Group successfully details hardware-based iPhone unlocking

[AppleInsider]

A determined group of hobbyists has documented breaking the iPhone's ties to AT&T through a mixture of hardware and software, proving that the Apple handset can be hacked to permanently function with other cellular carriers.

Calling their project Finding JTAG after the Joint Test Action Group standard used to test access ports on circuit boards, the hobbyists claim to have refined a surefire but dangerous ten-step process that allows the iPhone to use an unmodified SIM card from T-Mobile or other GSM cellular networks.

The technique requires an iPhone that has already been "jailbroken," or derestricted to allow third-party programs, as well as soldering tools and wiring. Similar to the process for unlocking a Siemens phone from Europe, the process involves forcing the read-only boot memory on the iPhone to accept unsigned code on the phone's built-in NOR flash storage that controls some of the most essential functions. This permits the code to change the iPhone's default behavior, which normally bars all but specially approved SIM cards from placing and receiving calls.

"Once the code is on the NOR [memory] we can do whatever we want," said Finding JTAG's public representative, George Hotz. "So patch out the [carrier] lock; voila, unlocked iPhone."

While the summary appears straightforward, however, the actual process is potentially complicated -- and also potentially fatal to the phone for novice hackers. In addition to removing the back cover of the phone and exposing the circuit board, the procedure requires cleaning and then resoldering a single trace on the board to a power line and an unlock switch; a failure could render the whole phone unusable. "You only get one chance to do this right," Hotz warned.

Once this is accomplished, a reset of the phone's baseband frequencies and then selectively erasing and reloading firmware with special software that lets users send the needed code and a final instruction that removes the carrier lock, permanently unlocking calling service and allowing the phone to receive new code more easily in the future.

Despite of the team's success, the experiment would not immediately result in an easily reproduced means of derestricting the iPhone, Hotz added. Although it was apparent that a hardware modification would work, the goal was still to develop a completely software-driven equivalent, which he and Finding JTAG believed was possible but still relatively distant and would likely demand superior reverse engineering skills.

"If anyone finds a way to erase the [Apple-made] bootloader from software, this becomes a software unlock," according to Hotz. "I'm sorry about how hard [the instructions] are to follow, but someone will get them to work, and simplify them, and simplify them more. Hopefully a software unlock will be found in the near future."

[GQB]

Ok, hats off. Really clever, really entertaining, if you're in the .001% of owners who might want to attack their $600 device with a soldering iron and warranty breaking escapades.

But I really want to know. Are these the same folks who are the going to try to ream Apple a new one once their iPhone is compromised with the new 'feature' of accepting unsigned code from god-knows-where?

Have fun...

[zunx]

Awesome. I wonder:

1. Is legal for Apple to block the iPhone to prevent use with other company than AT&T or whatever they want?

2. Is legal for people to break it and distribute the tool?

Thanks.

[bauch]

Originally Posted by zunx

Awesome. I wonder:

1. Is legal for Apple to block the iPhone to prevent use with other company than AT&T or whatever they want?

2. Is legal for people to break it and distribute the tool?

Thanks.

1. Of course it's legal. Every other cell phone manufacturer/service provider does it.

2. I'm not sure on that one, but my guess is no.

[Matthew Yohe]

I wouldn't want to lose visual voicemail.

Oh also, I wouldn't want to crack this baby open and go to town with a soldering iron!

I hope it's just a big joke and people end up breaking their phones.

[aaarrrgggh]

Too lazy to try myself, but when you put a "foreign" SIM into the iPhone, are you given an opportunity to enter an unlock code? Just wondering, since the 90-day post-purchase window after which you can request the unlock code from Cingular is approaching. Does anybody know if they are legally required to provide the unlock codes after the 90-day window expires?

[solipsism]

In the US T-Mobile is the only other GSM provider, but don't they use a spectrum that is outside the range of the iPhone?

edit: T-Mobile US uses the 850MHz and 1900MHz bands for calls (well within the iPhone quad-band spectrum) but also uses 1700MHZ and 2100MHz frequencies. I assume these are mainly for 3G coverage. I'm assuming EDGE will work within the 850 and 1900MHz range.

[lkrupp]

My son and his buddies, when younger, were always trying to modify their Nintendo, Playstation, Xbox with a bootleg chip that supposedly allowed you to run copied/pirated games. I don't have to tell you what the outcome of their tinkering almost always resulted in, do I?

