My friend, Randy, bought a year-old, open-line iPhone from Hong Kong.
He was using it with a Globe SIM card in the Philippines.
One night, Randy was synching his iPhone with his iTunes when he was prompted that a new firmware upgrade is available. So Randy eagerly let iTunes to update his iPhones firmware fro 1.1.4 to 2.2.0.
Big Mistake.
After the reboot, he was shocked to see a message like this:
Even more shocked when he realized that his iPhone has “locked” and could only access the emrgency numbers.
So we called our phone unlocking expert, Roland, for assistance.
Roland sent us to iClarified website where the instruction how to unlock the iphone is found.
After downloading all the necessary files, we proceeded to follow the instructions. But the same message at the top is shown, and the “Restore” window does not appear as indicated in the instructions. Randy insisted that there was no SIM card in the iPhone.
I tried the QuickPwn and followed the procedure, but still no success.
Randy was about to decide to buy a 19$ software from the internet to unlock his iPhone. And i could not really get the “Restore” window to show.
The next day, Randy finally “remembered” the Globe SIM card was still inside the iPhone. Whew!
After removing the SIM card, we opened iTunes again. A new error showed in iTunes.
Unable to see the “Restore” option, i decided to jump to the QuickPwn again and follow the “press Home-Power-Home button” isntruction.
This time around, the Jailbreak succeeded. 
Well, suffice it to say, the instructions from iClarified.com did work.
And Randy got his iPhone back, minus all the applications and media files in it.
So, again, if you want to try to unlock your iPhone by yourself, just go to the this website and “follow” the instructions.
And please, make sure you remove the SIM card.
http://www.iclarified.com/entry/index.php?enid=1881
Good luck..
February 27, 2010 at 12:25 am
My ipod touch 1G is a important iPod, Pda and far more, plus has has been since I bought it. It continues to run the recent iPod system software program, and any application I need it to run. I’m working with it to leave this remark right now. I’d personally say it is really a lot more in comparison with just an “excellent hobbyist system” — you’ll find it an fantastic iPod
May 19, 2010 at 3:01 pm
hey so the morale of the story is that you cannot upgrade the firmware of the iphone???
right???
Please reply………
I mean if i purchase locked iphone from usa (locked on at & t)
So firmware update fails and iphone locks itself….
So for these phones we need to stick to original firmware comes along with the phone….
Guys please reply I am about to purchase at&t locked iphone 3gs 32gb from USA…..
thanx in advace…..
May 20, 2010 at 7:28 pm
of course you can upgrade the firmware.
but leave it to the experts to upgrade you unlock iphone.
and then, once upgraded, the iTunes should also have been upgraded. If later Iphone tells you there is an upgrade for iTunes — DO NOT UPGRADE iTunes…
May 28, 2010 at 9:45 pm
I have upgraded iphone frameware and not my iphone is locked after updates. it is not accepting my SIM and only giving to dail emergency numbers. iphone is showing only itune and usb symbol on iphone screen.
please help me.
Thanks
May 30, 2010 at 6:39 pm
you have to download BlackSn0w jailbreak softwares (search google) to jailbreak again.
and next time, do not upgrade firmware thru iTunes. Update through Blacksnow provider.
November 26, 2010 at 3:52 pm
Hi, today(26/11/10 I updated my iphone 4 software update, after updating the itune says the same thing you mentioned sim card not supported, also iphone shows only emergency calls, pls tell me how to overcome this problem. Can I use the unlock software to restore….?
Waiting for your kind reply.
July 30, 2011 at 6:37 am
please visit this site: http://www.iclarified.com/entry/index.php?enid=15551
July 6, 2010 at 7:19 am
Thanks for the info. It certainly helped me. I just replaced the new SIM card with my old AT&T SIM card, opened iTunes again and the phone works just fine.
Thanks again
July 26, 2010 at 6:38 am
I recently stumbled across iPhoneUnlockr, which is a cool iphone unlocker site, but has this neat viral twist, so you can get your iphone unlocked for Free! It’s pretty sweet, so I think you should check it out.
You should check out http://iphoneunlockr.com now!
January 21, 2011 at 2:58 am
You’re friend has been deceived…. if the iphone is unlocked or does not have a contract with any carrier then you DO NOT NEED TO JAILBREAK the iphone and unlock it with any unlocking software… you may lose the jailbreak once you update it to higher firmware or any “clean” firmware via itunes from apple…but you will never lose the unlock for the iphone if it is factory unlocked from apple… the only countries that sell unlocked iphones or iphones that do not have contracts with carriers, as far as i know… are France, UK and here in Canada… there may be other countries too… and also you do not have to pay for any software to unlock your iphone, those sites are definitely scam…
February 5, 2011 at 6:08 pm
It seems like you know a lot about this. I have a question. My iphone 3g was unlocked. My girlfriend was unaware of this and proceeded to attempt to restore it on iTunes. (So it can “run faster”-she’s not that bright) now the iphone is stuck on the “connect to iTunes” screen. When connected to iTunes. And restored like it prompts me to, I get an error message. PLEASE HELP!!!
