iPhone unlocked: AT&T loses iPhone exclusivity, August 24, 2007, 12:00PM EDT
The iPhoneSIMfree.com team called us up to prove their claim that they cracked Apple's iPhone SIM lock system, and prove it they did. (No, we don't have a copy of the unlock software, so don't even ask us, ok?) The six-man team has been working non-stop since launch day, and they're officially the first to break Apple's SIM locks on the iPhone with software. It's done. Seriously. They wouldn't tell us when and how they would release it to the public, but you can certainly bet that they'll try to make a buck on their solution (and rightly so). We can hardly believe the iPhone's finally been cracked. No, scratch that -- we just can't believe it took this long.
Again: we can confirm with 100% certainty that iPhoneSIMfree.com's software solution completely SIM unlocks the iPhone, is restore-resistant, and should make the iPhone fully functional for users outside of the US. Read on for details and links to our video, and check out the gallery of images below.
Gallery: iPhone unlocked
Notes on the install
- The unlock process took only a couple of minutes. From our end it was totally painless.
- Once you put your new, non AT&T SIM in the device, you have to go through the usual activation process. This can, of course, be done by anyone anywhere with the right tools (like iASign or iActivator)
- We tested with an active T-Mobile SIM -- after the hack was finished and we reactivated we immediately got full bars and the T-Mobile carrier info popped up in the top bar.
- Everything is otherwise the same, except the menu system now has a couple more options. The root menu has Carrier settings where you can select your preferred network if you don't want to roam.
- The General -> Network menu now has an EDGE network settings area where you can input your carrier's APN and username / password. We put in our T-Mobile info, and were immediately online. (Apparently these hidden menus were added in the 1.0.1 update, they tell us. How convenient!)
- Visual voicemail isn't in the cards -- sorry. That was, of course, to be expected because it's a special AT&T network-specific feature right now. When you hit the voicemail button you are taken immediately to your carrier's default voicemail line though, and that works just like it would on any other phone.
- Everything is confirmed as working on a non-AT&T network: SMS send / receive, internet (including Safari, Mail, Google maps, etc.). YouTube doesn't work out of the box, but that's to be expected. If you're not on AT&T you have to manually activate YouTube -- here's the guide on how to do that. (YouTube is the only app you have to activate like this.)
- We know, it's kind of crazy, but this isn't a hoax.
- No, sorry, you can't have our unlocked iPhone.
- The iPhoneSIMfree.com guys claim this method is restore (though not necessarily upgrade) resistant. We have no way of knowing whether Apple will be able to disable this SIM unlock with future iPhone software updates, but we can confirm that it is restore-resistant.
- We performed a full restore (v1.0.2) on our iPhone and successfully activated it using an inactive AT&T SIM.
- After fake-activating our iPhone, you merely pop out the AT&T SIM, put in the foreign SIM of your choosing, reactivate, and you're done. "Boom," as Steve might say.
- Restoring from an iPhone backup in iTunes worked perfectly despite the lock and foreign SIM. The only thing to notice was the phone number is now listed as "n/a" in iTunes. Big whoop.
- No, seriously. You can't have our unlocked iPhone.
Before you get in a tizzy claiming it's a faked video, please note that:
- We show the T-Mobile SIM at the beginning and end.
- The video stream does get cropped toward the end. That's actually just a crop to make sure the phone number on the second iPhone isn't shown. No frames of the video stream were removed, it wasn't a cut.
- Just so you could be extra sure it's real, we even left in the GSM radio noise.
- Dude, you can unlock your own iPhone soon, ok? You can't have ours.
[MP4] Download in wide VGA (14MB)
[AVI] Download in 720p HD (44MB)
[AVI] Download in wide VGA (14MB)
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 9)
Gary Brinkman @ Aug 29th 2007 3:36PM
Who else in the US were they going to sign with, T-Mobile? What would selling through them help much at all. They have poor coverage and have about 1/3 - 1/4 the number of customers (depending on who you beleive) AT&T was the only options. So probaby by signing a long term deal, Apple could get a better deal from at&t and not really have any impact on apple sales. And please don't go with a Verizon / Sprint Model as Apple will not produce 2 different versions of the iPhone, one to workon GSM and one to work on CDMA.
The AT&T was a no-brainer really.
Ang @ Aug 24th 2007 12:14PM
Cool.
Way to go
Tim Fangon @ Aug 24th 2007 12:15PM
Whew... sounds like a giant lawsuit coming up after this... when Apple and AT&T mean exclusive, they probably mean it. For now. If not, bricking firmware maybe? I dunno... people like to do what they like to do I guess.
