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Thanks apple!! 3.1 bricked my iPhone!!!

Gix1k said:
doesnt sound bricked to me.
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So what would you consider bricked?

I consider bricked to be a completely unusable device... but then again I guess you could argue that it is not completely unusable since I could call 911 using my phone... but thats it... if you have a suggestion on how to resolve this situation then I am sure Apple would be willing to give you some sort of prize considering their highest level tech help desk have not been able to solve this issue with my phone..
 
except for the dumb Genius post, i'm shocked that most of these problems are due to people replacing SIM cards at their whim. those of us who just use the phone with the SIM card we received from AT&T seem to have no issues
 
alent1234 said:
except for the dumb Genius post, i'm shocked that most of these problems are due to people replacing SIM cards at their whim. those of us who just use the phone with the SIM card we received from AT&T seem to have no issues
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I have only replaced my Sim card once... this is due to Apple telling me to replace my Sim card.. even though that did not resolve the issue...
 
alent1234 said:
except for the dumb Genius post, i'm shocked that most of these problems are due to people replacing SIM cards at their whim. those of us who just use the phone with the SIM card we received from AT&T seem to have no issues
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Um, not really. I have my original SIM but I have a problem. I think *my* problem is related to having non-Apple branded memory in my MacBook but I will determine that once I have time to dig into it more.
 
once again another crybaby who can't take responsibility for their own actions. Look YOU unplugged the iPhone while it was updating. Stop being a drama queen DFU restore it and move on
 
bstpierre said:
Um, not really. I have my original SIM but I have a problem. I think *my* problem is related to having non-Apple branded memory in my MacBook but I will determine that once I have time to dig into it more.
Click to expand...

we used to have that with some HP servers. supposedly the OEM's source their RAM and control the production lots, etc. happens once in a while but sometimes third party memory will have issues.

but it's still a lot different than replacing things like SIM cards in a cell phone. people usually do that to get around the $30 data charge
 
iphone.aggie said:
So Apple simply replaces your phone and gives you a new sim card, while fixing this account snafu. Problem solved, correct?
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Only problem is I don't think Apple can give me a new sim card since I'm in Canada... Apple in Canada is now authorized to issue Fido and Rogers contracts but only new contracts. They do not sell Fido or Rogers Sim Cards...

I am hoping they can resolve the account issues since this is where the problem is... however I have wavering faith in them considering this issue was supposed to be resolved 2 months ago...
 
outcastrc said:
Well your not alone in that the 3.1 update made a mess of things.

During the update I got an error message and was forced to restore the phone. Everything seemed fine as I got back a basic phone with my email and contacts.

Tried to sync the phone to my data and after 9 hours it still wasn't 1/2 way finished backing up the now empty phone. I canceled the sync as I am running out of time before I have to go to work. Restarted the computer and tried again hoping to see something faster. So far the backup progress bar is at 1/20 after an hour... I give up... I need my phone for work so I can't just leave it.

Will have to try again tonight... Thanks :apple:
Click to expand...

Sounds like my experience upgrading from 3.0.1 to 3.1 (and almost every previous upgrade come to think of it). This time around, i kept getting unknown error (13) or Unknown Error (2006). Took it to see a "genious" and they tried restoring 3 times and it just happened to work on the 4th time. During the process the "genious" told me that it was a hardware issue that was causing this problem. Can someone explain to me how a SOFTWARE update exposes a HARDWARE problem?!?
 
mcmanus7 said:
Only problem is I don't think Apple can give me a new sim card since I'm in Canada... Apple in Canada is now authorized to issue Fido and Rogers contracts but only new contracts. They do not sell Fido or Rogers Sim Cards...

I am hoping they can resolve the account issues since this is where the problem is... however I have wavering faith in them considering this issue was supposed to be resolved 2 months ago...
Click to expand...

I blame Canada.

