# Old Apple iphone 3gs



## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

My father died and he had new iPhone I wanted but sister gave it to or son but she gave me an older Apple *iPhone 3gs*.

But I can not do anything.

Sister said she deleted everything on it.

You turn it on and upper left says *No Service*.

Now I do not gave service or do I want to unless I can get the service for free from some low-income program.

I should say I know nothing about cell phones.

I got old iPod with version 4.2.1 sister gave me about two years ago I love. Love the size and it is used for music and alarms but that is about it because you can't get apps for it and that was why she give it too me.

Like to get this old Apple iPhone 3gs. Reading up on it doing a search I get so much info I do not know what to do.
It has old ATT sim in it.

Without Sim it just says NO Sim card and I can do nothing.

With Sim card in it on.
1. Ask for language and I pick english.
2. Then ask for Country or Region.
3. Wi-Fi Networks comes up and I login.
4. Activating your iPhone

It stops there because I have no phone service.

That is all I can see or get to.

So I do not know what to do.

One thing said phone need to do a Deactivate or Deactivate of SIM Card.
I told my sister and she did not know or wanted to anything but we was very busy cleaning up dads place and having an Estate Sale so I can wait. But I don't think she knows.

What I want to do is use this with free phone service or use all but the phone.

Love any help I can get because it may take weeks or months to get my sister to do anything but I think but don't know for sure she needs to login to iTunes and do an Deactivate.

So like I said I don't know much about this.


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## TonyB25 (Jan 1, 1970)

Maybe this will have some information for you on low-income cell service in California.
http://www.freegovernmentcellphones.net/states/california-government-cell-phone-providers


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## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

Thanks Tony,

I seen that but don't know if phone will work or do I just need a new SIM card from phone company?
I did read ATT used to lock the phones so you could not use another phone company.

Also some of the Free ones will not have service for iPhone.

Also if I get this to work I think Ooma Mobile HD
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ooma-mobile-hd/id663059136?mt=8

As long as I got the right version but I think phone is too old. 
Because I got the Ooma phone at home that I got in 2009 and it cost nothing to use. Just need internet.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ooma-mobile-hd/id663059136?mt=8



> The Ooma Mobile HD app lets Ooma customers make and receive phone calls with any iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. The application transmits the calls over your device's Wi-Fi or 3G/4G/LTE data connection, so you don't need a cellular voice plan or cellular voice service to make and receive phone calls.


Going to take phone into Costco next time I go and talk to them at the phone station they have.

I know it cost for Data plans but would you used data if you do app downloads on the computer and install from iTunes.

I know I got a lot to learn here because something you think is free will cost you if you don't watch out.


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## TonyB25 (Jan 1, 1970)

I don't think you'll be surprised. The plan you sign up for will provide details on what's included. If you sign up for a plan with no data, then you won't be able to use the phone's applications away from WiFi. 

The Ooma application requires an account with their service, and that's not free.


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## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

Well really only apps I may use are ones that scans bar codes and to take pictures when shopping. 

With Ooma I have an account but got a feeling iPhone is too old for the Ooma app. 

I also do not know how much data would be used on phone and if you can keep the data use down by doing downloads on the computer and use iTunes to install apps. 

I seen video that said I can go to any AT&T store and get a blank Sim for free and that will let me get to the iPhone.
That will be where I want to start anyways so I know what all I can do without a phone service.


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## Dogmai (Aug 6, 2015)

Try operating it without the sim card. Just as long as you have WIFI you should be able to connect to an Apple account and upgrade to 6.1.6 which is the latest iOS for the 3GS and then download any apps which are compatible with the 3GS.


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## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

It says this without Sim card.

No SIM Card Installed
Insert a valid SIM with no PIN Lock to Activate iPhone..

If I click the slider it just goes to the same trouble I posted above.
1. Ask for language and I pick english.
2. Then ask for Country or Region.
3. Wi-Fi Networks comes up and I login.
4. Activating your iPhone

So guess you need a SIM card but I want a blank one with no PIN Lock.

Wow if I can upgrade to 6.1.6 that would be great because I see many apps that ask for OS 6 or OS 7 and some OS 5.
The old iPod sister gave me is version 4.2.1 and it's hard to find things you want but that was good because she gave it to me.
I love the size of both of these too.


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## Dogmai (Aug 6, 2015)

But what does it say AFTER NO.4? As far as I know your phone should now be activated, and usable with any WiFi connection, iPhones work without sim cards..
But if you need a sim ANY sim will do, even a 5-10 dollar one, just so you can run with it. If you don't intend to use it to make calls or any other non-internet stuff, just put the cheapest you can find in. 
Yes the 3gs will update to 6.1.6. It's a good idea to connect it with iTunes so that it will do it properly. But after that you're good to go. My gf has one, and there are things she would like but can't get, but until she pays out to upgrade to the iPhone 4 or 5 she's stuck with that. We use iMessage to communicate, so as long as we both have internet connection we are in touch.