The really funny nonsense coming from these hackmeisters is that their work will result in millions of additional iPhones being purchased by like minded individuals who wish to throw off the bonds of Apple and the evil entity known as at&t (the new company is lower case by the way). Utter nonsense. Just look at how retail sales of OS X took off after it was hacked to be able to be run on standard PC hardware. Yeah, right.

Unless and until Apple officially unlocks, frees up, or whatever, the iPhone this useless trick will remain an oddity known only to nerds who live in their parent's basements.

And of course there's the little matter of iPhone updates.

[fuzzhoven]

Originally Posted by lkrupp

Unless and until Apple officially unlocks, frees up, or whatever, the iPhone this useless trick will remain an oddity known only to nerds who live in their parent's basements.

And of course there's the little matter of iPhone updates.

That's a bit harsh!
I managed to chip my original xbox without any dramas from following a similar guide and this iPhone hack seems pretty simple if you have any basic soldering skills - no doubt thou that skill isn't something possessed by all and this probably isn't a good place to start learning.
According this hack you can still update your iPhone, it just gets relocked and requires you to re-run the software part of the process to unlock it again.

Personally, i'm waiting on the 3G version of the iPhone (being in Oz) before i get the credit card out and hopefully by then Apple either let them be unlocked or it can be done via software.

Hopefully this encourages Apple to start offering unlock options in the near future so when they launch locked phones in new countries they aren't compeating with cheap eBay auctions for hacked phones that work with any sim.

[solipsism]

Originally Posted by lkrupp

Just look at how retail sales of OS X took off after it was hacked to be able to be run on standard PC hardware.

Users of OSx86 Project download the hacked software from the nets. They don't buy a new copy of OS X.

But there certainly seemed to be a surge in Apple sales since Apple has officially allowed a simple partitioning and installation tool for Windows on Macs. Do in (at least) part to the EFI bootloader being hacked to allow Windows to run on Mac hardware.

[JeffDM]

Originally Posted by Matthew Yohe

I wouldn't want to lose visual voicemail.

Oh also, I wouldn't want to crack this baby open and go to town with a soldering iron!

I hope it's just a big joke and people end up breaking their phones.

Why would you hope that people end up breaking their phones?

Anyway, I think it's a curiousity, but if I owned an iPhone, I wouldn't consider this either unless I got _really_ screwed by AT&T, but there's only one other carrier with GSM. There's a chance that this sort of thing will get successively easier over time, but now is not the time to try it except for the very adept.

The only thing I've ever chipped was a Panasonic DVD player. It works fine, though I don't need it often. It was best for removing the Macrovision signal because it causes distortions on the screen. I also had a projector that really flipped out when fed 480p with Macrovision.

[JeffDM]

Originally Posted by aaarrrgggh

Too lazy to try myself, but when you put a "foreign" SIM into the iPhone, are you given an opportunity to enter an unlock code? Just wondering, since the 90-day post-purchase window after which you can request the unlock code from Cingular is approaching. Does anybody know if they are legally required to provide the unlock codes after the 90-day window expires?

There is no legal requirement to unlock a phone that I've heard.

Originally Posted by bauch

1. Of course it's legal. Every other cell phone manufacturer/service provider does it.

2. I'm not sure on that one, but my guess is no.

For the moment, Apple and AT&T probably won't get a judgment in their favor in terms of bypassing copy protection. The US Register of Copyrights has given a three year (and possibly extensible) reprieve for those that unlock cell phones. I don't know if there's issue with the FCC though. The best that can be done by Apple is bully people and hope they just give up because litigation is expensive and takes a lot of time.

[nvidia2008]

Originally Posted by zunx

Awesome.

Most definitely. I predicted within 3 months of iPhone launch. I was right! w00t

Originally Posted by zunx

1. Is legal for Apple to block the iPhone to prevent use with other company than AT&T or whatever they want?

Most definitely. Tons of companies all around the world do it.

Originally Posted by zunx

Is legal for people to break it and distribute the tool?

1. It is probably not legal to attempt such reverse engineering/hacking
2. It is very likely to be not legal to distribute/publish such information
3. It is definitely illegal to distribute any software that assists in such hacking
4. It is 110% illegal to sell the hard-unlocked/soldered/etc iPhone on eBay

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=230164884672

[tonton]

Originally Posted by nvidia2008

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=230164884672

Jeeesus Christmas! $1600 already!

This buyer is so desperate he's stupid. In a week you'll be able to get unlocked iPhones for no more than $50 or $100 premium over the onriginal MSRP.

