Modem Firmware 05.11.07
  
• Carrier AT&T 5.0 (Does that mean that is the carrier the phone was built to work with originally?)
  
• Model MB718LL (withOUT the "/A" on the end. Not sure why. Does it even matter?)
  
• IMEI # - Already put the IMEI # in various IMEI checker sites & yes phone was "activated," & yes "contract expired," BUT yes "SIM LOCKED." Not good. (Other IMEI checker sites said "SIM UNKNOWN." Is that because the phone is JB?)
  
• And, as already stated, no non-native apps on it EXCEPT the blackrain app.

I'm not sure if Seller put blackrain on it in order to:
(a) Unlock the Wireless Carrier Option?
(b) or to Hack the iOS?
(c) or Both?

What do you think?

Just A Few More Questions, Please:

1. Is there anyway to tell FOR SURE if the iOS 3.1 is legitimate (ie, the phone REALLY is at iOS 3.1, & it was NOT "backward hacked" TO 3.1 from iOS 4-5-6 via jailbreaking)?
   
2. The blackrain app says in it that if you delete the app, it will NOT uninstall the jailbreaking. So, should I:
   --(a) "Restore it as new" w/iTunes? Or
   --(b) "Restore from my old 3.1.2 backup"?
   --I still have my older white iBook G4 PPC w/OS 10.4.11 & iTunes 9.2 to use for all this.
   
3. But will removing the JB via iTunes force the iOS 3.1 go to some other version than iOS 3.1? (I don't want that to happen, unless it would go to 3.1.2 just like my old prior backup. After putting my 3.1.2 backup on it, I DO WANT to update the iOS 3.1 to whatever Apple offers, iOS 6+ ?)
   
4. Can you even put an iOS 3.1.2-backup on a different phone that only has iOS 3.1?
   
5. Other "undo jailbreak" threads here say that all the jailbreak files are left inside the phone's guts even after you restore or set up as new or whatever. I don't want that either. How to get rid of ALL of the JB stuff?
   
6. Last problem, of course, is the fact it is not really "CARRIER UNLOCKED" as I thought, per the IMEI checker site. I've already asked Seller yesterday why didn't he just get it "legitimately unlocked" via the ATT online forms?, etc. Waiting for response.

It is torture communicating with the guy because he can barely read/write/spell/comprehend American English (or either he is faking it), even though he lives in Miami & has a legitimate business per the Florida Dept. of Corporations website, LinkedIn profile, etc. (I googled him AFTER I saw the phone was JB.)

So he may not necessarily be a crooked ebay Seller (had 100% positive but only a few total ratings, maybe 20-30 or so).

And maybe he was unaware of AT&T free unlocks so he put the blackrain app on it instead(?)

To get a full refund, however, he says it would have to be returned in EXACTLY the same condition as he sent it, naturally, which means I can't be messing with it via iTunes/restore, etc., to try to answer my above questions.

Bottom Line: I can't figure out how to proceed or WHAT to do first, which is why I'm asking for advice/direction/answers from the experts! Thanks.

~~

 

[chambone]

The thing is, he sold you a used, carrier locked phone as new and unlocked. That's reason enough to send it back, and open a case with paypal to wake him up if he pretends to be dumb. Or if you really want to keep it, at least try to get a partial refund out of him. I'm not sure if iOS6/itunes is able to import an iOS3 backup, but it might be, partly perhaps.

If it were me, I wouldn't bother with iOS3 though. But I don't keep conversations and such, which might be the main reason for you to need your backup.

Anyway, you can't unjailbreak it, and you will be forced to iOS6 if you restore. The only way to get rid of all jb files is to restore as new. The phone is probably locked to AT&T.

 

[beegie]

The thing is, he sold you a used, carrier locked phone as new and unlocked. That's reason enough to send it back, and open a case with paypal to wake him up if he pretends to be dumb.

Thanks, chambone (love the shades maaan! ). That's true what you say, used, carrier locked. I was totally irked when I saw it as we exchanged a few pre-sales emails re which iOS did it have?, so he had ample opportunity to say, "It's jailbroken," but didn't (& I didn't think to ask because it was not even on my mind since his ad did not say JB). I did already open an eBay "resolution center" complaint but not one at PayPal.

Or if you really want to keep it, at least try to get a partial refund out of him.

That's a thought, thanks! That didn't even cross my mind either. The main reason I thought of keeping it was for its iOS 3.1 which I'm trying to find out if it was jailbroken to force it backward to iOS 3.1, or is it an iPhone 3GS that has always had 3.1 from the beginning. But even if it's a case of it being the latter/better thing, that would only solve Problem #1 & not Problem #2 (carrier locked to ATT),

I'm not sure if iOS6/itunes is able to import a iOS3 backup, but it might be, partly perhaps.

