vB Easy Archive - Old iPhone Won't Work Anymore?

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Old iPhone Won't Work Anymore?
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Posted by: SkeezerJMH

According to this article from CNET, your old iPhone cannot be activated at all once you get a new one? Anyone else heard anything about this?

CNET Crave: iPhone 3G FAQ

Q: Let's say I bought my iPhone last year and I want the 3G iPhone. Can I give my old iPhone to my sister or sell it on eBay?
A: No, once an existing iPhone user activates service for an iPhone 3G, their first-generation handset will be unusable as a phone. You won't be able to replace it with another AT&T SIM card and use it to make calls. This also means that you can't buy an old iPhone on eBay and expect to activate it on AT&T's network. You can, however, use it as a media player and a Wi-Fi device for browsing the Web.

Posted by: flyingdutchman

There is no way on earth I see this actually being true. This has viable lawsuit written all over it.

Posted by: Phreakish

ATT would have to be insane to open them self up to such a law suit friendly gimmick.

Also, jailbroken+unlocked 1st gen iPhone can be used as a backup without the need to activate it through official channels so no worries there.

Posted by: ripse

this cant be true because o2 are offering a pay & go sim for your old iphone

Posted by: harlenm

They even said in an article about activation that iphone v1 will still be activated through itunes, so if you gift your phone or sell it, they new owner will activate it the old way. Only new iphone v2's will need to be activated in store.

Posted by: XanderMac

its true. I've been saying it for days now. You can unlock the old phone though and it'll be fine.

The issue, as we all know, is that the iPhone is locked to 1 sim card. So when you activate the new phone and try to put the sim in your old phone you'll get the "invalid sim" message.

http://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php?t=1381804

Posted by: msmith2112

Why can't you just the use the sim card that comes with your new iPhone 3G and leave the old sim card in your old iPhone 2G?

Posted by: XanderMac

Quote:

Originally Posted by msmith2112

Why can't you just the use the sim card that comes with your new iPhone 3G and leave the old sim card in your old iPhone 2G?

Well, yeah, but your old SIM will be inactive, so if you want to use it as a backup you'll have to use an active SIM (from the 3g phone) which wont work. Invalid SIM.

This only applies, btw, if you intend to keep your old phone as a backup phone. If you sell the phone the new user will be able to get a new SIM card and activate the phone with a new contract.

Posted by: richy240

Quote:

Originally Posted by flyingdutchman

There is no way on earth I see this actually being true. This has viable lawsuit written all over it.

Why does everyone keep screaming lawsuit?!? Give it a rest, people!

Posted by: XanderMac

Quote:

Originally Posted by richy240

Why does everyone keep screaming lawsuit?!? Give it a rest, people!

Well, in this case it's probably justified. If you bought the phone outright and fulfilled the terms of your contract you should have the right to use the phone. I see the FCC ordering Apple to unlock these "backup" phones as they were bought and paid for outright.

Posted by: richy240

It's not justified in the least.

Apple isn't stopping you from unlocking the device - they're just not making it easy, just like every other locked phone on the market. There's a difference.

Posted by: XanderMac

Quote:

Originally Posted by richy240

It's not justified in the least.

Apple isn't stopping you from unlocking the device - they're just not making it easy, just like every other locked phone on the market. There's a difference.

Yes, but most consumers wouldn't know where to start, which is why carriers (in most cases) will unlock a phone for you upon request after a certain period into your contract (just not the iPhone). It wont be any different for Apple, theyll be told to do it just like they do in France, through iTunes. As long as you have an active at$t account (which iTunes checks for) I don't see it being a big deal to unlock or activate your old phone, its no loss to at$t or apple seeing as you paid for the phone and still have iPhone service on the new phone and can only use the SIM in one of them at a time anyway.

Posted by: richy240

Ok, yes, if they refuse to unlock the device at that point, yeah, I can see someone suing them for it.

Posted by: toomer

That would be the ideal scenario for me.

Two 16gb iPhones, one SIM. One with 3G for use domestically - and the 1st gen all hacked up and unlocked for international roaming, local SIM cards, etc.

Posted by: XanderMac

All it takes is one big-shot lawfirm that upgrades their 1st gen iPhones to the 3g iPhone, have to sent the 3g in for service and figure they'll use the 1st gen for a few days, only to realize that the 1st gen phones that they paid for no longer work and get the "invalid SIM" message thus leaving the senior parther without a phone....

Posted by: BeyondTheTech

I was told by an AT&T rep that the old iPhone's SIM is like a pin on a grenade. Once you pull it out, the original iPhone explodes, making it totally unusable on T-Mobile's network.

Posted by: DaRtHXtC

Quote:

Originally Posted by BeyondTheTech

I was told by an AT&T rep that the old iPhone's SIM is like a pin on a grenade. Once you pull it out, the original iPhone explodes, making it totally unusable on T-Mobile's network.

