IMEI NUMBER

I think the same thing just happened to me. After downloading iPhone softwear update that took about 45 min, message pops up in iTunes: The SIM card inserted in this iPhone does not appear to be a supported AT&T SIM card. Blah blah blah while on my phone it says activate connect to iTunes and then a text box that also says incorrect SIM. When I touch the i for info, it reads IMEI # and ICCID #. What do we do now? So I will be going to the AT&T store tomorrow but am without connections in the meantime.

You may want to read through the Apple - Support - Discussions - Seriously, what do we do now? ... thread to get more background info about this.

One thing to consider is that you cannot say with certainty what was done to someone else's iPhone, possibly without their knowledge. With more than 1 million of them in user hands, it is almost certain that someone's teenager or other person has hacked the phone, or tried to, without the owner knowing about it.

I suggest contacting AppleCare and ask to speak with a supervisor or someone in a management level position - (800) 694-7466.

Sounds like you are being as calm as possible under the circumstances and I suggest that you maintain this demeanor when explaining the situation and providing what occurred and the steps taken to this point. Threatening or mentioning a class action lawsuit (please) or any lawsuit is not the way.

I don’t understand. Why is “Threatening or mentioning a class action lawsuit (please) or any lawsuit not the way?” If what he and others say is true, this sounds like the whole purpose of “a class action lawsuit.”

Purely because at the level of staffer involved in trying to support users, that 'threat' is less likely to garner needed assistance and far more likely to result in a very defensive response. The threat, while perhaps entirely valid, is hardly likely to be constructive when looking for help on the phone or in store. It needs to be aimed at higher level managers for whom there is responsibility for policy, not the staffers lower down who are just doing what they are told to do.

Well, here's an udate on this problem: After syncing my iPhone and then downloading iPhone softwear update that took about 45 min, message pops up in iTunes: The SIM card inserted in this iPhone does not appear to be a supported AT&T SIM card. Blah blah blah while on my phone it says activate connect to iTunes and then a text box that also says incorrect SIM. When I touch the i for info, it reads IMEI # and ICCID #. My iPhone seems to have locked me out so I follow the directions, go to the AT&T store where I am given a new sim that still doesn't work. Ultimately I am directed by Apple phone support to send in my phone which is exchanged with a loaner.
One day later my original phone is returned in the same condition with a note that reads something about abuse, misuse, unauthorized modifications after I was assured by my Apple phone representative that this was an Apple problem and something to the effect of, " this upgrade was designed to lock out 3rd party applications and unfortunately MANY legitimate iPhone users are getting caught in the crossfire."
Well, legitimate indeed! I have no idea what that even means. What IS a third part application and where do you get them??? Being a teacher, I have been one of Apple's biggest supporters and have brought many customers to Apple products. I own several iPods, a Mac desktop, a Macbook, an Airport and many other great Apple products, most of which I have purchased through the online store. I have been a very loyal customer and I expect that this company will stand behind me, especially since this problem occurred while downloading the latest software sent to me by my TRUSTED company. I am insulted that I would be accused of tampering with my phone when this appears to be an acknowledged problem. I expect that this problem will be taken care of and I will receive the restitution that being a loyal Apple customer merits.

sebaker,

My thoughts go out to you, just reading the accounts of what you're going through are discouraging, and really instill a sense of anxiety in knowing that -- in reality -- legitimate users are coming under fire for a problem that's landing them in unnecessary hot water.

That being said, I suggest you continue to contact AppleCare, always being calm but firm and trying to walk with the representatives through your situation. Whoever you talk to down the chain, get names and contact information (if possible) and log through when and where you're attempting your claims.

As a *last resort*, it wouldn't hurt to send an email to sjobs@apple.com. It belongs to Steve Jobs, but the story is that it is accessed and monitored by high-level representatives at the Corporate level. Explain your situation, again remaining calm and collected, but lay out your frustrations. Emails sent to the address above were the major cause of the $100 iPhone credit resolution Mr. Jobs issued after the price drop... so it wouldn't hurt to try. Maybe you'll get a response. Maybe not.

Best of luck to you, and keep us updated.

I am insulted that I would be accused of tampering with my phone when this appears to be an acknowledged problem.

I understand your frustrations; however, there is no official acknowledgment that this is a problem as of yet, so it would appear the the phone rep was giving you a personal opinion. Some financial analysts think about 10% of all iPhones sold were bought with the intent to unlock them; this would suggest around 100,000 or so may have tampered with in a way that would cause them to stop working if the update were applied. It is very likely that a considerable number of the owners of these phones either are trying to deceive Apple in hopes of getting their phones fixed or are unaware that the phones they obtained through intermediaries were so tampered with, so I hope you can see why Apple can't just take you at your word.

More to the point, this kind of tampering leaves specific, unmistakable signs in the phone. What isn't clear at this point is if somehow phones that have not been tampered with in this way also can display these same signs. Your best hope is that Apple will discover this is possible, do so quickly, & discover a way to tell the two apart.

