think i found my first fully bricked iphone (V1)

[PepeRB29]

so my friend in canada was telling me about how she bricked her iphone. i have jailbroken and fixed many iphones so i told her to send it to me and i would take a look at it. so i got it today and it is pretty bricked lol.

she said one day she got a call and the person couldn't hear her, so she had to use her ear piece. then the iphone wouldn't turn off and wouldn't charge either. eventually it ran out of battery and she tried to restore it but when she plugs it in it says the "device is drawing too much power and the usb port will be disabled" which is exactly what it said when i plugged it into my macbook pro.

it is currently running 2.2 firmware jailbroken using quickpwn. it was never restored and it won't respond to a soft reset, holding the home or power buttons for 10+ seconds each, and i can't put it into dfu mode because the comp won't recognize it due to the "drawing too much power" issue.

so i'm gonna charge it tonight and see if that would help anything, anyone else have any ideas?

[kenneth]

weird. I will be watching this thread and see what happens.

[PepeRB29]

yah i'm gonna figure this out one way or another, if anyone has any ideas post them up, if not i guess i'll have to formulate a solution on my own.

[Saverino]

I don't have a solution, but that's really odd... I've never heard of the "drawing too much power" issue before...

[acosmichippo]

if charging it doesn't help, i would then try draining it.

[andyveale]

if charging it doesn't help, i would then try draining it.
Well if it won't charge, then it's probably already drained (or close to it), right?

[PepeRB29]

yah i'm assuming it is completely drained as this happened a couple weeks ago and she has since got a 3g. she couldn't charge it so it eventually died. i'm charging it right now (got no response when i plugged it in) for the night, and will give it a whirl on a couple different computers tomorrow. i am confident if i can get by this "device is drawing too much power...." issue then i can fix it, but that is the first hurdle.

[PepeRB29]

so i did some googling and was able to discover this (imagine that lol)

Good day,

About three weeks ago, my (jailbroken) iPhone - which then still had firmware 1.1.4 - lost almost all its charge and "died". It looked impossible to get it charged, the red battery icon was the only thing it showed. Only thanks to a tip from another forum I managed to "revive" the phone: I left it connected to the wall charger for 9 hours, then switched it on simulating a DFU-restore.

I then did a complete re-install of the iPhone's software (did it twice just to be sure) upgrading / pwnaging it to 2.0 and subsequently to 2.01 which is on the phone now.

Starting last week, occasionally when I want to sync or to simply load the battery of my 2G iPhone (now with pwnaged firmware 2.01), my MacBook Pro answers with the message "A usb device is currently drawing too much power" and then disables the port. I eliminated the doubt it could be a hardware problem, using three different USB cables and four different Macs: the problem presents itself everywhere.
Interestingly, 2 out of 10 times I am successful when I connect the iPhone via USB to the MacBook, eg right now it is charging and I did a sync.

I think the two events are somewhat connected. Apple Phone support says the event is "strange" but since the phone occasionally works, it is impossible to get the phone changed.

I would appreciate any idea about this. Is this a hardware problem or a software or firmware thing? Or something else entirely?

Thanks very much!

so basically what i'm gonna do is charge it for 9 hours then try to get it past the "usb device is drawing too much power" so i can restore it (it is still currently jailbroken). then if i can restore it, as this is apparently a known defect for V1 iphones i'm gonna take it into an apple store and see if they will swap it out for me or something of that sort (not sure if they still do V1 swaps).

if it doesn't work, i'll prolly still take it in to the genius bar and hopefully they can't get it to turn on (and see that it is jailbroken) and will replace it for me since it is only like 7 months old. i will keep this post updated in case anyone encounters this same issue so it can be a possible solution. so far i have NOT found a fix for this issue as it seems to be a hardware defect with V1's.

stay tuned

[acosmichippo]

Apple Phone support says the event is "strange" but since the phone occasionally works, it is impossible to get the phone changed.

now that is just ridiculous.

[PepeRB29]

yah thats what i thought. i've dealt with apple folks before and as long as the pineapple logo doesn't come up i'm quite confident i can get it switched out. i sometimes think i should be doing my PhD in bull**** instead of economics :)

[acosmichippo]

if my iphone "occasionally" worked and it wasn't replaced, it would "occasionally" get thrown at the geniuses that told me that.

[PepeRB29]

hahaha you are my kind of people

[drumthrasher109]

Maybe the battery is just completely dead?

[PepeRB29]

well if thats the case, wouldn't apple need to replace it given that it is 7 months old and still under factory warranty?

also, i highly doubt this as the problems before did not really indicate a dead battery.

[acosmichippo]

if it's under warranty, i wouldn't even mess with it. Just take it in, and if they can't get it working within the 15-minute reservation time, they'd better replace it.

[PepeRB29]

yah but if i can get it to turn on i would like to restore it so if they are able to get it turned on the damn pineapple logo doesn't pop up and axe my chance of getting it replaced. i have an appt for 1 pm on fri afternoon, we'll see what happens.

