SIM hack frees iPhone from AT&T -- kind of

Look, we're gonna be up front about this. You probably won't want to do this iPhone hack -- it requires special equipment, it's a little difficult (to say the least), and it may not even work for data apps anyway. There, now that we've gotten that out of the way, let's talk about what's at hand.

So we saw something similar to this before, but Hackint0sh user Sassha apparently managed to "unlock" his iPhone and post a guide to using a SIM writer device, SilverCard, a SIM with accessible Ki number, and, of course, some some software so you can do the same. Basically, you have to specially reprogram your new SIM's IMSI to match your AT&T SIM, essentially tricking your iPhone into thinking it's using the real deal SIM when it's actually on a different network entirely. Then, after a few (read: many) more steps and a sprinkling of fairy dust your iPhone could be carrier-free -- but with no guarantees data will work (since it's not like Apple gives you a place to configure your EDGE connection). In other words, caveat emptor, use at your own risk, and heed word to the wise: just wait for the real unlocking-hacks to be released. The iPhone's pretty good, but it's not good enough to jump through these kinds of hoops for no certain outcome.

[Via iPhoneology]

[Xavier Gill @ Aug 6th 2007 1:23PM]

"The iPhone's pretty good"

OMG Bias!!

[steve @ Aug 6th 2007 2:02PM]

and to add extra pizazz, the silver apple logo was replaced with an unlocked lock during startup

[carlos @ Aug 6th 2007 2:04PM]

"the new hack is said to allow all basic functions, including receiving calls, sending SMS messages and streaming data via EDGE. The notable exception is Visual Voicemail, which requires special support from the phone network."

[Ellianth @ Aug 6th 2007 2:42PM]

A little off topic but, I'm curious, does no one else's carrier allow them to skip voice mail messages, and tell them the time of the call and who made the call?

I'm with fido and spending 5 minutes listening to the help message when I signed up taught me that my machine had lots of features.

[Me!!! @ Aug 6th 2007 2:48PM]

how lame. AT&T is not -that- bad lol, why bother with all these iphone hype...

[What!? @ Aug 12th 2007 1:14PM]

Me!!!, your comment in the least doesn't make any selse at all. How does AT&T being "not -that- bad lol" corrolate in any way to "why bother with all these iphone hype." If you had instead said why bother with the extra effort of unlocking the iPhone, your sentence would have made sense, but since you didn't, to me it comes across as utter nonsense.

[JeffNLA @ Aug 6th 2007 3:10PM]

Am I the only one SICK of all the iphone hype? My goodness... it's treated like the second coming!

[carlos @ Aug 6th 2007 3:35PM]

If you don't want to see it, don't click on the link. It's that simple.

[strider_mt2k @ Aug 6th 2007 3:38PM]

It's not as bad as it was, but these poor folks still cling to every little piece of iPhone minutiae as if it actually means something.

Whatever floats 'em I guess.

[IL @ Aug 6th 2007 4:13PM]

Who cares about hacking into an iphone? What is it going to accomplish? In the United States who has the biggest gsm network? What other network are you going to run it on?

[wickedpheonix @ Aug 6th 2007 4:24PM]

the whole point is that people who go abroad can jack in a different SIM card so that they don't have to pay outrageous roaming charges.

[Darnell @ Aug 6th 2007 4:48PM]

Well, if you're a TMobile customer, you'd be able to run it on their network using your existing plan--forgoing cancellation costs, porting your number(s), and signing up for an extra 2 years under AT&T.

[Kai @ Aug 6th 2007 5:16PM]

Darnell, how?

[William McIntosh @ Aug 6th 2007 4:47PM]

Mmm..... thinx septics missed the plot on this 1

[Jamar @ Aug 6th 2007 5:26PM]

This hack sounds rather "non-specific" (in that it doesn't rely on anything specific to the iPhone to unlock)- could it have other applications (like unlocking other previously unhackable phones- oh, I don't know- DoCoMo phones or the Softbank's Sharp/Panasonic phones)? Now THOSE are worth the effort.

[nikster @ Aug 6th 2007 6:44PM]

...except that the japanese carriers all use network standards that are incompatible with the rest of the world... I thought I was so smart when I had a free stopover in Tokyo thinking I would get myself one of those really cool Japanese phones. Doh! No GSM!

[Frankenstein Black @ Aug 6th 2007 6:38PM]

Hum, lets see:
1 blank silver 10 SIM ($20 to $50)
1 Sim reader ($5 to $20)
1 blank v1 at&t sim (if you can find one, $25+).
2 software apps (free)
Some tech know how and :^\
OH WHY BOTHER! By the time these hacks become "user friendly" iPhone will be released in EU and Asia.
There is like, what? less than 6 months to go?
PS Oh yea, and one quick Apple update snuffs out all of your "hard" work...

[Darnell @ Aug 6th 2007 7:29PM]

@ Kai
By switching out the AT&T sim with the TMobile sim card (they're both on the GSM network).

[Jeff Lewis @ Aug 6th 2007 11:40PM]

Darnell, it doesn't work like that. Most cell phones bought on a plan are SIM-locked to that carrier's network. You can't just stick someone else's SIM in - it won't work - unless you have an unlocked phone.

[Darnell @ Aug 6th 2007 11:52PM]

@ That's what I was explaining to Kai. They unlock the iPhone, and then you could place your Tmobile sim card in to it and it should work.

[kirby @ Aug 6th 2007 10:08PM]

Are you serious...

I've been offering this as "semi unlocking service" in my area, this is nothing new this has been known for the longest time, and even used as the cheap unlock, as you still need to make the phone think the sim card belongs to the original carrier, while using carrier B's service.

[MacDaddy312 @ Aug 7th 2007 12:05AM]

No one seems to be mentioning that it is simply impossible to use the iPhone on any US network other than T-Mobile or AT&T. They use GSM, while Sprint, Verizon & everyone else use CDMA. Unless you replace the radio equipment in the phone, it's not going to work.

[jon_payne @ Aug 7th 2007 12:37AM]

Actually I've seen that there MAY be an unlocked version of the iPhone coming soon! At least at www.mobileplanet.com, but that link was taken down and now they say it is SIM locked. Who knows?

[John @ Aug 7th 2007 1:45AM]

MacDaddy -- there are a couple of hundred other countries in the world besides the US, even though Americans tend to forget that.

[Srikanth Eswaran @ Aug 7th 2007 1:55AM]

so it was bound to happen eh? apple could have had a simultaneous launch all over the world and this would have been a super hit all the more! well who ever tries hacks, either the hack way or the normal way apple does get lots of identity and popularity! much like microsoft, pirated or not! There is no doubting the fact that apple has changed the way people perceive technology. Simple, uncluttered, easy to use products! way to go apple

www.chowchowbath.com
All the things you needed to know!!

[Michelle @ Aug 27th 2007 6:54PM]

This is just a thought I had this morning. Is there a chance the iphone is dual gsm and cdma since apple went to verizon first? Just like the blackberry 8830 is. Has anyone tried a sprint or verizon 8830 sim in an unlocked iphone yet to just see i that would work? Thanks