$100,000 offered to freely release iPhone unlocking software

Hey, that's what they claim: $100,000 in cold hard cash for the right to freely distribute the iPhone unlocking software onto the Nets. Full credit given to the creator(s) of course with a proposed release date of Wed night at 12:00am (in some unspecified time zone). No details as to who is financially backing the offer or how payments will be made, only a single email address posted for discussing the details. Hear that UniquePhones and IPhoneSIMfree, here's your chance to make a buck and avoid a legal tussle with AT&T / Apple. Of course, anyone can launch a Blogspot site announcing pretty much anything they'd like. If nothing else, the move illustrates perfectly the demand for the software unlock to be released for general consumption. Let's hope it means more.

[Thanks, Gussy]

[IvannaiPhone @ Aug 28th 2007 6:17AM]

iPhone + T-Mobile =

[The General @ Aug 28th 2007 6:23AM]

An iPhone without visual voice mail, $20 unlimited internet, and terrible service where I live?

Sounds like a bargain!

[nikster @ Aug 28th 2007 7:30AM]

For people in the U.S. who never travel AT&T is just fine. Sort of like a Big Mac with fries. Nothing wrong with that.

But for the rest of the world, we are waiting to use the iPhone all over Asia, Europe, South America, Africa, and last not least Russia. OK? Add Canada and Oz to that list.

As you can see the vast majority of the planet is waiting breathlessly to finally get a smart phone that doesn't suck. I know I am. So I want an unlocked phone and good luck to you AT&T lawyers when dealers in Hong Kong get their hands on the unlock software. Or better still if it's released open source and geeks all over the world can unlock iPhones.

In fact, I am thinking - you could probably make back $100K in a couple of days with unlocked iPhones if you are in Hong Kong. Far away from the reach of the ATT lawyers...

[nikster @ Aug 28th 2007 7:34AM]

I should add that I know T-Mobile in the U.S. and I also wonder who on earth would want to switch to that?! I travel a lot and I am not joking when I say that T-Mobile had the worst coverage and highest cost of any mobile carrier I have used in recent years. No connection and dropped calls in the heart of Silicon Valley is quite a feat if you ask me.

[nikster @ Aug 28th 2007 7:47AM]

Um sorry shoulda RTFA... these guys have $100K and will give it to anyone who gives them the phone unlock, and then will make it freely available. Cool stuff! ps: Somewhat ambiguously worded, Engadget.

[LikesGadgetsWillTravel @ Aug 28th 2007 10:53AM]

I'm a big fan of T-Mobile. Much better coverage than on my Cingular/AT&T workphone where I am. And my 6133 (hacked to a 6126 with open apps) runs Gmail, google maps and Opera Mini just fine on the $6/month T-Zones plan.

Visual voicemail is a gimmick. So is a phone you can't dial/use without LOOKING at it, because it has no actual keyboard.

I'm with the rest of you... give me a PDA phone that doesn't suck on a network that doesn't suck. To me, that removes the iPod/Phone and AT&T from the equation.

[Sara @ Aug 28th 2007 3:58PM]

I think people are missing the point here. $100K to distribute software freely that they instead (if they end up selling it) could make literally MILLIONS of doesn't make any sense. Supposedly about 450,000 people signed up in advance for the unlock, so if they charge them each $30 (what they said might be the price - low end) you're looking at $13.5 MILLION just to start.

Do the math, $100k is nothing compared to the potential behind this thing for these folks.


Sara
http://www.prankvideoz.com

[Stevonw @ Aug 28th 2007 6:22AM]

I wouldn't be surprised if this was another US network offering up the cash (not by the official means of course as that would see a lawsuit). Which would see AT&T's share in the Cell Providers market sink faster than the titanic, as a lot of people hate them....but have to go with them (at the moment) if they want the iPhone.

[Bill @ Aug 28th 2007 6:24AM]

While the whole idea of the big cash is great in this case, the whole idea of locking any cell phone is stupid. We pay our cold hard cash for the phone but a paticular carrier decides we can only use it on there network. Instead of locking a phone, the company that releases the phone should be looking at quality customer service and support to get you to use them-- oh ya, but then they would actually have to work for all those millions they make. What a stupid idea I had..

