[Help] iPhone bricked. Restore impossible: Error (23) - Factory Unlocked,NO jailbreak

[af2k]

Hello Guys,

I'm new here and I came across here thru Google.

Short about my iPhone:
I'm since a lot of time a happy iPhone user. I purchased 1-2 weeks
after the 3GS release one of them, purchased in Italy, factory unlocked. The iPhone was/is not jailbroken, running official Apple Firmware 3.1.2.

What happened:
I have a lot of Apps installed from Appstore. 2 days ago I installed a game, "Kniffel" from German Appstore. I was playing
this game for around 1 hour, then my iPhone displayed a very strange message, something like this:
"iPhone can't make or receive calls. Restore with iTunes"
This message appeared while playing this "new" game.

I continued playing for ~5 minutes, then closed the app.
I saw that the iPhone really has no connection to cellular provider, displaying "No Service". I thought "ok, might be a bug or whatever" and turned off the iPhone, and then turn it on again.

Since that, the iPhone is NOT booting anymore into the "normal" OS. The Apple logo appears and then comes the Screen with the iTunes logo and USB cable and "Emergency Calls only". So looks like activation.

I tried then to connect the iPhone to iTunes. iTunes recognizes the iPhone and then give the error "Can't activate, no SIM inserted or SIM is locked with PIN". It's the same SIM card with what the iPhone all the time got activated. I tried then just so, to make an emergency call. I can't even call emergency. I can enter any number, 112 (Europe) or 911 (USA), but it says "Emergency calls only" like it doesn't recognize the numbers as emergency.

It goes even more crazy. As soon as I click the small i-Button (Info) where the IMEI and ICCID is shown, in both it shows "Unknown".

Okay. I tried to restore with iTunes. Normal restore is impossible so I put the iPhone into DFU mode. iTunes recognizes the iPhone and says "Recovery mode detected. Restore iPhone".
I click restore, iTunes begins to extract the iPhone Firmware IPSW and then waits for the iPhone. After some time, iTunes stops with an Unknown Error, Code 23. Restore with iTunes seems impossible, I tried it so many times.

I thought okay, maybe some jailbreak software could rescue my *** if it gets the system somehow booted up. I used blackra1n for 3.1.2 firmware. Blackra1n puts the iPhone in recovery mode itself, uploads its files and I see also the Blackra1n splash screen. The Software says then "waiting for reboot" of the iPhone, to make the jailbreak. iPhone stucks, then reboots. But not like blackra1n wants it. It goes again to the Connect iTunes mode with Emergency only. Blackra1n not working.

II thought okay, I try maybe redsn0w. Its for 3.0, I know it should make errors (because I have 3.1.2), but I want to see what happens. redsn0w begins, uploads stuff on iPhone, I see the splash screen of redsn0w on the iPhone. And as soon as the iPhone should reboot to go into the process of flashing (patching NOR, etc), it stucks. Exactly in the same moment like blackra1n, as soon as it should reboot to the flash process.

I think iTunes also stucks there. It may upload to the iPhone stuff. But as soon as iTunes wants to reboot the phone for flash process, it hangs.

I am out of ideas what I shall do. I don't live in Italy where I bought the iPhone, and Orange Moldova refuses to send this iPhone to Apple, even that I said I will pay all expenses. They refuse any support and say "Go to Italy". Apple USA also says "Go to Italy where you bought it".

I don't like to have a brick :-(
And even didn't jailbroken it, cracked it or anything else.
My old iPhone 3G (jailbroken) was working for a lot of time, without any problem.

The brand new 3GS is at the moment a brick. I would be so happy
if anyone could give advices, maybe saw such a problem, could help me fixing it or fix it for $.

Thank you.

[funcritter]

Error 23 means there has been a radio failure. The 3G, WiFi, bluetooth radios have all failed and this is why the phone can't come up with the IMEI ICCID numbers. The IPhone needs to be repaired plain and simple and there is no amount of restoring that can fix this.

Make an appointment at the Apple store and they can replace it as long as the phone is under warranty. I went through this error 23 myself back in August. Even the Apple Genius couldn't restore it so I got a new phone.

[af2k]

Hello funcritter,

thank you very much for your post. Yes, what you wrote is logical.

I have now one problem: I don't live in the US.
I live in the Republic of Moldova. Orange Moldova (Apple Partner) refuses to give support, even that I said I will pay for it.

Any suggestion I could try?

[funcritter]

If it's under warranty and you bought the iPhone in the country where you live, you can call Apple and arrange an exchange through them.

[af2k]

Hi again,

as I wrote, the iPhone got bought in Italy and thats because Orange Moldova refuses to exchange/arrange anything. I said I will pay for it, because its from another country. But they still refuse.