The iTunes version I have is for the OLD stuff, on an OLD Mac, with OLD OSX Tiger, which all matches the v.3.1+ iPhones era (which is why I kept everything "old"). So I was "hoping" it would work out. But, honestly, I've never used iTunes for anything but 2 prior backups of another iPhone 3GS v.3.1.2. (In other words, I've never tried "restoring" anything, or resetting as "new phone," etc.) I was thinking (hoping) my version of iTunes was "too old" for Apple-via-iTunes to say, "You must update this phone to iOS6." I was thinking you had to have a newer OSX + a newer version of iTunes for them to say that.

If it were me, I wouldn't bother with iOS3 though. But I don't keep conversations and such, which might be the main reason for you to need your backup.

It's all the apps in the backup that I wanted to put on the "newer" iPhone (if I were to decide to keep it). Of course there are also Notes & Calendar & Contacts & Mail app entries in the backup as well.

Anyway, you can't unjailbreak it...

Bummer. I was counting on that info in the Sticky/Thread re: Step-by-Step Guide to Restore (Jailbroken) iPhones, but wasn't sure. Hence this separate thread.

...and you will be forced to iOS6 if you restore.

So iTunes would REQUIRE to update to iOS6 BEFORE allowing the older 3.1.2-backup to be put on the 3.1-phone? If so, then yes, I see what you mean.

The phone is probably locked to AT&T.

I think you're right on that. Otherwise, why would it say AT&T in the Settings!

Thanks mucho, chambone! This kind of "walking it through" specifics is what I needed to figure out the possibilities -- or the impossibilities -- of what I had in mind.

~~

 

[chambone]

It's all the apps in the backup that I wanted to put on the "newer" iPhone (if I were to decide to keep it). Of course there are also Notes & Calendar & Contacts & Mail app entries in the backup as well.

Oh, okay. iTunes will put your apps back regardless of operating system, but bear in mind that literally all of your apps need to be updated to run on ios6, and that if an app hasn't been updated since, you're out of luck. I'm not sure about Notes. Calendar, contacts an mail accounts (but not the actual emails) will be synced from your computer if you have that stuff set up. Anyway, the real pita is that you need 10.6.8 to restore to ios6. Your current setup will most likely not allow you to restore ios3. It will probably tell you that you can't restore because you need itunes 10.something which you need 10.6.8 for if I'm not mistaken.

So iTunes would REQUIRE to update to iOS6 BEFORE allowing the older 3.1.2-backup to be put on the 3.1-phone?

I'm not sure but I don't think so. Although I can't tell you what steps to take. It sounds messy though

And I skimmed over the "be returned in EXACTLY the same condition" part before. The thing is, you need to know if it's unlocked in order to make an informed decision on keeping it or not. Personally I would want to restore before checking a couple of different sim cards. I'd be inclined to send it back.

 

[beegie]

...iTunes will put your apps back regardless of operating system, but bear in mind that literally all of your apps need to be updated to run on ios6, and that if an app hasn't been updated since, you're out of luck.

Thank you again, & ohhhh boy, ha. I guess I had the process all backwards in my thinking. I was hoping I could update the older apps (& the older iOS) AFTER I got them all moved to the other 3Gs w/3.1 in their current "condition" (version). But apparently the iOS has to be updated FIRST & then everything else can only be done after that.

I'm not sure about Notes. Calendar, contacts an mail accounts (but not the actual emails) will be synced from your computer if you have that stuff set up.

Emails I'm not toooo worried about as I have them in webmail/gmail also. But Notes/Calendar entries will probably all be gone, & Contacts I'll just have to re-enter from memory (didn't have those on Mac as I quit using it for four years after becoming an iPhone 3GS addict in 2009. )

Your current setup will most likely not allow you to restore ios3.

Ah, thanks! The lightbulb just went off, ie, Apple/iTunes CAN'T "restore to iOS3+" because they don't even have it "lodging" in their "cyber brain" anymore. So there's no way iTunes can "pull it down" from "Apple Heaven" to the iPhone 3GS. This gets more depressing by the minute.

Even though my original 3GS is on the blink (as I said in first post), it was waaay TOO FULL & overloaded. So I decided if it ever "fixes itself," I would never put EVERYTHING on ONE phone ever again but would "divide up all the stuff" from that 1 phone onto 2-3 phones (bills/shopping, etc.; then a phone for blogging/news/photos, etc.), & just switch the sim between the phones whenever I needed to use them. But I would keep the ORIG. 3GS as a "slideshow" & music/video phone only because it has all my fav apps for video clips, photo editing, etc., & TONS of photos on it that I can't currently access, plus a few dozen half-finished little videos I was working on. Huge loss! But always hoping it will "unstuck itself" one of these days.

Anyway, the real pita is that you need 10.6.8 to restore to ios6. It will probably tell you that you can't restore because you need itunes 10.something which you need 10.6.8 for if I'm not mistaken.

Thank you so much for your advice! I actually DO have another Mac, a newer one but I've never used it for anything yet, an MPB that came w/LION which I don't like at all so far (sliver-thin light grey scroll bars that I can't even see vs. my beautiful FAT blue scrollbars in Tiger. )

...Although I can't tell you what steps to take. It sounds messy though

Ha! You are so right, totally messy!