[rafa @ Aug 28th 2007 8:58AM]

You realize that the lock-in lets the phone companies subsidize the phone for you right? That's why new unlocked phones always cost a couple hundred dollars more than their locked counterparts. Apart from the iPhone, you could always go straight to the manufacturer and pay full price for the phone you want.

[Dan S. @ Aug 28th 2007 9:44AM]

>> Apart from the iPhone, you could always
>> go straight to the manufacturer and pay
>> full price for the phone you want.

Not so, these days, when most providers (Verizon & Sprint and I think: T-Mobile, AT&T) rely on a list of approved ESN blocks for a phone to successfully activate on their network. If you didn't buy a phone specifically manufactured for them, you're SOL.

This is in contrast to the Verizon policy of just three years ago, where I was able to activate an unlocked Sprint Sony Ericsson T608 on VZW without serious problems (other than the POS phone dying after a week -- at the time, it was the only bluetooth phone on any CDMA network).

[Kurtis @ Aug 28th 2007 11:05AM]

@rafa

Phone subsidies are a rip off. Yeah sure you get the phone for $100 less than the retail cost, but you are locked into a two year contract and you pay $20 more each month than you would have to if there were no subsidies. $20 * 12 * 2 = $480. So you are saving a wonderful $100 while you are paying out an extra $480. People who can't do math think "oh, let me get this phone it is $100 off" without realizing what it actually costs them.

[rafa @ Aug 28th 2007 11:36AM]

@Dan
Yea, I don't even consider anything non-GSM when talking about phones. The other systems are just too crippled and favor the carriers rather than the consumers. As a person who travels internationally a couple of times a year, I'd be lost without GSM SIM cards.

@Kurtis
Why would you pay $20 more per month? Is there some kind of handset fee?

[Reg Muffet @ Aug 28th 2007 6:29AM]

Maybe it's AT&T making the offer. (Like oil companies buying up hydrogen technology.)

Their lawyers would charge them at least that to shut the solution down anyway.

[nikster @ Aug 28th 2007 7:35AM]

AT&T already paid way more than that getting the lawyers to send that letter...

[seepage87 @ Aug 28th 2007 9:22AM]

Reg, please remove your tinfoil hat for the briefest moment. Oil companies almost never buy up hydrogen tech, because it doesn't work yet. If they do buy it up, they don't do it to "crush" it, they do it hoping it'll work better than the oil for two reasons: one, working hydrogen tech would make them tons of money and, two, buying the tech hedges their position against a potentially disruptive technology. If oil gets replaced, they aren't ruin. It's what I'd do, and I'm not evil.

P.S. Neither are they

[Kai @ Aug 28th 2007 12:25PM]

A better comparison would be the Auto Manufacturers buying out the trolley systems in Los Angles and then shutting them down to force people to buy cars. Or how the American auto companies have been trying to prevent electric cars from making it to the market by buying up as much technology as possible and patenting it. I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but big companies do things like this to crush the competition. You should all see the documentary "Who Killed the Electric Car" if you have some free time, very interesting.

[Michael Oxley @ Aug 28th 2007 6:31AM]

There is a dare on monsterdare .com for people to club together to raise the $100k.
http://www.monsterdare.com/dares/view/443

If 100k people each put in a dollar we will buy the software and release it to every contributor.

[nikster @ Aug 28th 2007 7:48AM]

You are very much missing the point here. These guys already have the $100K, they want the unlock software, and they want to release it to the general public as soon as they have it.

RTFA ;)

[Smitha @ Sep 4th 2007 11:09AM]

Wake up and smell the beef guys.

A software unlock has not been achived. Both iPhonesimfree and unique are scams. Engadget is in on the iphonesimfree scam, just like they were in on the previous "trash apple news" that was fake.

Supersim,Turbosim and George Hotz hardware unlock are our only choices. Nobody has managed to write to the NOR yet, had they been able to we would have seen a soft unlock long time ago.

Do not attempt to join this "raise money" scam - or give your IMEI away at any of these scam sites. They only want your E-mail.

Engadget seem to be willing to do anything for a quick buck these days - then again it's a blog and not a editoral house. Posting video crap like the "soft unlock" without even letting people know how it was done. Shame on you!


I say, stop buying this piece of sh** - and get back patience.

'nuf said!

