UniquePhones releases iPhone unlock video in attempt to prove hack

There's never any substitute for independent verification, but we can understand why the UniquePhones crew wanted to whip up a video depicting the SIM unlock of an iPhone using their still-unreleased solution. With almost a half million signed up to be notified of the hack's release, to say they're getting harshed on by the tech community for the MIA unlock software is kind of an understatement. Despite the five points we're giving their crew for the effort, this is the part where the conspiracy theorists in the house are sure to chime in about the impossibility of an honest to goodness iPhone SIM unlock video produced by a company that specializes in unlocking phones. Well, fret not, we're still waiting eagerly to put the spurs to the hack ourselves, and we'll let you know in short order as soon as (or if ever) we snag it. Oh, video after the break.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

[Rawker @ Aug 28th 2007 9:31PM]

why is this a big deal?
every other gsm phone gets unlocked eventually..
did anyone think it wouldn't happen to a hugely hyped phone?
(for most phones the unlock is usually free..

[Ahmed @ Aug 28th 2007 9:54PM]

why does it need to make sense?? Most people like to obsess about stuff to keep them occupied...in the grand scheme of things, unlocking the iPhone is not that big of a deal, but if some people get a kick out of it, good for them!

[John @ Aug 28th 2007 10:00PM]

THIS is a big deal because it involves about a half million people who may have been duped by con artists (emphasis on MAY). iPhone unlocking itself is becoming an important issue because of the legal questions it raises. So, yes, it's fairly important.

[Nick @ Aug 28th 2007 10:05PM]

Its a big deal because Apple and ATT or Cingular (i forget which name it has chosen to go with today) made such a big deal about the exclusivity deal between the two companies.

[Ahmed @ Aug 28th 2007 9:53PM]

call me a conspiracist but...they could've done much better than that!! given the attention they are getting for this, couldn't they atleast borrow their neighbour's camcorder??

[Nick @ Aug 28th 2007 10:10PM]

and a relatives tripod while they were at it.

[Blake Kachman @ Aug 28th 2007 9:53PM]

I love how all of the text is completely indistinguishable. How can you tell it's unlocked

[RickP @ Aug 28th 2007 9:59PM]

that was the lamest video I've ever seen.

[Reg Muffet @ Aug 28th 2007 10:09PM]

My doubts:

Though there was an iPhone box visible which it was taken out of, "implying" it was fresh-out-of-the-box, it had clearly been synced previously.

The Vodafone SIM card would have worked equally well if the iPhone had been previously unlocked through a hardware method. Without someone like Ryan Block to supervise, we have no way of knowing how much work was previously done to the unlocked iPhone.

The blurry text on the command line simply showed what appeared to be the jailbreak sequence. Whether anything further was done after that isn't at all obvious, as what was shown could be done with existing methods.

It may be genuine, it probably isn't. But it's really up to UniquePhones to give a proper demonstration to an impartial observer.

[Deluxe @ Aug 28th 2007 10:29PM]

I Lol'd

[RJM @ Aug 28th 2007 10:31PM]

I'm thinking UniquePhones is made up of a unique (read one) individual, who couldn't even score a buddy to hold the camera for him ... Still, I tend to give him the benefit of the doubt, but jeez dude - if you want to prove something, at least get your camera in focus.

[ARobinso0502 @ Aug 28th 2007 10:45PM]

Agreed...

[Matt @ Aug 28th 2007 10:32PM]

Your gonna get lots of calls but none of them from Ryan.

[ARobinso0502 @ Aug 28th 2007 10:44PM]

I'm kinda disappointed... If they thought enough to make a video, why not get a real camera and someone to hold it?

[Ess2s2 @ Aug 28th 2007 10:45PM]

The whole video looked like someone had smeared Vaseline on the lens, plus I couldn't see anything that would convince me because half the video was of the camera either at a sickeningly weird angle or it was pointing at non-iPhone related items such as tables, floors, hands, etc.

Please try again UniquePhones.

[djvc @ Aug 28th 2007 10:47PM]

wow, a shaky, blurry vid of a prog running and an iphone turning on and off, with a sim card that is in and out of the picture. amazing.

release it to the world and be loved by all. look at the PSP scene for how hacking should be.