And I skimmed over the "be returned in EXACTLY the same condition" part before. The thing is, you need to know if it's unlocked in order to make an informed decision on keeping it or not.

Right! And I don't know if his JB was for the purpose of backward-hacking the phone to iOS 3.1 (or whether the phone was always 3.1); OR whether it was simply to "JB-unlock-carrier" only; or Both.

Personally I would want to restore before checking a couple of different sim cards. I'd be inclined to send it back.

I totally agree with you there, as I am "itching" to stick that Seller's 3GS onto the Tiger Mac/iTunes & see what happens. But if I tried to do anything after that & it messed up his "blackrain"-JB-whatever, then he could cry, "It's not EXACTLY like we sent it to you," blah blah blah. Hence, the reason I've been "frozen in limbo" for a few days. So, yes, I think it's just best to send it back. Two problems in one phone is enough.

One last thought, though: What IF (big IF) I could find a bona-fide NON-JB iPhone 3GS that had v.3+. Wouldn't my old iTunes think that was same/similar to my original 3GS, & so it would let me just move the old backup over to it, since it would NOT need to be "restored"/Un-jailbroken? I suppose it might.

But then, as you say, I would not be able to update that one either to iOS6... UNLESS I maybe THEN plugged it into the MPB-Lion machine which has iTunes 11-something, I think. But it would probably say, "Sorry, Lion's iTunes cannot compute anything from Tiger iTunes. Too Old. You did not keep up with the Apple-Pace-of-Products, so You Lose. Goodbye."

~~~

 

[chambone]

One last thought, though: What IF (big IF) I could find a bona-fide NON-JB iPhone 3GS that had v.3+. Wouldn't my old iTunes think that was same/similar to my original 3GS, & so it would let me just move the old backup over to it, since it would NOT need to be "restored"/Un-jailbroken? I suppose it might.

But then, as you say, I would not be able to update that one either to iOS6... UNLESS I maybe THEN plugged it into the MPB-Lion machine which has iTunes 11-something, I think. But it would probably say, "Sorry, Lion's iTunes cannot compute anything from Tiger iTunes. Too Old. You did not keep up with the Apple-Pace-of-Products, so You Lose. Goodbye."

~~~

No, that would work as far as I know. If you'd run into a 3gs with ios 3 on it, you should be able to put your backup on there and make it your phone. You could then plug it into the lion computer and tell the phone/computer that from now on you want to sync using this computer, and update the software to ios6. What will carry over from your stuff when you skip three versions is anybody's guess, but that should work.

 

[TheRainKing]

So I would consider keeping this guy's iPhone 3GS iOS 3.1, if I could un-jailbreak it AND un-lock it (to use w/the $30 T-Mo Data Plan that is the rave around here. ).

If its an old bootrom 3GS I think you can restore to older iOS firmwares without shsh blobs. So theoretically you could just restore to clean version of iOS 3.1.

I'm not entirely sure how it's done though. I think you have to use a program like redsnow to make a custom IPSW and then put the phone in Pwned DFU mode and then restore with iTunes. Something like that....

(I don't know if those are the correct steps, so don't try it unless you verify with someone smarter than me first!)

 

[chambone]

Come to think of it, Apple used to sign 4.1 for the 3gs. Not sure if that's still the case though, and how useful that may be.

 

[beegie]

No, that would work as far as I know. If you'd run into a 3gs with ios 3 on it, you should be able to put your backup on there and make it your phone. You could then plug it into the lion computer and tell the phone/computer that from now on you want to sync using this computer, and update the software to ios6.

Excellent news! Thank you so much. That makes sense, sounds simple enough, & sounds very hopeful. Things are looking up finally (in a good way!)

What will carry over from your stuff when you skip three versions is anybody's guess, but that should work.

Ha, true about what will carry over being a mystery. But at least now I have a "Plan of Action" that I can follow. Yesssss! Thanks!

Come to think of it, Apple used to sign 4.1 for the 3gs. Not sure if that's still the case though, and how useful that may be.

Hey that would be OK. Thanks for the tip. If they still do it, I could up it in "stages" & maybe preserve more of the older apps. So I'll do some googling to see if "Apple Heaven" still DL's 4.1 to 3GS!

And the current ebay-seller's phone is going BACK to him ASAP! So that's THAT!

~~

There's another ebay seller selling supposed New, Still-Shrinkwrapped-Original-In-Box, "Overstock" 3Gs's, Factory Unlocked. Of course it doesn't say which iOS. (I actually wrote THAT guy a few weeks ago to ask but he never replied, which was a turn off. I did NOT say which iOS I was seeking but merely asked which iOS was on his 3Gs's? I suppose he felt if he told me, that would give away the fact that the boxes had really previously been opened.)

But what I've been thinking/hoping is that IF they are truly "overstock" from Apple or wherever (ad doesn't say where), & truly originally-shrinkwrapped (& Factory Unlocked to boot), that just MAYBE they might still be in a "pristine" iOS 3+ state.

