Is the iOS firmware different on AT&T iPhones?

[d0vr]

I recently gave my girlfriend an AT&T iPhone 4S with a Gevey Ultra S (5.01 version) - we're in Australia. This works fine but I was wondering the other day, there are a lot of things that are very American and AT&T specific such as the voicemail option in the phone app is linked to AT&T and phone numbers display using American formatting, even after setting the location to Australia.

Is the firmware used on AT&T devices different to the firmware used on devices sold with factory unlocks? Is there anyway of changing the phone so it displays Australian "quirks"? such as Australian number formatting and a default voicemail option.

I was asking because of this: https://www.macrumors.com/2012/04/06/att-will-unlock-off-contract-iphones-starting-sunday-april-8/

Whilst I would love for us to be able to get Australian options on the phone now (she can live with it if we can't change it right now), I would especially hate to have to use the original owners details to activate the phone every time it's needed and to not be able to get the Australian options after the 2 year contract period (if AT&T unlocks it).

I'll update this as well when I get my gf to confirm the differences between her phone and mine.

UPDATE TO NEW READERS: According to the comments so far, the firmwares are identical. Still wanting to know how to make the phone feel more Australian though, regarding my comments below.

 

[Intell]

Th firmware and hardware is the exact same on unlocked, Verizon, and AT&T iPhone 4S devices.

 

[d0vr]

Th firmware and hardware is the exact same on unlocked, Verizon, and AT&T iPhone 4S devices.

Sweet, how do I get rid of the American crap?

 

[Yujenisis]

Sweet, how do I get rid of the American crap?

What in particular are you referring to?

 

[Intell]

Sweet, how do I get rid of the American crap?

What American stuff? Every iPhone 4S in the world had the exact same firmware when they are running the same iOS version. The Austrilian one is no different than the American one or the Chinese one or the French one or the Indian one.

 

[APlotdevice]

Just change the region format from US to Australia. (Settings app -> General -> International -> Region Format)

 

[d0vr]

What in particular are you referring to?

- Voicemail button in phone app trying to connect to AT&T voicemail, even after installing local carrier APN (I honestly don't think the APN is what should change it, just can't think of anything else that might fix it).
- American formatting (for phone numbers in contacts, addresses etc.)
- iPhone Activation (requires original biller details (I was lucky to be given the SSN and zipcode) - this doesn't exist for ANY carriers in Australia, hence thinking the firmware might be slightly different)
- Selecting American English anytime the phone needs to be reset instead of British English like it does on Australian phones, despite choosing Australia in the initial phone setup (affects words like colour).

They're mostly trivial, but still annoying. Like I said though, I'll update if we find/remember anything else but that could be it.

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Just change the region format from US to Australia. (Settings app -> General -> International -> Region Format)

It is set as that. Hence the nuisance.

 

[APlotdevice]

Hmm...

Well from what I've observed, the dictionary is actually controlled by the keyboard setting. So make sure that is set properly.

 

[SDAVE]

- Voicemail button in phone app trying to connect to AT&T voicemail, even after installing local carrier APN (I honestly don't think the APN is what should change it, just can't think of anything else that might fix it).
- American formatting (for phone numbers in contacts, addresses etc.)
- iPhone Activation (requires original biller details (I was lucky to be given the SSN and zipcode) - this doesn't exist for ANY carriers in Australia, hence thinking the firmware might be slightly different)
- Selecting American English anytime the phone needs to be reset instead of British English like it does on Australian phones, despite choosing Australia in the initial phone setup (affects words like colour).

They're mostly trivial, but still annoying. Like I said though, I'll update if we find/remember anything else but that could be it.

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It is set as that. Hence the nuisance.

I've used my AT&T phone in the UK for months. No issues. 3G and voicemail/texting. No issues.

 

[d0vr]

Hmm...

Well from what I've observed, the dictionary is actually controlled by the keyboard setting. So make sure that is set properly.

last comment from me, dictionary is set right. The problem is that it isn't set right from choosing location in the initial phone activation process. Trivial, but annoying - especially when it works fine on phones sold in Australia.

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I've used my AT&T phone in the UK for months. No issues. 3G and voicemail/texting. No issues.

When you hit voice mail button in the phone app, what happens? For example, my iPhone 4 used to be a Vodafone locked phone, but now it is unlocked, I put in a Telstra sim and pressing the voicemail button will dial the Telstra specific voicemail number (101 afair).

My girlfriends iPhone 4S however tries to connect to the AT&T voicemail service. 3G, calls (bar number formatting) and texting work as expected though.

