Considering unlocking my iPhones and going to T-mobile...

[preslove]

Sell your iphones on craigslist and buy cheap android phones. The Samsung Exhibit month-to-month looks like a decent phone for $189. root them to get access to wifi tethering, and then use the savings from the cheaper plans to buy and iPad, if you really want access to iOS apps.

 

[lothar]

Better check to make sure you have a baseband that can be unlocked.

How would one do this?
My friend has an iPhone 3GS 4.3.5 baseband 05.16.02 and wants to come to Straight Talk.

I've been reading up on all this unlocking iPhone deal. It seems if you change hack the baseband from 05.16.02 to 05.16.00(which is the iPad baseband), you loose GPS support?
And people say rooting/flashing ROMS on Android is hard...This unlocking iPhone deal is more than I thought it would be.

 

[Ichinisan]

How would one do this?
My friend has an iPhone 3GS 4.3.5 baseband 05.16.02 and wants to come to Straight Talk.

I've been reading up on all this unlocking iPhone deal. It seems if you change hack the baseband from 05.16.02 to 05.16.00(which is the iPad baseband), you loose GPS support?
And people say rooting/flashing ROMS on Android is hard...This unlocking iPhone deal is more than I thought it would be.

Some 3GS iPhone basebands can be replaced with an unlockable iPad 3G baseband if you use custom firmware. Currently, it's not reversible and I'm told that you can no longer update normally, even if you wanted to get the current/correct baseband (you can still update with a custom firmware that doesn't touch the baseband). As you mentioned, using iPad baseband does impact GPS functionality. If I understand correctly, location services do still work, but they're less accurate because it only uses triangulation from phone towers and Apple's WiFi database instead of using the dedicated GPS module.

It will often have a good location when you're connected to a wireless router. iPhones have been reporting GPS coordinates for routers they associate with, so Apple uses the database for WiFi iPod Touch/iPad location API.

Anyway, check Settings > General > About > Modem Firmware to find out which baseband you have.

 

[Munky]

EDGE is usable for light web browsing and GPS - as long as you don't have a compulsive need to watch youtube, play streaming audio, or surf graphics-heavy websites.

 

[ImDonly1]

I never understand the appeal of using an iPhone on T-mobile. Might as well buy an ipod touch. Either buy an android phone on t-mobile prepaid, or move to att prepaid with your iphone. EDGE is awful on a smartphone.

 

[Ksyder]

Why not just put in Straight Talk sim cards?

This.

 

[poofyhairguy]

All this talk reminds me of my iPhone 1.

Edge SUCKED on there. Hell one day I got so pissed loading a webpage I slammed it on the ground and broke it.

That fixed the problem, as I replaced it with a 3GS the next day....

EDGE is like barely having a smartphone.

 

[Red Storm]

lol I remember the iPhone 1. A friend was showing his off to me, which meant there was a lot of awkward silence moments as we patiently waited for pages to load.

EDGE most definitely sucks. It's like using dial-up.

 

[DaWhim]

grabt a truconnect mifi for sprint 3g internet if you need speed. 4 cents a mb tho.

 

[Pliablemoose]

All this talk reminds me of my iPhone 1.

Edge SUCKED on there. Hell one day I got so pissed loading a webpage I slammed it on the ground and broke it.

That fixed the problem, as I replaced it with a 3GS the next day....

EDGE is like barely having a smartphone.

Yep, might as well use WAP sites, they're less painful than browsing the web.

Score a couple of Straight Talk SIM cards, they'll give you 3G and none of the drama of unlocking the phone and not being able to update them with new OS releases.

If my workplace wasn't hell on GSM signals, I'd do it in a heartbeat. As it is, am stuck with CDMA only phones.

If you buy 3 or more months of service with Straight Talk, you'll get the monthly price down to the low $40's, and everything's unlimited.

 

[Ksyder]

How would one do this?
My friend has an iPhone 3GS 4.3.5 baseband 05.16.02 and wants to come to Straight Talk.

I've been reading up on all this unlocking iPhone deal. It seems if you change hack the baseband from 05.16.02 to 05.16.00(which is the iPad baseband), you loose GPS support?
And people say rooting/flashing ROMS on Android is hard...This unlocking iPhone deal is more than I thought it would be.

IMO there is no unlocking for Straight Talk required... more of getting the right sim card and modifying APN settings provided the iphone is an AT&T model.

