Global Paid App Catalog Access for new unlocked GSM Pre 2/Pre 3/Veer (using Impostah)

[rwhitby]

It is now possible to activate a new unlocked GSM Pre 2, Pre 3 or Veer device for global paid app catalog access.



This procedure is only for unlocked GSM Pre 2 devices, purchased directly from HP - these devices have model codes P102UNA or P102UEU. If you purchased a Verizon Pre 2 device, you should activate it on Verizon for paid app catalog access. This procedure also works for the Pre 3 and Veer. This procedure is not for any other device. This procedure will not work if the device has previously had a Palm Profile on it at any time since it was manufactured.

Note that the credit/debit cards you can use are severely limited by the activation country chosen, are determined by HP/Palm, and cannot be changed. In general, there are North American countries and European countries, and the credit/debit cards supported for each are different.

Here are the steps. You should not skip any of them - step 14 is especially important.

1) Take the device out of the box. Do not insert a SIM card.

2) Turn the device on. Wait for it to boot. It will show a graphical screen directing you to insert a SIM card. Do not insert a SIM card.

3) Type #* on the keyboard, the phone dial pad will appear.

4) Continue to type the rest of #*3386633# (the #* should already be showing) on the dial pad and hit the green phone key to dial the number. Note that you still should not have a SIM inserted.

5) The "Developer Mode" app will open. Turn on Developer Mode. Do NOT set a password. Your device will reboot.

6) Once the device has booted, you should connect to WiFi (you must have a stable WiFi connection available for the rest of this procedure), and install Preware and Impostah.

7) Open Impostah, and access the "Activation" scene.

8) Select your desired activation country and language.

9) Enter your desired Palm Profile email address and password. You may use an existing Palm Profile or create a new one. If you are doing this for the first time, you may wish to create a new profile for testing before you commit to using your real Palm Profile.

10) Hit "Login To Profile" to log into your existing Palm Profile, or "Create New Profile" to create a new Palm Profile. Confirm your request.

11) Your device is now activated for paid app catalog access in your desired country and language. Go to http://palm.com/palmprofile and confirm that your device has been correctly registered.

12) Open the App Catalog and confirm that you have paid app catalog access. You can test this by purchasing the Preware Homebrew Documentation app. A 5 star rating is a also a good way to show your thanks.

13) If you wish to insert a SIM card, now is the time to do it.

14) Donate to WebOS Internals. Do this before you spend all your money on apps

15) To make sure everything has been initialised correctly, you must now turn off backups (to erase the backup on the server), do a full erase on your device, run the webOS Doctor, and go through the normal official sign-in process. Since your device has been pre-activated with Impostah, you will retain your app catalog country settings.

Note that this procedure is performed at your own risk. The worst that can happen is that you don't get paid app catalog access. If Palm changes anything on the app catalog servers, this procedure may be invalidated without warning. They have done so before, and could do so again.

Here are some screenshots of the results, which also show the credit card options:

For France, Germany and the United Kingdom, the credit card options are Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Spain and United Kingdom. For Canada, the credit card options are Canada or United States. For United States, then credit card options are Canada, United States and Mexico.















-- Rod

[pcworld]

So, when I activate a Pre 2 here in Germany for US paid app catalog access, will I still be able to use German credit cards?
And can I keep the OS language as German?

Thanks for your great work!

[rwhitby]

Originally Posted by pcworld

So, when I activate a Pre 2 here in Germany for US paid app catalog access, will I still be able to use German credit cards?
And can I keep the OS language as German?

No, for US paid app catalog access you need a North American region credit/debit card. I've updated the first post with credit/debit card options for each country.

I don't believe the OS language has any bearing after the initial activation.

-- Rod

[zowie420]

Is this necessary to do if activating an unlocked Pre2 for AT&T in the US?

[NuttyBunny]

Originally Posted by zowie420

Is this necessary to do if activating an unlocked Pre2 for AT&T in the US?

Possible but absolutely unnecesary. If you have an AT&T SIM card with data access, and live in USA, just activate it with the standard method

-- Sent from my Palm Pre using Forums

[zowie420]

That's what I thought, just wanted to make sure. Thank you very much.

