So I have spent the better part of the last couple weeks trying to figure out if I can jailbreak and unlock my phone. I just upgraded to the new iPhone and have an old iPhone 3G. I have always updated the software on my iPhone and my iTunes (bad, I know). I did not upgrade the OS4 however.

Details:
iPhone 3G
iTunes 9.2.0.61
Version 3.1.3 (7E18)
Modem Firmware 05.12.01

I have never jailbroken (or unlocked this phone)

Questions
Can I jailbreak
Can I unlock
Once unlocked, can my Dad use this phone on his tmobile pre-paid plan paying for minutes as he uses them and using the data only via-wifi?

If yes to any of these questions, do you mind providing detailed specific instructions (and please, dumb it down for me).

I'm usually not this clueless, but I have been lost looking through the various websites. Thanks

iPhone 3G can be pwned, jailbroken and unlocked on iOS 4.0. Make a backup of the phone in iTunes, upgrade to 4.0, run redsn0w to jailbreak, then install ultrasn0w and you'll have a 4.0 jailbroken and unlocked phone.

If you used Spirit to jailbreak your 3G, restore to 3.1.2 first and run redsn0w to jailbreak, THEN upgrade to 4.0 either with a custom restore or a standard restore, and redsn0w to jailbreak.

What about a 3GS with modem 05.12.01 and version 3.1.3 (7E18)? Can it be jailbreaked and unlock with the same procedure as above? Thanks.

Jailbreak with spirit,

Then unlock via cydia with the new ultrasnow.

Any iPhone compatible sim will work after this.

Originally Posted by humblehyper

What about a 3GS with modem 05.12.01 and version 3.1.3 (7E18)? Can it be jailbreaked and unlock with the same procedure as above? Thanks.

You'd need to follow msft.guy's advice on properly pwning the 3GS as Spirit does not pwn. Check around this forum, I hate to say I don't have the link handy, but there are steps you can follow with a 3.1.3 Spirited jailbroken device to pwn the LLB so you can flash a custom firmware to the device.

Best bet is to stay on 3.1.3 and spirit then unlock, wait for a proper jb for 4.0 or wait at least until 4.0 is fixed! There are a few problems with 4.0 and a new fw release is inevitable with signal problems, camera freezing and many more unreported problems on current ios4.0