How To: Straight Talk and iPhone - SIM Swap from Nokia Smartphone

[MrRomeo]

Nope, once ST transfers your number from one sim to the other, the old sim is useless. Short of buying another E71 to use the sim out of, there is no other way of getting a iPhone compatible sim.

[Haas_Dave]

Alright, here is my setup guide. It should give SIM swappers a better option than the mobileconfig solution in the first post of the thread:

Preface:
-This will override any AT&T carrier bundle installed on your iPhone, including the default one. If you use other at&t SIMs (including from MVNOs such as Locus, Consumer Cellular, H20, Jolt, or AirVoice) and/or other modified at&t carrier bundles, this method may not help you and you should follow the mobileconfig instructions in this topic's first post to retain data access.
-This guide assumes you are on iOS 4.0 to 4.2.1. If you are not, it might be a good idea to update to 4.0 or above (if you need to retain a carrier unlock, go to blog.iphone-dev.org and grab pwnagetool). You should also remove the mobileconfig file from the topic's first post if you had been using it (go to Settings--->General--->Profile and remove the config file).

STEPS
1) Go to the following site, download the linked file and follow the instructions in the zip file: http://www.hackint0sh.org/f127/191761.htm
This will allow your iPhone to accept unofficial carrier files (including the one I'm posting here).
2) Download the following file, unzip it (be careful Safari users, it may try to unzip the file twice), and place the .ipcc file someplace you can find later:
StraightTalk.ipcc.zip
3) If you have iTunes open, quit iTunes. Then, depending on the OS, do the following:
a) Mac: Go into Terminal and put in the following:

defaults write com.apple.iTunes carrier-testing -bool YES

b) Win: Go into Command Prompt and put in the following:

"%ProgramFiles%\iTunes\iTunes.exe" /setPrefInt carrier-testing 1

4) With the ST SIM in your iPhone, plug it into your computer and startup iTunes
5) Once iTunes starts and you can get to your iPhone's summary tab: shift-click (WIN) or option-click (MAC) the "Update" or "Check for Updates" button. A popup window should appear.
6) Find the folder you put the .ipcc file you downloaded in step 2 and double click the .ipcc file. iTunes should then popup saying 'Updating Carrier Settings" or similar. Once that is done, you should be good to go.
7) (Optional, but recommended) Restart/Power cycle your iPhone.
8) To check to see if it worked, go into Settings--->General--->About and look for Carrier. Carrier should say 'Straight Talk 10.0' if it installed correctly.

Footnotes:
-You should be able to enable FaceTime, as its settings are in the file. YMMV if it allows FT activation on your device.
-MMS, tethering, and data all work. It may take some time for tethering to show/start up.
-This file should allow you to modify the APN settings (Settings--->General--->Network--->Cellular Data Network) if you need to change them for later use. IMO, the APN settings shouldn't be tinkered with once you install this file.
-This should allow you to manually select a network (Settings--->Carrier) when needed. The setting doesn't always show up and may require you to restart your phone or remove/swap SIMs to reenable it.
-I don't know if there is a CommCenter patch for the iPad. If there is such a patch, then you can also use the ipcc file here to make your SIM work well on a jailbroken iPad. If not, then the mobileconfig method on post one of this topic should work for your needs.
-The carrier name in the status bar will read the following when the following 'networks' are in use:
HOME: Straight Talk
ROAM: Roaming
--HOME is the default name for at&t's AND T-Mobile's network on ST SIMs, so don't be alarmed if you're not getting 3G when it says "Straight Talk" as you may either have disabled 3G (Settings--->General--->Network), in an AT&T area without 3G (parts of the midwest, for example) or you are on the T-Mobile network. You can find out what network you're on by going into field test mode (Pull up phone dialer, type *3001#12345#* and Tap Call) or by installing the Signal app in Cydia.

-Credits & Acknowledgments:
SpookyET on Modmyi
StealthBravo on Modmyi
Those who posted the mobileconfig files and APN settings in this forum. because of you, we can all enjoy inexpensive iPhone usage.