[4r4qg]

rwhitby I am going to get a dev palm pre 2 but I want:

1. HP App Catalog
2. Ability to get paid and free apps
3. install my apps from my computer onto it
4. preware
5. WiFi Palm profile

I have been searching the forums and see plenty of ways to do it but i want to know witch way is the best!

I just joined today I'm excited for this community, webOS FTW!

Edit: I live in the US

[rwhitby]

Originally Posted by 4r4qg

rwhitby I am going to get a dev palm pre 2 but I want:

1. HP App Catalog
2. Ability to get paid and free apps
3. install my apps from my computer onto it
4. preware
5. WiFi Palm profile

I have been searching the forums and see plenty of ways to do it but i want to know witch way is the best!

I just joined today I'm excited for this community, webOS FTW!

Edit: I live in the US

Just follow the steps in the first post. It has links to everything else you need.

-- Rod

[4r4qg]

Is it better then:

http://forums.precentral.net/webos-p...e-1-4-5-a.html
or
http://forums.precentral.net/webos-i...ta-doctor.html

thanks for the help!

[NuttyBunny]

It's better than anything.
Just done it with my Pre 2.
After finishing do a full erase to start again, now with your real profile

[rwhitby]

If you are in the US, there are any number of ways to achieve the result.

If you are not in an official country, this is your only chance. Palm does not even intend to think about fixing this for months and months and months.

-- Rod

[4r4qg]

Can you give me the pros and cons for them all?

also if i do this can i get the 3.0 update to the palm pre 2?

[rwhitby]

Originally Posted by 4r4qg

Can you give me the pros and cons for them all?

also if i do this can i get the 3.0 update to the palm pre 2?

I cannot. I have given you my recommendation. You will need to do the leg work to validate that.

I doubt the Pre 2 will ever get webOS 3.0

-- Rod

[4r4qg]

Rod look at the bottom of the page.
https://developer.palm.com/content/s..._showcase.html

thx for the help I think ill use this way.

[rwhitby]

Originally Posted by 4r4qg

Rod look at the bottom of the page.
https://developer.palm.com/content/s..._showcase.html

thx for the help I think ill use this way.

There used to be a page which said the Pre- would get webOS 2.0 too ...

Don't believe everything you read, HP can change plans at any time without notice or compensation.

Until a specific webOS version is released to your device, any number of things could stop that happening (as it did with the promised 2.0 for legacy devices).

-- Rod

[PrinceAlbert]

Originally Posted by rwhitby

...
Don't believe everything you read...

Unless it's in quotes, of course.

[4r4qg]

lol right

I hope HP keeps their promises.

[DanPLC]

Richard Kerris in the webOSRoundup interview wouldn't answer the question of whether the Pre 2 would get webOS 3.0. That tells me that there's a (good) chance it won't. In light of his inability to promise it in an interview, HP should do the right thing and modify their web site indicating the Pre 2 is upgradable to webOS 3.0 at least until they're 100% positive it'll happen. Otherwise, they're intentionally misleading their customers who may purchase a Pre 2 in hopes of having webOS 3.0 one day.

[4r4qg]

Originally Posted by DanPLC

Richard Kerris in the webOSRoundup interview wouldn't answer the question of whether the Pre 2 would get webOS 3.0. That tells me that there's a (good) chance it won't. In light of his inability to promise it in an interview, HP should do the right thing and modify their web site indicating the Pre 2 is upgradable to webOS 3.0 at least until they're 100% positive it'll happen. Otherwise, they're intentionally misleading their customers who may purchase a Pre 2 in hopes of having webOS 3.0 one day.

agreed

[NuttyBunny]

Originally Posted by rwhitby

I cannot. I have given you my recommendation. You will need to do the leg work to validate that.

I doubt the Pre 2 will ever get webOS 3.0

-- Rod

But if recent history can teach us something, Europe users can "force" Palm to do so, or some obscure Pre 2 with 3.0 will appear sometime in the wild and some Vietnamese guy will buy it