Original iPhone Loses Its Last Cellular Network as T-Mobile Kills 2G

[Icelus]

How did 2G outlast 3G?

* 2G requires minimal power to run
* 3G uses a massive amount of radio spectrum
* Carriers recycled 3G frequencies for 5G data
* Fallback for roaming (international travelers rely on 2G for basic SMS)

 

[kwikdeth]

* 2G requires minimal power to run
* 3G uses a massive amount of radio spectrum
* Carriers recycled 3G frequencies for 5G data
* Fallback for roaming (international travelers rely on 2G for basic SMS)

I was also going to suggest long term municipal service contracts for low-bandwidth devices they don't have money to replace often (remote sensors etc)

 

[deckard666]

That reminds me I have to charge my one as every six months I charge to about 50% to keep it in good nick - hopefully as its boxed and mint it will be worth something in a few years....

 

[Icelus]

I was also going to suggest long term municipal service contracts for low-bandwidth devices they don't have money to replace often (remote sensors etc)

Right, I think LoRa is the replacement for this, but they still need to invest in replacement devices.

 

[Nermal]

I could keep checking countries off this list, but if you have an unlocked original iPhone, you can still find some places where you can buy a SIM card to use with its 2G modem.

There's at least one error on that list, as under NZ it lists "Vodafone" as shutting it down "before December 2025".

Vodafone changed its name to One in April 2023, and didn't shut down 2G until March 2026. At least the dates for the other NZ providers look about right.

Edit: Even T-Mobile, which obviously just shut it down this week, is listed on that page as "before December 2022"!

 

[Ctrlos]

Ah, the heady days of the first gen iPhone. True, it wasn't anything more than an iPod with the internet until the app store launched but I always preferred the look of the OG compared to the 3G. In any case my friend upgraded and sold me his for £100 some point in 2008 as an upgrade for my Jailbroken iPod Touch. I had a sweet deal from O2, £15 a month PAYG that gave me unlimited (EDGE....) data, 300 texts and unlimited phone calls within my postcode prefix which back then was quite the deal.

I still have a stack of .ipa files knocking around on my old Macbook I keep meaning to decrypt so I can run them on a 32bit iOS emulator on my S25.

 

[xDKP]

This affects literally no one but thanks for making me laugh 👏👌

Suspect there might be a ton of stuff mentioned here - alarm systems etc. - that not needs upgrades

 

[allenvanhellen]

The first 4 were exclusive

The iPhone 4 was available on Verizon at least.

 

[allenvanhellen]

Best looking interface. Useable with one hand.

 

[akbarali.ch]

This affects literally no one but thanks for making me laugh 👏👌

It does affect people.
The novelty collectors.

 

[striderz]

This affects literally no one but thanks for making me laugh 👏👌

I’m still rocking a Mac SE as a dedicated writing machine, a 5.5 gen iPod (used daily), and a B&W G3 running. Each of them have been upgraded, yes, but to extend their usability. Old tech has a place (not for everyone, I know, but it does).

Outstanding.

 

[striderz]

There is a growing market among collectors for vintage Apple stuff. Take your devices to a local vintage computer fair. One is happening in Schaumburg, IL in September.

If you have a factory sealed iPhone 1 it could be worth $10K+. One sold for over $190K (factory sealed 4GB sold at LCG auctions July 2023). The 4GB phone is super rare factory sealed as the model was discontinued so quickly.

 

[Mainyehc]

Heh. They were right at Microsoft, they were just off by 16 years! 🤣

 

[Mac Fly (film)]

I got a US iPhone on eBay at the time and a SIM hack tool to be one of the first in my country with an iPhone.

 

[freezelighter]

Switzerland removed 4G last year already.

It's 5G+ only now with 100% 2.5Gbit/s coverage in cities, in forests and on glaciers.

6G is coming 2030 and antennas are being installed now.

 

[Wahlstrm]

Crazy how good the original OS looked compared to the current Liquid Glass..

 

[iMac The Knife]

Welp, I can still connect my two OG iPhones together with a string and make "calls". They will never take this from me!!! Buah ha haaaaaaaaa!!!

 

[DamFu]

The article says NOTHING about people with original iPhones

the post stated it affects "literally no one" and the article referenced existing customers using the 2G network. iPhones were not part of that exchange.

 

[NMBob]

Not one advertisement on any of those screens.

 

[jonnysods]

Hold up now is this liquid glass 1.0?

 

[Siliconguy]

I’m still rocking a Mac SE as a dedicated writing machine,

So how do you get your files off of it? I have a SE and use a beige G3 with localtalk and a USB card as an intermediary.

 

[TruthAboveAllElse]

Jailbreaking was initially created specifically for this. Also it was cingular at the time. My cousin would always buy iphones then unlock them and sell them to other people for money in college.

It was Cingular when Apple announced the iPhone, but when it came out Cingular was already rolled into AT&T.

 

[technole]

Original iPhone was only GSM, so it would never work on Verizon or Sprint in the first place, only Cingular, T-Mobile and other small GSM carriers could support. The ATT-Cingular lock was software based in iTunes. Wasn't so much of a carrier or band lock so no matter where you bought it, you were activating it via iTunes, not directly on the phone today where it uses the carrier lock.

The iPhone 4 added 3G CDMA to support those carriers, then when we moved onto 4G LTE standard you can have one phone that supported all US bands.

How did 2G outlast 3G?

2G and 5G uses some of the same bands, it was easier to lug that around versus turning off 3G UTMS band n71.

 

[OldNewMBP]

Should've discontinued 2G next year, to celebrate a good 20th anniversary.

 

[Lioness~]

I loved that phone - small and fitted so nice in my hand ♥️

Bring it back with todays updates internals, after Cook is gone from operational, of course.