[iNinja]

any update on this?

[PepeRB29]

headin to the apple store in a little bit, my appt time is for 1 pm eastern so i will post up and let you guys know what they say. i tried charging it for a long time and then connecting it using different methods and still no response. this phone is bricked imo, so hopefully apple doesn't have any tricks up their sleeves to get it to turn on and see the pineapple logo. once i'm out the door with a new one for my friend they can do whatever they want with it :)

[PepeRB29]

so just got back from the apple store, this is how it went down.

i basically told the guy at the genius bar that this was my gf's iphone and she is a traveling nurse and is all over the place so she doesnt have time or the know how to fix an iphone, so thats why i'm taking care of it for her. told him basically what happened, he plugged it in and got the same thing. had a really confused look on his face and started using a little light to look at all the openings, ports and stuff like that on phone for water damage. finally he determined that there was no such damage and then looked up the serial number. realized it was still under warranty and told me apple would take care of it. i told him there was no sim in it because my gf took it out and put it in a boost phone because she needs a phone and he said thats fine but they need an iphone sim in order to give me a new 3g because they can't give them out without activation. he said once i get the sim i can take it into any apple store and they will swap it out for me with a new one given i have the data plan and contract (he entered notes into the computer system).

so this is where the hurdle is. she doesn't have an AT&T sim for it as she used it on rogers in canada, so basically i need to find an iphone sim card that is still active. does anyone think i could just pop mine or my sisters sim in it? they are both 3g sims so i'm thinking that would not work unless i made up a story about how she decided to change her contract. or i could just say she doesnt want a 3g and see if they give me any other options like a refund (she already bought a 3g and is using it through AT&T now)?

i dunno i gotta think this over for a bit and figure out my plan of action. i'm sure this can work, just gotta figure out the proper steps. if anyone has any ideas throw them out there. ill keep this thread updated.

[acosmichippo]

so she purchased it in the US and uses it in Canada?

[PepeRB29]

the V1 she did, the 3g she bought she uses on AT&T with a contract since there was no way she could get one without activating it.

[acosmichippo]

and which one is broken?

[PepeRB29]

the V1 is broken. basically if i can get another 3g i am going to unlock it and sell it on ebay for a hefty profit. they said they would replace it with the 3g since it is still under warranty and they don't deal with the V1's anymore unless it is a repair. i wonder if i just went in and told them that she doesn't have the sim anymore as she switched carriers after this one went out what they would do? i would highly doubt that the 1 year warranty on this phone would be void if she no longer had AT&T. i know that is basically what they are trying to do, but under terms of the purchase, they have to honor the warranty in some way don't they?

[acosmichippo]

that's what is confusing me... they're replacing it with a 3g?

jeez, i might try to get mine replaced, if that's the case.

[PepeRB29]

yah, the guy said since they no longer sell the original iphones the warranty is honored and replaced with their current model, unless it is a repair (which is most likely a hardware issue that is caused by damage by us). i might have to dig through the small print and see what i can interpret about warranty.

[acosmichippo]

interesting...

http://tech.blorge.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/simpsons-schip-page-not-a-hack-say-republicans-mr-burns.jpg

[PepeRB29]

so i'm trying to figure this out, i might end up just calling apple and asking what my options are.

i have a V1 iphone that is broken and will be covered under warranty
i need to provide a sim card for an iphone plan to get a 3g or sign up for a new contract
could i just put my current 3g sim in there and take it in and have that work to show i have a contract?

this should be interesting, any ideas would be great.

[shutter13]

Did the V1s have a 3G sim? If not putting your 3g sim in it isn't going to prove what they want it to.

Here is an option...sign up for a new contract, add a line to yours, will cost you 30 for data plan and 10 for the additional line + an activation fee, maybe. Sell the phone on ebay, and after 30 days, you can terminate the contract, cost you 175 in ETF.

So you are out 175 + 10 + 30 and maybe an activation fee. So somewhere between 215 and 250. Figure you sell the 3G on ebay for 600-700 bucks, you still got a very nice profit.

[PepeRB29]

^good point

to note though the sim's in the V1 and 3g look exactly the same, however i'm not sure how in depth they would go in looking at the plan (when it was activated, if its on a 3g i currently own, etc) or if they would just say "ok he has a sim we'll give him a new 3g because of the warranty"

[kenneth]

a 3g for 600 or 700 on eBay? Have you looked at what they ate selling for? Lucky to get 450.

[PepeRB29]

i just looked, unlocked 3g's are goin for 6-700 easy

[MrEous]

the V1 she did, the 3g she bought she uses on AT&T with a contract since there was no way she could get one without activating it.
She should just go ahead and take the current 3g sim out of her current 3g and take that to Apple to get a new 3g. Then sell the old 3g?