[-_- @ Aug 28th 2007 10:49PM]

Wow.
These replies are epic.
No, unlocking the iPhone is no big deal, but why not ride the wave? It's fun =]
Besides, which would I rather obsess over: a blurry video that MIGHT hold the secrets to unlocking a high-end phone, or how Florida's government is (once again) severely cutting back on important things in order to fill a huge deficit caused by the burst housing bubble?
Yeah, bring on more video!

[Jeff Stoelker @ Aug 28th 2007 10:53PM]

perhaps they got paid to keep there mouth shut...

[Ayle @ Aug 28th 2007 11:14PM]

Where are the ctu image enhancement softwares when you need them?

[Harry @ Aug 28th 2007 11:20PM]

Erm BULLSHIT!!!

Who do you think you are fooling UniquePhones? That phone was hardware unlocked before you even ran that cmd application!

Absolute BULLSHIT

and why now? you idiots said the software was ready last week...

[Ess2s2 @ Aug 28th 2007 11:29PM]

I also have this to say about this situation:

Either release the method free or shut up forever. Do I want something for nothing? Certainly not, I don't even own an iPhone, but as someone stated above me, look at the PSP dev scene, people don't tease users with a new hack or exploit, they release it, they don't charge a dime, because it isn't about the money, it's about the love of the hobby and the idea of freedom of information. Anyone who tries to market this is no better than The company that decided these devices should be locked in the first place.

/rant>

[ChrisG @ Aug 28th 2007 11:37PM]

That was so lame. I can't even believe this came from a real company. If they wanted to let the world know that they have come up with a successful unlock for the iPhone they should have atleast spent some time making the debut video for it. He didn't even show any of the modified menus like the one's Engadget showed when they got theirs unlocked. Notice how the guy shooting this isn't even speaking clearly and doesn't even show the logo for the carrier of the new sim card that he put in the iPhone.

[Constable Odo @ Aug 29th 2007 12:27AM]

Wow! They pwned the God phone. They'll burn eternally in the fiery pits for this unholy hacking sacrilege. And they'll have a whole lot of company, too. Too bad they weren't able to make any money from this heinous act.
Nice video for the sight impaired. That's how I usually see things without my eyeglasses.

[Macinjosh @ Aug 29th 2007 12:29AM]

While I appreciate the effort, this video kinda sucks & really doesnt show anything conclusively. For one, its blurry as hell & has way too many cutaways. And whats with using a Nokia phone to film this??

Why not use 2 QUALITY cams to film? One thats movable & one thats stationary, then combine the vids picture in picture??

Or they could just stop dicking us around & release the hack already. That would work too I suppose.

[Chris @ Aug 29th 2007 1:38AM]

I emailed her Goatse. Lets see if shell open it.

[joker0153 @ Aug 29th 2007 4:05AM]

i think apple should've releaed the phone worldwide so that they can make many profit!!! sheesh...

[Dan Lomanto @ Aug 29th 2007 8:12AM]

ok, so say this works. Would this even be possible on the Verizon network? I ask this because Verizon doesn't use SIM cards and also what would the whole data situation be? If any one knows, that info would be very helpful!

[Ess2s2 @ Aug 29th 2007 8:32PM]

No, it's been confirmed that this won't make an iPhone compatible with Verizon, not only for the no-SIM reason, but also Verizon does not offer a GSM network solution, which the iPhone requires.

[djvc @ Aug 29th 2007 11:29PM]

It will work on T-Mobile for the US and pretty much the entire rest of the world, putting the sham over Apple for not releasing an open source piece of equipment to the world.

I hope apple takes it in the @$$ over this [and those guy's release it for free].

As if the price of the thing [and the subsequent iTunes revenue] wasn't enough to make some cash on.

[Fazlul Rahuman Fazal @ Aug 30th 2007 5:49AM]

This video made by UniquePhone really suxs (too blurry). They are leaving room for doubt. I am still not sure whether this is the real deal. They should make a proper professional video to live up to their name.

[gtjmm @ Sep 4th 2007 11:23AM]

i think Uniquephones stoped working on a softwaresolution for unlocking the iPhone...could it be?? because in thier the iPhone blog hs bee erased, and even the video is nit available anymore...:(... sad

[Rob @ Sep 4th 2007 2:41PM]

Isn't it ironic that the unlocking software runs on a PC!