Iphone 3gs Bought In Us

[indothai]

Hi All,

I'm planning on buying a iPhone 3GS from the states (U.S.A), it will be sim locked (carrier locked). Anyone knows if it can be unlocked here in Thailand?

Details please.

Thanks much!!!

[khunpaul1962]

You can have it unlocked at MBK. The cost is about 500 baht.

[innerspace]

Alternatively you can do it yourself for free.

To unlock first you need to "jailbreak" which is a small modification that allows 3rd party software not authorised by apple.

Second you "unlock" which allows any operators sim card to be used.

How you jailbreak depends on what version of firmware you have on the phone. Plug it into itunes and see what version it says (3.x.x)

3.1.3 is currently tricky to unlock due to changes made by apple.

I recently unlocked 3.1.2 using the "blackrain" software

Google "jailbreak 3.x.x" replacing the x with your firmware version and you will get lots of guides.

Once jailbroken, unlocking is easy.

[Canadianasia]

You can have it unlocked at MBK. The cost is about 500 baht.

use www.globalunlock.com

easy and done on line !!!!!!!!!!!!!

[indothai]

Thanks all for contributing!!!

... please keep them coming!!!

[mrclough]

Do some homework first and I'm 99.9% sure you'll find all of these people had operating system 3.1.2 or older and therefore have no problem jailbreaking (unlocking to use alternative software) or unlocking from their main carrier.

If you buy one with operating system 3.1.3 you will not get it locked ... FACT!

There is nowhere unlocking this software to allow different carrier sim cards to be used. There are many sites claiming to have the software but if you read the small print they will not garantee it works and if you read the reviews you will find out it doesn't.

I may be wrong and someone has found a way in the last week or, and, if i am, I would like to know of a place that can actually do 3.1.3.

To check the operating system version go into settings - General - About and look down the screen to Version.

If you get one with 3.1.3 and bring it to Thailand to use you will have an expensive iPod touch for the time being ..... Erm ... like me lol.

Why not just buy one over here? Save the trouble? Wish I did !

[indothai]

Do some homework first and I'm 99.9% sure you'll find all of these people had operating system 3.1.2 or older and therefore have no problem jailbreaking (unlocking to use alternative software) or unlocking from their main carrier.

If you buy one with operating system 3.1.3 you will not get it locked ... FACT!

There is nowhere unlocking this software to allow different carrier sim cards to be used. There are many sites claiming to have the software but if you read the small print they will not garantee it works and if you read the reviews you will find out it doesn't.

I may be wrong and someone has found a way in the last week or, and, if i am, I would like to know of a place that can actually do 3.1.3.

To check the operating system version go into settings - General - About and look down the screen to Version.

If you get one with 3.1.3 and bring it to Thailand to use you will have an expensive iPod touch for the time being ..... Erm ... like me lol.

Why not just buy one over here? Save the trouble? Wish I did !

Absolutely correct. Did my research and it looks like it's not worth it to bring it in. Bummer... Walmart is selling their 3GS 16GB for $297 USD.

It's the jailbreak and baseband that both needs to be hacked, it seems that the current newest baseband 5.12.01 can't be hacked just yet.

Thanks all for the info !!!

[wpcoe]

Absolutely correct. Did my research and it looks like it's not worth it to bring it in. Bummer... Walmart is selling their 3GS 16GB for $297 USD.

Just saw a May 25 article headlined "Walmart to Sell 16GB iPhone 3GS for $97, Apple Announces Back-to-School Promotion": http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=18495

[mrclough]

Absolutely correct. Did my research and it looks like it's not worth it to bring it in. Bummer... Walmart is selling their 3GS 16GB for $297 USD.

Just saw a May 25 article headlined "Walmart to Sell 16GB iPhone 3GS for $97, Apple Announces Back-to-School Promotion": http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=18495

At that price I'd stock up on em as it's only a matter of time really. This OS has been around for a few months now so it shouldn't really be long until it can be unlocked to be used anywhere.

Could possibly make a very tidy little profit at that price ..... not such a little profit all thing considered

[wpcoe]

At that price I'd stock up on em as it's only a matter of time really. This OS has been around for a few months now so it shouldn't really be long until it can be unlocked to be used anywhere.

Could possibly make a very tidy little profit at that price ..... not such a little profit all thing considered

I went to the WalMart site and the iPhones are not available for online ordering, in-store only. Darn.

FYI: http://www.walmart.com/catalog/catalog.gsp...259733198033789 , I don't see an expiration date ... is this their every-day price???

[wpcoe]

I went to the WalMart product page for the iPhone via the link in the page listed above and notice that they categorize it as an "Unlocked Phone." Hmmmm. I wonder, what with U.S. consumer protection truth-in-advertising laws, whether we'd have a leg to stand on if we insisted the phone be unlocked.

(source of screenshot: http://www.walmart.com/ip/iPhone-3GS-16GB-...tract/11308933)

[mrclough]

Locked or not, If i were in the states or had a reliable contact there I'd be buying them like crazy at that price! Only a matter time before they can be unlocked and they're around 20,000 at the moment here to buy.

[2008bangkok]

Alternatively you can do it yourself for free.

To unlock first you need to "jailbreak" which is a small modification that allows 3rd party software not authorised by apple.

Second you "unlock" which allows any operators sim card to be used.