That seller has approx. 1700+ ratings, majority all good, only like 7 negs & 7 neutrals out of 1700+. Most of his ratings are not for Apple products though, but other model phones & accessories. But 1 or 2 did say the Apple phones were NOT brand new but refurbs. Refurb would be OK if it was iOS 3+, but anybody doing refurbs would likely up it to iOS6 before selling it. However, $350 for a refurb is too much, imo! $350 for NEW is even too much. I mean the 3Gs is close to 5 years old already, so I thought his prices were too high as well.

Thanks again for all the help! I'm feeling very cheerio & hopeful about the situation now!

 

[dhlizard]

Come to think of it, Apple used to sign 4.1 for the 3gs. Not sure if that's still the case though, and how useful that may be.

Yes, Apple still signs 4.1 for 3GS

 

[beegie]

If its an old bootrom 3GS I think you can restore to older iOS firmwares without shsh blobs. So theoretically you could just restore to clean version of iOS 3.1.

Thank you TRK for that insight. But how do you tell if a 3GS is "old bootrom"? Any special codes or markings on the phone itself? (I had actually seen an ebay ad that said bootrom iphone, but had no idea what it meant so I passsed on by.)

I'm not entirely sure how it's done though. I think you have to use a program like redsnow to make a custom IPSW and then put the phone in Pwned DFU mode and then restore with iTunes. Something like that....

I've seen that term before "custom IPSW" in one of the threads here. Somebody was needing one of those for their phone. Sounded a bit complicated to me. ALL JB-ing/un-JB-ing sounds too complicated.

(I don't know if those are the correct steps, so don't try it unless you verify with someone smarter than me first!)

Haha, well at least you can explain it which is more than I could do. Thanks for that. Unfortunately no techies in the family & it's a whole lot of work trying to figure this stuff out by just reading online. Not sure I'm up to the task anymore. But thank you just the same for your assistance!

~~

----------

Yes, Apple still signs 4.1 for 3GS

Fantastic! Thanks for the confirmation, dhlizard (lol @ the name!) Hope Apple doesn't have a "deadline" on it, as they often do unexpectedly. "Poof! Now you see it, Now you don't!"

----------

Gotta go hit the Snooze Button on my brain. Thanks to everyone for your ideas & guidance! I'll check this thread again later tonight for any possible additions. Have a TGIF!

 

[dhlizard]

^^ For whatever reason, Apple has left 4.1 signed (for 3GS only) since the day it was released.

After all this time, seems unlikely they would close it.

 

[BR3W]

Thank you TRK for that insight. But how do you tell if a 3GS is "old bootrom"? Any special codes or markings on the phone itself? (I had actually seen an ebay ad that said bootrom iphone, but had no idea what it meant so I passsed on by.)

Look in Settings > General > About > Model #
If it starts with MC then you have a new bootrom.

Once you figure that out I can help you from there.

Creating a custom IPSW is not a big deal. The jailbreaking tools automate the process. We need to know what your baseband is before we can help you unlock the phone. If you update to iOS 4.1 from Apple you will update the baseband (the phone's modem) and lose your ability to unlock.

There is software available to extract information from your backup if that's your reasoning for doing this. You also don't need to restore the backup to an exact copy of your old phone. It will restore your data to a newer phone. Unless you absolutely need something off that phone, aren't willing to use software to extract it, and got the 3GS for a silly, low price, you are not gaining much or anything by messing with such an old device.

 

[Applejuiced]

How much you paid for this unlocked iPhone scam homie?

 

[beegie]

^^ For whatever reason, Apple has left 4.1 signed (for 3GS only) since the day it was released.

After all this time, seems unlikely they would close it.

Thanks DHLizard! That's more good news!

----------

How much you paid for this unlocked iPhone scam homie?

Haha @ Applejuiced. $300.

 

[beegie]

Look in Settings > General > About > Model #
If it starts with MC then you have a new bootrom. Once you figure that out I can help you from there.

Hi, BL4zD (Blazed?), thanks for chiming in & offering to assist. Settings Specs were listed in the first post, & nope, the Model # begins with MB & not MC. So that answers my bootrom question, thanks.

Creating a custom IPSW is not a big deal. The jailbreaking tools automate the process.

Good to know for future reference, thanks.

We need to know what your baseband is before we can help you unlock the phone.

Settings > General > About:
[...]
Version 3.1 (7C144)
Modem Firmware 05.11.07
Carrier AT&T 5.0
Model MB718LL
[...]

But the issue was not that I want to unlock the phone. The phone already came "unlocked" by way of "blackrain." I was not shopping for an unlocked-via-jailbreak phone, but a Carrier Unlocked phone (I guess they call that Factory Unlocked I've learned). In other words, it's already unlocked but not the way I wanted it. I was looking to REMOVE the jailbreak & get it unlocked "legitimately" via ATT.

If you update to iOS 4.1 from Apple you will update the baseband (the phone's modem) and lose your ability to unlock.

I don't plan to be doing any jailbreaking myself on any phone. And I was not expecting this phone that I just bought off ebay to be jailbroken (the ad said no such thing). So I'll be sending it back.