Posted by: tiguy99

Quote:

Originally Posted by BeyondTheTech

I was told by an AT&T rep that the old iPhone's SIM is like a pin on a grenade. Once you pull it out, the original iPhone explodes, making it totally unusable on T-Mobile's network.

This post = teh FAILz

Posted by: jvanbrecht

Quote:

Originally Posted by richy240

Why does everyone keep screaming lawsuit?!? Give it a rest, people!

I generally agree with you on the idiots screaming lawsuits.. but in this case, it is a viable solution.

Scenario...

You own the iphone, you registered it legitimately (unlike my hacked one)
You have been paying for service and are a good customer
You buy a new iphone 3g
You register it
you pay like a good customer
You now have a very extensive paperwieght in the form of an old iphone.

You have completed your contractual obligation when you bought the original iphone, it is yours, (whether you payed the ETF or a higher price because you were not eligible for an upgrade), whatever reason, you have a free and clear gen 1 iphone paperweight.

That is a viable lawsuit.

What I suspect will happen is that apple will at some point release a patch (could be via itunes, or through the apple store), that will allow people who have completed their obligation to unlock the phone to use on any network, or at the very least remove the limitation of the paired simcard and allow any ATT sim to work in it....

Posted by: DaRtHXtC

Quote:

Originally Posted by jvanbrecht

I can definitely see that happening with the SIM card unlock. More because AT&T won't care what happens with the 1st gen phones since they're going to require the 3G to be activated in store.

Posted by: bodeh6

I am sure the unlockers Jailbreakers will have the 3G iPhone hacked shorter then the first iPhone.

Posted by: DaRtHXtC

Quote:

Originally Posted by bodeh6

I am sure the unlockers Jailbreakers will have the 3G iPhone hacked shorter then the first iPhone.

I still think it will be jailbroke before release. Maybe not unlocked, but def jailbroke.

Posted by: jvanbrecht

I was hoping so as well, however it appears that the last 3 or 4 versions of the beta 2.0 firmware has yet to be hacked.... So I will not hold my breath, but since I am already under contract with ATT, and they are atleast honoring corp discounts (I get 20% on service) on the iphone plans, I have no need to hack it, like I did my wifes original iphone.

Posted by: SkeezerJMH

Quote:

Originally Posted by jvanbrecht

... and they are atleast honoring corp discounts (I get 20% on service) on the iphone plans, I have no need to hack it, like I did my wifes original iphone.

Are they honoring corp (FAN) discounts on iPhone? Where did you hear that?

Edit: Nevermind, found it. Awesome. BoyGenius

Posted by: SkeezerJMH

CNET added a correction to their statement earlier, saying that you can activate a NEW account with AT&T with an old iphone, but you can't take a sim out and just put it in -- DUH.

"Correction: If you decide to pass it on to someone else, they will be able to activate the phone through iTunes but only by activating a new account. If you (or anyone else) does not open a new account, the old iPhone will be unusable as a phone, even if you insert another AT&T SIM card. In that case, you can use the handset only as a media player and a Wi-Fi device."

(Link in first post if interested)

Posted by: XanderMac

that's inaccurate too. You can use it as a media player until you update/restore it, then you'll need a valid sim to activate it as even the iPod doesn't work without activation as we all know.

Posted by: nieds

So I can't give my daughter my 8gig iphone when i purchase the 3G model even though she currently has the 4gig and wants the larger memory?

Posted by: XanderMac

Quote:

Originally Posted by nieds

So I can't give my daughter my 8gig iphone when i purchase the 3G model even though she currently has the 4gig and wants the larger memory?

Sure you can, but she won't just be able to put her SIM card in it and expect it to work. It'll require activation thru iTunes and a new contract.

This happend to me when i went from an 8gig to a 16gig. I called AT&T and they backdated the contract to the date of my original contract. You may want to try that.

Posted by: justabrake

Quote:

Originally Posted by XanderMac

This only means because yours wasn't unlocked ,Right!

but if it was unlocked you would be able to use another sim card with the new 2.0 software correct!

Posted by: XanderMac

that is correct. You may not be able to unlock v2.0 though so be careful when its released.

Posted by: cowboy1964

A big shot law firm would actually read the fine print and know they have no case.

Posted by: XanderMac

In this instance they would have a case. A phone that stops working after you have fulfilled your obligation, that wasn't a rental or a lease! How do you figure there wouldn't be a case?

After you have fulfilled your obligation you should be able to use any SIM, at the very least a valid att SIM, but you can't. Show me this small print if you will?

Posted by: audiosclie

Quote:

Originally Posted by toomer

That would be the ideal scenario for me.

Two 16gb iPhones, one SIM. One with 3G for use domestically - and the 1st gen all hacked up and unlocked for international roaming, local SIM cards, etc.

I think that is exactly what i will be doing!

Posted by: Antonkucinski

Complete Apple newbie here..... My friend just got a new iPhone and has given me his old one. I currently have AT&T's Pay-as-You-Go plan. I put my SIM card into it and it didn't work (not a surprise now that I've read this thread). So what do I need to do to use it as a phone?

Thanks.