Iphone 3GS 32GB on T-mobile

I've had a few iphones, and am familiar with the unlocking/jailbreaking process to get them to work on T-Mobile. Although, before you jailbreak and unlock, it is wise to do your homework on which firmware and baseband versions you have installed on your device.

So it looks like I have Version 4.3.2 (8H7) for my iOS firmware, and Modem Firmware of 05.16.02. I'll post my research and findings here.

I updated my baseband to a strange version, the iPad baseband 06.15.00, because supposedly that was unlockable -- I have not had any luck yet. It is jailbroken so I can at least use it as a 32GB 'iTouch' on wifi for now.

Update: I ended up using a variety of iphone tools, to end up installing a custom version of iOs 4.1 (8B117). If you are attempting to jailbreak/unlock for the first time -- read up. The amount of knowledge and posts out there is overwhelming, especially as much of it is opinion and personal recommendations....

The utilities you should have handy:

Pen + Paper: write down your phones Version (iOS), Modem Firmware (baseband), Serial number may also come in handy.

iTunes - create a backup of your iphone today. Backup your contacts, anything of importance. Get familiar and comfortable erasing your iphone with an official Apple 'stock' firmware, and then restoring your backups. Firmware can be chosen instead of auto-upgraded to latest and greatest -- learn how to do this (Shift+Restore/Option+Restore). If you upgrade to 'latest + greateast' you could be shutting yourself out from unlocking/jailbreaking...

TinyUmbrella- learn about and create backups with this tool

iClarified - great website for tutorials and stock firmware

iphone-dev.org - learn about and possibly get redsn0w and pwnage, note that versions work well with firmwares from around that timeframes

Archive the utilities and firmware versions you used for later reference and use.

time to try an iphone, yet?

Two years ago I wrote about the I-phone, noting that Apple is a smartly run business and while they could have included more features in the original I-phones that were already standard in other smart phones but they opted to hold off – and milk more money off of the market before releasing ‘new’ features. 2009 and the I-phone finally includes copy and paste and a2dp bluetooth wireless music – two features that I really take advantage of and am glad to see have made their way into I-phone’s OS v 3.0.

So what other features of my k790a have I grown to love and would find it hard to live without?
#1) Sync with Google Calendar / native calendar application
#2) Yahoo Mail / Contact sync
#3) Google Maps
#4) RSS feed reader
#5) Java Applications / Opera browser / Shozu Flickr uploader

I believe I should be able to do most of these things with the I-phone, although if I will be able to do it on T-mobile’s network paying only 5.99$ per month remains a question to be answered. I also believe the I-phones camera to be sub-par to my two year old Sony Cybershot camera phone, but perhaps the fact that pictures are geo-tagged with gps data may be fun to play with. I do wirelessly tether my laptop, and enjoy speeds fast enough for web-browsing and email, and I think that should be posssible with a jailbroken device. I like that the I-phone accepts a standard 3.5mm headphone jack, although still wish it would have a now near-standard mini-usb jack for data connectivity and charging.

I would like to wirelessly stream music from my collection at home, a feat which was barely successful through the k790a with MFRadio and SlimServer. I would like to run on T-mobiles network, and any GSM network while overseas travelling. I find it hard to believe that MMS picture messages were not supported in earlier I-phone OS versions. It also seems strange that Bluetooth or WiFi file-transfers are not supported out of box, but require hacks to perform. Lastly non-removable batteries, and non-expandable memory card slots are also features which I would like to have seen – but back to my first point, that limitation is just a business decision of planned obsolescence and forcing you the lucky Apple customer to get the latest and greatest device within a few years time.

So, is it time to at least give it a try? For 99$ or maybe even less used -- it's a compelling question.