international iphone usage (help please and thanks)

[Eeks]

use skype?

[Mr. Peanuts]

If you want to unlock the iPhones, use redsn0w. You can download it on the left side of that page.

You must also download the appropriate .IPSW file, which is the iPhone's firmware. Choose a 3.0.1 version, depending on which iPhone model it is.

Before we unlock the iPhone, we must first 'jailbreak' it:

• Upgrade the iPhone firmware in iTunes to 3.0.1 if it isn't already, then run redsn0w.
  
• redsn0w will then ask you to point it to the 3.0.1 IPSW file you downloaded earlier. Select it and redsn0w should then tell you it has been successfully identified.
  
• redsn0w will do its business, then it should give you options about what you want to install; either Cydia or Icy. Icy has never worked well for me, so I recommend only selecting Cydia. Think of Cydia as a medium for distributing all sorts of applications you otherwise cannot get on App Store. Click next.
  
• redsn0w will now give you step-by-step instructions on how to put the device into DFU mode. Don't worry if you get this wrong the first time, you can always try again.
  
• Once the phone is recognised as in DFU mode, redsn0w will work its magic with the iPhone for a few minutes.
  
• The phone should restart itself and you can click Finish.

The iPhone is now jailbroken but not unlocked, you should be able to see a new app called Cydia, which is what you can use to unlock the phone.

To unlock it, follow this guide.

Can you believe that I charge people £20 for that? Shouldn't take long at all, and is a very easy and painless process. I've jailbroken and unlocked countless original iPhones, many iPhone 3Gs and the new iPhone 3GS using this method.

I apologise if this post is confusing in any way, I'm absolutely smoked after being in the gym.

[Rigor]

im pretty sure ATT as an international plan

^^this
My dad bought an ATT plan so he can use his phone when he goes over to the UK, etc.

[Nycle]

I'd have to agree with Eric and Galleleo. If paying the cancellation fee also unlocks the phone, then go with that and buy a sim card over here. International usage is ridiculously expensive, so I'm thinking you'll have earned back the cancellation fee in no time if you'd take into account the costs you would have made if you hadn't unlocked it.

Mobile subscriptions in the Netherlands are vastly cheaper than over there. I recently read somewhere that they are on average actually the cheapest of all developed countries (compare $11 over here vs. $53 over there for an average plan), so that's all the more reason to terminate your contract if possible. The only pitfall I can think of is that American phones generally work on different frequency bands for 3G than European ones, so you might be stuck to regular GSM in terms of speed.

[Jeenyuss]

whatever you do don't listen to galleleo.

[Eric is God]

I don't know much about calling plans, but if your sister plans on passing a lot of data traffic, I'd recommend she just pays the cancellation fee at AT&T (yes I know it's a lot of money) and just signing up for a new contract at a Netherlands carrier (Vodafone, KPN, Orange T-Mobile etc). Jail breaking iPhones is the cheaper way to go but it can have serious consequences if she ever wants to download updates from Apple or use new apps. Apple is doing it's best to ensure as many jail broken iPhones as possible get bricked. One of the many reasons American and European courts are looking into the company's practices and policies.

P.S. I admit that as a RIM employee I hate Apple, but everything I mentioned is true.

[l s]

Skype is probably your best bet.. It's cheaper / user friendly ( for your sister ) / and you wont have to worry about the silly extra charges, it's not as cool as the iphone but who cares?

I'd rather use Skype if I'm going out there, I wouldn't want to pay an extra 25 dollars, on top of what ever other charges they're going to hit me with from the cellular phone providers..

[project dragon]

http://www.skype.com/allfeatures/sub...ubscriptionTab

If they want to call back to the States. $12.95/month to call anywhere in the world.

Or maybe it's the $2.95/month plan for unlimited US/Canada calls. Though I am speculating it says that because I am in Canada. If it works anywhere in the world though this would be a good option.

[Galleleo]

J, I can tell you that if you sis is spending time here, it was waaaaaaaaaaaaaay better to get a Dutch subscription for calling, wherever. I have had an American thing and that is the biggest piece of rip off shit I have ever seen, why the fuck do you have to pay for incoming calls or messages? And why the fuck is it so damn expensive?

For instance, would you get a Vodafone subscription, calling to the us costs you .50 per minute (pre-paid would be more expensive)

For the rest you can always use Skype or that Vonage stuff, but definitely don't stick to an American company and plan.

[Jason]

that's one idea i hadn't looked into but have been meaning to, money.

<3 disp.

[Money]

u could always use vonage, u can get a number to ANY country with vonage, no matter where u live...so ur mom could go get vonage phone ($25) a month and have the phone number set to wherever your sis is going that way when ur sister calls back to the states shes actually calling a local number and wont get charged up the ass for international calls, understand?

[Displaced]

here you go.

http://www.iphonehacks.com/2008/07/jailbreak-3g.html

http://www.iphonehacks.com/unlock_iphone/

[Jason]

jailbreak+unlock it... then you can use whatever you want with it...

a quick google search should yeild more then enough info.

first, hi disp. :]

second, this is exactly what i plan on doing, i'm just being terribly lazy, so i was hoping someone could link me to a very simple, explicit, step-by-step tutorial.

[Jason]

yeah, it's a crazy rip-off.

they want $25/month and then you still end up paying out the ass for calls back to the states. my sister wants to be able to call back over here and talk to my mom without it costing a fortune.

[Money]

im pretty sure ATT as an international plan