Optimum iPhone 3G Software? (jailbroken)

[KBenton]

I have an Unlocked and Jailbroken iPhone 3G for T-Mobile.

Currently I have 3.0 installed with 4.26.08 firmware. I'm wondering what is the best (fastest?) software to jailbreak and unlock this phone with? I would like to reformat it completely and start new since it has begun to be quite slow. The reason I ask is because I have heard that 4.0 on the 3g makes it very slow.

If you could help me by also telling me which unlocker to use or even a guide how to go about doing this it would be much appreciated! I have been trying to figure out what I should reformat it with and have gotten lost since it has been so long since I upgraded to 3.0.

If you guys could point me in the right direction that would be great!

 

[Applejuiced]

For a 3G I'd stick with 3.1.3
Download an official 3.1.3 ipsw and restore to that thru itunes.
Then use Redsnow to JB and install ultrasnow from Cydia to unlock.

 

[Junkboxy]

My 3G is unlocked and SAM'ed on iOS 4.1, and it works as good as when I had it on 3.X. I believe the reason I wanted to go to 4.X was to get the pop-up support for third-party apps -- I can't think of any other reason as to why one should think they need 4.X over 3.X on a 3G. So that is an individual call, whether or not to go big.

If you have a Mac:
Pwnage Tool is better gearåed for unlockers, since it gives you the ability (and encourages you, by default) to retain your current baseband. This is especially good for a phone like yours that is on a pre-05.14 baseband. Redsn0w is better for official carrier users who pretty much just want a quick-and-dirty jailbreak and don't care if the baseband gets upgraded.

If you want to go to 4.1, then you might be happy repeating these steps that made me a happy camper. Don't think about doing iOS 4.0 - that is the slow one:

1st. Pwnage Tool http://www.iclarified.com/entry/index.php?enid=12363
2nd. ultrasn0w http://www.iclarified.com/entry/index.php?enid=4253
3rd. SAM http://www.bingner.com/SAM.html

 

[KBenton]

My 3G is unlocked and SAM'ed on iOS 4.1, and it works as good as when I had it on 3.X. I believe the reason I wanted to go to 4.X was to get the pop-up support for third-party apps -- I can't think of any other reason as to why one should think they need 4.X over 3.X on a 3G. So that is an individual call, whether or not to go big.

If you have a Mac:
Pwnage Tool is better gearåed for unlockers, since it gives you the ability (and encourages you, by default) to retain your current baseband. This is especially good for a phone like yours that is on a pre-05.14 baseband. Redsn0w is better for official carrier users who pretty much just want a quick-and-dirty jailbreak and don't care if the baseband gets upgraded.

If you want to go to 4.1, then you might be happy repeating these steps that made me a happy camper. Don't think about doing iOS 4.0 - that is the slow one:

1st. Pwnage Tool http://www.iclarified.com/entry/index.php?enid=12363
2nd. ultrasn0w http://www.iclarified.com/entry/index.php?enid=4253
3rd. SAM http://www.bingner.com/SAM.html

Thank you! What is "SAM"?

 

[Junkboxy]

Thank you! What is "SAM"?

It's another Cydia App like ultrasn0w.

A quote off of the Dev Team blog regarding the emergence of SAM:

This means you get the full benefit of push applications, and your battery life increases substantially.

Initially I had crazy battery drain on 4.1 -- like it wouldn't last one whole day. I suffered it for weeks until a poster in this forum mentioned SAM. At which point, I was made to learn that the crazy battery drain was happening because the phone was doing crazy internet activity trying to get "certificates." And the reason the phone was trying to get "certificates" was because it was improperly activated, or, in other words, hacktivated.

I go online to check my phone account activity and sho-enuf there was a big load of this internet activity. 9MB chunks of activity occurring umpteen times each day.

So be advised, if you hacktivate during pwnage.
You can read my account of my first (and only) time doing the procedure: in this thread https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1065064/.