'activating' pre pay unlocked iphone 3g

cojomo2

I know tis has been covered, however i have got different answers from different people..if has knows the answers please let me know, i have searched the net but to no avail.

Im buying a new italian iphone 3g in italy next week, as most of you know, these come supplied factory unlocked. My questions are:

1. Do i need to 'activate'( hook up to ituned via pc) this phone before i can use it i.e make calls/surf net etc? Culabula i know you told me 'no' but on the other hand, carrotcake has told me 'yes'(his friend has 1, and he was with him when he opened it)

2. if the answer to the above is yes, can i just hook it up to itunes on my pc or do i actually have to set up my own itunes a/c with my credit card and personal details?

3. if i have to 'activate' it, is there any special info i need, and will it be a prob if i activate an italian phone with an irish itunes a/c while im in Italy?


Thanks everybody.

Tallon

Theres already a thread for this i think

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=304061

cojomo2

Tallon wrote: »

Theres already a thread for this i think

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=304061

this thread is for info on unlocking phones, my question is about iphone 3g activation, not unlocking, as it is already unlocked, but thanks anyway.

Tallon

Oh, woops!
Havn't a clue then, sorry

Danbo!

Tallon wrote: »

Theres already a thread for this i think

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=304061

Or you could try http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055419184 OP, your own thread.

cojomo2

noblestee wrote: »

Or you could try http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055419184 OP, your own thread.

yes thanks for that helpful bit of info. If the answer was in my own thread i dont think i would have posted a new 1.

mobius42

When you turn on the phone it will ask for a SIM card and to be connected to iTunes. When I activated mine, I put my SIM card in and entered the PIN. Then I connected the phone to iTunes. It accessed the iTunes Store and then it was activated. You'll probably be asked for an iTunes account and to accept some EULAs, but that's all. After that, it just asked me to set up the sync settings. It's not like the first iPhone where you had to sign up to a price plan through iTunes.

cojomo2 wrote: »

noblestee wrote: »

Or you could try http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055419184 OP, your own thread.

yes thanks for that helpful bit of info. If the answer was in my own thread i dont think i would have posted a new 1.

Don't you know to never ask for help on the internet?:D http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3159/2807838577_83cbed0126_o.jpg?t=1053139

Rob_l

Cojomo, im now sure of this you have to activate it when you first get the iphone even the unlocked italian one you will have to activate, so you will need to connect it to a pc with the internet with one of the more recent versions of itunes after activating it, it will bring you to a new screen to either connect to an itunes account or to create a new one at this stage your iphone will have flashed a message on its on screen saying activated you do not have to connect to an itunes account or set one up once you get the message activated your ok to unplug the phone.

cojomo2

cheers lads big help, thanks..

so basically all i need to activate the phone is access to a pc with itunes on it and internet access..i dont actually need to sign up for an itunes a/c? and it doesnt matter whether i activate it with the italian sim that it came with or my own 3 bill pay irish sim?

thanks !

cojomo2

1 more thing...

is their any downloading of medium/large files during the iphone activation process??

i ask as ill be doing it from my hotel in italy, which has no internet access so will be using my old 3 data modem with my current mobile phone sim in it and just dont wanna end up being charged a fortune for large amounts of data downloaded.....

thanks

long_b

If it's a 3 SIM it's the same as using it at home.

cojomo2

long_b wrote: »

If it's a 3 SIM it's the same as using it at home.

yep i know that, but if its a big file all the same , say 30-100 mb its still gonna cost me about 7.50 -25 euro!

long_b

If it's prepay you can buy 1GB for a tenner.

cojomo2

long_b wrote: »

If it's prepay you can buy 1GB for a tenner.

bill pay!

but thanks anyway

can get 1 gb add on for a 10er on bill i think but jut want to see if theres any need 1st..if any1 has activated an iphone 3g can they please let me know if it involves downloading any big files? i.e anything over 30mb?

