iPhone 3GS-Jailbreak-Unlock-Tether-etc

I mentioned before that I find the iPod a very handy device, and with the ability to tether it to my Sprint phone...it is just short of an iPhone in functionality.

But, no camera, no compass/gps, and mine had little memory.

So I got a 16GB 3GS from a friend who upgraded to an Android phone.

He is a trusting person...he sent me the phone will all of his info on it still.

I thought it was Jailbroken and unlocked...but wasn't sure. There is a ton of info out on the internets, and it gets confusing fast...I found three websites that seemed the most useful.

Redmond Pie .com has tons of guides etc on all the aspects of Jailbreaking and Unlocking...so much in fact that it is difficult to wade through.

Mod My i .com has a lot of data also...again so much it is hard to find what you want.

I h8 sn0w .com is a nice site with some helpful utilities. Including one that lets you see the status of your iPhone...and if it can be unlocked or jailbroken.

Here is where it gets confusing...and what buzz words to look for.

All the latest i devices can use iOS4 and most of the variations...some guides and tutorials are for the iPhone 4...not just any device running iOS4.

The 3GS had two versions of bootrom (old and new). Here is an explanation of how to find it...mine is the older and apparently more desireable version.

iOS4.0.1 is the last one that has an (easily) unlockable phone (the phone info calls it "Modem Firmware"-in Settings-General-About) the forums call it Baseband 05.13.04

iOS4.0.1 is also Jailbreakable by going to the website Jailbreakme.com with your iPhone's browser, and 'sliding to jailbreak'.

Once you have the phone Jailbroken, you can go to Cydia and install Ultrasn0w. Poof, phone is unlocked.


Now things get difficult moving up to the later releases of iOS. You want an untethered Jailbreak and keep Baseband 5.13.04.



The only thing additional I did was a restore to clear out the phone and put a fresh install of iOS4.0.1 on.
-First I had to download a version of iOS4.0.1 (Apple supplies it, Redmondpie has links for all versions for all devices.
-Second, I selected the device in iTunes and held the SHIFT key (windows version) while clicking on RESTORE in iTunes.
--that popped up a file browser window, and I selected the 4.0.1 I had downloaded earlier.
The program chugged a way for a bit, and rebooted the phone to a clean 4.0.1.

If you don't push the shift key, and select an iOS, the program will default to loading the newest version...and then you are in trouble.


I will have to update mine eventually...but for now it all works just fine.