BrettB @ Aug 24th 2007 12:23PM
The way I understand things, and correct me if I'm wrong, didn't congress pass a law in the last few years basically making this kind of thing ok. If you own the device, you can do whatever you want to it to make it work in whatever way you want. Most people won't bother with this, but for those that do, Apple is still making 499/599 off the deal. AT&T can get as mad as they want, but the fact is, the person doing this doesn't have a contract with them and so there isn't much of a basis for a lawsuit.
Iam9376 @ Aug 24th 2007 1:40PM
@ Brett
You have to understand Apple has a legal obligation to maintain the AT&T exclusive deal, if they don't act against this, AT&T can sue them (and rightfully so) for violating their contract. As such, it is in Apples best interest to get this under wraps ASAP.
BrettB @ Aug 24th 2007 2:23PM
Sure, Apple might have to take steps to stop this from happening and if they do not do so, they may have contract liability to AT&T. What I'm saying, is that there isn't a basis in law or contract for AT&T or Apple to sue Joe consumer for cracking his iPhone to work with another service provider. I could be wrong here, but that's what I'm saying.
dave @ Aug 24th 2007 12:15PM
I hope its real, but there's a definite cut in the video when the call is being made.
Ryan Block @ Aug 24th 2007 12:26PM
Again, it's not a cut, I had to crop out part of the video because the number was displayed. No frames are missing from the video.
Dave @ Aug 24th 2007 2:20PM
Thanks Ryan, so many posts turned up within seconds, I was playing devils advocate at about post 4 but by the time submission went through, I was well behind:-)
P.S.
Can you please just elaborate what you have to do as a customer if no software is involved, as you state you didn't get any software?
Thanks in advance
A great news break!
CharlieX @ Aug 24th 2007 12:17PM
So how does voicemail work without AT&T? Does it just text you letting you know to call your vmail?
wharpua @ Aug 24th 2007 6:07PM
'Visual Voicemail' bypasses the linear, listen-to-the-entire-single-stream-of-voicemail-system standard - instead it treats each message the same way you receive email.
You can listen to them in any order, and delete messages without needing to start listening to them first and then press a key while it's in progress.
http://www.apple.com/iphone/phone/?feature=feature02
artman1033 @ Aug 24th 2007 12:19PM
Why is this a good thing? As an aapl shareholder, I want the exclusive aarangement with a carrier...........OPTIMIZE PROFITS
John @ Aug 24th 2007 12:21PM
What the hell are you talking about? This is good for apple, because now people who don't like AT&T still have a reason to buy an iPhone.
freakscene @ Aug 24th 2007 12:58PM
John, I think he's referring to the fact that Apple has a revenue-sharing deal with AT&T. So if someone buys an iPhone and uses TMobile, they won't see any of that revenue coming in. I'm not agreeing with it, just explaining it.
Paul @ Aug 24th 2007 1:24PM
Shareholders should all go die in a fire. You people are the reason major companies suck so bad. Instead of putting the customer first, companies create cheap or crippled products to "maximize profits".
artman1033 @ Aug 24th 2007 1:44PM
PAUL, you worthless slime.....I said Optimize profits...not MAXIMIZE PROFITS....TAKE ECONOMICS 101 if you ever get to college
almostinfamous @ Aug 24th 2007 1:45PM
do you hold preferred stock?
if no you own common stock which in the event of any trouble(god forbid) becomes useful fishwrap. you are not 'the investors' that wall street keeps talking about.
if yes, WTF are you doing posting on engadget, slacker?
Ed @ Aug 24th 2007 3:06PM
As an Apple Shareholder, I believe the opposite to be true. I say maximize hardware sales. There is a ceiling with AT&T of people who have a want for the iPhone and have bought it, who desire an iPhone but can not yet afford it, and have no desire at all to ever touch an iPhone. Outside AT&T, with other carriers there are those that are willing, and have, switched to AT&T just to have the iPhone, and those that desire it but have a very bad AT&T taste in their mouth and will never buy an iPhone as long as AT&T comes along for the ride.
Yes, Apple receives a percent of the monthly charges from AT&T for the use of the iPhone. However, when the ceiling is reached so that all AT&T customers that want an iPhone have one, what happens then? Apple closes it's production facility? Of course not. A surplus of the hardware will begin to mass in the warehouses.
If a T Mobile customer that absolutely refuses to ever use AT&T again is aware that there is a way, even though it will probably officially be considered a void of warranty for Apple Care and replacement insurances, to unlock the iPhone to use with T Mobile and purchases the hardware how is this a bad thing? What has Apple lost at this point? The AT&T contract revenue? They didn't have that to begin with in this case because He/She had already declared AT&T the Devil and refused to buy the iPhone because of it.
