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So I've got a 3GS and I'm moving to Germany. I'd love to be able to pop a European SIM in and keep using it because it's still a great phone. Unfortunately, AT&T has locked it and even though I'll be paying of my contract they won't unlock it.

So I do some investigation. It seems that if I had jailbroken it last year I'd be just fine. But now I have baseband 05.16.01 which isn't unlockable. I can install iPad baseband 06.15.00 but that can break GPS and isn't reversible.
Those of you who remember my turbo swap, what do you think the odds of GPS working after I try that?

CN: I paid a huge chunk of money for a phone I don't really own.

I thought there was an FCC ruling requiring carriers to allow a full unlock once you've gotten past a certain point in your contract. Unfortunately, I'm two years out of GSM consulting so I'm not up to speed (and we were always more focused on LATAM and EMEA anyways as the US don't GSM).

have you tried http://www.ziphone.org/ ???? they claim they can do any model, any version. I used them on my first gen iPhone way back when (and had to re-unlock it when I bricked it recently...using it as an iPod only).

If http://blog.iphone-dev.org/ isn't working, maybe http://unlockguide.org/

The only way to unlock baseband 05.16.01 (as of now) is to upgrade to the iPad Baseband 06.15.00.
There's always a chance someone could figure out an unlock for the baseband 05.16.01 but probably not before I leave in 2 weeks.

Mr Kleen wrote:The only way to unlock baseband 05.16.01 (as of now) is to upgrade to the iPad Baseband 06.15.00.
There's always a chance someone could figure out an unlock for the baseband 05.16.01 but probably not before I leave in 2 weeks.

Enter Captain Practical!

Since you're paying off your contract, can you not sell the phone here and buy a new one in Europe? Maybe even get work to pay for it? That's what I'd do...

as far as I know, the handsets in Europe are already unlocked. At least that's how they were last-gen

PGT wrote:as far as I know, the handsets in Europe are already unlocked. At least that's how they were last-gen

certain countries, not all.

that'll learn ya not to upgrade to the latest omfgsoftware right away.

at least you didnt buy a verizon phone... most of europe don't cdma at all.

I'm two versions past an unlockable baseband and I haven't even updated to the latest iOS 4.3.1.

not possible to revert back on the baseband?

PGT wrote:not possible to revert back on the baseband?

Nope, only forward. And if the iPad baseband hack were to break my GPS there's no going back to an iPhone baseband. I'd have to wait and hope that a future iPad baseband release would fix it.

Once I get to Germany I'm going to buy an unlocked iPhone 4. I would have rather waited till the 5 launched but I'm addicted to having a smartphone now.

I agree with Avriette. Drop the 3GS. Use phone cards to communicate until your flight lands. Then you can pick up an iPhone 4 on T-mobile (if you so choose) once you touch down in der Vaterland.

Du würdest einen iPhone brauchen!

From the little resarch I've done so far I'll probably go with O2 for my iPhone 4. I'll also be sure to get it unlocked so I can sell it if I "need" to upgrade to the 5.

not sure if the cost is worth it to you, but this shop claims to be able to remotely unlock all iPhones.

Their unlock can be reversed by Apple at any time and it's expensive. I think the money would be better spent towards an iPhone 4. Hopefully the 5 is delayed a good while...

so.....I bought a Logitech bluetooth adapter to use in the office. My iPhone 4 works great but I have my work email on it (so notifications go through the speakers....bleh). I have this first gen iPhone and want to use it instead....music and pandora over the Logitech. Thing is...it won't recognize the Logitech...it doesn't see it, much less let me pair it.

Thoughts? running ZiPhone 3.1.3

you might want to try whited00r to see if it has a better bluetooth stack. they basically take pieces from iOS 4 and backport them to iOS 3. might be worth a shot.

hmm.....sounds good, I'll give it a shot. I don't think I've used the BT on this device since I started this thread so it could be that the last jailbreak I did is the issue.

complacent wrote:you might want to try whited00r to see if it has a better bluetooth stack. they basically take pieces from iOS 4 and backport them to iOS 3. might be worth a shot.

is there a link there? The only one I see forces you to download/install a zip utility that adds in browser tools (i.e. no thanks...)

PGT wrote:

complacent wrote:you might want to try whited00r to see if it has a better bluetooth stack. they basically take pieces from iOS 4 and backport them to iOS 3. might be worth a shot.

is there a link there? The only one I see forces you to download/install a zip utility that adds in browser tools (i.e. no thanks...)

sorry, it's a bit confusing. if you look under google ads, there are two links. one for iphone2g normal and one for iphone2g unlocked. i suspect you'll want the former.

once you click on that, click on the "direct download" link that appears. no downloaders, no confusing web tricks.

my bad, i totally forgot how confusing and shady the process was.

ok....got the link? I do I apply the firmware? When I had ZiPhone, it was an application. This file for whited00r looks like the update file itself. When I double click it....it opens iTunes but then I don't see where/how I can apply an update with that file.

How to restore or update your iPod/iPhone/iPad:

After downloading the desired firmware below, you can shift-click (PC) or option-click (Mac) the Restore or Update buttons in iTunes. A file dialog will open and let you choose the downloaded ipsw-file.

Note: Your browser may change the ipsw-file into a zip-file. In that case, just rename it to end in .ipsw and iTunes will accept it.

never in a million years would I have figured that out.

failed. did some googling....went with redsn0w but had to roll back to 3.1.2. in progress now

I did a test and was able to connect via BT to my Alienware laptop. Now, at the office this morning...this thing won't connect to the Logitech adapter (where my 4G will just fine). <throwshandsup>