Help: May have relocked unlocked iPhone 3GS

[Jackal]

Hi,
I got my iPhone 3GS unlocked and the IOS changed to 4.1 (from iOS 5) so my wife could use it. I put in her SIM card and everything worked fine. Last night I connected it to iTunes which was previously updated to the most recent update. After updating the iPhone to IOS 5.0, it said that there was no SIM card. But the SIM card still works when I put it in another phone. So my questions are:
1) Do I have to change it back to 4.1 and never update the IOS?
2) Did I make a mistake in trying to update the phone to 5.0?

I am thinking I have to pay the $30 again to bring it back to 4S.
Anyone with an unlocked phone that could advise me?

[Jackal]

Anybody know about unlocked phones?

[cwp_sedan]

Where/When did you buy it originally? Are you under contract anymore?

[mazdathree3]

If you had the phone unlocked and then went on iTunes and updated the firmware to iOS 5 then you relocked the phone. That is why the SIM is not being recognized as the phone is locked to whichever carrier you bought the phone from. Hope that helps!

[Jackal]

If you had the phone unlocked and then went on iTunes and updated the firmware to iOS 5 then you relocked the phone. That is why the SIM is not being recognized as the phone is locked to whichever carrier you bought the phone from. Hope that helps!

Darn. That's what I thought. ... So if you unlock it then that firmware has to stay at what it was unlocked at? That is she can't ever update firmware? Guess I got it. Thanks for your help.

[XTOTHEL]

if your phone was unlocked by somewhere not sanctioned by apple, then updating the firmware would (most of the time) update the baseband too, thus locking the phone again. If the phone was unlocked factory from apple and this happened, you could always just go into an apple store and have it unlocked.

Your only option now is to check and see if there's an unlock for the 3GS out there that you can DIY.

Best place to check: http://blog.iphone-dev.org/

[mazdathree3]

Yup, you got it. Once you unlock the phone you can't upgrade the firmware from an official release by Apple.

[cwp_sedan]

Jackal who is/was the original service provider you bought the phone from?

Reason why I ask is, for example, if you are past your 3 year term, Rogers will unlock the phone for a fee of $50 or something like that.

http://www.iphoneincanada.ca/iphone-news/fido-introduces-new-device-unlocking-policy-iphone-included/

[Jackal]

Jackal who is/was the original service provider you bought the phone from?

Reason why I ask is, for example, if you are past your 3 year term, Rogers will unlock the phone for a fee of $50 or something like that.

http://www.iphoneincanada.ca/iphone-news/fido-introduces-new-device-unlocking-policy-iphone-included/

It's only 2 years with Rogers. It's getting unlocked again as we speak. The guy who unlocks them said I pretty much have to wait for an unlocking software for the IOS 5.0 in order to get IOS 5.0 on this iPhone. Live and learn.