But seriously, how do you get off blaming 3.1 for messing up your phone whereas you disconnected during the upgrade, PLUS, knowingly having an issue with the activation system. The only person you should be pointing a finger at is yourself.

Sorry man, I don't mean to come off as rude... but think before you start getting negative, because now you just come off as... well to put it nicely "Absent Minded".
 
Protip:

Put your phone into DFU mode, plug the phone directly into your Mac with no USB hubs, and use the restore feature.
 
Anytime you get a replacement iPhone, always take out your SIM card from the iPhone being replaced and retain it for use in your replacement iPhone. Your carrier is responsible for ensuring that you get a SIM card that is "good to go" and not Apple. The OP's issue will not be resolved until his account is straighten-out and a NEW SIM card is issued......:(
 
mcmanus7 said:
Wow never thought I would have to deal with so many uneducated/unhelpful responses..

When an iPhone gets permanently stuck in "emergency mode" and iTunes displays the message that the Sim card installed in the iPhone is not supported even though the Sim card you are using is a valid sim card from a valid iPhone carrier then apple considers your phone to be "Bricked"... This is what both Geniuses and Apple tech support on the phone have told me so I trust them over someone who does not work for Apple. If the phone was not bricked then Apple themselves would be able to fix this issue however they cannot.

I just got off the phone with Apple and they have told me that there is an issue once again with my information on their activation server which has caused my phone to be bricked.

What happened was just before 3.0 released I had a iPhone swapped out for a valid reason. The Genius then made a mistake... they swapped my phone out using my account information however swapped it back in using someone elses information. Now this caused many issues on Apples end. My warranty information was no longer correct, and to Apples activation server my information was still not correct.

After having many discussions with Apple Tech support they were FINALLY able to resolve the issues or so I thought....

Just got off the phone with them again and they have confirmed that my activation information on their activation server is once again incorrect which is causing my issue...

Good news is that it wasn't the 3.1 firmware... it was the process of the Phone confirming with the activation server that the IMEI information on their server matched the ICC-ID information that is sent from my Sim card.

Which still puzzles me considering I did not think 3.1 would require a re-activation like 3.0 did.

I should note that the first time I went through this activation error situation it ended up with the apple store having to swap out 5 perfectly good iPhones that ended up Bricked due to this issue...
Click to expand...


Exact same thing happened to me. I can't believe all the smart butts that have called you out on this and declared it not to be Apple's fault.

The tech I spoke with said the update is f'd up and has caused a lot of users to have their iPhones "bricked."

There are articles about the problem with the 3.1 update. Geez, some people!

BTW, I did not disconnect my phone during the update. Do an ***** google search on the 3.1 update. It is the culprit.
 
DeathSpiral said:
My iPhone is stuck at the iTunes => Plug screen (recovery mode) and will not be recognized by my system after a problem in the middle of the 3.1 update. iTunes 9 does *NOT* recognize the USB connection even if I DFU it. I was using the latest version of VirtualBox 3.0.6 on Ubuntu 9.04 (because eff Microsoft; and eff Apple for not having a Linux iTunes) when it just stopped recognizing the USB in either recovery or DFU mode. Now, I know the OSE of VirtualBox does not support USB, and I'm not using that. I'm just going to go ahead and put it out there that I think the Apple developers are stupid whipping boys who can't code their way out of a Diophantine equation with two variables constant. I think that Linux is too hard for them. But of course, I'm an ex-employee and ex-OS team member, so I know just how retarded these people are. I'm not looking for a fix, but just wanted a place for Linux users to find on Google a post to explain that they are screwed. This is just too stupid to continue. AT&T broke their contract by not enabling MMS when they said. Now Apple broke theirs with this software fail. I'm returning my iPhone in approximately 3 hours for a full refund, then I'm canceling my AT&T service and demanding a refund for the missing MMS support over the previous months. Even if there is eventually a fix posted somewhere, I don't get my rocks off chasing down esoteric solutions to manufactured problems. I hope the AT&T class action lawsuit bankrupts them, though it's not likely.
Click to expand...

