Unlocking iPhone from AT&T gets easier, still a pain

So you say writing SIMs all by your lonesome isn't part of your daily routine, but you're still interested in freeing the iPhone from AT&T's surly bonds? Yeah, we can't blame you -- we're pretty much in the same boat -- so we're glad to see that an ever-so-slightly easier unlocking trick has bubbled out of the hive mind just a week after the original. This new hackery involves a specialized SIM card called a "Turbo SIM" manufactured by the Czech Republic's BLADOX. The idea behind the Turbo SIM is that you can add... well, stuff to the Turbo SIM, sandwich it between your regular SIM and your phone, and the loaded material then becomes available to the handset; traditionally, that "stuff" is value-add software like customized SMS directories, security, logging, and the like. In this case, though, the chip is used to pass through the original AT&T SIM's identifying information to the phone while preserving the calling capability of the Carrier X SIM of your choosing. Of course, a €59 (about $81) Turbo SIM has to be ordered from afar to get this accomplished, the phone has to be jailbreaked, and a handful of files need to be downloaded, edited, and executed, so this still isn't for the faint of heart. As always, buyer beware, and find a nice stack of paper that needs weightin' in case everything goes south in a hurry.

[Via iPhone World]

[Penguin Warlord @ Aug 14th 2007 11:06PM]

But will it blend?
That is the question.

[Zeus the God @ Aug 14th 2007 11:12PM]

iPhones already been blended...

Heres the real issue... http://www.thebestpageintheuniverse.net/c.cgi?u=iphone

[john @ Aug 14th 2007 11:25PM]

Anyone try with with a Rogers account in Canada? Eh?

[fearless_fx @ Aug 14th 2007 11:33PM]

sounds like a good way to turn your new 600 dollar toy into a brick

[ryan @ Aug 14th 2007 11:45PM]

now, I'm sure there are plenty of people would like to do this to their iPhone, but I know 3 people who own an iPhone and not one of them would understand what the heck this is even about, much less want to do it. Am I crazy for thinking this is a bit far fetched?

[prokanda @ Aug 15th 2007 12:38AM]

Nope... not at all. Most apple fan-boys just like their shiny, simple looking gizmos to just... work. Customization and options aren't as big of a deal to them in my experience.

Most of them even get pissed when valid smartphone users complain about the lack of a keyboard, paltry storage (in this price range), and lack of simple features in the software (such as MMS, custom ringers, and a wallpaper that actually shows up where a wallpaper should).

Go figure.

[reader @ Aug 14th 2007 11:56PM]

Too bad you'll still have a 2 year contract with AT&T...

[sjsndd @ Aug 15th 2007 1:48AM]

dont live in usa? no iPhone for you unless you do this hack. that is the incentive

[Alex @ Aug 15th 2007 1:51AM]

you can alway just buy one of the many other better smart phones that work on any network

[Tomas Kapler @ Aug 15th 2007 4:34AM]

I wonder why engaged NEVER put and outgoing link to its posts. Would be so big problem to add http://www.bladox.com/index.php?lang=en to this article as a reference?

[Chad @ Aug 15th 2007 8:22AM]

I take it you've never clicked the "Read" link before.....

[Alexander @ Aug 15th 2007 9:53AM]

You must be new here...

[Tomas Kapler @ Aug 15th 2007 10:27AM]

Hmm, i am definitely not new here, i new engagadget for a long time, but this link placed out of the article area with so nondescriptive anchor text is something so not-intuitive, they i have never noticed it and i doubt that it was noticed by majority of users. I would say sorry for mistake, but this is not my fault.

[XAVIER @ Aug 15th 2007 4:53AM]

Privacy concerns ?


Any concerns about privacy with this so called "Value - Added" software ?

[blogcomments @ Aug 15th 2007 8:50AM]

It's only a matter of time before unlocking is successful, and I'm sure once it's sold in France (which requires carriers to unlock phons for customers) this will all become much more accessible for people.

Apparently there's one semi-unlock hack for the iPhone that allows activation without cell phone use, and another unlock hack that reportedly allows full use within Europe.

[luchog2007 @ Aug 15th 2007 10:23AM]

check this ebay article (130143359758). this guy says he can SIM unlock the iphone for use with any GSM provider. like this guy, there are a couple others that claim they can do this with about $15 of hardware.

[mflanagan @ Aug 15th 2007 11:12AM]

Yeah, but this still wont work on alltel because they dont use sims :(

[Evan Brom @ Aug 15th 2007 11:52AM]

How can locking stand up in court? MS got slapped for including IE in windows and this is 1000 times worse.

[Sal @ Aug 15th 2007 12:07PM]

Here in the US its pointless to unlock the iphone. what other choice of gsm is there besides tmobile. Unless your traveling abroad i can understand but all this talk about unlockin the iphone would make more sense if we had a better alternative. Even though it doesnt support 3g so tmobile is even there but it doesnt support visual voice mail and their service kinda sucks i have both companies and in chicago AT&T wins.

[Ayle @ Aug 15th 2007 2:05PM]

Yeah but thee are people who want the phone but dont want to get a contract with AT&T...

[blogcomments @ Aug 15th 2007 11:42PM]

FYI, there's an iPhone unlock hack for Europe that just came out too. . .

http://www.essistme.com/2007/08/15/how-to-unlock-your-apple-iphone-to-use-in-europe-asia-and-beyond/

[luvuyy @ Aug 16th 2007 3:07AM]

here is an article(in chinese) with pics about unlock iphone that sell in hong kong for like hkd16800 (double from the retail price of states)
http://hk.phonedaily.com/news/?news_id=5121

[100% iPhone Unlock @ Aug 23rd 2007 10:14AM]

Anyone have confirmation of the TurboSim unlock?

Or the iphonesimfree unlock?

Or the hardware unlock that's supposedly 100% unlocked to a tmobile sim?

See video demo of the unlock and other details:
http://www.essistme.com/2007/08/23/apple-iphone-unlock-service-announced/

[aliz @ Aug 31st 2007 7:53AM]

wats this then,,,,they claim they are close..hav a luk
http://www.pqdvd.net/iphone-unlock-toolkit.html

[Travis @ Sep 6th 2007 12:57AM]

I have a question. If I buy the phone then unlock the activation but still use my att sim card will the phone still work with everything?
More or less I have internet on my account for cheap and do not want a contract. Thank for the help!

[NG @ Sep 10th 2007 8:03AM]

What if you restore the iphone? Will it stay unlocked too?

I also heard that using this method of iphone hack, we can't upgrade the firmware, is that right?