metalfest

not that hard to find.....http://www.three.ie/priceplans/addons-paymonthly.htm

cojomo2

metalfest wrote: »

not that hard to find.....http://www.three.ie/priceplans/addons-paymonthly.htm

not the info i was after..as in my post above im looking to see if i actually need to get this add on..to know that i need info on activating the iphone..is there any downloading large files involved?? if there is ill need to get this add on, if not them im ok..

but thabks anyway

metalfest

not too sure myself,
but here http://ipod.about.com/od/iphonehowtos/ss/activate_iphone.htm

cojomo2

metalfest wrote: »

not too sure myself,
but here http://ipod.about.com/od/iphonehowtos/ss/activate_iphone.htm

cheer man thanks for the link..but its the activation on the 3g version im after!again thanks anyway!

mobius42

Provided the phone has the latest 2.2 firmware, you won't have to download any large files during activation. If it has an older version however, you're looking at a 250MB download. If you want to be sure, download the firmware from http://appldnld.apple.com.edgesuite.net/content.info.apple.com/iPhone/061-5778.20081120.Aqw4R/iPhone1,2_2.2_5G77_Restore.ipsw before you go. This page will give you instructions on using that manual download: http://www.quickpwn.com/2008/11/firmware-22-download-links.html ;just shift-click on the restore button and select that file. Also make sure you have the latest version of iTunes: 8.0.2

metalfest

could he download it now and bring it over and update it over there?

mobius42

metalfest wrote: »

could he download it now and bring it over and update it over there?

Ha! You posted as I was answering this question by editing my post!:D

metalfest

haha nice

cojomo2

thanks for the help/advice:pac:

culabula

cojomo2 wrote: »

thanks for the help/advice:pac:

I really cannot wait until you get this phone.

You do not need to activate the phone in any way, shape or form, no matter what anyone else told you. You stick the SIM of your choice in and off you go.

BUT -*if* you do need to activate it with a Mac, PC, iTunes, 3 SIM, Italian SIM, iTunes. account, no account, the cat's dos. upside down or round about -what difference does it make? Just activate it!

You won't need to, though.

culabula

cojomo2 wrote: »

bill pay!

but thanks anyway

can get 1 gb add on for a 10er on bill i think but jut want to see if theres any need 1st..if any1 has activated an iphone 3g can they please let me know if it involves downloading any big files? i.e anything over 30mb?

If you are going to be using a 3 SIM in an iPhone, then it stands to reason that you have a data bundle onboard. No point, otherwise!

666bxg

a friend is heading to rome tomorrow.

Is it safe to assume that I can bring the phone back home and have it activated here?

And where is the best place to get it; vodafone or tim?

cojomo2

culabula wrote: »

I really cannot wait until you get this phone.

You do not need to activate the phone in any way, shape or form, no matter what anyone else told you. You stick the SIM of your choice in and off you go.

BUT -*if* you do need to activate it with a Mac, PC, iTunes, 3 SIM, Italian SIM, iTunes. account, no account, the cat's dos. upside down or round about -what difference does it make? Just activate it!

You won't need to, though.

culabula, when you received your phone, was it factory sealed or had it already been opened?

culabula

cojomo2 wrote: »

culabula, when you received your phone, was it factory sealed or had it already been opened?

Factory-sealed.

culabula

666bxg wrote: »

a friend is heading to rome tomorrow.

Is it safe to assume that I can bring the phone back home and have it activated here?

And where is the best place to get it; vodafone or tim?

Mine is from TIM but I don't think it makes any difference which operator you buy it from.

Once you have this unlocked iPhone in your mitts, you stick in the SIM of your choice and............... (con'dt page 397)

TheLoc

I got the 1st i[hone unlocked off ebay about 2 years ago. I still love it. its class. was thinking of buying the new one but to get unlocked means buying out the contract and that costs a fortune. Do you know anywhere I can get it for cheaper? since a few of you seem to be getting it now thought you might be aware of a good place. I reckon its easy to connect up the iphone when its unlocked anyway. just throw in the sim and connect to itunes. I never had to pay for an account on itunes so I'm not sure what the previous posts were about! Just signed up and thats all. Itunes is handy out anyway and you kind of have to have it if you have an iphone. Anyway does anyone know where I can get an unlocked 3G iphone? Cheers lads.