Bought an iTouch last week and I've been very very impressed with it, so impressed I now want an iPhone

I currently have a Nokia E71 and a Nokia N95 just sitting about, I was considering flogging these two plus my iTouch 8gb to finance a PAYG iPhone.

Question is can I unlock a PAYG iPhone to work with a 3 sim, to further confuse the situation my 3 sim is actually a re-branded one which comes up as the Gamma network. It's a company sim.

Carphone Warehouse currently have the iPhone 3G (not 3GS) for around £360, good price? Don't want an ebay one as I know how easily these scratch so i'm really after a brand new one

I fell for the same trap :(

I resisted for a year before giving in!

Bought an iTouch last week and I've been very very impressed with it, so impressed I now want an iPhone

I currently have a Nokia E71 and a Nokia N95 just sitting about, I was considering flogging these two plus my iTouch 8gb to finance a PAYG iPhone.

Question is can I unlock a PAYG iPhone to work with a 3 sim, to further confuse the situation my 3 sim is actually a re-branded one which comes up as the Gamma network. It's a company sim.

Carphone Warehouse currently have the iPhone 3G (not 3GS) for around £360, good price? Don't want an ebay one as I know how easily these scratch so i'm really after a brand new one

may be worth waiting a while - O2 have just lost exclusivity (to orange) so prices may change.

Re the unlocking, I seem to remember you can either jailbreak the phone, or buy a piggyback sim that fools the phone

"jailbreaking" the phone is very easy with a bit of free software and takes only a few minutes to do!

Plus you can install 3rd party software etc on it then.

Phil

New firmware means a lot (if not all) of the current jail break tools no longer work.

FWIW, vodaphone, orange and o2 will all have the piephone in the new year, so I'd just wait and see what deals come about.

New firmware means a lot (if not all) of the current jail break tools no longer work.

Ah right... I wonder if there is a way to downgrade then jailbreak with a new firmware. That is the current trick on Android based phones to get "root" access.

Not touch a piephone for some time now so have got out the loop a bit.

Phil

Ah right... I wonder if there is a way to downgrade then jailbreak with a new firmware. That is the current trick on Android based phones to get "root" access.

Not touch a piephone for some time now so have got out the loop a bit.

Phil

IIRC once you're at that firmware level you "can't" downgrade.

I'm sure something will be found if it has not already been, but you have to ask, why bother risking it when the other networks will have it soon.

IIRC once you're at that firmware level you "can't" downgrade.

I'm sure something will be found if it has not already been, but you have to ask, why bother risking it when the other networks will have it soon.

True! I suppose it would only be worth it if it was an older cheap (ish!) one from ebay that you wanted unlocking.

I like the iPhone from the little that I have played with it but then when i think about the practicalities of using it everyday and having to use the on-screen keyboard all the time etc I am really put off.

In my opinion it is all swish fancy-ness that will wear off over time... but I could, of course, be wrong!

I'll stick with my G1 for the time being.

Phil

New firmware means a lot (if not all) of the current jail break tools no longer work.

FWIW, vodaphone, orange and o2 will all have the piephone in the new year, so I'd just wait and see what deals come about.

Each time the firmware gets upgraded the new jailbreak software appears on the net within a few days. Just google whichever firmware version you have and the relevent jailbreak tools will pop up.

Even if all the other phone Companies get the piephone, jailbreaking will still be necessary to get the most out of the phone. Apple have such tight control over the licensing of apps and the percentage they take from sales that they'd never release a totally unchained iPhone, and some ofthe homebrew apps would never be allowed on iTunes.

I have a 3GS after years of Nokia ownership. Can't see a return happening in the near future. And you do actually get used to the touch keys quite quickly. I'm waiting for my contract to expire before experimenting with the breaking of the jail.

If all you like is the touch screen part, then there are better around.

If you want to waste money on gimmicky apps just because you can and it'll impress your mates, then a piephone is the one for you.

As far as touchscreens and menu's go, I reckon the iPhone is one if not the best. Apple's things are just so intuitive. However, and I think I'm perhaps in a similar boat to you, I've had proper Qwerty smart phones for the last four years and having borrowed an iPhone for a few days just couldn't cope with the touch screen for typing. It's great if you just do the odd text and, tbh, actually pretty handy. Start bashing out a few hundred word emails on one though and you soon want to throw it through a window. It's not the phone's fault really as that isn't what it was intended for. That is however what Nokia E phones were so it's no surprise it feels like a come down to me! If I didn't do major email then the iPhone would win hands down as, for day to day use, the combined iPod/phone is brilliant. However, for me, a 160gb iPod and new E71 replacement is going to be the better option.

