Urgent Attention about buying an iPhone

[MystikalDesigns]

This may not even be the right place to ask this type of question but this is pretty much what I want to ask. I have an Ebay item I would like to place a bid on but I am not sure if it will be good for me. The item is :

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-8GB-Apple-...QQcmdZViewItem

I want to know if "ACTIVATED/JAILBREAK" on 1.1.2 will enable me to use ANY sim card on the iPhone? I really need to know if "VIRGIN" will work on on this iPhone. I have asked the seller but he says he was unsure and directed me here, I would VERY much appreciate if someone could help me

[redcard]

Looks like it's a 1.1.2 phone that can't yet be unlocked

[MystikalDesigns]

Looks like it's a 1.1.2 phone that can't yet be unlocked

Are you sure? I have seen on Ebay a lot of 1.1.2 iPhone's saying unlocked but only to O2 (Pay as you go or Contract) and Tesco sim cards... Also, I have seen on Ebay.com that there are auctions for 1.1.2 iPhone's with installer.app already in and it being fully unlocked..

[Eurisko]

There's 1.1.2 phones which were upgraded from an earlier version (these can be unlocked) and there's 1.1.2 phone out of the box (which can't be unlocked). Make sure you know which one you're buying.

[MystikalDesigns]

Ok I asked the seller and he said this :

"Won't work on any simcard... it's a 1.1.2 phone out of the box, but with the upgrades of being activated (so you don't have to sign a long term contract on a network where they work and can download a lot more applications than what you're restricted to by the phone company) and jailbreak is running.... almost no one has the 1.1.2 upgrade phones anymore... those are 1.1.1 that were upgraded - pretty much not available now. I'd suggest finding out specifically if these will work on O2 if that's what you need (which I believe they will)."

I'm still not sure wether I am able to use this on an O2 or Virgin simcard as a Pay as You Go..

P.S. I believe it is from America..

[redcard]

If it's from the US it will only work on AT+T
If it was UK, then, yeah, it would work on all o2 or Tesco sims

EDIT: If you're gonna pay £290 for one, you're as well getting one from the iphone store for £265 and using that on o2 / Tesco

[MystikalDesigns]

I don't want the contract - that's the problem.

[redcard]

You don't need the contract. You go to the apple store, buy an iphone, go home and use the guides here to activate and jailbreak it. No contract required!

[MystikalDesigns]

You don't need the contract. You go to the apple store, buy an iphone, go home and use the guides here to activate and jailbreak it. No contract required!

Ok, so I go to :

http://store.apple.com/Apple/WebObje.../family/iphone

And buy the iPhone. This won't automatically give me the O2 contract?

After which, I come here again to activate it and jailbreak it so it can work on an O2 sim Pay as you Go?

Couldn't I just come here and downgrade to 1.1.1 or isn't that possible yet?

[redcard]

You only sign up for the contract through itunes, so you won't get the contract

You can downgrade to 1.1.1, but can still only use o2 / Tesco sims, as it is the bootloader that is restricting access to the unlock, not the firmware. So until the bootloader can be hacked, there is no way to fully unlock no matter if you downgrade or not.

You could port your Virgin number to your o2 sim if you want to keep the same number, but I remember Virgin to be terribly expensive for web browsing and stuff, so I wouldn't recommend using a Virgin sim on the iphone.

Also, there were problems getting GPRS / EDGE to work on o2 PAYG sims, though this was before the iphone was released here. Not sure if it's possible yet on PAYG.

o2 does a simplicity month-to-month sim for only £22.50 - 200mins and 400 texts, plus unlimited browsing

[MystikalDesigns]

So you're saying I can get the iPhone for £270 in the UK, get it home and without going on iTunes go straight here to follow guides on how to activate and jailbreak my iPhone? Then I have the possibility of using an O2 sim card on Pay as You Go?

I don't really mind not using my Virgin sim card, just as long as it's unlocked and DEFINATELY able to use on a PAYG O2 sim card.

Also, I am sort of experienced with all this technical stuff to a certain point... do you think I would find it easy or difficult to activate and jailbreak?

[MystikalDesigns]

..

[redcard]

It's moderately easy to to jailbreak and activate. Read through the guides here, and maybe check the guides on hackint0sh.org

You would definitely be able to use an o2 sim, i'm just not sure if internet would work on PAYG as it didn't with my US phone

[MystikalDesigns]

How about the program "iDemocracy"? Will that help me out?

[redcard]

Probably, but i don't like it much so never really used it

Here's a decent guide with images - http://www.iclarified.com/entry/index.php?enid=461

All the files / programs should be available for download on here

[MystikalDesigns]

Wow thank you However, are these the instructions I need? It says I need to downgrade to 1.1.1 first then go through the procedure? Is that what I will have to do? Also, I thought you can only downgrade or upgrade with the original sim you got with the iPhone? Considering I won't get one with my if I get it from the Apple Store, will I still be ok with the procedure?

[redcard]

You will get the original sim when you buy the iphone, but I don't think it matters what sim is in the phone when you activate / jailbreak, but maybe safer to use the sim you're gonna be using

You need to follow ALL the instructions on that page, downgrading to 1.1.1 is mandatory