[murphyweb]

Originally Posted by bauch

1. Of course it's legal. Every other cell phone manufacturer/service provider does it.

2. I'm not sure on that one, but my guess is no.

Actually in just about every country in the world (apart from the USA) it is illegal for a network operator to sell a phone that cannot be unlocked, by law if a customer want the phone unlocked the networks have to comply. in Europe it is normal practise for handsets to be given away and subsidised by the contract payments and in that case you need to finish paying for your contract and networks can also charge an unlocking fee.

And actually in the USA it is now legal to unlock a mobile phone, so you can by all accounts unlock an iphone legally!! - Okay i am not a lawyer, any lawyers here??

In some countries in it is even illegal to sell a locked phone.


I will stick my neck out here and make a bold prediction...

The iPhone when it goes in sale in Europe will be subsidised by the network operators and sold on a two year contract and wil probably cost a 1/4 of what it costs to buy in the US or actually even given away for nothing if the contract payments were high enough.

From what i know of the regulations (and again i am no lawyer) i think this would be the only way that Apple's business plan will work because by law they will have to unlock iphones if asked, at least if the contract is subsidised they could force people to see out their agreed contract term with the network.

[murphyweb]

http://www.copyright.gov/fedreg/2006/71fr68472.pdf

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

Copyright Office

37 CFR Part 201
[Docket No. RM 2005–11]

Exemption to Prohibition on Circumvention of Copyright Protection Systems for Access Control Technologies circumvention of technological measures employed by or on behalf of copyright owners to protect their works (hereinafter ‘‘access controls’’).

-----

5. Computer programs in the form of firmware that enable wireless telephone handsets to connect to a wireless telephone communication network, when circumvention is accomplished for the sole purpose of lawfully connecting to a wireless telephone communication network.

The Register has concluded that the software locks are access controls that adversely affect the ability of consumers to make noninfringing use of the software on their cellular phones.
Moreover, a review of the four factors enumerated in §1201(a)(1)(C)(i)–(iv) supports the conclusion that an exemption is warrantedassurances that there was no intention that the exemption be used to permit unauthorized access to those works. Rather, the exemption is sought for the sole purpose of permitting owners of cellular phone handsets to switch their handsets to a different network. .

[doemel]

Originally Posted by nvidia2008

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=230164884672

Man, I'd never buy an iPhone with someone elses fugly signature on it. Ruins the whole design... Tststs...

[cnocbui]

Originally Posted by lkrupp

My son and his buddies, when younger, were always trying to modify their Nintendo, Playstation, Xbox with a bootleg chip that supposedly allowed you to run copied/pirated games. I don't have to tell you what the outcome of their tinkering almost always resulted in, do I?

Unless and until Apple officially unlocks, frees up, or whatever, the iPhone this useless trick will remain an oddity known only to nerds who live in their parent's basements.

Nerd in basement buys phone for $540 spends a couple of hours on it then sells it for at least $1575. Probably does this several more times before getting a job offer with a salary that would make your eyes water. Silly, silly nerd.

[murphyweb]

Originally Posted by lkrupp

Unless and until Apple officially unlocks, frees up, or whatever, the iPhone this useless trick will remain an oddity known only to nerds who live in their parent's basements.

You are so right, just like those nerds Steve Jobs and Bill Gates eh? dear oh dear, whatever became of those little dweebs i wonder?

[cnocbui]

Originally Posted by murphyweb

You are so right, just like those nerds Steve Jobs and Bill Gates eh? dear oh dear, whatever became of those little dweebs i wonder?

I entirely agree with your sentiments but Steve Jobs was a way astute businessman - Steve Wozniak was the nerd.

[a_greer]

Originally Posted by zunx

Awesome. I wonder:
2. Is legal for people to break it and distribute the tool?

Under the DMCA technically makes this illegal, but Apple and ATT will not have the balls to sue because it would bring a ton of publicity to something that the cell companies dont want in the open in the media, what about people that cant get ATT Cell phones? why should the whole state of VT be shut out of the greatest peice of wireless phone tech since the startac just because of carrier lockin...we need one network managment company and the carriers should be the middle man, paying the network company for access to the network, It would provide full coverage of every provider in every area that gets a cell signal. This would also solve roaming

This sort of stuff is what Europe does and they dont have many of the cell problems that we have

[nvidia2008]

Originally Posted by murphyweb

You are so right, just like those nerds Steve Jobs and Bill Gates eh? dear oh dear, whatever became of those little dweebs i wonder?

Originally Posted by cnocbui

I entirely agree with your sentiments but Steve Jobs was a way astute businessman - Steve Wozniak was the nerd.