However, if it's an iPhone you want it's an iPhone you want, I'm just wanting to highlight a potential pitfall that I came across having been in a similar place to you!

jailbreaking will still be necessary to get the most out of the phone.

Just be careful jailbreaking. Theres a story on the net today about a hacker who's been holding iphones ransom in (IIRC) the Netherlands, by scanning for jalibroken iphones with the default root passwords, and hijacking them.

If all you like is the touch screen part, then there are better around.

If you want to waste money on gimmicky apps just because you can and it'll impress your mates, then a piephone is the one for you.

Not at all, the way it works is so much more intuitive than say my E71. If I have the browser open and I want to zoom on a particular web page.

On the iphone you can double tap and it zooms a pre determined amount, put two fingers on the screen and push them apart to zoom exactly how you want.

Alternatively on the E71, Press options twice (if you are full screen) scroll down to zooming with five key presses, press the middle button to open zooming. Scroll to choose 50/75/100/125% choose with the middle button.

Which ones easier?

The screen is huge and a much higher quality than the E71, useful if I want to show customers pictures of the various products we sell.

Yes there are loads of useless apps but try using the eBay app on the Iphone then try the S60 eBay app from Ovi and tell me which one is better.

For texting and sending emails the qwerty keypad is actually bigger on the IPhone than the E71, i've found it very easy to compose messages on the ITouch I have with much fewer wrong key presses than my E71.

Alternatively on the E71, Press options twice (if you are full screen) scroll down to zooming with five key presses, press the middle button to open zooming. Scroll to choose 50/75/100/125% choose with the middle button.

Try using the volume button on the side as you would using the camera. Works fine on my n96

Just to update on an above post about the iphone on orange / vodafone etc....

Orange launch on 10th November but still no date from Vodafone other than it'll be early 2010.

Cheers

Dave.

Well, some kn0bhead couldn't wait and has just bought a iphone 3g from eBay so now I need to know how you fellas who have unlocked your phones did it! There are a lot of sites offering paid for solutions but I have come across a few with different coloured snow mentioned??

In my defence I have saved £100 as long as the chap i'm buying from has been honest about the condition.

Best get my gear eBayed to pay for it!

just bought a iphone 3g from eBay

Oh dear. This may not end well....

Oh dear. This may not end well....

We'll find out in a few days :P

Fingers crossed Dave!

Steve

Do you two know something I don't about IPhones and eBay or something?? :confused::confused:

They can't all be locked, scratched, black listed or don't even turn up surely!

This is the auction I won:

IPHONE - 8GB - 3G - USED on eBay (end time 04-Nov-09 21:36:54 GMT)

Do you two know something I don't about IPhones and eBay or something?? :confused::confused:

Scams, stolen, damaged (claimed damage free) etc etc.

Whilst this happens for most handsets, most drop off a while after launch. Being so in demand, the scammers and thieves have stuck with ebay and the iphone.

If they can keep you at bay for 20 days, getting your cash back isnt easy - even with paypal.

Hence you give it 10 days and then log a paypal dispute.

As much as i love my ipod touch (and beleive me, i use it more than my laptop) i wouldn't want the Iphone. I have a Sony Ericsson C905 (one of the rare ones that haven't broken) and i find its ideal.

Its smaller in my pocket, and less likely to break or scratch. I can expand the memory with memory cards, so i can carry as much music as the iphone.

I can surf the net or google maps.

I can send emails.

I can use GPS.

I can take very good pictures (8mp).

It calls and texts without using as much battery power.

The ONLY advantage i can find the iphone has over my handset is the application list (and i concede its nicer looking).

Before anyone asks if i've tried the Iphone, yes i have. My youngest brother bought an ipod touch after seeing mine, and then bought a sim free iphone 1 week later.

I think its been very well marketed and over hyped, and as a result the whole world is brain washed into wanting one.

Thats my opinion anyway.

I agree, the iPhone can't do things that 5 year old nokias and SE's can, which says a lot.

On my second iphone now - it's the best phone I've ever owned (had a 1st gen 8gb now a 3gs 32gb). As a total package that integrates each function with the other it's great. Plus the apps make it infinitely customisable, so i now have the phone I want, rather than the compromise that the manufacturer thinks will best-fit.

Others might not agree, but it all depends on what you want.

Unlimited data usage on the contract helps. Plus it's all paid for by my business so I get tax relief on the purchase price and also the monthly cost

Enjoy!