There are a number of frequently asked questions about the iPhone and about using the iPhone here in NZ. We will try to cover as many as possible here, however if there is anything we have missed please contact us and we will answer your questions and add it to the list.

Q. Do you know where can I download the user guide for iPhone?
A. As it happens we do

Q: Can I use my iPhone 3G/3GS on Vodafone/XT/2degrees Prepaid?
A: Yes you can

Q: Is the iPhone 3G/3GS sold in New Zealand (via Vodafone, MagnumMac, Apple Online) locked to a carrier?
A: No. All iPhones sold in NZ are factory unlocked and can be used on any network, although some extra settings maybe needed for optimal performance.

Q: Can you Tether your iPhone with you computer on Vodafone/XT/2degrees?
A: Yes you can however you may need to install a custom carrier bundle and it is only available on OS 3.1.3

Q: Are there any specific features which are available only on the VFNZ iPhone plan?
A: VFNZ have answered “No” to this when queried directly.

Q: Does ‘Visual Voicemail’ work in New Zealand?
A: No, although Vodafone have said they are working on it.

Q: Does MMS work in New Zealand?
A: Yes you can however you may need to install a custom carrier bundle and it is only available on OS 3.0 or higher

Q: What frequency does the iPhone 3G/3GS use?
A: UMTS/HSDPA (850, 1900, 2100 MHz) – GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)

Q: My iPhone is faulty can you tell me what I should do?

A: If your iPhone is under warranty then please read here. If not then I suggest you contact Apple/MobileFoneRepair

Carrier Bundle FAQ’s

Q. Can I use my iPhone on Telecom XT or 2degrees?
A. Sure you can! However because Telecom and 2degrees are not official iPhone carriers, be aware that they do not offer official support for the iPhone if you run into any problems. However iPhonewzealand have made things so easy that even your grandmother who doesn’t know how to TXT can get her iPhone fully working on XT or 2degrees.

Q. What do I need to do to use my iPhone on Telecom XT or 2degrees?
A. First you will need to have an unlocked phone. iPhones that are purchased in New Zealand from either Vodafone or the online Apple store are not carrier-locked, meaning that you can use any SIM card you want in them. iPhone’s purchased from overseas may either be SIM-locked or not, depending on the market. If you have a SIM-locked phone, then this must be unlocked before you can use an XT, 2degrees or Vodafone SIM card, but that is beyond the scope of this FAQ, and iPhonewzealand offers no support for, nor endorses, jailbreaking of the iPhone.

Once you have ascertained that your iPhone is not locked, then all you need to do is place an XT or 2degrees SIM card into the phone, and you can do basic mobile phone tasks like making/receiving calls, and sending/receiving TXTs. However in order to use mobile data, tethering, or MMS (PXT), you will need to update your iPhone with an appropriate carrier bundle.

Q. What is a carrier bundle?
A. This is a file that contains all the advanced settings for the Telecom XT  or 2degrees networks, and allows you to fully utilise the features of your phone on the XT or 2Degrees network.

If you have ever bought a mobile phone from either Vodafone or Telecom, you may have noticed “branding” of the phone with the Vodafone or Telecom logos. These phones are pre-loaded with settings from their respective networks to allow them to access data and PXTs (among other things).

The iPhone in New Zealand is preloaded with Vodafone settings, as they are the only official carrier at the moment, so in order to fully use the phone on XT or 2degrees , you will need to load the XT or 2degrees settings to the phone using the carrier bundle update.

Q. Can I set up the phone manually without using the XT or 2degrees carrier bundle?
A. You can set up data and MMS manually, but other features need to be added via the carrier bundle. These features include an optional XT or 2degrees operator logos, access to the voicemail button (which is otherwise inactive), and tethering, plus a few other bits to make life easier.

Q. Will this carrier bundle damage my iPhone?
A. NO! This bundle will do no harm to your iPhone. It simply adds a list of settings to those available for your iPhone to use when there is an XT or 2degrees SIM card inserted. It does not make any modification to the firmware of your iPhone.

If you for any reason “restore” your iPhone to “factory state”, then you will lose the carrier bundle, and will have to reinstall it. Conversely, if you want to remove the carrier bundle for any reason you want to remove the carrier bundle entirely, then you can simply restore your iPhone and it will be gone from the phone.

Q. Does my iPhone need to be “jailbroken” to use this update?
A. No it does not, and iPhonewzealand offers no support for, nor endorses, jailbreaking of the iPhone.

Q. Can I use the bundle’s if my iPhone is “jailbroken” ?
A. Yes you can, but iPhonewzealand offers no support for, nor endorses, jailbreaking of the iPhone.

Q. How do I install the update?
A. Follow the detailed instructions on the provided PDF guides or Screencast for your chosen carrier. Like you might with a recipe that you are about to cook, read and re-read the instructions before proceeding, and ensure that you are clear on what you will be doing before you make a start.

Q. I have upgraded to iTunes 8.2 – I heard that Apple has blocked users from updating Carrier Settings in this version of iTunes?
A .The installation guide PDF and Screencast provides instructions on how to update carrier settings using iTunes version 8.2 and later.

Q. My Voicemail button won’t work after installing the update?
A. Check that you have performed all the update steps correctly, and try reinstalling the update again. If you are still having problems then leave a comment with your details (iPhone model, iPhone firmware version, jailbroken or not, iTunes version, Mac or PC) and someone will offer assistance.

Q. I’ve installed the update and I cannot use data/TXT/PXT/see the XT or 2degrees operator logo?
A. Check that you have performed all the update steps correctly, and try reinstalling the update again. If you are still having problems then leave a comment with your details (iPhone model, iPhone firmware version, jailbroken or not, iTunes version, Mac or PC) and someone will offer assistance. There may occasionally be issues where Telecom need to re-enable certain services on your account which have been disabled for some reason.

Q. If I have installed the carrier settings and then update my firmware, do I have to install the carrier settings again?
A. If you UPDATE your firmware, then your carrier settings remain. However if you RESTORE to a new firmware, then carrier settings will be wiped and will need to be reinstalled.
So if you previously installed the carrier settings under firmware 3.1.2, then if you update to 3.1.3 you will not need to reinstall carrier settings. But if you RESTORE to version 3.1.3, you will have to.

Q. How do I get my settings back to Vodafone settings if I want to put my Vodafone SIM card back into the phone?
A. The iPhone is smart enough to recognise your SIM card, and will use the appropriate settings for each SIM card. That means that all you need to do is turn off your phone, swap out the XT or 2degrees SIM and put in the Vodafone SIM, and when you turn the phone on it will work as it did previously. You can “SIM-hop” as much as you like without having to rework settings.

Q. Can I roam in other countries after installing the XT or 2degrees carrier bundles?
A. Yes

Q. What version iPhone/Firmware does this work with?
A. This has been tested and works with Firmware 3.1.3 and over on iPhone 3G and 3GS

Q. I can’t get this to work on Vista, do you know what is wrong?
A. For some reason Shift+Check for update doesn’t always work on Vista, some people report success and others are having issues.

There are reports that right clicking iTunes.exe, clicking on the compatibility tab and checking the “compatibility enabled” tick box allows you to ‘Shift+Check for update’, however yesterday, when I tried this it just refused to start iTunes.

So the fix?…..Unfortunately at this stage you will need to find someone with either a Mac or XP/Win7 and use their machine.

As some people have managed this on Vista there must be a way to fix it, and I will keep investigating.

Thanks to user Ahmad for compiling this information into one place