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## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

5. Could Not Activate iPhone.

Read some place the older iPhones AT&T would lock them so you had to use them for service. Will it is now Out of contract.

Just the same as you see on the image here.

May like to do things it will not let me but I will still do so much more the the old iPod. Plus the camera. Got a old CoolPix 3.1 camera that takes good pictures and better then the 3GS will but the 3GS is so easy to carry around.

I need to get other old computer fixed up and install iTunes to it again. I hate iTunes so will not put it on this computer.
Had it working but it never ran right with Windows 7 and it made the fans so loud. Then I got the software for the Dell Precision 490 Workstation to put XP Pro back on it but need to get iTunes again. I hook it up to the 27" TV that makes it nice. Was really nice looking when it had Windows 7 but I had to change setting because it was to much for the Graphics card.

http://www.beijingiphonerepair.com/...s-error-caused-by-apple-database-blacklisted/

http://www.beijingiphonerepair.com/news/how-to-unlock-your-att-iphone-for-free-within-24-hours/


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## TonyB25 (Jan 1, 1970)

You need a SIM card to activate it. 
https://support.apple.com/en-ca/HT3406


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## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

Went to Costco but forgot the phone. Anyhow where they sell phones I got a SIM card. He asked what model and gave me the SIM card and it's the wrong card because it's to small. 

So will go back in the morning or afternoon and take phone. Also AT&T place just down the road. Guy said to put the card in and call AT&T so may be faster to go to AT&T.


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## Dogmai (Aug 6, 2015)

The 3 and 3gs take normal size sims. Not micro or nano sims. 
So you need a sim card and iTunes. With iTunes you'll be able to reset it to original and then upgrade to the latest iOS. I never liked windows 7 or vista. I just got windows 10 on my laptop which came with Vista. Works like a dream! 
But my main one is an iMac. Much prefer apple to windows.


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## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

I though it was smaller but he said it was for the 3gs so I took it. I got to return something to Costco so will get a newer SIM card. 

Too bad I can not run without the SIM card and you could not use a memory card in the SIM slot. 

I want it for mostly for music, videos, audio books and ebooks or .pdf viewer to read them. 

My Dell came with Vista Pro but I paid to down grade to XP Pro. I put another drive in to install the Vista Pro and it has some type of memory or CPU trouble. I forget now what it was was but I think maybe the CPU and it was using so much things would not work right. I installed it 3 times. Was nothing but trouble. 

Yea I think next new computer will also be an Apple. 
With all the changes to Windows and software I like that is older I can not just keep using it for ever. Windows has changed so much after XP so I would need to learn more about the OS so may as will learn to use an Apple. 

I got 3 old computer and are XP Home on one and XP Pro on the other. Someone stopped using the Sony after it locked up after Norton AV found something. Was not used in years. I think 2009 was last update. It never had login passwords so I went into it in safe mode and made new account and it all works. I need to work on it more because it had more then one way to do a restore and I was working on it and then stopped. I want to turn it into just a music computer. It is smaller and light so easy to move and you can't hear it running so would be great to put in living room. 

But even with Windows the computers not are so much faster with lots of memory and Graphic cards memory are a whole lot bigger and that really speeds thing up with just those two things but the CPU's keep getting faster too.


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## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

I went to AT&T store up the street and only one guy was in the store and he wanted $10.00 to put card in it. So I took off because card should be free. Went back to Costco and guy says they don't use those SIM any more and did not seem to want to help but only sell. Then I went to another AT&T store and lady was nice and I told her it was sister's and a old iPhone 3gs. She says I need to hook up to iTunes but she was doing something and I look and say I never seen that screen a couple times and then the Home screen comes on. I asked how she do that and what did you do and she said nothing that she did not do anything. Well she did something but said that because she did not want to gave out what can be done. 

So I got this to work now but not sure of the memory size. Says Capacity 6.2 GB, Available 6.0 GB. That is smaller then the iPod that Says Capacity 29.4 GB, Available 624.0 GB and it says on back side of iPod 32 GB.
The iPhone does not say on the iPhone back the size. I think it is just a 8 GB model so this is worse then the iPod. 

Anyhow Costco they had cheap phone service for other phones. Not sure what all you get but apple has great sound. The Samsung 7" table I got is very easy to use because it has memory chip you can put in but it sounds bad. 

But may be best to just get a cheap deal and get a new iPhone. Some plans are about $25.00 a month for two years. Do not know how much more a month it really is after fees and tax. 
I have had to deal with AT&T and Comcast who say a final price and it is always more once you get the bill.


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## TonyB25 (Jan 1, 1970)

If you like iOS, then get an iPod Touch. It works on WiFi and uses all the same apps as an iPhone.


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## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

The iPhone does more still because it has sensors to do other things. So you got apps that use the sensors to do a EKG or things like that.

Guy at church got a iPhone that was Refurbished for one penny and got two of them or three of them. But it is costing a lot each month. They still got great deal on 4G iPhone.


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