 

[lothar]

Some 3GS iPhone basebands can be replaced with an unlockable iPad 3G baseband if you use custom firmware. Currently, it's not reversible and I'm told that you can no longer update normally, even if you wanted to get the current/correct baseband (you can still update with a custom firmware that doesn't touch the baseband). As you mentioned, using iPad baseband does impact GPS functionality. If I understand correctly, location services do still work, but they're less accurate because it only uses triangulation from phone towers and Apple's WiFi database instead of using the dedicated GPS module.

It will often have a good location when you're connected to a wireless router. iPhones have been reporting GPS coordinates for routers they associate with, so Apple uses the database for WiFi iPod Touch/iPad location API.

Anyway, check Settings > General > About > Modem Firmware to find out which baseband you have.

My friend has iPhone 3GS iOS 4.3.5 with baseband 05.16.02
It's amazing to me that the hackers haven't figured out how to do this after 2+ years without trashing the GPS feature.
Carrier triangulation works okay, but it's far from perfect.

Score a couple of Straight Talk SIM cards, they'll give you 3G and none of the drama of unlocking the phone and not being able to update them with new OS releases.

IMO there is no unlocking for Straight Talk required... more of getting the right sim card and modifying APN settings provided the iphone is an AT&T model.

Really? I'll pass this information to him right now.

Modifying APN isn't that a big deal, just read the sticky on HowardForums and follow the directions.
That's what I did with my Android device at least...

 

[CZroe]

My friend has iPhone 3GS iOS 4.3.5 with baseband 05.16.02
It's amazing to me that the hackers haven't figured out how to do this after 2+ years without trashing the GPS feature.
Carrier triangulation works okay, but it's far from perfect.




Really? I'll pass this information to him right now.

Modifying APN isn't that a big deal, just read the sticky on HowardForums and follow the directions.
That's what I did with my Android device at least...

Uhh, the hackers have fully unlocked other basebands on the 3GS. The only reason they haven't done anything further is because they have been focusing their efforts on the A4 and A5 devices that matter more ATM. There are plenty of unlockable 3GS phones on the used market. Even though they believe that they found a way to downgrade to an unlockable baseband even if you upgraded to the iPad baseband, they haven't done it because people have been demanding other things of them first (A4 jailbreak, A4 untether, A4 unlock, A5 jailbreak, A5 untether, etc). Even now, more people want them working on an A5 unlock... no doubt.

 

[TurtleCrusher]

My 3GS is 05.16.05. Dammit. I can't lose gps. Hope I'm not screwed!

 

[pm]

I sold a 3GS on Ebay, and when I sold it, I offered to unlock and warned thoroughly about the GPS, but the buyer said he'd take his chances so I unlocked it and I did lose the GPS. He still seemed pleased enough and I knocked a bit off the price and it worked out. But I can attest that the iPad baseband nukes the GPS functionality.

I'd go for the straighttalk option... No unlocking needed and you get faster internet. It's not as cheap as T-Mobile though...

 

[lothar]

I sold a 3GS on Ebay, and when I sold it, I offered to unlock and warned thoroughly about the GPS, but the buyer said he'd take his chances so I unlocked it and I did lose the GPS. He still seemed pleased enough and I knocked a bit off the price and it worked out. But I can attest that the iPad baseband nukes the GPS functionality.

I'd go for the straighttalk option... No unlocking needed and you get faster internet. It's not as cheap as T-Mobile though...

Huh?

 

[pm]

Huh?

Ok, I guess I deserve that. It depends on what you want. If you want unlimited, then Straightalk. But if you want the cheapest data plan with a reasonable amount of minutes, then T-Mobile.

http://www.straighttalk.com/ServicePlans
Their $30 plan basically has no data (30MB... not enough), so then $45 for unlimited is the cheapest you can get there if you want data.

http://prepaid-phones.t-mobile.com/monthly-4g-plans
Meanwhile on T-Mobile, they have a $30/month unlimited data/text, and 100 minute plan. Since I make less than 20 minutes worth of calls a month, but use a lot of data and a fair number of texts, this is a good plan for me and it's cheaper.

For me, I don't need unlimited. If I could get a plan that offered 100 minutes calling, 200 texts, and 400MB per month, I'd be set.

 

[lothar]

Ok, I guess I deserve that. It depends on what you want. If you want unlimited, then Straightalk. But if you want the cheapest data plan with a reasonable amount of minutes, then T-Mobile.

http://www.straighttalk.com/ServicePlans
Their $30 plan basically has no data (30MB... not enough), so then $45 for unlimited is the cheapest you can get there if you want data.

http://prepaid-phones.t-mobile.com/monthly-4g-plans
Meanwhile on T-Mobile, they have a $30/month unlimited data/text, and 100 minute plan. Since I make less than 20 minutes worth of calls a month, but use a lot of data and a fair number of texts, this is a good plan for me and it's cheaper.