How you jailbreak depends on what version of firmware you have on the phone. Plug it into itunes and see what version it says (3.x.x)

3.1.3 is currently tricky to unlock due to changes made by apple.

I recently unlocked 3.1.2 using the "blackrain" software

Google "jailbreak 3.x.x" replacing the x with your firmware version and you will get lots of guides.

Once jailbroken, unlocking is easy.

use spirit to unlock all of them its free and you can get it from http://spiritjb.com but not sure if it unlocks it aswell

[losworld]

Do some homework first and I'm 99.9% sure you'll find all of these people had operating system 3.1.2 or older and therefore have no problem jailbreaking (unlocking to use alternative software) or unlocking from their main carrier.

If you buy one with operating system 3.1.3 you will not get it locked ... FACT!

There is nowhere unlocking this software to allow different carrier sim cards to be used. There are many sites claiming to have the software but if you read the small print they will not garantee it works and if you read the reviews you will find out it doesn't.

I may be wrong and someone has found a way in the last week or, and, if i am, I would like to know of a place that can actually do 3.1.3.

To check the operating system version go into settings - General - About and look down the screen to Version.

If you get one with 3.1.3 and bring it to Thailand to use you will have an expensive iPod touch for the time being ..... Erm ... like me lol.

Why not just buy one over here? Save the trouble? Wish I did !

You are dead on right. However, the real issue is not so much the operating system as the firmware. Many are 5.1 or 6 and cannot be unlocked. However, there may be a process for rolling back the firmware if it is 4 or 5 can't remember. If you can do this you may be able to unlock.

Additionally, the principle reason I understand there is not unlock at present is the hackers are waiting for apple to come out with their new phone/operating system before unveiling it because every time they do apple redoes it. I am hoping there will be something in a few months as I have a locked iphone 3g and would like to get it working.

I should also mention there is a guy in Turkey I think that is doing a hardware based unlock via a firmware flashing after taking the phone apart. I am wondering if anyone in Thailand is doing this? I believe there is a video on youtube and he can do it in a matter of minutes. PM me if anyone gets someone to do a hardware flash.

[CarlBkk]

I bought an iphone3Gs in the UK and unlocked it myself using Cydia and Blackra1n. It then worked with a Thai sim (although wi-fi didn't). However, I mistakingly updated version 3.12 to 3.1.3 with itunes today, so now I'm not sure if it's reverted back to being "locked" or it just needs to be jailbroken again. Whatever, the Thai sim is no longer working and cannot connect to itunes.

Does this mean I have to wait for some genius to release a new hack, or can I revert back to 3.1.2 somehow?

I'm pissed off.

[LivinLOS]

Locked or not, If i were in the states or had a reliable contact there I'd be buying them like crazy at that price! Only a matter time before they can be unlocked and they're around 20,000 at the moment here to buy.

Second hand they wont fetch that, especially as the whole v 4 scene will flood the market with used ones.

In the last week I have been offered 2 iPhone 3GS's for 10k one of which was a 32 GB.. Theres a 16gb asking 9k on a thai classifieds.

Lots of people asking prices of 20k, not many paying it now if they are smart.

[mshoichi]

I bought an iphone3Gs in the UK and unlocked it myself using Cydia and Blackra1n. It then worked with a Thai sim (although wi-fi didn't). However, I mistakingly updated version 3.12 to 3.1.3 with itunes today, so now I'm not sure if it's reverted back to being "locked" or it just needs to be jailbroken again. Whatever, the Thai sim is no longer working and cannot connect to itunes.

Does this mean I have to wait for some genius to release a new hack, or can I revert back to 3.1.2 somehow?

I'm pissed off.

As far as I know, you cannot revert to previous basebands and / or versions.

I used blackrain last time around as well. Compared to previous *snow versions, it was quick, automated, and a breeze. We'll see what's in store next.

[JKaterenchuk]

The inexpensive iPhone at Walmart requires you to open an account with AT&T and sign a 2 year agreement including a data plan. That is one of the reasons the phone is less expensive. The mobile carrier subsidizes the price of the phone and make its money by forcing you to pay for service and a data plan for 2 years.

The unlock community has been promising a unlock solution for the 05.12.01 baseband will be release once iOS 4 is release. They have had the solution for a couple of months but did not want to release it because Apple would have just patched it with the release of iOS 4.

[mshoichi]

Apparently you can downgrade the baseband, depending on model and software. Just google "downgrade baseband".

Looks like redsn0w is going to work on a range of basebands, great news for people for unknowingly upgrade theirs.

[anotheruser]

I think the latest unlock on the iphone dev site should take care of everybodies problems.

[basjke]

Not want to Hijack this topic but can any phone model locked to a carrier be unlocked at Mbk?

I'm talking about an HTC evo locked to the Sprint network.

[nikster]

Not want to Hijack this topic but can any phone model locked to a carrier be unlocked at Mbk?

I'm talking about an HTC evo locked to the Sprint network.

Just create a new thread.

And no you cant use a sprint phone outside the usa... Sprint is cdma, the rest of the world is gsm.

Edited June 22, 2010 by nikster

[nikster]

I think the latest unlock on the iphone dev site should take care of everybodies problems.

Id wait a few more days to be safe.

Spirit jailbreak works but apparently has a problem with iTunes 9.2. They recommend to not use it.

The latest ultrasn0w unlock can unlock any iPhone, even the latest firmware. But you need to jailbreak first and there seems to be no universally usable jb for 3.1.3