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Gave up on 3GS activation..

E

elie.fares

macrumors regular
Original poster
Sep 13, 2008
188
249
I've been trying since this morning to get my new factory unlocked 3GS up and running.
I can use it as everything now except the phone features because it's not fully activated.
I tried hard resets, resetting network settings, erasing the whole phone, airplane on/off, removing sim then reinserting it, etc.. but to no avail.

Now, I want to repeat the whole activation thing all over again. I want to re-enter the information and everything. So in order to do that, do I restore the iPhone?
Erasing it through its inner settings got me to the iTunes cable thing but connecting with iTunes immediately unlocked it but activation didn't happen.
I've been going at this for many hours now, it's becoming a pain in the neck... any help is appreciated.

PS: I'm trying as hard as I can not to hacktivate and jailbreak it.
 
My aunt sent it to me as a gift from Australia. She got it from the apple store so there so it comes as factory unlocked and it can be used with "any wireless carrier".

My SIM card is for one of the carriers in Lebanon. They are not supported, I think. I'm not sure that's the problem though because the iPhone can be used with any wireless carrier.
 
elie.fares said:
My aunt sent it to me as a gift from Australia. She got it from the apple store so there so it comes as factory unlocked and it can be used with "any wireless carrier".

My SIM card is for one of the carriers in Lebanon. They are not supported, I think. I'm not sure that's the problem though because the iPhone can be used with any wireless carrier.
Click to expand...

The iphone can't be used with ANY wireless carrier. Just those that use
GSM phones like ATT and T-Mobile in the US. Verizon and Sprint use CDMA
phones (which Apple will probably make in the future).
 
skye12 said:
The iphone can't be used with ANY wireless carrier. Just those that use
GSM phones like ATT and T-Mobile in the US. Verizon and Sprint use CDMA
phones (which Apple will probably make in the future).
Click to expand...

Yes I know... my carrier uses GSM phones. I have an iPhone 2G running on it.
The 3GS has a different phone number and the 2G is hacktivated.
 
elie.fares said:
My aunt sent it to me as a gift from Australia. She got it from the apple store so there so it comes as factory unlocked and it can be used with "any wireless carrier".

My SIM card is for one of the carriers in Lebanon. They are not supported, I think. I'm not sure that's the problem though because the iPhone can be used with any wireless carrier.
Click to expand...

I hate to break this to you, but I don't think unlocked iPhones are sold in Australia. See this list on Apple's site - the fourth column in the chart shows that all phones sold in Australia are carrier-locked. However, the 5th column shows that the carrier can unlock iPhones for customers. Your iPhone is probably locked and you must contact the appropriate carrier to get it unlocked. I'm not sure if they do this without having had a contract with them first.

Had she purchased it for you in New Zealand, it would have been factory unlocked as they are indeed sold there. I have a factory-unlocked 3G purchased from there - it worked immediately with my AT&T SIM after connecting it to iTunes.
 
elie.fares said:
lol no it is factory unlocked. iTunes told me your phone has been successfully unlocked when I connected it.

Besides, if you check this link:
http://store.apple.com/au/browse/home/shop_iphone/family/iphone
you'll see that they say it can be used with any carrier.
Click to expand...

Good - then you don't have to worry about that.

However, you shouldn't have to wait for activation at all, then. If this is a SIM you've already used in another phone before, it's already activated. If not, then it's a problem with your carrier, not your iPhone.
 
r6girl said:
Good - then you don't have to worry about that.

However, you shouldn't have to wait for activation at all, then. If this is a SIM you've already used in another phone before, it's already activated. If not, then it's a problem with your carrier, not your iPhone.
Click to expand...

I want to repeat the whole activation thing all over again. I think I messed up something in the information I put the first time around. I'm downloading the 3.0.1 firmware and im gonna restore then try again.
 
Yes I know... my carrier uses GSM phones. I have an iPhone 2G running on it.
The 3GS has a different phone number and the 2G is hacktivated.
Click to expand...

Did you try to use the sim from the 2G phone you have to see if it works?
 
I got my iPhone from the Apple Store in Australia and it is factory unlocked. As soon as I put my SIM card in it and connected it to iTunes it contacted the activation server then I got the message congratulating me that my iPhone is unlocked.

I would say try setting up your iPhone as a new phone and hopefully will give you the prompt.
 
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