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iPhone 3G -> Some are not unlockable?

B

blurb23

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Feb 25, 2007
524
0
I'm a bit confused by some of the posts I've been reading here.

Can 3Gs made after a certain date not be unlocked? I was under the impression that all iPhones can be jailbroken/unlocked, provided they're running 2.2.1.

If that's the case, how do I find out whether my 3G can be unlocked or not?

Also, has the issue with Unibody MB/MBPs not being able to properly jailbreak using QuickPwn/PwnageTool been resolved? Back when I had an EDGE iPhone, I was unable to jailbreak with my Unibody.
 
Basically all models of the iPhone 2G can be unlocked with any firmware version.
However, the iPhone 3G can only be unlocked if it has the 2.2 firmware baseband (02.28.00).
The 2.2.1 baseband (02.30.03) remains unlockable.

quick edit: All models of all iPhones can be unlocked through your official carrier if you country requires your carrier to unlock them upon request.
 
Menge said:
Basically all models of the iPhone 2G can be unlocked with any firmware version.
However, the iPhone 3G can only be unlocked if it has the 2.2 firmware baseband (02.28.00).
The 2.2.1 baseband (02.30.03) remains unlockable.

quick edit: All models of all iPhones can be unlocked through your official carrier if you country requires your carrier to unlock them upon request.
Click to expand...

Where do you find out what Baseband version you have?
 
I'm not being rude, but a simple search, reading the stickied thread would or the countless threads in this sectionsanswer alll those questions.

2.2.1, if upgraded through iTunes, will have given you the updated baseband, which means that you can't unlock although you can jailbreak.

If you are running 2.2, then you can download the iPhone firmware ipsw file, create a custom upgrade which doesn't upgrade the baseband and then use 2.2.1 unlocked

Now, if you have upgraded to 2.2.1 through iTunes there is a unlock program on Cydia which will replace your updated baseband with the version that can be unlocked. But that is dependant on your Bootloader being the correct version.
 
Chris.L said:
I'm not being rude, but a simple search, reading the stickied thread would or the countless threads in this sectionsanswer alll those questions.

2.2.1, if upgraded through iTunes, will have given you the updated baseband, which means that you can't unlock although you can jailbreak.

If you are running 2.2, then you can download the iPhone firmware ipsw file, create a custom upgrade which doesn't upgrade the baseband and then use 2.2.1 unlocked

Now, if you have upgraded to 2.2.1 through iTunes there is a unlock program on Cydia which will replace your updated baseband with the version that can be unlocked. But that is dependant on your Bootloader being the correct version.
Click to expand...

I read the stickies and some of the threads and am still confused.

In your last statement, you said that Cydia has a program that will essentially downgrade the baseband. However, don't you have to be jailbroken in the first place to get Cydia?

iTunes is showing my 3G as having 2.2.1 software. EDIT: And it appears I have the 02.30.03 baseband.

Is there any way for me to use my iPhone without any AT&T or T-Mobile service (basically a glorified iPod)?
 
Menge said:
Basically all models of the iPhone 2G can be unlocked with any firmware version.
However, the iPhone 3G can only be unlocked if it has the 2.2 firmware baseband (02.28.00).
The 2.2.1 baseband (02.30.03) remains unlockable.

quick edit: All models of all iPhones can be unlocked through your official carrier if you country requires your carrier to unlock them upon request.
Click to expand...
umm cant it be unlocked with the GEVEY turbo sim?? see here https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/675646/
 
blurb23 said:
I read the stickies and some of the threads and am still confused.

In your last statement, you said that Cydia has a program that will essentially downgrade the baseband. However, don't you have to be jailbroken in the first place to get Cydia?

iTunes is showing my 3G as having 2.2.1 software. EDIT: And it appears I have the 02.30.03 baseband.