So now we have AT&T iPhone users that have purchased the hardware (at a profit since it is not subsidized), that also have an AT&T contract (at an Apple profit) and certain other carrier users that will never use AT&T (Vermont anyone?) who will now buy an iPhone (at another profit) and use it as they wish.
Again, I personally don't see how this win, win, win situation is bad.
andycr @ Aug 25th 2007 3:09PM
"I want this, I want that, I'll get more money if you don't do this, blah blah waah"
Screw you. You have the same mentality as the RIAA - screw customers, they only get anything from us because they give us money.
Paul @ Aug 24th 2007 5:33PM
I already have a college degree, artman. Semantics don't play into this situation. Whether you say "maximize" or "optimize" profits, you mean the same thing: "Give me as much money as possible, no matter how much it limits the product!"
Please stuff your stock certificates down your throat until you choke. "We" is more important than "you".
blupit @ Aug 24th 2007 6:02PM
who cares if your stock goes down? really?! if i buy something and want to mod it in any way, thats my right! so what if you lose a couple cents on your stock! we dont tell you how to use your stock, so dont tell us what we should do with our purchases! all because you happen to own 1 1/2 shares of aapl!
xman @ Aug 24th 2007 12:21PM
Steve Jobs is getting the attorney's ready. And of course this will invalidate your warranty, etc, etc. And knowing Apple, they will try to brick your phone if they find out you did this, and of course blame you and not want to honor the warranty. lol
Hugh @ Aug 24th 2007 4:03PM
Unlocking the iPhone, or any other phone, is completely legal, and Apple would be torn on whether to release a firmware update because if they did it would brick it and make people use AT&T who they share iPhone revenue with. And if they didn't release a software/firmware update, they would have a boost of iPhone sales and a rising stock.
Apple, what do you do?
Argot @ Aug 24th 2007 12:22PM
But can you cut/paste on it?
Jonathan Miller @ Aug 24th 2007 1:55PM
Cut and Paste is easy. Simply grab a pair of scissors...
...don't forget the elmers!
Ahmed @ Aug 24th 2007 5:39PM
If you want to cut/paste so badly, get a computer.
Herman Manfred @ Aug 24th 2007 12:24PM
Though the feat is very impressive, it's important to understand that the iPhone uses server-based functionality for some of its best stuff - like Visual Voicemail. That simply won't be available anywhere Apple doesn't agree it will be available from.
That is, "fully functional" is incorrect, though "majorly functional" might be.
berryhill @ Aug 24th 2007 12:26PM
Now if they can only hack it to be able to work on sprints network
Mike @ Aug 24th 2007 12:41PM
that really isnt ever going to happen due to the fact that the iPhone operates on the GSM network and sprint uses CDMA
Michael @ Aug 24th 2007 12:58PM
That's impossible. Two totally different underlying cellular networks..
Nomi @ Aug 24th 2007 3:35PM
I think that was sarcasm...atleast I hope so...
glide @ Aug 24th 2007 12:26PM
Why would anyone's attorney be knocking on anyone's door? It's not illegal to unlock a phone that you own; as long as you are not changing the IMEI.
RJINAZ @ Aug 24th 2007 3:17PM
The IMEA is tied to the SIM card on a GSM phone. ;-)
You change it every time you swap out cards.
u05srb @ Aug 28th 2007 4:41AM
No, IMEI remains the same independent of the SIM card used. You can re-flash your phone, change the SIM card and it will still have the same IMEI. Changing this number is illegal in a number of countries, as it is usually done to clone phones or hide the identity of stolen phones.
Mr Angry @ Aug 24th 2007 12:29PM
The only thing that needs unlocking is you apple dorks brains!
Why wood i want the crappy i phone on anothur network it's no way gonna work. I think this story is a load of bull
paragraph @ Aug 24th 2007 12:19PM
the advantage here is that it's a wifi enabled smartphone. Sure, data might not work (yet) but that means i don't have to PAY for data and i can piggyback off the superior to EDGE format called WiFi (you've heard of it, right?)
Anyways, this is awesome, once i get the scratch and know this works for sure i can have my iPhone on my $39.99/mo T-Mobile plan with more minutes, unlimited night/weekends. The major downfall is that i would need to sign up for the AT&T service, then cancel it (thats not cheap).
But if someone has an iPhone and doesn't want/need EDGE (or visual voicemail, and thats what callwave is for ;)) then this is a great way to sneak your iPhone in onto a network you actually like. i'm not going to bash them but i've never had a good experience with at&t/cingular and i'm glad that now I at least have some sort of option of a provider i like.
