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Why cannot you activate iPhone without SIM

S

SakuraSuki

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jul 18, 2013
469
0
Switch to Nexus 4 long time ago, so already put my SIM card on Nexus 4. Now trying to activate iPhone 4S with iOS 7 GM, it forces me to put SIM card in. This is so annoying!

Because I don't have my Nexus 4 box with me right now, i left it at home while I am in school's resident. Could not pull my SIM card out of Nexus 4. Now, I am stuck with a phone that cannot be activated.

Anyway to by pass this?
 
No. How else is the phone supposed to connect to the carrier if it doesn't have the SIM card to do so?
 
chrf097 said:
No. How else is the phone supposed to connect to the carrier if it doesn't have the SIM card to do so?
Click to expand...

Why do phone has to connect to the carrier during the setup process? I can setup my Nexus 4 without having SIM card present in the phone.
 
SakuraSuki said:
Why do phone has to connect to the carrier during the setup process? I can setup my Nexus 4 without having SIM card present in the phone.
Click to expand...

You need to activate the phone in order to be able to make phone calls and send text messages. There is no half-activated state that I'm aware of.
 
Armen said:
You need to activate the phone in order to be able to make phone calls and send text messages. There is no half-activated state that I'm aware of.
Click to expand...

That does not make sense. If I am recalling correctly, iOS 6 does need SiM to activate. However, Apple should thought there are people using iPhone without SIM card, because either they moved to other phone or they simply using iPhone without SIM card.
 
SakuraSuki said:
That does not make sense. If I am recalling correctly, iOS 6 does need SiM to activate. However, Apple should thought there are people using iPhone without SIM card, because either they moved to other phone or they simply using iPhone without SIM card.
Click to expand...

Iphone without SIM card = iPod touch that keeps telling you "no sim card" all the time.
 
PNutts said:
Why doesn't your Nexus 4 allow you to pull the SIM card out? iPhones do. How annoying!
Click to expand...

I don't have the pin with me. I can find anything small enough to eject the SIM tray. And I can't open eject iPhone iM tray either, because I don't have the ejection tool as well and I don't have paper clips as well
 
Armen said:
Iphone without SIM card = iPod touch that keeps telling you "no sim card" all the time.
Click to expand...
Nothing wrong with someone using their own device in whatever way they wish to use it, right? Seems like an iPhone without a cell connection is still a very useful device that retains a huge portion of its features, so certainly nothing strange for someone to wish to use it like that and certainly nothing really rational to justify the idea that something like that just has to be disabled.

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SakuraSuki said:
I don't have the pin with me. I can find anything small enough to eject the SIM tray. And I can't open eject iPhone iM tray either, because I don't have the ejection tool as well and I don't have paper clips as well
Click to expand...
Staples, pins, paper clips, needles, got to be able to find something like that around in most cases. Not to say that it shouldn't be possible to activate and use am iPhone without a SIM, but it shouldn't be a huge task to have something around somewhere that can eject a SIM when needed (for whatever reason).
 
C DM said:
Nothing wrong with someone using their own device in whatever way they wish to use it, right? Seems like an iPhone without a cell connection is still a very useful device that retains a huge portion of its features, so certainly nothing strange for someone to wish to use it like that and certainly nothing really rational to justify the idea that something like that just has to be disabled.

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Staples, pins, paper clips, needles, got to be able to find something like that around in most cases. Not to say that it shouldn't be possible to activate and use am iPhone without a SIM, but it shouldn't be a huge task to have something around somewhere that can eject a SIM when needed (for whatever reason).
Click to expand...

Nexus 4 ejection hole is very tiny compare with iPhone 4S... I could not find anything could fit inside Nexus 4 ejection hole.
 
SakuraSuki said:
Now trying to activate iPhone 4S with iOS 7 GM, it forces me to put SIM card in. This is so annoying!
Click to expand...

Apple designed the iPhone to offer carriers a lot of control, both technically and commercially.

The requirement that you activate the device in the first place is part of this, and requiring a valid SIM just ensures that you're using the phone with a SIM from the carrier it's locked to (if it's locked).
 
Daveoc64 said:
Apple designed the iPhone to offer carriers a lot of control, both technically and commercially.

The requirement that you activate the device in the first place is part of this, and requiring a valid SIM just ensures that you're using the phone with a SIM from the carrier it's locked to (if it's locked).
Click to expand...

But he phone is unlocked
 
SakuraSuki said:
But he phone is unlocked
Click to expand...

That's not really important.

Apple originally designed the activation process to apply to a very specific type of customer - AT&T postpaid contract customers, and it hasn't changed much since then.

All iPhones are supplied in an unactivated state where the device is not associated with a specific carrier. It is not until the point of activation that the phone actually becomes "unlocked" (or locked).

Apple never intended for people to activate the phone without a SIM, it just never made sense in the original AT&T-only model of 2007.
 
Daveoc64 said:
That's not really important.

Apple originally designed the activation process to apply to a very specific type of customer - AT&T postpaid contract customers, and it hasn't changed much since then.

All iPhones are supplied in an unactivated state where the device is not associated with a specific carrier. It is not until the point of activation that the phone actually becomes "unlocked" (or locked).

Apple never intended for people to activate the phone without a SIM, it just never made sense in the original AT&T-only model of 2007.
Click to expand...
Since we are way off from 2007 these days, seems like that approach is outdated and needs changing.
 
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