There is software available to extract information from your backup if that's your reasoning for doing this.

In the past I looked at some of those phone extractor sites, but they were either for PC's only, or needed newer Mac OS than I had at the time, or were only for newer iPhones & newer iOS's, etc. That's been a few years since I looked, so if they now have more options that will work on a 3GS iPhone with 3.1.2 &/or a Backup of that 3.1.2, then, hey, I'm all for it! Please feel free to recommend any of them.

You also don't need to restore the backup to an exact copy of your old phone. It will restore your data to a newer phone.

Now that's good news, thanks! I didn't realize that. So a 3.1.2 backup made from a 3GS iphone will have no problem being placed on to, say, an iPhone 5c with iOS 7.1? (I do not own a 5c, just saying.)

Unless you absolutely need something off that phone...

Ha, yes, I do want to keep one excellent app, ReelDirector, for slideshow/movie-making. I've got two-dozen half-baked video-creations in it. They quit updating their app awhile back even though it was the only fantastic one available. I figured maybe Apple paid them off to get rid of the competition to iMovie, which the reviews always said worked like crapola. ReelDirector, on the other hand, was supreme! (I think RD will work up to iOS 4-something.)

Also another excellent life-saving app was a "memory sweeper" app on my other 3GS & in the backup, which Apple "outlawed" in the Fall of 2009. That's another reason I never upgraded beyond the 3.1.2, because if you spend 12-16 hours a day working heavily on the internet on an iphone, you NEED to be able to clean out the "ram" about 1-2 dozen times a day. (Does Apple expect us to "soft reset" 1-2 dozen times a day to clear out the memory? Pffff! I heard doing that a lot wears out the buttons, etc.)

...aren't willing to use software to extract it...

Do those extractors get your videos out of "Download" apps & "ReelDirector" apps & stuff like that? How about getting 10,000 photos out of the 16 extra "camera rolls" via "Roll Swap" app? (Roll Swap was another app that Apple outlawed because it gave you extra "camera rolls" on the older 3GS, up to 16 extra camera rolls total.)

...and got the 3GS for a silly, low price...

That one I just bought off ebay, no, I didn't think it was low at all, but too much ($300) for an almost 5-year-old-phone, even if it does look/feel pretty new (buttons are very "tight" like when my other one was new).

...you are not gaining much or anything by messing with such an old device.

Yeah, I know I would have to "face the music" someday (just like with the Macs), but I could get two 3GS's for the price of one 5c. Other reasons:

1. Don't like metal phones (4, 4s, 5, 5s).
2. Love carbonite/plastic phones (3Gs, 5c).
3. However, since my original 3GS was packed to the hilt @ 32gb, I said I would never get another phone until they offered 64gb, which they did, of course, but ONLY in the METAL 5s, but NOT the carbonite 5c! You lose, Apple!
4. Hated everything I saw/read about iOS7. Killed any desire to get a new phone until they fix how they screwed up the Notes app, the blinding white everywhere, the stupid skinny invisible font, etc. Haven't had time to read up on what people are saying re iOS7.1 & whether they really fixed the blinding white, etc.

So that's pretty much the whole story, probably TMI, lol. But thanks for spelling out the options!

~~

 

[BR3W]

blackra1n isn't an unlocking application. It's a jailbreak. It does for your 3GS what evasi0n does for current iDevices.

If you know someone with an AT&T account or if you had one yourself in the past and remember the details you can contact them and give them the iPhone's information and they will unlock it for free.

They might do it without current AT&T account information but that was the procedure when they first started unlocking iPhones.

You don't need to remove the jailbreak before AT&T unlocks it. In fact, you are going to do yourself a grave disservice by unjailbreaking it. The value will be reduced significantly and it will download the most current version of iOS and take up space until you upgrade the phone. It won't upgrade against your will but it will hog the space and you won't be able to delete it. With a jailbroken device you can get an app to prevent that.


If you decide to just unlock it via blackra1n then click on that icon and you will have three options: cydia, rock, or sn0w.

Click on sn0w and the phone will become unlocked.
You'll be able to use it on Tmobile's network but it will always only be on Edge data. This will never change because it's not a function of locked vs. unlocked but rather on the radio hardware in the phone.

I looked in Los Angeles craigslist and found a few 5c iPhones for $400. I don't know where you are located but you should be able to find similar pricing. $300 dollars is far too much to pay for an iPhone 3GS, in my opinion. I bought my partner's 32GB 5 for $350 and it was brand new, in the box, with applecare for a year.

And yes, you can restore old backups to new iDevices--that's one of the reasons for making a backup when you upgrade devices.

Unless the apps you want are no longer in the App store then they're still in your iTunes account and can be redownloaded to any current device. I haven't used the programs I mentioned so I can't help you with those questions.

My personal opinion is that you are setting yourself up for a lot of pain for not much, if any, benefit. A number of the things you are mentioning as benefits seem to be based on some misunderstandings about iOS (no offense, it seems like perhaps you mentioning you're not much of a techie could explain the misunderstandings).