As for validity, this is engadget, not John Q. Hacker's Blogspot. I have no reason to believe this is a hoax because the first person to be skeptical would be engadget. [checks date] even if it was a joke, i doubt August 24th is August Fools day [checks google's logo] nope, it isn't.
Anyways, to sum it up. Stop bitching about not having an iPhone. This is probably the best story so far this week, if you don't want to read iPhone/Apple related stories stop reading them.
-_-
mr angry sucks @ Aug 24th 2007 12:23PM
well "mr. angry" if you think it was a load of bull, why did you (a. click add comments (b. type in name and email (c. type stupid message not worth posting and (d. wait for email (e. get email and click activation link.
i think this is awesome and a real landmark for iphone hackers
Brian @ Aug 24th 2007 2:10PM
you sir, seem to have failed second grade english.
Mel @ Aug 24th 2007 10:52PM
You know...iPhones are supposed to be really good with spelling...
Garrett @ Aug 24th 2007 12:30PM
I'm assuming "Fully functional" doesn't include visual voicemail, as it is a limitation of the network, right?
Maybe you want to change that or something, I dunno. I'm not really a stickler on things like that, but it got me curious enough to post this comment. If visual voicemail DOES work, please reply!
Gregg @ Aug 29th 2007 5:11PM
People please for God's sake RTFA. BEFORE you post stupid questions...
Garrett @ Aug 29th 2007 5:18PM
Five days later you posted that? Dude, get bent, you aren't impressing anybody.
chakaJones @ Aug 24th 2007 12:31PM
Wait, wat about this dude in Jersey who claims he's unlocked the iPhone?
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/08/24/business/NA-FIN-TEC-US-IPhone-Unlocked.php
Ryan Block @ Aug 24th 2007 12:37PM
That's a hardware unlock, not a software unlock. We covered it here: http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2007/08/23/geohot-and-crews-hardware-unlock-is-going-live/
chakaJones @ Aug 24th 2007 12:39PM
Got it... I'm a day behind.
Mr Angry @ Aug 24th 2007 12:33PM
Nice to see my fan club of apple brown nosers has folowed me here. I can comment if I want, no good crying about it, and get an original name, try hard.
Firstly it might be wrong, it's not like Engadget has wiped millions off of Apple stock prices before is it, maybe learn to READ THE NEWS.
The only thing that's a joke is how much you Appletards have been brainwashed, it's JUST A PHONE, jeez.
"Hello, Hello I want to make a call please"
..."Who do you wanna call sir"
"I want to call my social life, tell it to come home"
I must say I gotta hope ATT decides to brick all the greedy people who want to cheat the system, makes me sick when people think they know that they should get something for nothing when they should pay for it as they signed a CONTRACT to do that.
Derrick @ Aug 24th 2007 1:08PM
First of all, you should try to at least write in a manner that is grammatically correct. Secondly, no one is cheating the system here. If you want an unlocked iphone, you first have to buy the phone, then unlock it. After that, you have to go to your favorite carrier and sign up for phone service. Nobody's stealing anything from anybody here. There's nothing "free" money wise about unlocking an iphone.
As for the bit at the bottom of your comments: AT&T can't brick the phone. only Apple can, and I do not think that they would want to.
Mr Angry @ Aug 24th 2007 1:29PM
English is not my first language, so stop being such a pig. So first of all, you need to write 'and then' in your post to be grammatically correct. So maybe brush up on your own english, before critisising others.
You buy an iphone knowing it's linked exclusively to ATT, that's the system, it says it on their website, or is that a concept you can;t grasp. You want to use it, it happens through ATT. It's people like you that stop the fixes and developm,ent of the phone because you are so busy trying to cheat the system, they have to patch and protect their investment, when they could be offering new features for hte people who play by the rules. I hope they brick them so I can hear the tears of people like you falling on keyboards all around hte world. I have copied 'I told you so muhahaha' into my clipboard ready!
blupit @ Aug 24th 2007 10:27PM
mr.angry??? are you as stupid as you sound? lets try to explain it for all the slow people who obviously took special ed. if i buy something and wish to do ANYTHING to it, i have the right. period! AT&T is trying to cheat us by not allowing people the FREEDOM of choosing our own carrier. so what if some finds a back door and allows everyone the right to choose. who is more important here? the big company or the poeple who keep them going by buying the product.
i happen to use sprint and i dont wish to switch to any other company. but if i do, i will not go to AT&T i think i will buy the phone and use it on another network just to piss idiots like you off.
shmengie @ Aug 24th 2007 12:35PM
is it wrong to get wood from a hack?