Can I activate an old iPhone4 on PM?

[Pondball]

I have an old iPhone 4 that I've only kept going with another service because it has a number I want to retain... but I'm paying way too much just to save this number!!
I want to be able to activate this iPhone 4 with a new account at PM (just the lowest account for now - until I upgrade the phone). I also want to be able to use the phone number currently on that phone. 

I know this last part about moving phone numbers is possible but am wondering if the iPhone 4 is still able to be used here with PM? It will be another year before it is necessary to use this phone for much but I can't see wasting money at the other provider until that happens.

[CountyDownIeUk]

Yes will work. Check here for original carrier and lock status. If locked you need to contact original carrier. 

You will need IMEI number. 

https://imei24.com/check/iphone_lock_checker/

[Yummy]

---

@hairbag1 wrote:

All this work to get an antique iPhone to work on today technology...

---

Yeah, this is really old phone. But maybe customer does not need anything more than just a unit to make/receive calls and send/receive SMS?

Then any compatible phone will do the job. Plus that phone is very handy being small one comparing with 'tablets' they sell these days.

[hairbag1]

All this work to get an antique iPhone to work on today technology...did you look at PM's Certified Pre-owned phones that are offered ? There's an i 8 starting at $210...and backed with a 1year warranty.

May not be the newest iPhone...but waaayyy better than your i4.

https://www.publicmobile.ca/en/bc/phone-section

[Pondball]

Sounds like a plan - will check into it tomorrow morning

I've had the phone so long and lingered with Bell for too long that it probably did lock it in - shameful as I thought that was made illegal here a few years ago. I also thought that all carriers could unlock a phone, given the IMEI, regardless of the original carrier. Apple definitely knew I had first purchased it from them - unfortunate the line went dead because the support lass was being very helpful and obviously trying hard to assist.

Will let you know how this goes.

On a brighter side my son signed up for PM yesterday after years with Fido and the whole thing went seamlessly for him. Of course he also has a newer phone 😂 an iPhone 7

[softech]

@Pondball   what iPhone you got?

if you bought it from Apple, likely the phone was unlocked in the beginning.  But , there was a period of time phones are setup to locked to the first provider the phone was used on, in your case Bell.    To get it unlocked, you will then go back to Apple and ask for help.  If you got it form them, you should have an invoice and Apple should have it on the system as well

Let us know how it goes

[Pondball]

Bell was of little use as they said they couldn't find the IMEI in their database and therefore couldn't unlock the phone.

Apple was trying hard but they were confused as to what it wouldn't let me swap out the Bell Carrier.

My Settings -> General -> About shows:

• Network: not Available

• Carrier: Bell 16.1

and shows the exact same IMEI that Apple was able to confirm - that shouldn't have been locked!

As old as it is I have the newest IOS available for this phone.

[softech]

@Pondball   this is something you have to sort out with Bell and Apple.  Where did you buy the phone from?  if you got it from Bell, Bell is the only one who will unlock it for you. 

Yes, calling Apple is the correct move, they can confirm the carrier that the phone locked to.  Understand you called them and the phone got cut off, you likely need to call them back again 

[update: if you said you bought it from Apple Store, then yes, Apple should be the only helping to unlock it, call them back again]

[Pondball]

Yesterday I ported a phone number from Bell over to Public Mobile for a second phone - yah I know - what am I doing with an old iPhone 4

Basically I was gong to use this as a holding phone for my old number that I didn't want to lose. I should have done this years ago, but, things!

Anyway. Everything went well until I inserted the SIM in the iPhone. The number has transferred but all I get is no signal. Support has been good but I know think that somehow this phone was locked and now cannot be unlocked?

I bought it when it first came out from an apple store and it should not have been tied to any carrier, yet in the Settings is will not recognize any new phone, and retains the carrier as Bell.

On the phone today with Bell and while I gave them my IMEI they said they had no record of the phone and they gave me an Apple support number to call.

I called Apple and while they were very patient and supportive after 35 minutes online and on hold while they went for more into the line went dead. 