There are literally hundreds of reports of the 1.1.1 upgrade on NON-HACKED iPhones causing the IMEI number to change and bricking the phone.

It is fact that 1.1.1 upgrade WILL brick an improperly hacked iPhone. Those of us that were a little smarter then others used more approriate methods and now have unlocked 1.1.1 iPhones 🙂

However, if 1.1.1 messed your "virgin" phone and changed the IMEI number, go to an Apple Store for a replacement. Don't try messing with an 800 number.

There are 2 similar problems one dealing with IMEI and SIM locking to the wrong phone. The later can be fixed with a new SIM. The former - requires a new phone.

ajm

There are literally hundreds of reports of the 1.1.1 upgrade on NON-HACKED iPhones causing the IMEI number to change and bricking the phone.

There are thousands of reports of alien abductions by little green men, too, so does this mean we should take everything we read on the Internet at face value?

I'm not saying it is the case here, but some of these reports clearly are fabrications or half-truths. There are users of iPhones received through intermediaries saying theirs could not have been unlocked simply because they don't personally know what a hack is. Some are third party reports, along the lines of, "This happened to a friend; I know he would never do any hacking like this." Some don't even go that far & simply say they have heard of it happening to unspecified people. Quite a few obviously don't know what "bricked" means & are reporting some other problem with the update. Few refer to the IMEI at all.

Some report only that their phone "is locked," leaving open the question if it was ever unlocked & then re-locked. A few of the most pathetic change the details of their story in different posts, sometimes in the same thread. (They apparently think everyone has short term memory problems or can't use a search function, I guess.)

The possibility that worries me the most is some of these posts may be instigated by people that have a malicious motive to spread fear about applying the update, which fixes some serious security flaws in older phones. It also seems likely that a few Apple bashers or those with an interest in promoting other phones would be willing to make up tales to add to the mix. I have no way to tell if this is a real problem, but it does bother me that some posts are "one hit wonders" -- the alias of the poster is new to a forum, posts one report of the problem, & then never follows up.

The point I'm trying to make is not that some "non-hacked" phones haven't been bricked, but that we have pathetically few ways to realistically estimate the size of the problem, or what Apple is doing about it.

As a user-to-user community, the best we can do here is to post as many details as possible, remembering that we are asking strangers to trust us, & see if we can be part of the solution.

If you are honestly telling the truth with saying the iphones you have were never used to install unsupported third party software or unlocked then you should either try another Apple location for repair service and if that fails then seek legal help from a lawyer. Though if you have installed such software or unlocked your device which may cause Apple to avoid helping you then I'd suggest an alternative by contacting http://www.iphonesimfree.com/ who have successfully unlocked bricked iPhones even after updating to firmware 1.1.1.

It's unfortunate the way Apple is handling the unlock code situation in relation to the iPhone. Companies such as RIM and Palm sell their smartphones either unlocked at full retail price or sell through wireless carriers on term commitments (usually 2 or 3 years) at a subsidized price when a customer subscribes to a specialized voice & data plan. Since neither Apple or AT&T are subsidizing the iPhone then it should be sold as unlocked. I think Apple is being pressured a lot by AT&T because of their exclusive iPhone sales contract. Though I don't believe Apple had forseen how the consumer public not just in the USA but also around the world would view negatively the way Apple is handling the situation. I do like Apple and their products so I hope they change their company policy regarding unlocked iPhones and warranty support.

This is all very strange indeed. The IMEI can't change since it's stored in the EEPROM. The only think that can cause this to be altered is a patching (modification) of the phone's radio, or baseband. During a firmware upgrade, the upgrade reads details in the phone's radio and then compares information in the EEPROM. If these don't match, then the phone sets a lockdown using a special IMEI of 0049XXXXXXXXXX. This is a indication of tampering and is what we use to determine if a phone has been modified when it comes in for repair.

BTW, I work as a software engineer for another GSM manufacturer that uses the S-Gold2.

Guys, please, tell these brick stories to someone else.

I refer to reports to Apple from those that had problems with upgrades and their IMEI being changed inappropriately.

How do I know because an Apple spokes person told me as were were troubleshooting a problem, I was having. Turned out to be a SIM that the upgrade LOCKED which is also a BUG in their upgrade software/firmware or process.

Are the reports true?

Quien Savez!

Sorry if reporting what Apple has reported causes you undo pain.

Newspapers, CBS, NBC, and ABC have been reporting lies to the American public for years. If you want to get upset about something or make a point - write them.

ajm

nycruza wrote:
There are literally hundreds of reports of the 1.1.1 upgrade on NON-HACKED iPhones causing the IMEI number to change and bricking the phone.

Of those reported in this forum, how many come from posters with post counts greater than 15?

Of course, I'm not implying anything with this observation...

Only a possible fix:

Anyone who posts more than 15 legitimate messages in this forum will likely not experience (or claim to experience) a bricked iPhone in the absence of a hack.