Using an original iPhone without a wireless service plan
Summary
If you upgrade to an iPhone 3G or cancel your wireless service account/tariff for your original iPhone, it is possible to continue using the original iPhone without an active wireless service (using it with Wi-Fi only). To do so, you need to leave the inactive SIM card in the original iPhone to continue using it. You will be able to use the original iPhone as you would an iPod touch (Wi-Fi only, no cellular service) as long as you keep the SIM it was last used with, even if you update or restore the original iPhone.
Products Affected
iPhone, iPhone, iPhone Activation in iTunes
Activation for an original iPhone requires that its SIM card stays with that iPhone. If the original iPhone displays the "Connect to iTunes" screen, you can use that SIM card to re-activate your original iPhone, regardless of whether that SIM has a wireless service account/tariff still associated with it.
To re-activate an original iPhone that displays the "Connect to iTunes" screen:
- Reinsert the SIM card used when original iPhone was activated and had a valid wireless service account/tariff.
- Connect original iPhone to iTunes on a computer connected to the Internet
If that exact SIM was previously valid and used with that original iPhone, iTunes will re-activate iPhone. If the SIM no longer has a wireless service account/tariff associated with it, original iPhone will still be activated, but without any cellular service.
Additional Information
If you no longer have the SIM that was used with the original iPhone, and the original iPhone displays the "Connect To iTunes" screen:
- Contact your carrier to get a replacement SIM.
- If you don't already have a wireless service account/tariff with that carrier, iTunes will help you create one. For more information, see this document.
Note: This article only applies to original iPhone.