Unlocked iPhone w/o Edge, Battery Help!

djabi90 · 07-12-2009, 12:18 AM

Hello everyone, I am new here. So I would like to first start of saying hello!

Ok, so I had an iPhone and upgraded to iPhone 3GS. My sister has AT&T as well but with no data plan. A regular phone. I want to give her my old iPhone. so I put her SIM card in the iPhone and I went to iTunes and it asked me if i wanted a data plan. She doesn't want to pay extra. So, I unlocked and jail broke her iPhone. I also blocked EDGE so she wouldn't get charged for using it. Now the problem is that the phone doesn't last but about an hour. Also, most incoming calls won't go through. Text's and everything else works. Why is this problem?

It is an 8GB iPhone with unlocked and jailbroken 3.0 firmware.

Help will be greatly appreciated!

And i'm glad to be a part of the forums!

Europa · 07-12-2009, 01:42 AM

V1 or 3G? How can calls go through if you are blocking Edge? I don't think you can get around the data plan if you're using a 3G on 3.0 with AT&T. AT&T can tell that you're using an iPhone and they don't allow not having a data plan. She could use a T-Mobile SIM and block data, or get a prepaid T-Mobile SIM (they don't have data), or just pay the data plan on AT&T. I would just restore it since it doesn't need to be unlocked to use AT&T.

Mine had pretty bad battery drain the first week it was unlocked, then the problem went away on it's own or with a Cydia update.

djabi90 · 07-12-2009, 01:47 AM

Originally Posted by Europa

V1 or 3G? How can calls go through if you are blocking Edge? I don't think you can get around the data plan if you're using a 3G on 3.0 with AT&T. AT&T can tell that you're using an iPhone and they don't allow not having a data plan. She could use a T-Mobile SIM and block data, or get a prepaid T-Mobile SIM (they don't have data), or just pay the data plan on AT&T. I would just restore it since it doesn't need to be unlocked to use AT&T.

Mine had pretty bad battery drain the first week it was unlocked, then the problem went away on it's own or with a Cydia update.

V1, first generation iPhone. She has a pay-per-use data plan, but that will be too much. I can make calls with it and text, but not receive incoming calls. and Battery life is horrible. One hour max. I'm blocking EDGE by BossPrefs.

Europa · 07-12-2009, 03:39 AM

Yeah, it will just use GPRS if Edge is turned off. How is the battery life and incoming call reliability with Edge turned on and how is it with your SIM instead of hers?

djabi90 · 07-12-2009, 03:55 AM

Well incoming call realibility with EDGE on is still the same. Call doesn't go through. Battery dies right away when it hits 20%. It shuts off when it hits 20%. With my SIM, is perfect.

Here is the weird part. You know that buzzing noise your speakers makes when the phone is getting signal? With my SIM card it does it but for a couple seconds. With my sisters SIM it does it non-stop as if it were trying to get something.

*edit
I just noticed phone gets hot to.

Europa · 07-12-2009, 04:29 AM

GSM interference. The interference with mine was horrible when I first got the SIM a couple weeks ago, the battery life was really bad as well. I pretty much just kept it in airplane mode for a week. Now the GSM interference is gone (except when I'm dialing and only if the phone is within inches of the speakers) I don't need to keep it in airplane mode anymore, and the battery life is excellent. I don't know if they (Bad GSM interfence and poor battery life) are related, but it's an interesting coincidence. I really think it was a Cydia update that fixed the two issues. Try doing all the Cydia updates if you haven't already.

How hot? Very warm or uncomfortable hot? Is it like that in standby or just during use?

bass_lover1 · 07-12-2009, 10:40 PM

Originally Posted by Europa

V1 or 3G? How can calls go through if you are blocking Edge? I don't think you can get around the data plan if you're using a 3G on 3.0 with AT&T. AT&T can tell that you're using an iPhone and they don't allow not having a data plan. She could use a T-Mobile SIM and block data, or get a prepaid T-Mobile SIM (they don't have data), or just pay the data plan on AT&T. I would just restore it since it doesn't need to be unlocked to use AT&T.

Mine had pretty bad battery drain the first week it was unlocked, then the problem went away on it's own or with a Cydia update.

You can use any iPhone without a data package. Let me explain this, yes AT&T can tell you're using an iPhone, but no they cannot add the data plan on, because you didn't sign an iPhone contract. You are required to have the data IF you bought the iPhone from AT&T, it is part of the contract, but they can't force you to do it if you're using an unlocked iPhone but still on their network.

I know this, because even AT&T can't add a feature if your IMEI numbers do not match, so as long as you don't update that on AT&T's end, then they can't ever force you to have the data plan. I know all of this because I was using a V1 iPhone on AT&T with no data plan, mine was unlocked.

Your battery drain is due to your phone searching like crazy for reception. Try this, turn the Edge block OFF, swap back to the old phone and use it a few times. Send some texts, make some calls, whatever. This will update AT&T's phone snooper thing to see that you are using the old phone. Go into your account and turn off any data plan, even the pay as you go, or call up AT&T and tell them you don't even want to use the pay as you go, nothing at all.

Swap back over to the iPhone and you should be golden. You wont have the E icon on the top bar, but it will still use Edge for cell network, and that should fix the searching issue along with your battery drain.