Is there any way for me to use my iPhone without any AT&T or T-Mobile service (basically a glorified iPod)?
Click to expand...

if you want it as an glorified iPod, just download quickpwn and pwn/hacktivate it. That should skip the activation process
 
Does that program in Cydia have a high success rate of downgrading the 2.30 baseband? I'm going to China in a few days and it would be great to just buy a card and use my iPhone 3G instead of buying a new cellphone there. What is the "correct version of the bootloader"?
 
jmann said:
It has to be version 5.8 or earlier. :)
Click to expand...

Yes, it has to be 5.08 or lower in order for it to work.

Tradewind said:
Does that program in Cydia have a high success rate of downgrading the 2.30 baseband? I'm going to China in a few days and it would be great to just buy a card and use my iPhone 3G instead of buying a new cellphone there. What is the "correct version of the bootloader"?
Click to expand...

I had baseband 2.30.03 (2.2.1) but I was lucky enough to have Bootloader 5.08. I then proceeded to downgrade my baseband (took around five minutes) and it said succesfull. I restarted my iPhone and checked my baseband and it read 2.28.00; meaning that I can download yellowsnow if I wish and unlock my iPhone 3G
 
blurb23 said:
However, don't you have to be jailbroken in the first place to get Cydia?
Click to expand...

Yes, but I think there is some confusion here on the relationship between bootloader, OS, and firmware versions and how they apply to jailbreaking and unlocking.

Here is an outline. These have been true all the way from iPhone EGDE 1.0 and include iPhone 3G 3.0 Beta 5.

  • Being able to jailbreak is dependent ONLY upon the iPhone OS version on your iPhone ("Version" in Settings > General > About). Modem firmware and bootloader don't matter.
  • Being able to unlock is ALWAYS dependent upon the modem firmware version ("Modem firmware" in Settings > General > About), and SOMETIMES dependent upon the OS version as well, depending upon the unlock solution that you are using
  • Being able to DOWNGRADE (move from a newer version to a comparatively older version) of OS can always be done -- no pre-requisites
  • Being able to DOWNGRADE (move from a newer version to a comparatively older version) of MODEM FIRMWARE is dependent upon BOOTLOADER version
  • The BOOTLOADER version (unlike modem firmware and OS) is NEVER changed by iTunes / Apple's official updates. It CAN be changed by third-party tools in some scenarios.
 
patrickvanzandt said:
Yes, but I think there is some confusion here on the relationship between bootloader, OS, and firmware versions and how they apply to jailbreaking and unlocking.

Here is an outline. These have been true all the way from iPhone EGDE 1.0 and include iPhone 3G 3.0 Beta 5.

  • Being able to jailbreak is dependent ONLY upon the iPhone OS version on your iPhone ("Version" in Settings > General > About). Modem firmware and bootloader don't matter.
  • Being able to unlock is ALWAYS dependent upon the modem firmware version ("Modem firmware" in Settings > General > About), and SOMETIMES dependent upon the OS version as well, depending upon the unlock solution that you are using
  • Being able to DOWNGRADE (move from a newer version to a comparatively older version) of OS can always be done -- no pre-requisites
  • Being able to DOWNGRADE (move from a newer version to a comparatively older version) of MODEM FIRMWARE is dependent upon BOOTLOADER version
  • The BOOTLOADER version (unlike modem firmware and OS) is NEVER changed by iTunes / Apple's official updates. It CAN be changed by third-party tools in some scenarios.
Click to expand...

This is perfect, thank you.
 
I did a search on google and found that the app 3G Fuzzyband from Cydia can detect and downgrade bootloader version (if it is 5.8). This saves you from all the command lines you have to type. Just open Cydia, then search for "3G Fuzzyband", and it should be the only result. Install that and open the app in Springboard, then it will tell you what bootloader version you have and whether or not Fuzzyband is capable of downgrading it.
Unfortunately my baseband is somehow 6.02, so Fuzzyband can't downgrade it. When was 6.02 introduced? I bought my iPhone through a Canadian carrier (Rogers) around 3 months ago.
Is there currently a confirmed method for unlocking 6.02?
 
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