February 5, 2011 at 6:09 pm
I have a question. My iphone 3g was unlocked. My girlfriend was unaware of this and proceeded to attempt to restore it on iTunes. (So it can “run faster”-she’s not that bright) now the iphone is stuck on the “connect to iTunes” screen. When connected to iTunes. And restored like it prompts me to, I get an error message. PLEASE HELP!!!
May 31, 2011 at 2:20 am
Hi, my iphone 3gs is openline and im from philippines. Globe is my sim. I have a 3.1.3 ios and today the latest is 4.0.2 i think. Can i upgrade it? many says dont. i want to but its ok if its not recommended. plus the story u post, did the upgrade succeded? The apps all gone?
Please help, thanks.
July 30, 2011 at 6:35 am
just go to greenhills to upgrade ur iphone, to be safe..
July 10, 2011 at 7:14 pm
I’ve also unlocked my iPhone but with using a Gevey Supreme. I’ve tried that procedure before, but it didn’t work on me, so I decided to buy a Gevey Supreme at http://www.gevey.info and it works just fine.
July 15, 2011 at 3:21 am
I am asking this is because I am planning on buying an IPhone mainly because of its applications, like the beatmakers, music makers, anything that is connected with music making applications and some other video stuff. I wont be doing wifi/surfing the internet. Just plain old call and sms plus the applications.
July 29, 2011 at 8:36 pm
ive upgraded my iphone4 to 4.3.4 and then restored the network setting then my phone got locked,,,, all i can see is usb port with itune logo,, and emergency calls option,
anyone plzzzz help me out !!!!!!!!!!!!! soon! am waiting
July 30, 2011 at 6:40 am
http://www.iclarified.com/entry/index.php?enid=15551
http://www.iclarified.com/entries/index.php?caid=2&scid=11&seid=2
August 26, 2011 at 8:33 pm
I had the old Iphone though i am not sure of the firmware i think it was 2.1 but now when i accessed it via Itunes after a long time it was asking me to update to 3.1 & foolishly i updated it. Now my iphone is showing only emergency calls & itunes displays the sim card not supported error. Can you please suggest how can i get my iphone working again. I tried the link http://www.iclarified.com/entry/index.php?enid=1881 but the
- QuickPwn-225-2.zip file page is not available anymore. Also i think it is for 3G not for 2G. Any help is appreciated guys!!!!
October 16, 2011 at 4:27 am
Simonly kopen…
[...]Unlocking an iPhone that’s locked after firmware upgrade « Musings of Don Kishote….[...]…
November 13, 2011 at 12:18 pm
Hey! I updated my iphone 3GS to ios 5 and the same message came about the sim card! will this method work for that? Please reply!
December 12, 2011 at 2:16 am
my i phone 4 unlocked after updating now becomes locked and i cant use my sim in it again. how do i go by unlockin it again. also my friend is having an already locked iphone 4 can he unlock it?
September 22, 2012 at 6:11 am
My iPhone display Apple Image Some time iTune image on dis play screen. Apple provided me comp. Case ID; 349867434,
March 10, 2013 at 9:16 pm
Wonderful blog! I found it while browsing on Yahoo News.
Do you have any suggestions on how to get listed in Yahoo News?
I’ve been trying for a while but I never seem to get there! Thanks
March 11, 2013 at 3:58 am
Hi, I came across to your site while searching for the forum that would answer my questions.
I upgraded my iPhone 3gs 4.1 to iOS 6.1 after the successful upgrade the phone reboot and it’s LOCKED and Can’t use it anymore. I can’t even restore the phone into the old version. It was a jailbroken phone before the upgrade of firmware. Whenever I connect it to itunes it says ” UNABLE TO ACTIVATE IPHONE” NOTHING ELSE. NO RESTORE BUTTON OR ANYTHING ELSE. PLS. HELP ME WHAT TO DO.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH! ^_^
looking forward to your answer. God Bless
March 12, 2013 at 1:46 pm
try the following sites:
http://www.jailbreakqa.com/questions/142820/unlock-iphone-3gs-ios-61-without-sim-card
http://www.iphoneforums.net/forum/iphone-3gs-55/couldnt-activate-jailbroken-3gs-after-updating-6-1-a-53692/index2.html
http://www.iphoneheat.com/2013/02/jailbreak-iphone-5-4s-4-3gs-ios-61-evasi0n/
http://www.iphoneheat.com/2013/02/jailbreak-ios-61-sn0wbreeze-iphone-4-3gs-ipod-touch-4g/
http://www.askmefast.com/Unable_to_activate_iphone_3gs_after_upgrade_to_version_612_from_version_4-qna6320751.html
March 12, 2013 at 1:47 pm
honestly, I discarded my iphone in favor of Blackberry…