Hi, I am an existing AT&T customer with an ordinary phone and no data plan. I got a first gen iPhone from a friend, and I'm trying to use it without a data plan -- that is, as an iTouch + voice.

It had iOS 3.1.3 and was jailbroken with Spirit when it was given to me. I could use it like an iTouch with the inactive sim card that was in it, but when I put my existing sim card, it stays on the "emergency only" screen and wants me to reactivate it via iTunes, which triggers a data plan subscription that I don't want. I tried ultrasn0w with the inactive sim, but no beans.

How can I get past this and make it work as an iTouch + voice?

As has been explained before on this forum.

The 2G behaves differently to other iPhones regarding activation. You must use the SIM card that was previously active on that specific phone. You cannot just use any AT&T sim card to activate.

However, you can always jailbreak and hacktivate with redsn0w

Remember that for 3.1.3 you need to give redsn0w a 3.1.2 ipsw when it asks for one. 3.1.3 ipsw will not work

Thanks for your reply.

As has been explained before on this forum.

Sorry. I searched before posting but didn't see anything that quite fit my scenario. Could you supply a link if there's a fuller explanation out there?

The 2G behaves differently to other iPhones regarding activation. You must use the SIM card that was previously active on that specific phone. You cannot just use any AT&T sim card to activate.

However, you can always jailbreak and hacktivate with redsn0w

Ok. Should I then restart the process by restoring the 3.1.3 iOS and then jailbreaking and hacktivating with redsn0w and my current dumbphone's SIM (noting the 3.1.2 ipsw, as in your post)?

Thanks!

Originally Posted by Metallo

Thanks for your reply.



Sorry. I searched before posting but didn't see anything that quite fit my scenario. Could you supply a link if there's a fuller explanation out there?



Ok. Should I then restart the process by restoring the 3.1.3 iOS and then jailbreaking and hacktivating with redsn0w and my current dumbphone's SIM (noting the 3.1.2 ipsw, as in your post)?

see Using an iPhone without a wireless service plan

As long as your dumbphone has a non AT&T SIM, then this should work.

Originally Posted by Olethros

see Using an iPhone without a wireless service plan

Ah, but I want cellular service for voice, just not for data. It's an iTouch + voice (or equivalently, an iPhone - data plan) that I want.

As long as your dumbphone has a non AT&T SIM, then this should work.

This is the hitch. My dumbphone is AT&T with no data plan.

Let me ask a slightly different way: if I hacktivate with no sim installed, then restart with my current dumbphone sim installed, will it be (1) activated and ready to go, or (2) stuck on the "new sim, emergency only, activate with iTunes" screen?

Thanks for continuing to share your wisdom and experience.

Don't know how hacktivation works with no sim installed. Never tested it. Probably would work.

U could try pwnagetool - it allows you to determine if you want to hacktivate or not. I seem to recall you said you needed a windows solution - so that leaves you with the unofficial, unauthorised sn0wbreeze

The good news is that you can try again and again - the 2G is very hard to screw up.

Ok, thanks. I'll experiment a bit.

FWIW, I could not get it to work by re-hacktivating with ultrasn0w and my existing sim.

So, as you suggested, I restored to 3.1.2 (per the requirements for redsn0w 0.93), and did a fresh jailbreak-cum-hacktivate using redsn0w with the desired sim installed. And it worked.

Now iTunes doesn't try to re-activate it, and I have my iTouch + voice with no change to my contract and no data plan.

Thanks again for your help.

Originally Posted by Metallo

FWIW, I could not get it to work by re-hacktivating with ultrasn0w and my existing sim.

So, as you suggested, I restored to 3.1.2 (per the requirements for redsn0w 0.93), and did a fresh jailbreak-cum-hacktivate using redsn0w with the desired sim installed. And it worked.

Now iTunes doesn't try to re-activate it, and I have my iTouch + voice with no change to my contract and no data plan.

Thanks again for your help.

I gather you meant redsn0w - ultrasn0w has never worked for the 2G iPhone.

Glad it worked in the end.

Actually, I did mean ultrasn0w. I'm just a n00b who didn't even know that it wouldn't work with the 2G. :-)