Originally Posted by cnocbui

Nerd in basement buys phone for $540 spends a couple of hours on it then sells it for at least $1575. Probably does this several more times before getting a job offer with a salary that would make your eyes water. Silly, silly nerd.

Heh. ...Yeah this nerd might be Steve Jobs & Wozniak combined. Okay, maybe right now 10% of SJ and Woz combined. But he's got the business sense, the phone will probably sell in excess of $3k -- there's still SIX bloody days to go! And he's already making back 300% of his investment.

Additionally, let's just say right now several covert arms of big telco companies are contacting him with many offers he can't refuse...

[solipsism]

Originally Posted by nvidia2008

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=230164884672

How exactly does this work? Did he solder a chip for use with CDMA phones too or just make it compatible with T-Mobile? With the lack of Visual Voicemail and having to reset everything every time an update is sent out I really don't see a benefit of this phone. Plus, the signature ruins the aesthetics.

[Duddits]

Originally Posted by cnocbui

Nerd in basement buys phone for $540 spends a couple of hours on it then sells it for at least $1575. Probably does this several more times before getting a job offer with a salary that would make your eyes water. Silly, silly nerd.

The nerd that did this is in HIGH SCHOOL!!! Or just entering college. He's off to school so he said on his blog he'll be too busy to keep doing these. i think he did this just to do it, not to make it into a business. Definately bright future after he graduates, whatever he decides.

[cnocbui]

Originally Posted by solipsism

How exactly does this work? Did he solder a chip for use with CDMA phones too or just make it compatible with T-Mobile? With the lack of Visual Voicemail and having to reset everything every time an update is sent out I really don't see a benefit of this phone. Plus, the signature ruins the aesthetics.

The market for this phone is most likely anywhere except the USA. Note the Worldwide availability for the auction. Visual voicemail is just one of several features. If someone in Europe buys it that feature will probably work when the carriers over here are finally signed up and have enabled the feature. Meanwhile the purchaser gets bragging rights to the first/only iPhone working in Europe for months to come.

But I think the joke will be on them because I suspect the phone that will be sold outside the US will be 3G and not the same model at all.

Given how desperate many Canadians seem to be, it might be purchased by one of them, but my bet is they will all be outbid by some drug dealer in Naples with so much hot money he doesn't know what to do with it all but could use some bling.

The signature is a great idea, it gives it historical value and authenticity.

[Clive At Five]

Originally Posted by fuzzhoven

Hopefully this encourages Apple to start offering unlock options in the near future so when they launch locked phones in new countries they aren't compeating with cheap eBay auctions for hacked phones that work with any sim.

Most likely Apple has a binding contract, which they could break for an enormous amount of money, or have geeks buy iPhones and unlock them via GeoHot's method and sell them on eBay. Both options guarantee hardware sales for Apple. The former loses Apple a big chunk of cash, the latter loses Apple whatever shared profit Apple typically gets from the AT&T, if any.

I see no problem with the present arrangement.

-Clive

[JeffDM]

Originally Posted by Clive At Five

Most likely Apple has a binding contract, which they could break for an enormous amount of money, or have geeks buy iPhones and unlock them via GeoHot's method and sell them on eBay. Both options guarantee hardware sales for Apple. The former loses Apple a big chunk of cash, the latter loses Apple whatever shared profit Apple typically gets from the AT&T, if any.

If it's the case of a customer not buying one because they don't want to deal with AT&T, then I don't think Apple even necessarily loses that shared profit, because without the hack, they wouldn't have gotten it anyway.

[lfmorrison]

Originally Posted by a_greer

Under the DMCA technically makes this illegal, but Apple and ATT will not have the balls to sue because it would bring a ton of publicity to something that the cell companies dont want in the open in the media, what about people that cant get ATT Cell phones? why should the whole state of VT be shut out of the greatest peice of wireless phone tech since the startac just because of carrier lockin...we need one network managment company and the carriers should be the middle man, paying the network company for access to the network, It would provide full coverage of every provider in every area that gets a cell signal. This would also solve roaming

This sort of stuff is what Europe does and they dont have many of the cell problems that we have

I'll assume you posted this response before you'd read all the posts in this thread. But just to make sure that FUD doesn't get the last word on the subject...

The Library of Congress, as the arbiter of all Copyright issues in the USA, has the power to set up specific exemptions to the DMCA. And one of the exemptions that it has currently enacted is a requirement that firmware modifications which are undertaken with the sole intent of allowing a cellular telephone to operate in another carrier's network, are NOT violations.