[Rick @ Sep 7th 2007 12:31AM]

SCAM ALERT: iphonesimfree.com is a SCAM


Iphonesimsfree is a SCAM. Here are the details:

First i received the email saying that please send th epayment in accordance wit hthe proforma invoice. And the invoice gave the bank details where they wanted the money to be wired:

Bank Name: Istituto Bancario Sammarinese (IBS)
Address: Via Rivo Fontanelle, 96
47892 Gualdicciolo
Republic of San Marino (RBS)
Tel: [phone]

Account Holder: Lucente Lorenzo

Account # 000030301062
IBAN: SM74Z0317109803000030301062
SWIFT (BIC): ISBMSMS1XXX
ABI: 03171
CAB: 09803


After the wire for 50 licenses is done. (which was 1800 dollars). I get the following email.

this the last email i got from them:

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Hello ,

Sorry for the trouble, but if you did not send the money yet, do not send it.
We are going to send you an updated invoice tomorrow with proper bank
coordinates. Sorry for the trouble.


--
Best regards,
iPhoneSimFree mailto:[e-mail]

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


This is a FULL BLOWN SCAM and i will be reporting it to all the internet scam monitoring agencies (CIA, FBI, etc...) Iam pretty much sure that iam not the only one getting scammed here and i am pretty much sure in the coming months or years they will get the scammer(s) apprehended.

iam not looking for my money, just a warning that DO NOT SEND THE WIRE.

regards,

Rick

[Ratchet the Lombax @ Aug 28th 2007 7:11AM]

Oh good I see they got my E-Mail ;) Just release it and THEN I will write the check.

[Anthony @ Aug 28th 2007 7:17AM]

hey .. scam or not ... whatever .. true that work should be giving credit but hey who said credit has to be money altho it is reasonably fair ...hey going down in history and a whole bunch of 'thank yous' is better than a law suit...especially sue happy America!

so i say... jus let the secret out =] so we can be all happy, yes?

[Adk @ Aug 28th 2007 7:25AM]

Right. You can e-mail [e-mail] for more info........

[humpty @ Aug 28th 2007 7:34AM]

Meh, PDAs went out of style a long time ago.

[Ratchet the Lombax @ Aug 28th 2007 7:50AM]

ooh you called the iPhone a PDA now all the iFans are going to be listing the ways the iPhone is different than a PDA get ready for it.

[Jugomugo @ Aug 28th 2007 8:30AM]

Hey, I'd like this as a WiFi PDA. I've used one before, and it's pretty slick.

[7of7 @ Aug 28th 2007 8:08AM]

Why waste so much money tinkering with the iPhone just to make it usable instead of using that money to support open products from non evil companies?

[Leonard Nimrod @ Aug 28th 2007 8:10AM]

Qhat are the possibilities here?

1) Apple and AT&T sue and win (doubtful, and the info will still be leaked to the web for the savvy DIYs)
2) Apple and AT&T sue and lose (this makes selling unlocked iPhones at an inflated price big business)

If the latter happens what will happen with the Apple/AT&T deal and deals with International carriers?

Apple may decide to unlock *ALL* iPhones, sell them for $800/900 (what I think the real retail price of this deivce) but with AT&T (and other on-oard carriers) offering you a substantial discount for signing a 2 year contract. One that is readily paid for by Apple to the carrier. A complete reversal of the typical subsidization model.

Either way, Apple, AT&T and it's other partners still get what is coming to them. I don't see many people who would be willing to pay that much extra just to have the carrier of their choice. Plus, in countries like Belgium where phones are required by law to be unlocked Apple now has a market, albeit at an inflated retail price that competed with the Nokia N95.

[rp @ Aug 28th 2007 1:11PM]

I'm guessing you're right for the most part, however, a little birdy told me that Apple doesn't give a crap, because it's really AT&T's problem. Apple is making pocket change from their deal with AT&T. They make all their money selling the phone. Notice how Apple has said absolutely nothing about it, while AT&T has threatened to sue people.
If these two companies are such great bed buddies, don't you think Apple would be stepping up to the plate to bat for AT&T during rough times? Well, they aren't such great bed buddies obviously, they're two different companies with two different objectives.

[PG @ Aug 28th 2007 8:18AM]

Here is something I do not understand. ATT and Apple are forcing people into contract even though people buy iPhones unsubsidised a.k.a full price! Where's the outrage? Where are the class action suits? I am not a lawyer, but I am fairly certain this situation can be classified as monopolistic behaviour.