Last night I had a call from Public Mobile and they suggested calling Bell (which I did). They also suggested trying the SIM in another phone and it works perfectly. I tried in my "newer' iPhone 6+ and called it from a landline - perfect, except I now have a $15 charge from Public Mobile for 100 minutes!!!! What!!!

I have turned the phone off numerous times, taken out the SIM and turned it back on - nothing changed - still "No Service"

Somehow the phone is not being allowed to recognize the SIM - but it's not the SIM.

Suggestions? (I mean besides the obvious get a new phone)

[Pondball]

Interesting link - might be a good solution for the short term anyway

[gpixel]

@Pondball 

you do know that you can easily downgrade that iPhone 4 plan with whatever provider it's currently with. you don't have to stay on the contract plan price. after 2 years you can downgrade to a BYOD plan. you're correct, that is a waste of money. I guess you've been doing this for 7-8 years. omg. don't switch to PM I would look into phonebox. 

https://gophonebox.com/plans/

they have the best plans I've seen so far. and PMs new point system cannot compete with them

[computergeek541]

---

@Pondball wrote:

The local tower I’m running off is a bell tower that also has 700, 2100 and 2600 in addition to the 850 and 1900. The iPhone 4 isn’t locked so changing providers shouldn’t be an issue. I get decent signal on an iPhone 6+ right now and will probabLy upgrade to PM 4g service sooner than later - will be upgrading that phone before the 4, so may just swap numbers from the 4 to the 6 then use current 6 on the new phone replacing the 6+ - if that makes any sense! ?

---

You can ignore the 700, 1700, and 2600MHz frequencies.  Those are only used for LTE, a type of network that the iPhone isn't able to connect to. Only the 850 and 1900MHz numbers will be of interest to you when it comes to using an iPhone 4 as those are those frequencies (band 5 and band 2) are use for the HSPA network that the iPhone 4 does support.

[Pondball]

Everything at PM is cheaper than the $80/mnth it’s costing me to save my current number with bell… so either the $15 or $25 plan would be enough savings to buy a new phone within the year

[Pondball]

The local tower I’m running off is a bell tower that also has 700, 2100 and 2600 in addition to the 850 and 1900. The iPhone 4 isn’t locked so changing providers shouldn’t be an issue. I get decent signal on an iPhone 6+ right now and will probabLy upgrade to PM 4g service sooner than later - will be upgrading that phone before the 4, so may just swap numbers from the 4 to the 6 then use current 6 on the new phone replacing the 6+ - if that makes any sense! ?

[Metal1967]

@Pondballalso you noted the iPhone 4 is with another service provider? You may need to get the phone unlocked also.

[BKNS27]

@Pondball 

I forgot to mention that the iPhone 4 uses a Micro size SIM. All newer phones uses Nano size SIM so remember to pop out the micro spacer so you can transfer everything to the new phone with the Nano size SIM.

[wetcoaster]

If you are just parking your number there are cheaper options elsewhere, with the caveat that it might take a bit more effort/patience to port the number.

Assuming that your other line (from your previous post in 2019) is still on the old rewards system, don't forget using your referral code for the new line. Also, unfortunately, your new line will be with the points system.

[Dunkman]

@Pondball 

iphone 4 will work with Public mobile. But, you will need to manually select APN Settings to get data to work properly.  Supposedly, MMS messaging (picture) will not work. 

Here is a good summary article:

https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Get-Support/FYI-iOS-and-APNs/m-p/323119/highlight/tru...

[BKNS27]

@Pondball 

Yes, it will work on 3G at 850 and 1900 frequencies but keep in mind that 3G will be discontinued in 2025 and 3G will not be used in the USA but it will connect to 2G.

[Yummy]

As long as iphone supports PM's frequencies you will be OK.

https://www.publicmobile.ca/en/on/get-help/articles/check-your-phones-compatibility

https://willmyphonework.net/

Public Mobile uses the following frequency bands:

4G LTE and LTE Advanced: 700 MHz, 850 MHz (band 5), 1900 MHz (band 2) and 2100 MHz downlink and 1700 MHz uplink (AWS).

3G/HSPA: 850 MHz, 1900 MHz (UMTS).