[PepeRB29]

well i've been thinking about this lately, and i think i've come up with a pretty safe plan. i might call apple customer service tomorrow and run it by them and see what they say, but i don't see any reason why it wouldn't work.

basically to sum it up, the problem is this:
i have a V1 iphone under warranty that they will replace with a 3g.
in order for them to give me a 3g, i have to have a valid iphone contract.

so, what i'm going to do is take my 3g sim in with the V1 phone, and tell them that my gf had this phone, it broke, she went out and got a 3g and didn't think this one was fixable. so i took a look at it, realized it was still under warranty, and in the meantime i dropped my 3g and it broke. so i have my 3g sim with a phone that is under warranty, so there is no need for me to sign up for a new contract.

i won't even bring that story up unless they ask me why i have a 3g sim with the V1 phone, but seems pretty foolproof to me. if anyone can see any holes in this let me know. i mean they have to value the warranty, and the only thing that is stopping it is the fact that i have to have a 3g contract.

[Petar]

That story is too elaborate and not believable. I doubt they would honor her warranty on your iPhone. But i guess its worth a try.

[PepeRB29]

^how can they not honor the warranty though? they said i have to have a iphone plan and bring the sim card in, thats exactly what i'm doing, they can't not honor a warranty because i already have the plan and my iphone broke...

[itrocks4u]

Quick questions:

1) How did she get the iphone? Under her name? Cause if that's the case, why would they just replace it to you even if you're doing it on behalf of your gf. Wouldn't they think its a stolen phone that you got your hands on?

2) Your story is not convincing.

3) Why doesn't she or any female you know call Apple customer support, tell 'em she can't come in the store but she wants to send it for repair. then just send it to apple and see what they do?

Sorry, I might be way off, but I know in Canada, its impossible to take the phone in on behalf of your friend and get a new one.

[PepeRB29]

1) she bought it online from apple and never activated it, unlocked it and used it on rogers in canada. it doesn't matter who i am, the phone is still under warranty. they can't accuse me of stealing it, for all they know i could have bought it off someone, that doesn't void the warranty.

2) so what story would you come up with? i see it as a perfectly possible situation.

3) i don't want to send it for repair, i want to get a 3g, which the apple genius told me they would replace it with because it is still under warranty.

so in canada, if you sell an iphone or give it to someone as a gift that automatically voids the warranty?

[dito]

i was just having a similar problem where no computer would recognize my 3g, even though it was showing the "connect to itunes" graphic. Did you try, turn off phone, close itunes, disconnect sync cable from pc, hold home button (keep holding), connect sync cable to pc, open itunes while still holding home button. (I got this info from another thread). It worked for me, forced it into DFU or recovery mode (can't remember), but was finally able to restore after hours of the phone cycling through resets. I hope it works.?

What do you think would happen if you told them you just plain and simple lost the SIM card?

[PepeRB29]

^at this point i'm really not interested in getting the iphone to work. i took it in and the genius looked at it and strait up told me (and left notes on the computer system) that it is under warranty and will be replaced with a 3g when i bring it in with a valid sim card with an AT&T plan (obviously). so that is where i'm at now. i'm wondering what they would do if i didn't have a sim card as i do not believe it states anywhere that the warranty is only valid if i have a valid contract......??

[m0ckduck]

So, just to confirm: you never got any information about the cause of the 'device is drawing too much power' issue, did you? My V1 phone just started manifesting the same (highly annoying) behavior.

Thanks.

[PepeRB29]

^it is a hardware failure with the original iphones. if you got it less than a year ago take it in ASAP and you will get a new 3g to replace it, if it is out of warranty you are pretty much SOL.

i called and talked to an apple service rep the other day. told them basically the exact story from post 33 and they said there would be no problem with that as the warranty is honored regardless, but they have to have an AT&T iPhone sim in order for them to give away a new 3g or else they could get in serious trouble.

[Nemss316]

My guess is since the apple "genius" added notes on the account, as long as an active SIM is in place, you shouldn't have any issues getting a replacement phone.

They can't verify the SIM anyway, since the phone will not turn on at all.

The only issue I see arising is if they pop your SIM out of the broken phone, and put it in your replacement 3G, and check the information on the SIM. I'm not sure though if you can actually check the information on the SIM (who the SIM belongs to, etc. when the SIM was activated, compared to the Serial # on the phone). The "genius" most likely added the notes stating to verify an active SIM is in place.
Good luck!

[PepeRB29]

so i got around to taking the broken iphone in, talked with the genius for a bit, gave him my sim card, and he unfortunately gave me a V1 iphone (16gb) as a replacement. still not a bad deal but i was hoping to get the 3g to cash in :)

anyways, like nemss said, when i put my sim card in the phone (so i can jailbreak and unlock) it wants me to register and set it up as a new line (i already have a line). so if anyone has done this before post up what you have found working, and if i figure it out before then i will post it up as well for future reference.

[PepeRB29]

well i figured it out, i just had to guess which firmware it was running (i have multiple versions of quickpwn on my macbook pro) and just opened it, they ran the test, told me if it was good or not, then i ran quickpwn and it activated it with no sim in it. so now i have a free iphone ready to put on the open market :)

[kenneth]

Sweet. I was really curios to see if you ever figured this out.