Any other comments or questions, let me know. I hope this helps some of you.

[getyup]

If you can answer any or all of these, please chime in :-)



So it seems like a lot of people are doing this successfully... I have $120 left of early termination on my contract, so for it to make sense it has to work for me for at least 7 months before I start making money (to reimburse me for cost of the Nokia and cost of my early termination fee)....

- What are the pitfalls? Is there anything besides global roaming that you CAN do on AT&T iPhone that I won't be able to do on this setup, and should know about?

- How does voicemail work since there doesn't seem to be visual voicemail? Standard press-and-hold the "1" key?

- When I changed the APN to use my prepaid AT&T sim I used to have to use the APN specified on here, it's a throttled speed (about 400-500kbps compared to my post-paid 1.5-2.5mbps speed). Is using the Straight Talk setup throttled or are you guys seeing the full AT&T network speeds?

- MMS\SMS... are they combined into one like they are now? For example if someone from AT&T sends me a 1000 character SMS, a regular phone would break it up into 7-8 messages, whereas sending from an iphone to an iphone they somehow combine in the network into one long delivered message. Is this the case with straight talk?

- What's the longevity of Straight Talk (yeah this requires speculation)? I know lots like Helio and many others have come and gone, especially back in the early 2000's.... what are the odds that Straight Talk will be around in 2 years, given the competition from players like Virgin Mobile, Net10, Tracfone, etc?

- What are the odds AT&T\Straight Talk will catch on and shut this "loophole" down? I don't want to spend the $$$ and have them throw things for a curve. I bought the Virgin Mobile Unlimited MiFi last month then got an eMail this week saying it's no longer unlimited, it's capped at 5 GB like all the other carriers, and since it's a pay as you go service I'm not grandfathered (aka I got screwed)... was the whole reason I left AT&T's broadband USB stick because of the cap.... :-(

- Does the phone work anywhere in the US an AT&T phone works, or is it like simple mobile where it only works on the core T-Mo network?

Anything else I should be aware of\consider prior to taking the leap?

Thanks!

[stormtracker]

Will this work with the first iphone (1G)? and does it need to have Itunes already on it ?

[dannyboy888]

I can only speculate on a few of your points since I don't really know the answers you are looking for.

As for longevity of Straight Talk, I think one of the good things is that Carlos Slim is one of the owners indirectly. He's one of the richest ppl in the world and I suspect that if he's involved, there has to be a profitable way to do it. With that being said, I also believe that prices for everything will start to come down in the near future. I really believe that prepaid is going to become extremely popular in the United States. What's not to like about it? No contracts, cheap prices, no phone subsidies. Everybody wins. Carriers win since they sell excess minutes that they werent going to use anyway. Customers get lower prices without subsidies. Phone manufacturers get full price.

I have heard LTE costs the phone carriers less to carry traffic. If that's the case, I bet you prices will continue to come down. Unlimited minutes plans have come down a lot in the last 5 years. I remember unlimited min plans were $99.99 and now they are $69.99. With this trend in place, I suspect the likelihood that this $45 unlimited everything plan dies is not that high. I bet it's just as likely that it will go up a few bucks rather than go away completely. My speculation only...

I too am about to get my Nokia e71s and make the $200 investment. My investment will be higher since I need to pay VZ my $200 ETF as well and buy another ATT smartphone as well. I think it's all worth it though. My current place can't get good VZ signal so ATT is where I want to be.

The thought of going month to month with a highly discounted plan really appeals to me. If I end up not being able to do this, it's not an entire loss. I can still activate a plan on ATT or I could still sell my smartphone to offset some of the original cost. I'll probably be able to sell the Nokia e71 for something. All in all, I think I could probably get away with about a $200 loss which is bad, but not that bad even if I can get 3 months service out of Straight Talk.

My biggest question is whether or not ATT will force the Motorola Atrix onto a new separate plan when it arrives on March 1. I'm hoping it uses the same type of 3g service so I can just put it on Straight Talk.