[Leonard Nimrod @ Aug 28th 2007 9:25AM]

There is no contractual agreement required to sign up with AT&T with the iPhone. You can go month-to-month. How is this not common knowledge by now?

And just because Apple is selling the iPhone at $500/$600 doesn't mean that it's the full retail price. Apple is getting significant monthly dues from AT&T for current and new customers who use the iPhone.

[John @ Aug 28th 2007 10:09AM]

As I recall, someone already went and tallied up the components within an iPhone and found that Apple had a significant profit margin on each iPhone sold. While obviously they have to recoup sunk costs from design the damn thing, they're doing just fine at that without any help from AT&T. They do get a kickback from AT&T when people get an iPhone with AT&T contract, but it is not getting them out of the red, just putting them further in the black.

[richyinsea @ Aug 28th 2007 11:37AM]

Monopoloistic? Probably not. An iPhone is after all a cell phone and Apple/ATT is unlikely to capture a majority of that market. Even though an iPhone is more than a cell phone you will not likely get it declared as such for monopoly purposes. And if you did there are older competitors out there. Did you know you can get something that looks a lot like an iPhone that is actually a full Linux platform, and you can get bluetooth attachments for it like the bluetooth attachments for cell phones and a fold up keyboard.

[lozaccio @ Aug 28th 2007 8:24AM]

Nikster/ anyone else:

Could you please drop the names of a few HK cellphones dealers?
I am looking for wholesalers there to buy from and import into the USA.

Thank you.

[Jugomugo @ Aug 28th 2007 8:30AM]

I'd still like to know if unlocked, can I use the iPhone as a WiFi PDA?

WiFi, Internets, iPod... sounds good to me.

[Leonard Nimrod @ Aug 28th 2007 9:43AM]

Unlocking isn't an issue with your request.
You can buy an iPhone and use it as an iPod and WIFi browser with some very simple techniques that are available all over the web, including Engadget.

[Mobilehavoc @ Aug 28th 2007 8:38AM]

I think people are missing the point here. $100K to distribute software freely that they instead (if they end up selling it) could make literally MILLIONS of doesn't make any sense. Supposedly about 450,000 people signed up in advance for the unlock, so if they charge them each $30 (what they said might be the price - low end) you're looking at $13.5 MILLION just to start.

Do the math, $100k is nothing compared to the potential behind this thing for these folks.

[Xzavier @ Aug 28th 2007 8:38AM]

“$100,000 offered to freely release iPhone unlocking software”
This is the equivalent of that guy who keeps trying to sell me that bridge in Brooklyn! Something about how it is worth *every penny* and I can make my money BACK!

Oh and the 2nd paragraph 1st sentence where its states… “The Iphone is a part of our life.”
I think what he really was saying is... “most of us didn’t buy an iPhone however reading all of the gossip on it is part of our life!”

:D

[Jesse @ Aug 28th 2007 8:49AM]

I'll add $10 to that!

[Mike @ Aug 28th 2007 9:32AM]

So if everyone hates AT&T, and everyone hates T-Mobile, what networks will all these unlocked iPhones be getting used on?

[Leonard Nimrod @ Aug 28th 2007 9:44AM]

The GSM networks in the rest of the world.

[John @ Aug 28th 2007 10:10AM]

There are other countries that are NOT the United States, you know...

[Blu-Sam @ Aug 28th 2007 9:38AM]

I don't think Tmobile would be great since I notice Tmobile network went down three time this month.

[Jonathan @ Aug 28th 2007 10:31AM]

100000 bucks for the rights to distribute is change....the amount of money one could make off of advertisements and such on such a website would dwarf that.

[Darren @ Aug 28th 2007 10:36AM]

A little bird told me that Bill Gates had a bad experience with AT&T before and wants his iPhone on Verizon's network.

[Mike Vick's Lawyer @ Aug 28th 2007 12:26PM]

Verizon is CDMA, not GSM, so unless Bill Gates is going to seriously modify the hardware, his iPhone won't be working on Verizon. Tell your little birdy to STFU.

[Darren @ Aug 28th 2007 2:14PM]

Noted. The cat is now full and happy.

[mr.fresh @ Aug 28th 2007 11:17AM]

$100,000!!! That could buy like six iPhones!

[James @ Aug 28th 2007 12:19PM]

Another crap and worthless post by Engadget. Post some real news.