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UK: 3GS not activating after 5.1 update

andybno1

andybno1

Suspended
Original poster
Nov 6, 2007
3,643
38
Liverpool, UK
My girlfriend's mum got an iPhone off her mate and never bothered using it let alone knew how to. Anyway her son asked me to update the phone from 4.2.1 (I think it was) to 5.1 and before the update his O2 UK sim was working fine in the handset and the handset itself was from O2 (so we were told) now after updating it to 5.1 I can't get it past activation, so I not to leave him with a non-working iPhone I currently have it hacktivated with no cydia installed.

Is this a common issue with 3GS devices? as far as I seen before updating cydia was not installed nder 4.2.1.

anyone know whats going on?
 
In what way couldn't it be activated? Was there an Error message?

Did you try the activation through iTunes, or just on the device?
 
Daveoc64 said:
In what way couldn't it be activated? Was there an Error message?

Did you try the activation through iTunes, or just on the device?
Click to expand...
tried both ways, phone said about activation server was unavailable and itunes even more confusingly said I hadn't inserted a sim card after waiting for activation.
 
Applejuiced said:
Was it locked to a particular carrier? or officially unlocked.
If it was JB and unlocked with ultrasnow and you just updated it you messed up big.
Click to expand...

This is what I would think too. Sounds to me like the phone may have been software unlocked, which was overwritten with the software update to 5.1. If that is the case, you are stuck without an unlock most likely.
 
like I already said though the girl they got the phone off said it was with O2, we tried an O2 sim in the device before it was updated and it worked and i didn't see any sign of cydia amungst the apps, I will get the IMEI off them and check on that imei.info site and see what it says.
 
well I checked the phone out on the website.... dunno how accurate their info is as it says the iPhone is with Orange not O2, so I tried mine too and says mine is with Three but I'm using orange.
 
andybno1 said:
well I checked the phone out on the website.... dunno how accurate their info is as it says the iPhone is with Orange not O2, so I tried mine too and says mine is with Three but I'm using orange.
Click to expand...

It should say whichever network the phone was originally activated on (which would also be the network that it was originally locked to - if applicable)
 
Did you check if there is a GevSIM?
if yes, then I would like to say that GeveySIM won't work with the new iOS..

Also, using imei.info, is based on a database, which could be old... and that's why it's free.

However, if you still have the problem. send me a private msg with the IMEI, and I'll check in which network is locked to.
 
no idea if a GevSIM was used when I seen the sim was empty an her mum just got the phone with an O2 sim in. I will PM you the IMEI for second opinion :)
 
andybno1 said:
no idea if a GevSIM was used when I seen the sim was empty an her mum just got the phone with an O2 sim in. I will PM you the IMEI for second opinion :)
Click to expand...

Info:
iPhone 3GS 8GB Black (5.1)
IMEI:
Serial:
Out of Warranty: 2010-11-22
Sold to country: United Kingdom
Carrier: Orange United Kingdom
SIM-Lock Status: Locked
Done

This iPhone is locked to Orange and that's for sure..
Since the old firmware was 4.2.1, I think it was jailbroken....

;)
 
thanks for the info..... GF got text off mum today sayin the girl who had it went to a shop to get it unlocked by some fella.... do you know from the info if it's the old or new bootrom? can the device be unlocked via ultrasn0w on 5.1? I can't really see the GF's mum forking out £20 to get it unlocked
 
andybno1 said:
thanks for the info..... GF got text off mum today sayin the girl who had it went to a shop to get it unlocked by some fella.... do you know from the info if it's the old or new bootrom? can the device be unlocked via ultrasn0w on 5.1? I can't really see the GF's mum forking out £20 to get it unlocked
Click to expand...

As i did see from the info, it's already updated to 5.1!
so why you don't downgrade it to version 5.0.1 to using saved SHSH blobs?
 
iSR5 said:
As i did see from the info, it's already updated to 5.1!
so why you don't downgrade it to version 5.0.1 to using saved SHSH blobs?
Click to expand...
well with me not seeing cydia or anything i just took it as it was an O2 phone so just went from 4.2.1 and updated straight to 5.1.... hoping maybe tinyumbrella has something saved from cydia will have to check when I get to the phone
 
andybno1 said:
thanks for the info..... GF got text off mum today sayin the girl who had it went to a shop to get it unlocked by some fella.... do you know from the info if it's the old or new bootrom? can the device be unlocked via ultrasn0w on 5.1? I can't really see the GF's mum forking out £20 to get it unlocked
Click to expand...

The money spend on an official unlock is well worth it than having to deal with all the bs that comes trying to jb and unlock it on 5.1
Comes with many issues that you should research and know about before you do any further damage to her iPhone.
 
Applejuiced said:
The money spend on an official unlock is well worth it than having to deal with all the bs that comes trying to jb and unlock it on 5.1
Comes with many issues that you should research and know about before you do any further damage to her iPhone.
Click to expand...
tell me about it but the hard work is trying to tell her to do the official unlock she's gonna be a little hard to convince to spend the money lol
 
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