So you attempted a firmware upgrade through a VIRTUAL MACHINE using opensource virtualization software on a platform that's not supported by the vendor of the hardware that you're upgrading the firmware on?

And then you blame it on Apple?

Brilliant.
 
I downloaded the update, it killed my phone. I did not unplug it, I did not do anything, it just refused to restart. I have bought a used phone I plan to reactivate to replace it. This just sucks.
 
HD Fboy said:
I downloaded the update, it killed my phone. I did not unplug it, I did not do anything, it just refused to restart. I have bought a used phone I plan to reactivate to replace it. This just sucks.
Click to expand...

Same here. I've had iPhones since the 1st gen and have never had any problems but I tried to update my 3GS with the 3.1 update and it bricked my phone.

Can't understand why people can't believe the update has done this to quite a few iPhones. Are they kool aid drinkers, or what?

I love apple products. I own a pro desktop, macbook, iphone, apple tv and a handful of ipods but I can tell you the 3.1 update has bricked some iphones.
 
Received a "new" iPhone for my troubles... at least "new" because it doesn't start with the 5k8 or 5k9... but I won't get into that squabble...

I am under strict orders from Apple to not update my new iPhone... apparently something is messed up with my information on their side with their activation server.

If I try to or need to do a full restore (which is what happened since 3.1 didn't install properly apparently due to a glitch of some sort) it will lock up my phone giving me the SIM card error.

So I guess 3.1 wasn't the culprit in bricking my iPhone... that goes to the Apple activation server... however 3.1 did cause the restore so.... haha
 
mcmanus7 said:
Received a "new" iPhone for my troubles... at least "new" because it doesn't start with the 5k8 or 5k9... but I won't get into that squabble...

I am under strict orders from Apple to not update my new iPhone... apparently something is messed up with my information on their side with their activation server.

If I try to or need to do a full restore (which is what happened since 3.1 didn't install properly apparently due to a glitch of some sort) it will lock up my phone giving me the SIM card error.

So I guess 3.1 wasn't the culprit in bricking my iPhone... that goes to the Apple activation server... however 3.1 did cause the restore so.... haha
Click to expand...


Nah, it couldn't be a problem with the 3.1 update. You're crazy. LMFAO.
 
Whether "bricked" is the appropriate term or not, this has happened to me, twice, and both times, I got replacements at the Genius Bar.

The first time, I plugged my phone in, sycned it, and everything was fine. I went to bed with it plugged in to charge. I woke up the next morning with it at the "Connect USB Cable" screen and iTunes refused to recognize my phone.

The second time, my iPhone crashed in the middle of a sync. It rebooted and came to the connect cable screen. Again, iTunes would not recognize my iPhone.

Both times, the genius tried to use DFU mode to no avail. Unless there's some way neither he or I knew about to get it working again, the iPhone was bricked. Stop blaming the OP and saying it's not Apple's fault. This does happen and through no error on the users' part.
 
Bacong said:
haha bricked your phone? Jesus, and it's apple's fault?
Click to expand...

Now you're one of the reasons why I'm thinking of leaving these forums and never looking back. MR is crammed with people who blindly defend Apple, never thinking of what they're getting in return. All the other forums I've been to have almost all useful responses, and MR is the exact opposite. First of all, saying "haha" before your response doesn't help anyone. Second of all, like someone above said, the OP didn't even try to jailbreak or anything. If he did, different story. Even then, you shouldn't make fun of the OP by saying "haha bricked your phone?" Do you really not expect updates to be seamless? Let's say your new 52" HDTV needed a firmware update. You update, and it stops working. Someone else says"haha bricked your TV? Jesus, and it's samsung's fault?". How would you feel? The OP is trying to get help from fellow forum members. Is that not what a forum is for? When has a forum been a place where users can ridicule others openly?