As for iOS7 I suggest playing around in an apple store or a friend's current device before making any conclusions about it. There is a lot of bellyaching around here and elsewhere that should be taken with a bucketload of salt.

 

[ross1998]

Thanks DHLizard! That's more good news!

----------



Haha @ Applejuiced. $300.

300? You could have added 50 dollars and gotten yourself an iPhone 5... Plus i thought older back ups worked on newer devices, it's just newer backups don't work on older devices...

 

[beegie]

Hi BL4zD:

Thank you for all the specifics! I'll take them one at a time, & I re-arranged them a bit to how my brain works.

Re: AT&T UNLOCK:

You don't need to remove the jailbreak before AT&T unlocks it.

Now THAT is great news which I did not know. I thought for sure they couldn't unlock a JB phone.

If you know someone with an AT&T account or if you had one yourself in the past and remember the details you can contact them and give them the iPhone's information and they will unlock it for free.

Yes, we were all on an AT&T Family Plan until November 2013. I filled out the AT&T Unlock forms online for my own 3GS (not this "new"-3GS I just bought off ebay). Not sure if that unlock worked for my own prior 3GS because it has been stuck in white-apple-mode since Oct. 2013 (I refuse to "restore as new" & lose 3 years of work on it. If it never fixes itself it'll just go to the grave with me as it is.)

They might do it without current AT&T account information but that was the procedure when they first started unlocking iPhones.

The AT&T Unlock forms online ask for the last four digits of the SSN of whoever's name was on the main account. It also asks for the phone's phone #. So re: the just-bought-from-ebay-3Gs, it has the Seller's name in it in Settings, & of course I have no idea what the prior phone # was on it. (I have not "activated" it for any wireless service yet so it doesn't have a phone # on it yet. I've got the T-Mo kit in waiting.)

I could try calling AT&T vs. using their online forms, & see how that goes. I thought of doing that already, but thought they would say, "No Can Do because it's JB."

Re: T-MOBILE:

You'll be able to use it on Tmobile's network but it will always only be on Edge data. This will never change because it's not a function of locked vs. unlocked but rather on the radio hardware in the phone.

Actually, the 1900 range works with T-Mo's 3G Network in their ReFarmed areas. I checked all that out last Fall (huge thread here, too, about all that & the $30 T-Mo Data Plan). The city where I'm located is a T-Mo "re-farmed" area. On their map where I sit is "Very Good" which is only one level below their top level of "Excellent." (A Uni nearby is in "Excellent" reception area. Hoping some of that will rub off, lol.) AT&T worked great here on 3G Network, only a few times in four years did it drop to Edge. Hoping T-Mo 3G will work just as well, but I won't know for sure until I try it out.

Re: iPHONE PRICES:

$300 dollars is far too much to pay for an iPhone 3GS, in my opinion.

Agree. Didn't want to pay that much but out of about 20 Sellers I wrote in advance & asked which iOS was on their 3GS's, he was the ONLY one who wrote back & said iOS 3.1. His ad also said "Carrier Unlocked," & "New In Box." He was also in USA (not Hong Kong, lol). However, neither his ad nor his emails ever mentioned JB, which I was NOT looking for, nor the fact it is not really Unlocked BY the Carrier.

I looked in Los Angeles craigslist and found a few 5c iPhones for $400. I bought my partner's 32GB 5 for $350 and it was brand new, in the box, with applecare for a year. I don't know where you are located but you should be able to find similar pricing.

Wow, good deal on your partner's 5! But I'm thinking you are a guy so "in person wheeling & dealing" probably comes more natural & you wouldn't be a "scaredy cat." We are female & "old" here (Mom & myself) & would never do Craigslist.

Re: OLD APPS

Unless the apps you want are no longer in the App store then they're still in your iTunes account and can be redownloaded to any current device.

Thanks for the tip. Not sure if I can access the IPHONE App Store from Mac? But I'll check that out later & see if I can find out if those few "mission critical apps" are still in the iPhone App Store.

I haven't used the programs I mentioned so I can't help you with those questions.

That's OK, you're helping a lot as is, thanks!

Re: NON-TECHIE:

My personal opinion is that you are setting yourself up for a lot of pain for not much, if any, benefit. A number of the things you are mentioning as benefits seem to be based on some misunderstandings about iOS (no offense, it seems like perhaps you mentioning you're not much of a techie could explain the misunderstandings).

No offense taken. No, not a tech geek at all. Can't stand the techie side of things. Ugh. I just want to be able to access internet to READ/WRITE (& play with video-making/photos/music, etc.). It's the cognition-splitting, brain-torturing techie stuff & all the crossing-over/updating/upgrading, etc. between Macs & iPhones, old iPhones HW, old Macs HW, vs. newer iPhone & newer Macs, & old Mac SW vs. newer Mac SW, & older iPhone SW vs. newer iPhone SW, etc. etc. ad nauseam, that takes all the FUN out of using machines. Can't keep up with it all. (No smiley for "Exhausting"!)

