Question says it all...since I can't update firmware etc I am assuming I can't/don't need to update safari?

Or is there is a way to update the Ios that would be easy for a non techie to follow?

What makes you think you can't update your iOS?

Granted, I left the iPhone camp about a year ago and havn't really looked back, but the normal deal was that if you have a JB, you can upgrade to a later version and keep the JB, as long as you never install a stock update.

I always used pwnage tool and that worked well for me. Your milage may vary, but a quick google search should give you all the facts.

I have a similar question too. My son got a jailbroken iPhone from one of his friends, who was using a Tmobile SIM in it. My son tried to update the software or firmware (not sure which) on it, which appeared to have reduced its phone functionality. He was able to restore to the earlier version but now it's locked. Is there a way to firmware it again?

probably not. it depends what he did. jailbreaking and unlocking relies on specific firmware and baseband versions and not all versions can be jailbroken and/or unlocked. if he updated it without taking measures to preserve the unlockable baseband (and that is what it sounds like), then it's locked until a new unlock is found, which might be a while, if ever.

what version is on there now and how did he update it?

I think you are probably screwed. Never use a stock ipsw with a jailbroken or unlocked iphone because it also updates the baseband or modem firmware to versions and those newer versions don't have the holes that the earlier ones had that allow the firmware to be exploited.

Anyway, you can check the usual iphone hobbyist sites to see if your phone with whatever firmware is now on it can be jailbroken and unlocked. The dev team/pwnage tool stuff is what I used to use, and I had to wait after every new firmware release for them to update their tools to support the new firmware release. Using their tools preserved the old exploitable baseband firmware on my phone, while updating the rest of it to the current version of the ios firmware.

-David

based on these posts ...how do I find a RELIABLE person to update my JBroken phone - and update it to the extent it can b. e I am really not good with the details of JB'ing a phone and would prefer a techie do it.

you said you have a 3gs. what version firmware is it currently running?

I went to a local store today that advertises heavily...guy there said he could update to 4.23...but i am leery. He seemed really sketchy.

if it's a 3g, then the latest version you can use is 4.2.1. for later iphones, it's almost guaranteed that he can't update to anything prior to 5.0.1 (the latest) because of how apple digitally signs the firmware. what version is on there now?

How you jailbreak/unlock is kind of important. It's good to do this yourself, unless you have a friend nearby that can do it for you.

What OS version and modem firmware versions are on the phone now, and how was it jailbroken and unlocked?

My old (and unused) 3g has iOS 4.2.1 with modem firmware 4.26.08 and it was jailbroken using pwnage. As noted by pdxer, that's the latest version of iOS for the iPhone 3G. Modem firmware (baseband) 4.26.08 is jailbreakable and unlockable, so it's important to use something like pwnage to update the phone, which will preserve the modem firmware. (iTunes and other methods won't do that, they might update it to something that doesn't have the same exploitable firmware that can be non-tethered jailbroken/unlocked.)

-David