For me, I don't need unlimited. If I could get a plan that offered 100 minutes calling, 200 texts, and 400MB per month, I'd be set.

Yeah, I was looking at it from the "unlimited" point of view.
$45 on Straight Talk vs $50 on T-Mobile.
Straight Talk also has the benefit of supporting official standards vs T-Mobile which uses AWS spectrum that no one else uses which therefore automatically increases your phone choices by a mile.

I don't see any benefit in Straight Talk's $30/month plan.

You only use 100 minutes? Seriously? Is that with using GrooveIP or without?
I only use about 250 minutes a month without GrooveIP and I thought I was weird.

 

[TurtleCrusher]

Yep, might as well use WAP sites, they're less painful than browsing the web.

Score a couple of Straight Talk SIM cards, they'll give you 3G and none of the drama of unlocking the phone and not being able to update them with new OS releases.

If my workplace wasn't hell on GSM signals, I'd do it in a heartbeat. As it is, am stuck with CDMA only phones.

If you buy 3 or more months of service with Straight Talk, you'll get the monthly price down to the low $40's, and everything's unlimited.

Wait, I don't get it. Would I have to unlock my phone for straightalk?

I don't understand. Is this a new carrier that's available in all markets? Where do I get it?

 

[pm]

Wait, I don't get it. Would I have to unlock my phone for straightalk?

I don't understand. Is this a new carrier that's available in all markets? Where do I get it?

No, you don't need to unlock - they use AT&T's network so the phone will work locked.

And it's not really a new carrier, but they are recently making a big advertising push so it sort of seems that way. They are subsidiary of Tracfone.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TracFone_Wireless#Straight_Talk

It's prepaid. Sign up here:
http://www.straighttalk.com/

I hear porting your number is a painful process though. Pliable and a couple of others did it, but I read on here that it was a hassle and a half.

 

[bearxor]

I hadn't heard of T-Mobile using 1900MHz for anything other than GSM. What are they using for the uplink? 2100MHz?

T-Mobile has pretty extensive PCS holdings but, as you note, it's mostly EDGE because they shifted the focus to the more nationwide AWS.

But, in some areas where TMobile is having a little bit of a bandwidth crunch: They are upgrading PCS sites to HSPA+. This is letting iPhone users in those areas get 3G:
http://www.macrumors.com/2011/12/19...lets-some-iphone-users-access-3g-data-speeds/
http://support.t-mobile.com/thread/14138

From what I've heard, it's still really spotty. Like, just a couple of towers within a market, not a whole market. They could just be pinpointing places where there's an high strain on AWS bandwidth. Also, no telling if TMobile will pull back on this with new AWS spectrum they received in the AT&T deal (or lack of an AT&T deal). Hopefully, it's a nationwide effort over the next couple of years. I have no idea what TMo's LTE plans are, or if they even need to think about it for the next few years.

 

[pm]

Thanks for the details, bearxor.

 

[TurtleCrusher]

No, you don't need to unlock - they use AT&T's network so the phone will work locked.

And it's not really a new carrier, but they are recently making a big advertising push so it sort of seems that way. They are subsidiary of Tracfone.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TracFone_Wireless#Straight_Talk

It's prepaid. Sign up here:
http://www.straighttalk.com/

I hear porting your number is a painful process though. Pliable and a couple of others did it, but I read on here that it was a hassle and a half.

Looks like an excellent alternative to T-Mobile. No unlocking required, $5 less a month and unlimited 3G internet... Yeah that decision is easy.

Is their internet truly unlimited? I used 3GB a month right now, what if I hit past 5? Throttle?

 

[ImDonly1]

Looks like an excellent alternative to T-Mobile. No unlocking required, $5 less a month and unlimited 3G internet... Yeah that decision is easy.

Is their internet truly unlimited? I used 3GB a month right now, what if I hit past 5? Throttle?

2GB is the limit. Go past 2GB and they cancel your account and you lose your balance. You won't get more than 2GB of data anywhere except with the T-mobile $70 prepaid plan and their $30 plan. A lot of us here are using ST. I am using it with my iPhone 4. No problems, I don't go over 2GB since I never stream stuff. At $45/mo its a great deal.

 

[preslove]

All you people with straight talk: How does it compare to ATT on contract? Some people on other forums say that it's a lot slower, while others say it's just as good.