OP: That sucks; you can't even update your phone now. I would be so mad! :mad:
 
mcmanus7 said:
Received a "new" iPhone for my troubles... at least "new" because it doesn't start with the 5k8 or 5k9... but I won't get into that squabble...

I am under strict orders from Apple to not update my new iPhone... apparently something is messed up with my information on their side with their activation server.

If I try to or need to do a full restore (which is what happened since 3.1 didn't install properly apparently due to a glitch of some sort) it will lock up my phone giving me the SIM card error.

So I guess 3.1 wasn't the culprit in bricking my iPhone... that goes to the Apple activation server... however 3.1 did cause the restore so.... haha
Click to expand...

if you ever switched SIM cards, that's probably it
 
mcmanus7 said:
Wow never thought I would have to deal with so many uneducated/unhelpful responses..

When an iPhone gets permanently stuck in "emergency mode" and iTunes displays the message that the Sim card installed in the iPhone is not supported even though the Sim card you are using is a valid sim card from a valid iPhone carrier then apple considers your phone to be "Bricked"... This is what both Geniuses and Apple tech support on the phone have told me so I trust them over someone who does not work for Apple. If the phone was not bricked then Apple themselves would be able to fix this issue however they cannot.

I just got off the phone with Apple and they have told me that there is an issue once again with my information on their activation server which has caused my phone to be bricked.

What happened was just before 3.0 released I had a iPhone swapped out for a valid reason. The Genius then made a mistake... they swapped my phone out using my account information however swapped it back in using someone elses information. Now this caused many issues on Apples end. My warranty information was no longer correct, and to Apples activation server my information was still not correct.

After having many discussions with Apple Tech support they were FINALLY able to resolve the issues or so I thought....

Just got off the phone with them again and they have confirmed that my activation information on their activation server is once again incorrect which is causing my issue...

Good news is that it wasn't the 3.1 firmware... it was the process of the Phone confirming with the activation server that the IMEI information on their server matched the ICC-ID information that is sent from my Sim card.

Which still puzzles me considering I did not think 3.1 would require a re-activation like 3.0 did.

I should note that the first time I went through this activation error situation it ended up with the apple store having to swap out 5 perfectly good iPhones that ended up Bricked due to this issue...
Click to expand...

While I do believe you, I just thought I'd try to clear some things up.

Guys... Apple DOES have servers that keep track of LOCKED phones. This is how some countries have UNLOCKED phones from Apple. What he's saying happened is Apple has messed something up on their end and his phone is LOCKED to ALL carriers.

The thing I don't get is why Apple wouldn't be able to just correct this, but oh well.

If you are on a 2G or then you could just jailbreak it and use yellowsn0w/ultrasn0w to make it unlocked. This should let it ignore the servers and use your SIM again.

If you're on a 3G you've already updated the baseband and this is not possible.
 
alent1234 said:
if you ever switched SIM cards, that's probably it
Click to expand...

Negative this problem occurred with my original SIM card... apples solution at that time was for me to go get a brand new SIM card.

So the problem happened with my original SIM and this new SIM.... as I had mentioned before..

The phone is a 3G my newest replacement has 3.0.1 on it.

The thing I do not understand is why Apple cannot fix this issue... other then telling me not to update...

And to all of you that are saying it's a user issue... I can assure you that no it is not a user issue.. Apple would not replace 7 iPhones due to a user issue.. So maybe it's your common sense that has a user issue.
 
Bacong said:
haha bricked your phone? Jesus, and it's apple's fault?

First of all: You didn't brick it. Put into DFU and restore from backup.

secondly: just because something goes wrong with software doesn't mean you should freak out blaming Apple. You chose to upgrade, anyway.
Click to expand...

He does a straight-forward upgrade that apple RECOMMENDS and keeps pestering him to do, and it messes up: How is this not apples fault? Their hardware, their software.
 
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