As for shutting down these loopholes, I really think it's impossible for ATT to shut down specific phones. Even if they were able to pinpoint which ones are non-e71 phones, I don't think they can do it without causing some problems for their own ATT users. I think the likeliest possibility is these SIM cards are special ones and most likely won't be sold any more at some point. They'll probably change the way the SIM card is used in the phone and possibly prevent it from being used in a non-e71 phone if they can do this. However, those who purchased the original e71's will probably be essentially grandfathered in and never have to worry.

This SIM card now is already on a smartphone that can and should be able to access the web and internet. I don't see how they can shut down this SIM without some type of knowledge of how the web is being accessed. Plus I think this e71 is a test for Straight Talk. If a bunch of ppl buy the subsidized Nokia e71 and stay on the $45 unlimited plan for a long time, which I know everyone will based on their iphone stories, then it will encourage Straight Talk to keep offering this. I bet this Nokia e71 must cost more than $200 to Straight Talk. They're probably subsidizing it somewhat.

[MrRomeo]

getyup, if you took the time to read through this thread, most of your questions would be answered. Just because you are lazy and want a fast answer doesnt mean we should take the time to answer your stupid long question list.

[getyup]

getyup, if you took the time to read through this thread, most of your questions would be answered. Just because you are lazy and want a fast answer doesnt mean we should take the time to answer your stupid long question list.

If you had any clue, you'd have clicked quote, but you clearly DONT. Please cite the posting numbers which answer my questions. I read start to finish, and some touch one some of the subjects I asked, but none actually answer. If you don't post anything productive, you're only wasting your time and others' time.

[MrRomeo]

I shouldnt have to cite anything. Search the forum for your answers.

[gotanmp3]

I read start to finish, and some touch one some of the subjects I asked, but none actually answer.

That's because this entire process is caveat emptor. Straight Talk's terms and conditions specifically state you are not allowed to even remove the SIM. AT&T is able to see the IMEI of the device you're using, which means this party could end at any time, if they decided to do something. But at any rate, I'll try to answer some of your questions:

1. The coverage is typical AT&T MVNO coverage, which usually means native AT&T with no roaming.
2. Voicemail works like it does on a phone without visual voicemail. You get an indication when someone leaves a message and you call voicemail to listen to your messages.
3. There is an APN proxy, but it seems rather fast. You'll get typical 3G speeds for AT&T, which varies depending on all sorts of factors.
4. Not sure about the SMS size limits. Never tested this and I don't have two active AT&T iPhones to test with.
5. Straight Talk is a venture between Walmart and America Movil. You're more likely to lose your number due to a system glitch or their incompetence then their going out of business.
6. No one knows if Straight Talk will shut this down tomorrow or never. With AT&T's different data plan pricing for different devices, it seems like it's only a matter of time before AT&T sets up some kind of system to make sure you're using the IMEI you're supposed to be.
7. Same as answer #1

[getyup]

I shouldnt have to cite anything. Search the forum for your answers.

Cut the attitude. If you're willing to say the answers someone asked again for are contained in the postings, you have no option but to point out where. You're a TROLL and you're just being argumentative because you're a bitter human being, not sure why you have to take it out on others. I've read through the forum, and there's no logical reason for me to ask and want to wait for an answer to be given when, if your comment was true, I could have immediately.

Take your trolling elsewhere please.

[getyup]

That's because this entire process is caveat emptor. Straight Talk's terms and conditions specifically state you are not allowed to even remove the SIM. AT&T is able to see the IMEI of the device you're using, which means this party could end at any time, if they decided to do something. But at any rate, I'll try to answer some of your questions:

1. The coverage is typical AT&T MVNO coverage, which usually means native AT&T with no roaming.
2. Voicemail works like it does on a phone without visual voicemail. You get an indication when someone leaves a message and you call voicemail to listen to your messages.
3. There is an APN proxy, but it seems rather fast. You'll get typical 3G speeds for AT&T, which varies depending on all sorts of factors.
4. Not sure about the SMS size limits. Never tested this and I don't have two active AT&T iPhones to test with.
5. Straight Talk is a venture between Walmart and America Movil. You're more likely to lose your number due to a system glitch or their incompetence then their going out of business.
6. No one knows if Straight Talk will shut this down tomorrow or never. With AT&T's different data plan pricing for different devices, it seems like it's only a matter of time before AT&T sets up some kind of system to make sure you're using the IMEI you're supposed to be.
7. Same as answer #1

Thanks so much for the helpful information. With all of this, it really seems like it might be best to wait a bit and see what happens for the deal. As best I can tell the deal was "discovered" in the last month, so it's just too risky to try it for me. The first year I save about $75, and subsequent years I save $500, so it'd be worth it if I knew there was some longevity, but the whole thing is so expensive having to buy the phone and pay the ETL, while I do save money, it takes so long to start saving money the possibility of the deal to stop working is so great it doesn't really make sense.

The ONLY way I'd do it is if I knew by doing the 1 year $540 "Annual Plan" that it'd guarantee me to be "locked-in" and not shut off if they did do a IMEI scan and find out I'm on an iPhone.

[Cannonball-II]

Thanks so much for the helpful information. With all of this, it really seems like it might be best to wait a bit and see what happens for the deal. As best I can tell the deal was "discovered" in the last month, so it's just too risky to try it for me. The first year I save about $75, and subsequent years I save $500, so it'd be worth it if I knew there was some longevity, but the whole thing is so expensive having to buy the phone and pay the ETL, while I do save money, it takes so long to start saving money the possibility of the deal to stop working is so great it doesn't really make sense.

The ONLY way I'd do it is if I knew by doing the 1 year $540 "Annual Plan" that it'd guarantee me to be "locked-in" and not shut off if they did do a IMEI scan and find out I'm on an iPhone.

Smart thinking.
Quoted from their T&C:
"Straight Talk reserves the right to cancel any Service without notice." and also:
"You may not remove your SIM card or use the SIM card on any other wireless phone. Any violation of the restrictions on the use of your SIM card that are contained in this section may result in the immediate termination of your service without notice."

[The_Sweeper]

Smart thinking.
Quoted from their T&C:
"Straight Talk reserves the right to cancel any Service without notice." and also:
"You may not remove your SIM card or use the SIM card on any other wireless phone. Any violation of the restrictions on the use of your SIM card that are contained in this section may result in the immediate termination of your service without notice."

Careful. You might be called a nay sayer or a hater. I also pointed that out on page one and was called a nay sayer. I posted it because every backdoor that Trac/Net10 has ever had has sooner or later (usually sooner) is always closed.

[whacker]

To second Sweeper's statement, I too was labled a naysayer on or near page one by the, ahem, enthusiastic iPhone participants. One only needs to be familiar with the other America Movil companies' (from reading the forums) behaviors to know why we're guarded in our outlook. That comes from experience, if not personal, then at least second hand from reading about it.

[dannyboy888]

I know for me, I plan on purchasing monthly service cards directly from walmart.com. If by some chance, I do end up getting kicked off, I only lose one month worth of service. I'm more scared to do a multimonth plan because it's possible that I'd be kicked off and lose the remaining months. This way the most I am out is $200 for the nokia e71 and one month service. My assumption is that my smartphone will not be blacklisted on ATT.

It's definitely more trouble than set it and forget it, but I'll just be sure to set up a recurring reminder for myself every month to make sure I buy a service card.

I still believe that there's a small possibility this will get shut down, but I don't think that it's likely they will shut it down. Straight Talk really has no incentive to try to get us off of this plan. They are collecting our $45 per month. Kicking us off actually costs them more money in the long run. I expect they won't try very hard to kick us off. ATT may want us off, but I think they need the subscribers so they probably won't try too hard to kick us off either. As long as a ton of people don't try this, I think they'll be fine collecting the money. ATT needs the money to upgrade their networks so I bet you they'll be in a "take what you can get" mode. This ongoing battle with Verizon may actually be our best chance to keep this plan alive.