Now, since this modification requires a soldering iron, I suppose that it might not be protected by the LoC exemption. But macrumors is reporting a firmware-only hack is apparently available too.

[edit] But then again, once the hack is finished, the hardware will end up in exactly the same state that it was in before the hack. Only the contents of Flash will have changed, and in my understanding that means that the only tangible thing different between a locked iPhone and an unlocked iPhone is firmware.

[aarroneous]

Originally Posted by Matthew Yohe

I wouldn't want to lose visual voicemail.

Oh also, I wouldn't want to crack this baby open and go to town with a soldering iron!

I hope it's just a big joke and people end up breaking their phones.

Why exactly would you hope that people end up breaking their phones? Are you jealous?

This is a great step forward in making the iPhone a truly potent contender in the marketplace worldwide. Think AutoCAD back in the 90's, or Microsoft in China right now.

[aarroneous]

Originally Posted by lkrupp

My son and his buddies, when younger, were always trying to modify their Nintendo, Playstation, Xbox with a bootleg chip that supposedly allowed you to run copied/pirated games. I don't have to tell you what the outcome of their tinkering almost always resulted in, do I?

The really funny nonsense coming from these hackmeisters is that their work will result in millions of additional iPhones being purchased by like minded individuals who wish to throw off the bonds of Apple and the evil entity known as at&t (the new company is lower case by the way). Utter nonsense. Just look at how retail sales of OS X took off after it was hacked to be able to be run on standard PC hardware. Yeah, right.

Unless and until Apple officially unlocks, frees up, or whatever, the iPhone this useless trick will remain an oddity known only to nerds who live in their parent's basements.

And of course there's the little matter of iPhone updates.

Your son and his little friends were simply inept with the soldering iron. Many game store businesses have thrived on providing mod-chip services for these consoles.

Even now, there are services available to unlock your Motorola, Nokia, Sony phones, for a fee. You're a fool if you think this market is not ready to explode.

Do you own at&t stock by any chance?

[JeffDM]

Originally Posted by lfmorrison

Now, since this modification requires a soldering iron, I suppose that it might not be protected by the LoC exemption. But macrumors is reporting a firmware-only hack is apparently available too.

[edit] But then again, once the hack is finished, the hardware will end up in exactly the same state that it was in before the hack. Only the contents of Flash will have changed, and in my understanding that means that the only tangible thing different between a locked iPhone and an unlocked iPhone is firmware.

It's really hard to say. There was some speculation that talking about the sharpie trick or the shift key trick on the Sony root kit CDs was against the DMCA. As far as I understand, bypassing copy protections and such yourself isn't against the DMCA, but selling the work or telling people how you do it, without this exemption, might have been against the DMCA.

[sc_markt]

So on these hacked iPhones, what does that mean for the iPod part of it? I know that with un-hacked iPhones, once you end your at&t service, the iPod stops working which sucks as your are left with an expensive (but nice looking) brick.

If this hack frees up the iPod part of it so it'll work forever without service from at&t, this might be a useful hack. And I bet many people in a few years will be looking to get the iPod part of their iPhones working.

[superdiesel]

No need to hardware crack your iphone, no need to buy a unlocked iphone from ebay, there is a software hack available : http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/24/i...ugust-24-2007/

iPhone video

[monkeyastronaut]

Originally Posted by lkrupp

My son and his buddies, when younger, were always trying to modify their Nintendo, Playstation, Xbox with a bootleg chip that supposedly allowed you to run copied/pirated games. I don't have to tell you what the outcome of their tinkering almost always resulted in, do I?

The really funny nonsense coming from these hackmeisters is that their work will result in millions of additional iPhones being purchased by like minded individuals who wish to throw off the bonds of Apple and the evil entity known as at&t (the new company is lower case by the way). Utter nonsense. Just look at how retail sales of OS X took off after it was hacked to be able to be run on standard PC hardware. Yeah, right.

Unless and until Apple officially unlocks, frees up, or whatever, the iPhone this useless trick will remain an oddity known only to nerds who live in their parent's basements.

And of course there's the little matter of iPhone updates.

1. bootleg chips work, and very well. at least here in mexico they are very popular and they are installed at flea markets. i think your son and his buddies did it wrong.

2. hobbyists do it because of the challenge, just to prove it is possible or just for fun. just to see if they can. they don't do it to spur sales.

3. those nerds who live on their parents basements are making a pretty penny on ebay as we speak.