Re: iOS 7:

As for iOS7 I suggest playing around in an apple store or a friend's current device before making any conclusions about it. There is a lot of bellyaching around here and elsewhere that should be taken with a bucketload of salt.

Ha, I like your descriptions, bucketload of salt. There used to be a sign in the old days that said, Quityerbellyachin. As for iOS7, I'm pretty picky myself so I empathize with those who didn't like it. I LOVED the yellow legal Note pad & prior Calendar, etc. All was fine as it was. Not impressed with what Apple thinks is the "new [flat, lifeless, BORING] cool" (just copycatting all the other yahoos out there like Google, YouTube, etc.). I think the "new internet" sucks as well. Take us back to HTML pages vs. CSS-whatever it is, where you cannot even place the cursor on a page without numerous drop-down-menus unfolding, blocking the view of everything on the page. It's a Royal Pain. Don't "drop down" UNLESS I actually CLICK on you, grrr! That's my take on it, lol.

Re: JAILBREAKING, My Least Favorite Subject So I Put It Last:

blackra1n isn't an unlocking application. It's a jailbreak. It does for your 3GS what evasi0n does for current iDevices.

I knew blackra1n was a JB thing, but wasn't sure how, or to what extent. So thanks for the clarification.

If you decide to just unlock it [AT&T-lock] via blackra1n then click on that icon and you will have three options: cydia, rock, or sn0w. Click on sn0w and the phone will become unlocked.

That's good to know, thanks. I did see those three options inside the blackra1n app, but wasn't about to touch any of it. So sn0w is the way to go if AT&T will not unlock the phone officially themselves (which, really, is the goal. Not excited about the JB-route.)

In fact, you are going to do yourself a grave disservice by unjailbreaking it. The value will be reduced significantly...

Well, since the 3Gs's are almost five years old already, I don't think that's going to matter too much. I'm one of those people who drove the same cars for 12-14 years. I do the same with Macs (well, maybe not quite that long, lol). In other words, by the time I'm finished using a product, it's usually too old to sell anyway.

...it will download the most current version of iOS and take up space until you upgrade the phone. It won't upgrade against your will but it will hog the space and you won't be able to delete it.

First off, I thought those automatic downloads only occurred on NEWER iphones & newer iTunes (I could be wrong; I only "willingly" upgraded the original 3GS ONCE back in early Fall 2009).

Also, I didn't think it could do auto downloads unless you have wifi, right? (I don't like wifi either & have never had it. It would've been just another 'gadget' to have to buy & hook up, so I said forget that.)

I DO remember reading the threads here last Fall when people unexpectedly found iOS7 on their iphones & were freaking out about it (I don't blame them), AND that it "hogged up space" on their hand-helds & they couldn't figure out how to get it out of there since they didn't want to have iOS7, etc. etc. Then others said it couldn't possibly auto-download UNLESS you hit the button that says OK (as you said, it won't do it "against your will" but, as you also said, it WILL still "hog up the space" anyway). So that's not good if that's how it works. Very PUSHY of "Mother Apple."

With a jailbroken device you can get an app to prevent that.

HA, well then, for that ONE reason alone JB may be worth it afterall, if it will keep the Apple Monster outta my stuff until I'm good & ready for it.

And yes, you can restore old backups to new iDevices--that's one of the reasons for making a backup when you upgrade devices.

THANK YOU! For some reason I thought that backups made using older-iTunes + older-Mac + older-iPhone (old as in several versions old, a big leap), that a newer-iTunes + newer-Mac + newer-iPhone would spit it right back out & say No Can Do.

So that's good to know, that it won't be a hassle afterall, & that I COULD put the old backup made via iTunes 9.2, on PPC-Mac Tiger 10.4.11, from a 3GS iPhone w/3.1.2 -- on to a shiny brand new Colorful Plastic iPhone 5c, w/iOS7+, on an Intel Mac w/Lion... if I wanted. Good Good Good! Thank you again, BL4zD! The Fog is Lifting!

~~~

 

[sbddude]

Since you have a backup, why not just restore your stuck-at-apple-logo 3GS and then load the backup on it?

 

[beegie]

300? You could have added 50 dollars and gotten yourself an iPhone 5...

Hi ross1998, thanks, but no thanks to metal phones. Liked the plastic 5c's, but didn't want only a 32gb/needed more room. If it had been 64gb like the 5s, I might have jumped in back in the Fall, though seriously wasn't wild about the bigger jump/changes between the "traditional" iOS 3+ to the "lollypop" iOS 7.

Plus i thought older back ups worked on newer devices, it's just newer backups don't work on older devices...

Ha, yes, that makes total sense. That's what I'm learning in this thread from the more saavy techies, that, YES, you can put OLD backups on NEW phones.

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Since you have a backup, why not just restore your stuck-at-apple-logo 3GS and then load the backup on it?

Hi sbddude, because the backup is an OLD backup, ie, missing almost 3 years of "work product." I'm willing to put that OLD backup on a *DIFFERENT* 3GS (which is why I bought one off ebay), but I'm NOT willing to restore/erase my ORIGINAL 3GS with the preceding 3-years of work on it that would be wiped out by doing so.

It's called "faith" & "hope"! As long as I do NOT restore/erase it, there's always hope it will "unstick itself." (And when it does, I'm making FIVE backups of it ASAP!)

 

[sbddude]

It's called "faith" & "hope"! As long as I do NOT restore/erase it, there's always hope it will "unstick itself." (And when it does, I'm making FIVE backups of it ASAP!) [/COLOR]

If it hasn't by now it won't ever. I think you'd save a lot of headache by doing this.

 

[beegie]

If it hasn't by now it won't ever. I think you'd save a lot of headache by doing this.

Thanks for the opinion, sbddude, but I'd rather buy a separate 3GS (which I already did/subject of this thread), & put the OLD backup on that one. Even humans have come out of comas many times, even YEARS later, after the medicos said all was lost. People have even "woken up" at their own funerals days later after they were proclaimed dead. So I figure an electronic gadget is less complicated than the human brain/body & therefore is capable of reviving itself if given enough time. Let's just say I let my original 3GS go on an "extended fast."

