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A bunch of "unlocked" iPhone questions

JasonDawg18

JasonDawg18

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jul 30, 2005
109
0
Hi guys,

Forgive all the questions. I just get mixed answers to these all over the web and could use your expert advice.

I use TMobile, and would like to get an unlocked iPhone to work with it.

Here are my questions:

1. Is there a software to unlock the iPhone 3G available yet?
2. Would there be any benefit to an unlocked 3G vs 2G?
3. Would GPS work on an unlocked 3G iPhone?
4. Will the app store work with either model of the phone?
5. Visual Voicemail will not work - right?
6. Will MobileMe and Push work with either model?
7. Will the 3G model work with T-Mobile's 3G network?
8. On T-Mobile, we can use the WiFi as UMA (called @Home), to use VOIP instead of regular minutes. Would that work with the iPhone or does it require special software in the phone?

I think that's all... for now =)

Thanks for your patience!
 
1. Not yet for the 3G iPhone
2. No benefit for an unlocked 3G over 2G since the iPhone won't work on T-Mobile's 3G network anyways.
3. N/A because you can't unlock a 3G yet.
4. It should work.
5. Visual Voicemail will not work on T-Mobile.
6. Yep, it should.
7. No it will not.
8. It requires special software to work, so no, it won't with an iPhone.

*All of the above is AFAIK
 
JasonDawg18 said:
Here are my questions:

1. Is there a software to unlock the iPhone 3G available yet?
2. Would there be any benefit to an unlocked 3G vs 2G?
3. Would GPS work on an unlocked 3G iPhone?
4. Will the app store work with either model of the phone?
5. Visual Voicemail will not work - right?
6. Will MobileMe and Push work with either model?
7. Will the 3G model work with T-Mobile's 3G network?
8. On T-Mobile, we can use the WiFi as UMA (called @Home), to use VOIP instead of regular minutes. Would that work with the iPhone or does it require special software in the phone?

I think that's all... for now =)

Thanks for your patience!
Click to expand...

I will answer what I can.

1. Not at this time, only unlocked SIM chips allow it to be unlocked.
2. Just the 3G connection speed (if you have it in your area).
3. Yes.
4. Should work fine.
5. Correct, Visual Voice mail is an addon feature with AT&T.
6. Not sure on this one.
7. Yes, the iPhone supports all current 3G standards.
8. It probably only works with a third party app on the iPhone.

Anyone can correct me if I am wrong. Hope this helps.
 
11800506 said:
1. Not yet for the 3G iPhone
2. No benefit for an unlocked 3G over 2G since the iPhone won't work on T-Mobile's 3G network anyways.
3. N/A because you can't unlock a 3G yet.
4. It should work.
5. Visual Voicemail will not work on T-Mobile.
6. Yep, it should.
7. No it will not.
8. It requires special software to work, so no, it won't with an iPhone.

*All of the above is AFAIK
Click to expand...

Isn't T-Mobile coming out with 3G? I thought I just read that, in that case the iPhone 3G should work.
 
1. No
2. Only GPS - T-Mobile 3G network operates on different band
3. Yes
4. Yes
5. No it will not
6. Yes
7. No, see 2 above
8. No, only certain models of T-Mobile phones work with UMA and since the iPhone is not sold in the US by T-Mobile it is obviously not one of them.

FYI, with the exception of no. 8 all of these answers could have been found with a search of the forums.
 
T-mobile 3G in the US uses 1700 Mhz. The iPhone does not work support this frequency, it only works in the 850, 1900 and 2100 freqencies. So other than GPS, better battery life using EDGE (or so Apple claims, actual user reports vary across the spectrum from worse to better).

As for UMA, there will be no third party app. I believe UMA requires modifying the baseband to allow handoff between WiFi to cell towers. Last time I checked only 4 or 5 of T-Mobiles cell phones offer it. They are expanding the number of phones but it is not so simple as a 3rd party app.
 
StoneColdSober said:
T-mobile 3G in the US uses 1700 Mhz. The iPhone does not work support this frequency, it only works in the 850, 1900 and 2100 freqencies. So other than GPS, better battery life using EDGE (or so Apple claims, actual user reports vary across the spectrum from worse to better).

As for UMA, there will be no third party app. I believe UMA requires modifying the baseband to allow handoff between WiFi to cell towers. Last time I checked only 4 or 5 of T-Mobiles cell phones offer it. They are expanding the number of phones but it is not so simple as a 3rd party app.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the information, I stand corrected.
 
11800506 said:
There is a SIM unlock but no software unlock as of now.
Click to expand...

Ok, I'll just tell my wife's unlocked iPhone that it wasn't, despite all appearances, software unlocked.

*time passes*

Nope, it's not listening. It's positive it was software unlocked with this *deleted* program.

Oh well :D
 
Trip.Tucker said:
Ok, I'll just tell my wife's unlocked iPhone that it wasn't, despite all appearances, software unlocked.

*time passes*

Nope, it's not listening. It's positive it was software unlocked with this *deleted* program.

Oh well :D
Click to expand...

Is it a 1st Gen iPhone or a 3G? And if it is a 3G please enlighten us as every unlocking site I have seen (and yes I did a google search and went through at least three pages of hits) says the 3G software unlock is not yet available. The iPhone Dev Team also has not released one yet.

If you now of one for the 3G, why the secretiveness on where to get it?
 
Great answers...

Thanks guys...

Any idea or thoughts as to when a program will allow us to unlock a 3G? I'm sure they're working around the clock on them...
 
As a long time friend of mine would say, hard sayin' not knowin'.

I'm sort of surprised that there hasn't been an unlocked released yet.
 
Trip.Tucker said:
*sigh* I guess you just don't want to believe.
Click to expand...

I sure as hell know if I had found a software unlock by doing a simple google search i wouldn't shut up about it. I also know that if you had found a software unlock, you wouldn't be the only person with it.

If you found this, why don't you go back in your browser history and retrieve this program you deleted? I already know the answer...you have your browser history turned off don't you?
 
w0ngbr4d said:
I sure as hell know if I had found a software unlock by doing a simple google search i wouldn't shut up about it. I also know that if you had found a software unlock, you wouldn't be the only person with it.

If you found this, why don't you go back in your browser history and retrieve this program you deleted? I already know the answer...you have your browser history turned off don't you?
Click to expand...

I guess we don't qualify to be members of the ultra covert "iPhone 3G Unlockers Club" and thus are not entitled to this information. I really hate not being allowed into clubs that restrict their membership level to 1.
 
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