Sick of AT&T & ready to return to T-Mobile! - ModMyiFone.com | iPhone forums, iPhone hacks, iPhone unlock

Sseadoubleyou · #1 (**permalink**) 05-09-2008, 07:58 PM

I joined T-Mobile back in March of 2003 and was with them all the way up until earlier this year when I decided to finally dump them to get an iPhone with AT&T (I didn't want to deal with hacking such an expensive phone and was ready for a change with a different carrier). Well, in the few months that I have been with them I'm ready to run screaming back to T-Mobile. Their rates are ridiculously HIGH (yes I knew this in advance but that doesn't mean I can't complain about it), their customer service reps for the most part are extremely rude on the phone and insist on trying to talk over you and the list goes on and on and on.

I miss my 1000 anytime minutes with free nights and weekends with T-Mobile for 39.99! Christ, I only have the 450 minute rate plan with AT&T and I pay 20 bucks more for that and have less minutes! Anyways...

I want to know (as I am new to this hacking stuff and want to make sure I understand what I'm getting myself into here)...

#1. If I switch back to T-Mobile do I just need to obtain a new SIM card and replace that SIM card with the current SIM card by AT&T and then my phone works just like that? Obviously my phone is activated with AT&T and what I've heard is that if a iPhone is already activated with AT&T, you can put in any other GSM network SIM card and the phone works without any problems. Of course there are certain features of the phone where you have to manually configure so that they work on T's network but other then that, there shouldn't be any problems, correct?

#2. Or is it better to just unlock the phone period? I saw that I could use "ILibertyX" and it looks to be pretty easy. One thing that has scared me with all this hacking stuff is that a lot of it has seemed very complicated, until I came and found this website and saw this software. I just don't want to ruin a $500.00 phone, you know?

And finally if I do go back to T-Mobile, what services (beyond my price plan) do I need to add if I want to have unlimited internet and email? Most of the reps on the phone seem to be very confused have no idea, I keep getting told something different every time that I call in.

Thanks.

freakoftheindustry · #2 (**permalink**) 05-10-2008, 11:16 AM

I switched from AT&T to TMobile two months ago, mainly because I had no service at my house. Anyway, you're going to need a TMobile sim card... just get one of their free phones or just ask solely for the sim card when you sign up. You're also going to need to unlock your phone in order to use it with TMobile or any other GSM carrier. Then just go to their website so you can see what plans they are currently offering... some people have gone with the $5.99 Tzones and others with the $19.99 internet plan... I think it al depends on how much you use the internet on the phone.

Sseadoubleyou · #3 (**permalink**) 05-10-2008, 11:22 AM

So what about all the people who say once their phone was activated with AT&T, that unlocking it was not needed to use on other GSM networks?...as long as they didn't update the phones software. I understand that you need to use that service providers SIM card but other then that, there shouldn't be any need to unlock the phone.

Also is ilibertyx a good program to use to unlock?

Also when one unlocks his phone, does it erase everyting that is on the phone (music, address book, ringtones, etc) or is all my stuff still in the phone after the unlock?

Mitchel · #4 (**permalink**) 05-10-2008, 06:37 PM

"So what about all the people who say once their phone was activated with AT&T, that unlocking it was not needed to use on other GSM networks?...as long as they didn't update the phones software. I understand that you need to use that service providers SIM card but other then that, there shouldn't be any need to unlock the phone."

There are no people that say this...because that's what the unlocking process does. You will need to unlock the phone to use it with T-Mobile.

I tried iLiberty on two phones, and both had issues with forgetting regional settings, and internet cookies. ZiPhone never gave me such problems...and I've used ZiPhone on about a dozen phones.

It's best to do a complete restore when unlocking, which does erase everything.

Sseadoubleyou · #5 (**permalink**) 05-10-2008, 06:45 PM

There are plenty of people who have told me this (including friends that I have watched do it before). A simple Google search reveals this...

freakoftheindustry · #6 (**permalink**) 05-11-2008, 12:22 PM

Nope. You will need to unlock the phone. Activating it with AT&T is one thing and using it with other GSM carriers is another. If you want proof, get the TMobile sim card and put in your iphone and watch it say "invalid sim card." You'll see the "TMobile" carrier name displayed, but you will not have any service what-so-ever.

There are many ways to unlock your iphone. It's pretty straight forward. Personally, I used Pwntool for the Mac with no problems.

Good luck.

Mitchel · #7 (**permalink**) 05-11-2008, 05:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sseadoubleyou

There are plenty of people who have told me this (including friends that I have watched do it before). A simple Google search reveals this...

Sure is hard to help people like this...

If yer so frackin sure, then why ask in the first place?

llescaflownell · #8 (**permalink**) 05-11-2008, 08:11 PM

I would definitely use the pwnage tool for mac (that is, if you have a mac, or can get access to a mac). The process was so easy (and I am, or was, a noob at this kind of stuff). It is pretty much a sure fire way of unlocking your iphone, especially since you are using a modded FW. And the thing that you are talking about, where you don't have to unlock your phone after activating through itunes or whatever, is pure bull. If that was the case, then everyone that activated their phones when the phones came out would have switched to Tmobile already.

Vic Nyce · #9 (**permalink**) 05-16-2008, 07:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sseadoubleyou

There are plenty of people who have told me this (including friends that I have watched do it before). A simple Google search reveals this...

a simple Google search revealed this

iPhone: What Happens If You Switch SIMs - Gearlog

Quote:

Lots of people want an iPhone. But many of them don't want AT&T service. Maybe they're with T-Mobile. Maybe they're foreigners. Have you wondered what happens if you pop the iPhone SIM card out of an iPhone and put another in its place? Head to the jump for pix and an explanation.

I also tried to put the iPhone SIM into a non-iPhone - the Motorola RAZR V3xx. With the iPhone SIM, the RAZR could make calls and send texts, but when I tried to browse the Web, it told me that I was on a pay-per-KB plan and should probably sign up for Media MAX.

Okay. The brief answer is that if you put a non-iPhone SIM into an already activated iPhone, you will get an error message and will not be able to make calls, but you'll be able to use all the iPod functions and the Internet (Web browsing and e-mail) functions over Wi-Fi just fine. However, you have to activate the phone with a correct SIM first.

If you take out the SIM, this is what you see: a "no SIM" message.

ndreaxan · #10 (**permalink**) 05-16-2008, 09:25 AM

Hi!
I had the sidekick3 b4 i switch to iphone(obviously i still have the sidekick plan which is unlimited internet plus messaging$19/month),i tried the internet2.voicestream.com signed as guest, blank,etc,i tried everything but it still appears as i have no edge activated could anyone please help me?
thx in advance