Mac Discussion

I'm in the U.S. and currently using an iPhone 2G on T-Mobile. It was unlocked and jailbroken when I got it, and works perfectly on T-Mobile.

I have a friend in Japan who can get a 3GS iPhone for a good price. Are there any hardware differences between the Japanese and U.S. versions? Are there any limiting software issues (I had read something about the baseband firmware)? Can it easily be unlocked and jailbroken to be used in the U.S. with T-Mobile? Any issues with using 2G since iPhones on T-Mobile can't use the 3G network?

Thanks for the help.

You might be better off asking this question on a dedicated phone forum, but I'll try from what I know from unlocking my own phone for use in China.

It depends on the baseband and who you get to help you. The hardware seems identical:

[store.apple.com]
[www.apple.com]

However, as I understand it, Japanese iPhones are also locked to their carrier (Softbank), just as US iPhones are locked to AT&T. Therefore, you'd have to unlock it first before you could use it here. Whether you can unlock it depends on the baseband, as you mention. Firmware update 3.1 included an updated baseband that is very difficult if not impossible to unlock. Firmwares up to and including 3.0.1 can be easily unlocked using free programs available on the internet.

If the phone is already unlocked (not for use on any particular carrier), then you'll be in good shape.

So it depends on what firmware the phone is running, and who you get to help you.

reference:
[forums.wireless.att.com]
[answers.yahoo.com]

Thanks for the detailed reply. As long as the hardware is identical, I think I'm good. I just read that they came out with a new hack to unlock and jailbreak the most current iphones with the 3.1.2 firmware a few days ago.

Unlocking 3.1.2 with base band 5.11 instructions can be found at [blog.iphone-dev.org]

The Japanese (and Koreans) use a mobile phone system which is not compatible with the rest of the world. I'd check on this carefully before getting a Japanese phone to use in the U.S. There is no GSM network in Japan.

[www.japan-guide.com]
Quote:

The majority of Japanese phones will not work overseas due to network differences; however, there are phones available that can operate on 3G and GSM networks (only in certain countries) with the appropriate international roaming plans, although while overseas some of their advanced functions will likely not work.

Generally speaking it is not possible to use a Japanese phone with a foreign service provider because most do not use SIM cards and the few that do are locked and are difficult (if not impossible) to unlock. Also, Japanese phones are designed at a hardware and software level to work with only a particular service provider. As a result they are not interchangeable even between Japanese service providers.

Good luck.

- Winston

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Be seeing you.

This thread indicates that Japanese iPhones can roam in the US:
[www.mobileinjapan.com]

However I'd still check carefully before getting one to use in the US. The Japanese phone must have what amounts to a whole additional radio in it to work on the Softbank system. Was something else left out that you'd get in a US model?


- W

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Be seeing you.

Winston- I had heard that Japan doesn't use GSM either, but the Apple specs for the Japanese iPhone say:

携帯電話 / ワイヤレス通信方式
* UMTS/HSDPA (850、1900、2100MHz)
* GSM/EDGE (850、900、1800、1900MHz)
* Wi-Fi (802.11b/g)
* Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR

That sure looks like it covers it. Kudos to Apple for including all that (unlike in China...).

Then there is the unlocking.

Fuzz - If you get one please report back what happened!


- W

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Be seeing you.

While we're on the topic, and both of you seem pretty well-informed, has anyone unlocked an Edge (2g) iphone 3.1.2 using the new method with Blackra1n and bootneuter? Is there any advantage over just using a custom ispw with the old baseband?

I have not unlocked an iPhone, although we have my wife's old 2g just sitting around...


- W

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Be seeing you.

If you feel like getting rid of it I'll take it off your hands.