After upgrading to a new 3GS, my original iPhone won't activate...

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Level 2

419 points

After upgrading to a new 3GS, my original iPhone won't activate...

After I upgraded to an iPhone 3GS, I restored the original iPhone with iTunes. Now, the iPhone says it's got an invalid SIM in it, and when I plug it into iTunes, it won't activate it. It's basically a brick now.

Was I wrong in thinking I could now use the old iPhone basically like an iPod touch?

Intel iMac, unibody MBPro, & iPhone, Mac OS X (10.5.6)

Posted on Jun 26, 2009 1:57 PM

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Answer 1

Jun 26, 2009 2:17 PM in response to RckStwrz

You can only continue to use your old iPhone EXACTLY as it was at the time it became de-activated. You can not upgrade the OS software at any point from there on, or it will look for a valid SIM card.

The solution here, which might be too late for you....is that you need to update to 3.0 on your old iPHone 3G BEFORE you then activate your new iPhone 3GS. Once you activate your new 3GS, your old iPHone SIm is de-activated, and you can no longer do OS updates on that iPhone.

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Answer 2

roaminggnome

Level 10

106,365 points

Jun 26, 2009 2:18 PM in response to RckStwrz

It need to have its SIM in it to restore or upgrade, even if it is deactivated.

You should leave the SIM in the iphone if you plan on using it as an ipod touch.

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Answer 3

Jun 26, 2009 2:23 PM in response to roaminggnome

That isn't the case anymore. Wether or not the SIM is in the phone, if you have de-activated that SIM you can not restore. You can only continue to use it as it was.

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Answer 4

Daiya

Level 4

1,666 points

Jun 26, 2009 2:26 PM in response to RonAnnArbor

How do you mean it's not the case anymore? Apple has an official KB saying you CAN use it as an iPod touch, and continue to restore and update it, as long as the original SIM stays with it.
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3406

Is there a KB that overrides this one?

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Answer 5

Jun 26, 2009 2:31 PM in response to Daiya

I haven't seen any press release that supercedes that, but the one you reference refers to the ORIGINAL iPhone, not a 3G. There have been posts here and elsewhere indicating that the restore/upgrade function no longer works on the 3G once you update to 3GS.

I suppose the original poster can put a phone call in to AppleCare to see if they might be able to get some help from them. I didn't make this rule, I am just reporting what everyone else is seeing, with or without the SIM card in the 3G.

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Answer 6

Daiya

Level 4

1,666 points

Jun 26, 2009 3:24 PM in response to RonAnnArbor

Indeed, the KB is talking about the ORIGINAL iPhone. So is this thread, which is is in the original iPhone forum.

I have not seen the posts you mention about this not working for the 3G.

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Answer 7

RckStwrz Author

Level 2

419 points

Jun 27, 2009 6:00 AM in response to Daiya

Well crap, when I bought the new iPhone, the lady told me just to swap the SIM card from the old one. So you're saying if I swap the SIM back, I can at least activate it, and then swap one more time so that the new phone can make phone calls?

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Answer 8

Daiya

Level 4

1,666 points

Jun 27, 2009 7:13 PM in response to RckStwrz

I don't know, but it's worth a try---I think I have heard other people mention doing that. And AT&T should be willing to give you a new SIM for the new phone. You might hold off on trying it until a day when you have time to go to AT&T just in case the SIM doesn't behave when you swap it back.

All I know is what the Apple KB I linked says, really.

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