[amerist]

Originally Posted by cnocbui

Nerd in basement buys phone for $540 spends a couple of hours on it then sells it for at least $1575. Probably does this several more times before getting a job offer with a salary that would make your eyes water. Silly, silly nerd.

The bid you see on eBay is a fake. The seller has lost all hope of selling it because the buyer will never pay that much.

Same thing happened to me when I sold my PSP online. It got bit up to $1000 very quickly and then the buyer never contacted me. I had to request a final value fee reimbursement after three weeks of waiting.

eBay is NOT the place to sell expensive electronics like this. Their system is not secure enough. Anyone can create an account there with the sole intent of ruining auctions this way and there's nothing that eBay can do to stop it before it's too late.

Craigslist works pretty well from my experience. And if you choose to sell locally, then you usually don't even have to pay for shipping. Just meet up and exchange merchandise for cash.

[cnocbui]

Originally Posted by amerist

The bid you see on eBay is a fake. The seller has lost all hope of selling it because the buyer will never pay that much.

Same thing happened to me when I sold my PSP online. It got bit up to $1000 very quickly and then the buyer never contacted me. I had to request a final value fee reimbursement after three weeks of waiting.

eBay is NOT the place to sell expensive electronics like this. Their system is not secure enough. Anyone can create an account there with the sole intent of ruining auctions this way and there's nothing that eBay can do to stop it before it's too late.

Craigslist works pretty well from my experience. And if you choose to sell locally, then you usually don't even have to pay for shipping. Just meet up and exchange merchandise for cash.

Well that is interesting, the auction has been ended early due to an "error in the listing"

I think the usual translation for that is someone made me a ridiculously high offer to end the auction now.

The problem with ebay is not the lack of protection for sellers - they get plenty - but the lack of protection for buyers.

[lkrupp]

Anyone care to speculate what recourse the owner of one of these hacked iPhones has in the event of failure. Oh, let's say the home button stops functioning. Can the owner, who theoretically paid over $600 for the device, take it to an Apple store for repair under warranty? Can they get it repaired by the hacker they purchased it from? Can they just kiss their $600+ goodbye?

I'll tell you what they CAN do. They can get on a forum and start bashing Apple for refusing to stand behind their products. They can claim they didn't know their iPhone had been modified and continue bashing Apple for not making an exception in their case. They can do a whole lot of things to make Apple look bad and they don't even have to admit they have a modified device. "Those S.O.B's at Apple told me they wouldn't fix my iPhone. They said it had been modified and I was out of luck. Don't do business with those crooks at Apple. They don't stand behind their crappy products!" I can read it now.

It is shear foolishness to think this will become mainstream and widespread. Complete nonsense.

[Timeline]

Originally Posted by lkrupp

"Those S.O.B's at Apple told me they wouldn't fix my iPhone. They said it had been modified and I was out of luck. Don't do business with those crooks at Apple. They don't stand behind their crappy products!" I can read it now.

It is shear foolishness to think this will become mainstream and widespread. Complete nonsense.

Paranoia in the first degree. You need meds dude. Look, If I wanted to make the mod and was willing to take a chance i would do it and that's that. If it got broke then I would eat it.

AFAIC, I'm not willing to either buy the phone or modify it because I hate ATT and I'm not lucky with mods so that's that.

Now if someone did the mod and provided me the working phone with my sims card that i could see work I may take a chance but only then. I would still be afraid Apple would somehow change software to eliminate the open architecture though so I wouldn't pay much for it anyway.

I agree we need to hear from Apple to see what they want to do about this before any of us get too excited.

[tonton]

Great Business Week article:

"Why Apple Can't Stop iPhone Hackers"

It also seems to imply that the incredible eBay bids were genuine, with a catch that the kid would also sign an employment contract.

[Amorya]

Originally Posted by lkrupp

Unless and until Apple officially unlocks, frees up, or whatever, the iPhone this useless trick will remain an oddity known only to nerds who live in their parent's basements.

I dunno. Phone unlocking shops do a roaring trade. (I passed by one on the bus today, with big glossy banners stating "We now unlock the Nokia N95".)

If a software unlock comes out, then independent phone shops will start unlocking iPhone. I know a fair few people who've said they won't buy an iPhone unless it can be unlocked (often for travelling over Europe, or simply for preference of a certain network operator). These people wouldn't do an unlock themselves, but would utilise the service of such shops.

Of course, this all depends on a software unlock. I don't think the shops would touch a hardware one. At least, not for the £20 they usually ask for

Amorya