Can't Activate my phone -.-"

[kazmopolitan]

Hey Techs out there...
I'm not a tech person and i thought getting an Iphone was plug and play.
obviously not..

Situation:

I purchased iphone4s from Vodafone Australia on a plan. (network locked).
I left the vodafone sim card with my mother as I thought she could use it while I was away (she is with vodafone too)

I have the locked iphone4s with me. (unlocking is not the issue, i have all the necessary information to unlock this thing)

Problem:
I can't activate this phone ... if i can't activate it = can't get into the unlock screen either.

I don't have the original sim (voda fone)
--> Is this a problem?

I'm in Korea right now, and I have put in a normal Korean iphone sim card.
I have tried syncing it with itunes, but itunes keeps telling me "we're sorry, we are unable to activate right now" or something...

What does this mean?
Does that mean I have to contact Vodafone?
or ...

So confused.

My question:
1. do you NEED to have a vodafone sim card just to activate this damn thing?
2. can i activate this iphone (no simcard), with itunes?

Help!! I need this thing Activated, so I can get it unlocked!!!
Vodafone has really **** service.. -.-"

 

[Chris951]

Pretty sure you need the sim card. That's how you get service on the phone so without it you have no service and can't activate your service. I could be wrong though as I have sprint which is CDMA.

 

[kazmopolitan]

THanks Chris951!

The Korean sim card I've got in right now is a 'blank' sim. Meaning it doesn't have any cellular networks going through. I will visit a phone shop tonight and see if they can put in an active sim and see how it goes...
this is driving me up the wall!! ugh!!

Me, getting the original sim, is... possible, but so so so annoying. Plus not sure if the cellular network would recognise me being in Korea...?
ugh