 

[SDAVE]

When you hit voice mail button in the phone app, what happens? For example, my iPhone 4 used to be a Vodafone locked phone, but now it is unlocked, I put in a Telstra sim and pressing the voicemail button will dial the Telstra specific voicemail number (101 afair).

My girlfriends iPhone 4S however tries to connect to the AT&T voicemail service. 3G, calls (bar number formatting) and texting work as expected though.

When I was there and hit voice mail button, it would just dial voicemail as when you would hold down 1 on old phones to call in to voicemail. Your carrier's SIM should automatically tell the iPhone to switch it from Visual Voicemail to standard.

 

[Hyper-X]

Still wanting to know how to make the phone feel more Australian though...

There you go bud.

 

[d0vr]

There you go bud.

Oh I see what you did there! Niiiiceee..

 

[marcusj0015]

No, you get your OS directly from Apple. everyone does.

 

[d0vr]

No, you get your OS directly from Apple. everyone does.

Yes I know that. I'm asking if Apple serves up anything different for AT&T phones, but the answer I've received so far is probably not. So do you know how to get rid of the American crap?

 

[marcusj0015]

There ARE a few different settings you can change for this kind of thing, look through settings, there's like 4 different places (very unorganized Apple -_-) Yeah, see you're in an American forum, hating on Americans...

 

[Xenomorph]

When used with AT&T, iOS sets several things specific things for that network. APN, MMS, Voice Mail, and even saved WiFi networks ("attwifi", etc) are all set to AT&T.

However, the iOS software itself may be mostly identical. It contains several carrier profiles that set things up, depending on network it is used with.

If you got the "AT&T version" of a phone, you're not going to have luck using with other carriers.

 

[d0vr]

When used with AT&T, iOS sets several things specific things for that network. APN, MMS, Voice Mail, and even saved WiFi networks ("attwifi", etc) are all set to AT&T.

However, the iOS software itself may be mostly identical. It contains several carrier profiles that set things up, depending on network it is used with.

If you got the "AT&T version" of a phone, you're not going to have luck using with other carriers.

THANK YOU! A real answer finally, so the firmware is the same, but AT&T have included, let's call them some "bonus settings"?

I've changed the APN and have 3g, facetime, imessage and mms working. There seems to be no problem with the wifi connections. The only problems we seem to have left are Tethering is not available despite the fact it is free and available on Telstra APN's, and the stupid voice mail button.

Any suggestions for those two are much appreciated. Suggestions to permanently change it that work, and we'll be in your debt!

 

[Diode]

After changing the location and the sim have you tried "Reset Network Settings" on the phone?

Are you using an official iPhone carrier in Australia?

 

[megamanbnmaster]

It might also be sim card dependent as well. I know that when I used my ultrasn0w'd iPhone in China, adding a chinese sim card changes the format of everything to Chinese style and then when I come back to American and stick in my AT&T card, it changes it back to US style/settings. Maybe Gevey Sim is spoofing AT&T access so your thing thinks its on AT&T?

 

[Diode]

It might also be sim card dependent as well. I know that when I used my ultrasn0w'd iPhone in China, adding a chinese sim card changes the format of everything to Chinese style and then when I come back to American and stick in my AT&T card, it changes it back to US style/settings. Maybe Gevey Sim is spoofing AT&T access so your thing thinks its on AT&T?

Ah yes I misses that part. It's prob the gevey sim fooling the phone.

 

[Globug]

Ah yes I misses that part. It's prob the gevey sim fooling the phone.

Is it a possibility for you to get it legally unlocked, now that ATT is offering it?

 

[d0vr]

Maybe Gevey Sim is spoofing AT&T access so your thing thinks its on AT&T?

based on what's been said, yes that's most likely. I'm still trying to find a way to override what the SIM says the phone should do though, after all, you can use your own APN details.

And regarding the unlock, that is the best situation, but it is a 4S and we have yet to try. I might send an email to the original owner and see if he can try and negotiate it.

 

[Globug]

based on what's been said, yes that's most likely. I'm still trying to find a way to override what the SIM says the phone should do though, after all, you can use your own APN details.

And regarding the unlock, that is the best situation, but it is a 4S and we have yet to try. I might send an email to the original owner and see if he can try and negotiate it.

I'm no expert and probably wrong but i can almost promise that if you got it unlocked all your issues with the phone will be over. I just tried the same thing "gen>international...." and my settings didn't change either, so this leads me to believe that Att is "blocking" the change.

Someone please correct me if i'm wrong. Thanks.