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Using iPhone 4 as iPod touch. Sim advice?

K

Krio

macrumors member
Original poster
Dec 10, 2009
57
74
Hey,
I was hoping to consolidate my garmin nuvi, point and shoot camera, 3rd gen iPod touch, and mediocre camcorder into one device with the new iPod touch. Since it failed to deliver, I picked up an iPhone 4 with a shattered screen and fixed it without any issues, but was unprepared for the need of a sim for it to work after the restore performed by the original owner. Being from the world of Verizon, I'm not sure what I need as far as a sim goes in order to make the thing work. Any advice? Can I borrow a current iPhone users sim just to sync it for the first time or do I need an old sim in it constantly? Are there any options to me at my local *insert generic store here* so I can use this thing tomorrow?
 
you can just stick any old iphone sim in and activate it take it out and it will be fine just don't update
 
ryan0402 said:
you can just stick any old iphone sim in and activate it take it out and it will be fine just don't update
Click to expand...

So it needs to be an iPhone specific sim and as long as I don't update to 4.2 when it comes out (or I go borrow another sim whenever I update?) I'm good to go. Thanks! Looks like I'll go borrow my uncles iPhone for half an hour. lol
 
That, or any phonebook SIM you can get at an electronics store or online
 
Get a H2O Wireless Universal SIM from Best Buy and cut it. Put it in, plug into iTunes. And you'll get access to your iPhone :)
 
Menge said:
Get a H2O Wireless Universal SIM from Best Buy and cut it. Put it in, plug into iTunes. And you'll get access to your iPhone :)
Click to expand...

Ok, so could I hit up tmobile possibly for a sim? Probably should have mentioned this is a locked phone to AT&T.
Any stores local to the US:( that might offer universal sim cards?
 
I also got a no contract iphone 4 (still in the mail), and I think it comes with a SIM card. I thought the OP had a good idea. Apple employees told me that activating it needed an AT&T contract. My goal was to use it as an ipod and amass money before turning it into a phone. Will it work as an ipod for now? Or do I need a different SIM card? Lastly, does the activation require a contract? And if it doesn't, will the activation give the iphone a phone number (albeit, a non working one)?
 
Just go to walmart, get the cheapest gophone they have (probably around $20), take the sim, cut it down to size, stick it in the iPhone and activate, youre done.
 
Ok, I just got back from Best Buy with an h2o universal prepaid sim card for $9.99 and cut it down to size with full access to the iPhone 4 now. I had no idea h2o had a us presence...:D
Keep in mind that this phone was previously purchased by someone else and activated on the att network under that name/sim, is still locked to att, and is not jailbroken.
Thanks to all!
 
sorry to ressurect a semi old thread.

But I wanted to know if both of the options mentioned were really viable for using an iphone 4, as a high end ipod touch.

I had heard the go phone tip before, but was under the impression that I had to keep it active. I use att, but have deactivated my data service (and am grandfathered in till the phone dies)

But is activation under a sim all that I need and then I can run the device indefinitely without having it connected to a phone or data service?
 
chris7777 said:
sorry to ressurect a semi old thread.

But I wanted to know if both of the options mentioned were really viable for using an iphone 4, as a high end ipod touch.

I had heard the go phone tip before, but was under the impression that I had to keep it active. I use att, but have deactivated my data service (and am grandfathered in till the phone dies)

But is activation under a sim all that I need and then I can run the device indefinitely without having it connected to a phone or data service?
Click to expand...

Yeah just need any att sim to legitly activate it to get push notifications and use it as a device minus phone
 
forcetactic said:
Yeah just need any att sim to legitly activate it to get push notifications and use it as a device minus phone
Click to expand...

I have an iPhone 3G that I use as an iPhone without phone service (no ATT account). It has an ATT sim in it but I've never been able to get push notifications to work.

Any ideas?
 
The thread is back from the dead! For your question though, you probably won't ever get an effective push system without service.
 
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