~~~

I have learned a LOT from all the help in this thread (THANK YOU EVERYONE!), so I can go forward, for now, with a different 3GS, use (a COPY of the) OLD backup on it, update it to 4.1 as was suggested further above, etc. etc.

 

[BR3W]

You can use that 3GS that you bought to do what you want to do without serious/dangerous side-effects. As far as I know there isn't a factory unlocked version of the 3GS so if you have one that looks and feels new call ATT and give them your account info. If there is a spot on that web form for the emei use the phone you bought but the name and number is the primary account holder and not the one listed on the device in your hand. If for some reason they need a number on the device put one of your old SIM cards in and it will populate those sections in the phone even though it won't work as a phone. If you don't have a sim you can fudge it by using your old iPhones number. Your old phone won't ever come out of that loop on its own. If you decide to keep this jail broken phone I'll walk you through installing ssh on it so that if that ever happens again you'll be able to pull your data off it.


BTW, jailbreaking isn't really something you need to worry about. It's really rather simple and I think I can explain it to you in simple terms. All jailbreaking does is root your phone. What that means is that you gain full control over the device outside of the user's sandbox on the phone.

You know how when you are on your computer and you open Finder and you see your user directory? Your space with your own files and your own pictures and your own music and desktop, etc.? But you can also go to / or /Applications or /System or /Library and see the files that are part of the operating system? that / is "root" and basically on your iPhone, after you jailbreak, you can go outside of your user directory. That's all it is. No biggie, nothing to be scared of you can safely ignore the jailbreak on your phone and just use it every day and nothing bad will happen. You won't have to continually upgrade it or worry about losing your jailbreak or the use of your phone or your unlock since you're happy with 3.1.2 iOS.

You can even get adventurous some day and go into Cydia, it's kind of like an App store for your iPhone's features. That means anything that impacts the usability of your phone (compared to the App store that is for things you want to do *with* your phone instead of *to* it) can be found in Cydia.

Some people on this board jailbreak *just* to use f.lux. You can also put it on your older Mac. http://justgetflux.com
It's a very useful addition to any device in my opinion. I can explain how to put it on your 3GS when you finally click on that Cydia button [ignore Rock] It's really rather simple and will only take a couple minutes of your time and then you can just use your phone.

You do want to contact AT&T and get it unlocked before restoring your backup. I am under the impression that if you restore that backup to the 3GS it will remove blackra1n (and your jailbreak). You don't care about the jailbreak but if you restore it without contacting ATT then you won't be able to unlock it. If you contact them and they unlock the phone for you then it will never become re-locked no matter what you do.

The bottom line is this: if you found a phone in excellent condition, and if the price was acceptable to you, and if this is in fact your favorite iOS version, and if you are happy with the 3GS quality then there is no reason for any of us to question your decision to continue using it.

I haven't used this app before but you can see if it's compatible with your version of OSX and try it on a trial basis: http://www.wondershare.com/data-recovery-mac/mac-iphone-data-recovery.html

I have used this app before back when I was jailbreaking iPhone 3's for people: http://cache.firmwareumbrella.com/downloads/fixrecovery-osx.zip

again, I don't know if it's compatible with your OS. I also haven't used tinyumbrella for years but the full program that used to have a fix recovery function (that might be standalone now in the link I provided above) is here: http://cache.firmwareumbrella.com/downloads/TinyUmbrella-7.04.00.app.zip

here are some pictures regarding how to use it (you should probably ignore all of the directions other than the pictures regarding "fix recovery" as it might become confusing)
http://modmyi.com/forums/general/725672-how-using-tiny-umbrella-update-downgrade-restore.html

these are all ways to try and get the data off your old phone (which sounds more important than getting this new one to work, from what you've written).

I'm pretty sure you're going to need to find someone with a newer version of OSX in order to use any of these programs.

 

[Applejuiced]

Thanks DHLizard! That's more good news!

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Haha @ Applejuiced. $300.

Damn man, you overpaid.
See if you can return it to the seller and get your money back.