Unlock iPhone’s potential
The iPhone Dev team has posted a step by step guide on how to unlock your iPhone using their free unlock software. An easier to use GUI unlocker is on the way. There have been earlier versions kicking around, but they haven’t been carefully tested. If it were me, I’d wait for the next release.
Update: There is now a GUI application for unlocking the iPhone that simplifies things greatly.
Update: There is now a GUI application for unlocking the iPhone that simplifies things greatly.
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Congratulations to all the current and former members of the iPhone Dev team. They’ve just released a free software unlock for the iPhone that will allow it to be used on any GSM carrier without requiring hardware modification. The release comes just a little over a day after IphoneSIMFree finally released their commercial software unlock.
The commercial software looks like it may be easier to use, but I’m sure the open source iPhone hacking community will continue to polish the initial release they way they have with iPhoneInterface, Jailbreak, and installers for 3rd party apps. I’m glad they got their hack out so soon after the commercial version, because the commercial version almost certainly took advantage of their work on decrypting the restore image, gaining access to the phone, creating a toolchain for 3rd party apps, and also the hacked firmware for the cellular radio that GeoHot first released with his hardware unlock.
A tutorial on how to use the unlock software is supposed to be forthcoming. In the meantime you can find download sites after the jump:
Continue reading ‘iUnlock: Free iPhone Software Unlock Available’
I have grown increasingly skeptical about iPhone SIM Free’s claims of having a software unlock for the iPhone once they started taking pre-payments and then started pushing back the release date. However, they are promising they will start distributing the unlocks to wholesale customers tomorrow, so we’ll soon see if they are the real deal.
They are only selling the unlock through 3rd party retailers, not direct.
If you are going to be retailing selling the unlock software, or unlocked iPhones, send me an e-mail about getting a mention on this site. We get a few thousand people a day on this site, and most of them have been Googling for an iPhone unlock.
Iphonesimfree.com, who announced the first software unlock for the iPhone and demonstrated it to Engadget last week just posted a FAQ that indicates they expect to be offering it for sale in the next two to three days
13. When can I get it?
We are hoping to release in the next 48-72 hours14. How much is it?
We are currently working on various pricing structures which will be announced in due course.15. Payment method?
We are working to offer as many different methods as possible16. Do you offer 100% money back guarantee if the software does not work?
The unlock WILL work. We cannot offer any guarantee should Apple Inc. choose to re-lock the phone after a future update.
I am still a bit dubious about whether this is legit. Engadget testifies to it’s authenticity, which counts for something. On the other hand, the company also offered it to other members of the press, and I’ve seen no other reports so far. In addition, they say they’ve tested it in multiple countries with multiple carriers. I would have thought that at least one of those people would have surfaced by now. I guess we’ll see in a few days.
One thing is for sure, they are a lot more credible than Uniquephones/iPhoneUnlocking.com who have made a lot of promises and delivered on none of them.
Update: There is now a GUI application for unlocking the iPhone that simplifies things greatly.
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This morning, GeoHot has posted a step by step tutorial about how to unlock an iPhone for use on a non-AT&T GSM carrier (ie T-mobile in the US, and pretty much every European carrier via the hardware method he reported on a few days ago. The whole thing is documented step by step in his blog, and in this YouTube Video.
Geo says this is his iPhone hacking swan song, since he is heading off to college in a couple of days.
It’s now up to others to simplify and clarify how to perform the hardware hack, and, ultimately, to come up with a software-only method for doing the unlock.
In the meantime, I’m sure there are finally people offering to unlock iPhones for a small fee who can actually deliver, now that other people have done the pioneering work.
He is actioning off the unlocked iPhone he used in the video. The price is already up over $1,500
Good luck folks, I look forward to the software unlock.
Update: There is now a GUI application for unlocking the iPhone that simplifies things greatly.
