HELP -With Vodafone (Blackberry) want 3G iPhone.

Leiva

Guys,
This has probably been answered 100 times in many different shapes and forms but can you please help a total noob ....

I am currently with Vodafone using a Blackberry Storm (with work) , its just not my cup of tea and I have been offered a 3g iPhone sealed in its box.

Before I take the plunge I would love some info and I would greatly appreciate your help .

I use my Blackberry for the :

Calls (obviously)
Text
email (work POP 3 account using the Blackberry service)
Internet browsing .

My questions are :

Will I be able to use my Vodafone Sim in the 3G iPhone.
Will I be still able to get my POPS work emails on the iPhone.
Will I be able to browse the Internet on iPhone (not using Wifi)
What should i watch out for (is there some iphones that cant be unlocked etc)

Thanks In Advance.

M.

Tom Dunne

If you look just a little further down the page, there is a thread titled "iPhone on Vodafone".

You might just get some relevant info there.

Leiva

Boo,

I did earlier pre post - That thread is gone way off topic ...cant get anything from it.

Ta

M,.

Rob_l

Will I be able to use my Vodafone Sim in the 3G iPhone.
What should i watch out for (is there some iphones that cant be unlocked etc)


These two questions are the same really so Ill answer them as one.

To unlock an iphone to use another sim other than the intended one for that phone you either need to have
1/An unlocked iphone such as the ones sold in Italy
Or
2/You will need to jailbreak the phone and install yellowsnow(Im not going to go into detail on how to do this because there are plenty of threads and many webpages detailing better than i can, how to.)

If you dont have a legally unlocked iphone there is a second issue with unlocking it to use on other networks and that is the baseband( again Im not going to try and explain this) but basically if the iphone has been updated or comes with the 2.21 iphone update pre-installed then you will not be able to unlock the iphone to use other sim cards at the current time.

If the phone is running 2.2 or lower firmware then there should be no problem unlocking the phone( see the many threads on boards or check out the iphonedevteam blog on how to do this).

So it does depend on how new this phone is in terms of what firmware it will have

Leiva

Rob,

Just been informed that if I unlock a iphone to Vodafone network I will not be able to access the Internet other than on WiFi ...Is this true?

If so then that would surley mean I cannot access my work POP3 email on the go , which is a must .

Ta again for all the info.

M.

Rob_l

mixednuts wrote: »

Rob,

Just been informed that if I unlock a iphone to Vodafone network I will not be able to access the Internet other than on WiFi ...Is this true?


M.

Whoever told you, you couldn't use it might have been lying, maybe jealous you were getting an iphone.
You will need to get a data add on for your vodafone contract (i think you have to be on a contract). Anyway I am not too sure about setting the phone up on vodafone, I have linked to another thread here with more detail about using a 3g on vodafone and then i posted a link to the post which has the settings.

This thread here has a lot more info from page 2 onwards about setting it up and details.
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=58922184#post58922184

This post here has the settings for the vodafone network
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=58922184&postcount=21

Leiva

Jees Rob thanks ...hopefully get you back someday ...your a Gent

CivilEx

Rob_l wrote: »

This thread here has a lot more info from page 2 onwards about setting it up and details.
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=58922184#post58922184

This post here has the settings for the vodafone network
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=58922184&postcount=21

OP you should be sorted by Rob_l, but just to add to what was said, you most likely have a Blackberry Add On for €20 / month with Vodafone at the moment on Contract? You should change this to the 1GB add On for €10 / month and save yourself a tenner in the process

The 1GB Add On is all you need for the iPhone

Leiva

Rob...anyone ...

I am caught between a rock and a hard place ....

Have chance of 3g iphone , its in a selaed box and seller wont open to find out firmware type (fair enough)

If i do take it and its firmware 2.21 am i snookered ??? ...will i be able to unlock it (Vodafone) and get Internet & POP 3 mail ?
?
M.:o

CivilEx

mixednuts wrote: »

Rob...anyone ...

I am caught between a rock and a hard place ....

Have chance of 3g iphone , its in a selaed box and seller wont open to find out firmware type (fair enough)

If i do take it and its firmware 2.21 am i snookered ??? ...will i be able to unlock it (Vodafone) and get Internet & POP 3 mail ?
?
M.:o

Will the seller tell you any more about how long he has it? If it's more than about 6 weeks then it would be 2.2 software at the latest.

To use on Vodafone with 2.2.1 would need a piggyback sim and they are generally unreliable

Leiva

Thanks I will ask..... is there a way of to identify firmware by looking at the box ? ... i have googled and found little info but nothing solid.

CivilEx

The only thing that I can recall is on the bottom of the box the Part No., Serial No. and IMEI are listed. The 3rd and 4th digits (I think) of the serial number are the week build number and I remember seeing something on www.hackint0sh.org that you can relate the week build number to the date it was shipped.

Leiva

Some info from sealed box....

Hi The 4th and 5th numbers are 06, so that doesnt really make sense (going by that website)

The next numbers are 69 (the 5th and 6th digits).


I know this is a crystal ball questions but.....

Would experience and confidence tell you that 2.21 will be jailbroken .

If you were me would you buy the iphone (getting good deal) as good chance it is not 2.21 ?

Desperate.

M.

CivilEx

mixednuts wrote: »

I know this is a crystal ball questions but.....

Would experience and confidence tell you that 2.21 will be jailbroken .

If you were me would you buy the iphone (getting good deal) as good chance it is not 2.21 ?

Desperate.

M.

MuscleNerd from the Dev Team has been making soundings on Twitter that the next unlock for the 3G that they will be looking at will be the next major software upgrade which they expect in June, so if your phone has 2.2.1, you cannot expect to be able to use Yellowsn0w to unlock until June / July at the earliest

So if it is 2.2.1 the only option that you look like having is to use a Rebelsimcard or some other piggy back. Some of the other guys & gals on here might have experience of using these, but apparently they work about 90% of the time.

I suppose only you know if the deal you are getting is worth the potential risk

delly

Hey OP, just one factor which others have touched on.

Are you in a position to control your Vodafone contract in work? As in, can you easily change from a BlackBerry data package to a general data package?

When we got our BlackBerry's in work for email it was the only package which was sanctioned, therefore even tho' I had a Nokia N95, all I would have been left with was voice calls as the data package was Blackberry exclusive.

If you're allowed do what you want with your company account tho', you'll be fine.

Leiva

D,

Yea I have freedom on my work account and was proactive and cancelled my Blackberry email account and got a a 1g data package .
I have now off loaded my Blackberry and using a Sony-Erici that i had put up , its fine for now and I can live without my POP3 mobile mail for the interim.

Problem now is that any new phones for sale (adverts.ie) seem to be 2.21 , and that makes them unlockable to Vodafone and no good to me , any suggestions were I can get my hands on an new phone with earlier firmware.

Leiva

ADVICE..

Have a chance of a "Factory unlocked" 16gb with 2.2.1 installed.

Are they really ok to use and will never lock up no matter what firmware release ?? , any dangers or potholes you know of ?

Ta

M.

CivilEx

mixednuts wrote: »

ADVICE..

Have a chance of a "Factory unlocked" 16gb with 2.2.1 installed.

Are they really ok to use and will never lock up no matter what firmware release ?? , any dangers or potholes you know of ?

Ta

M.

Absoloutely safe to use, no issues with re-locking. Can be used on all networks