iPhoneSIMfree announces availability of iPhone unlock within 3 days

You've seen the hack, now see the FAQ. In it the iPhoneSIMfree free guys answer many of the questions we already got to (Is it restore-resistant? Yes. Which features don't work? Just Visual Voicemail. Does it work with 1.0.2? Yes. Etc.), and a few we've all been eagerly awaiting the answers to:

• Can I unlock it before the AT&T registration process?
  Yes.
• What is the process the end user will go through?
  Currently our initial release will require that the end user activate and "jail break" in order to place our app on the phone. (We are working toward a fully automated PC / Mac application to be released shortly after launch).
• Do you offer 100% money back guarantee if the software does not work?
  The unlock WILL work. We cannot offer any guarantee should Apple, Inc. choose to re-lock the phone after a future update.

And the 64k question:

• When can I get it?
  We are hoping to release in the next 48-72 hours.

We'll let you know when we hear more.

[Thanks, Ed]

[EngadgetFanBoi @ Aug 29th 2007 1:57AM]

and so we await the release. i have my doubts as to how easy it will be.

[Reg Muffet @ Aug 29th 2007 2:02AM]

So they are making use of community developed, GPL software.

I hope they are intending to give *something* back to the hacker community as thanks?


As to the ease, jailbreaking's pretty straightforward. With one of the GUI apps such as iActivator, it takes 2-3 mins.

There's every chance this will be a very painless procedure. But not necessary update-proof post 1.0.2. *That* is up to Apple (and their contractual relationship with AT&T?).

[themorusrs1 @ Aug 29th 2007 2:11AM]

Good news to hear, but given the nature of such things.. I'm gonna keep my fingers crossed until the unlock is actually RELEASED.

In either case.. if the unlock does indeed make it out to the wild.. Ill be picking up an 4 GB Iphone the day of ;p

[Martin @ Aug 29th 2007 2:12AM]

I'm still not sure what the point of this is anymore. European carriers will be getting THEIR phones by the end of September. What's the big deal? So someone can use T-Mobile in the States? Why would you want to do that?

[Pasha Eshghi @ Aug 29th 2007 3:28AM]

Last time I checked, USA & Europe aren't the only countries in the world...

[Wole @ Aug 29th 2007 4:06AM]

@Pasha - Last time I checked, Europe wasn't a country.

[Dave @ Aug 29th 2007 7:57AM]

cause AT&T/cingular suk in jacksonville,fl. I'm sorry but I can't drop calls to customers 6 times over a 20 mile stretch of interstate highway and then call it "the network that's the most reliable with least droped calls and more bars in america".

[vannibombonato @ Aug 29th 2007 12:21PM]

What is the use of this?? Are people here joking??
Do you realize that apart from the US there is something like a 1.5 billion people market that could use this?

Oh, well, but since its in the US and in a couple of Euro markets soon it's not useful...

[Reg Muffet @ Aug 29th 2007 2:16AM]

> " Ill be picking up an 4 GB Iphone the day of ;p"

Me too. Will probably spring for the 8 GB.

But if Apple releases update 1.0.3 and it reverses the unlock, I'll be taking it straight back to the Apple Store, and sending a note to Steve:

"If you want my business ever again, let me have an unlocked phone, damn you."

[supermeerkat @ Aug 29th 2007 3:59AM]

Don't upgrade them.

[themorusrs1 @ Aug 29th 2007 9:56PM]

Yep, ill be keeping the phone until a update renders the unlock useless, and if there's no work around to it. I hope the iphonesimfree team can keep updating the ' unlock ' method

[Ricochet @ Aug 29th 2007 2:19AM]

Well given that the release date for Australia remains a vague "sometime in 2008", I for one am very keen to see the developments of this software unlock which will most likely shave 6 months off the wait to use an iPhone here

[Reg Muffet @ Aug 29th 2007 2:26AM]

@Martin, fair point about T-Mobile. AT&T's plans are pretty competitive, plus you get visual voicemail, so it's a wash.

But only three European countries are getting it soon (UK, Germany, France). There are lots of other countries in Europe...

And then there's, let's see, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, etc times a lot - hundreds of countries with a GSM network (over 400 carriers).

Many of those have no fixed data of release on the horizon. With an unlock and an eBay purchase, you could be using an iPhone there,next week.

Plus, there's AT&T customers who are traveling and want to pop in a local SIM to avoid excessive roaming charges (see headlines about the $3000 phone bill after home).

The demand and interest for an unlock - on a global scale - is immense.

When it hits, the story is going to get Engadget its biggest page hits of the year, second only to the iPhone announcement itself.

[Jason Brennan @ Aug 29th 2007 2:32AM]

Yeah, but please people! Don't forget about Canada. You know, that enormous hunk of land on top of the United States of God. I'm sorry, I know Apple likes to leave us out and instead opt for Europe, but we're still here!

Although, I'm not looking forward to using Rogers...

[nd @ Aug 29th 2007 11:08AM]

ah yes, let's not forget about northern north america

[Kurt @ Aug 29th 2007 2:56AM]

http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1752858

[applegenius @ Aug 29th 2007 3:25AM]

http://one.revver.com/watch/377885/flv/affiliate/95410

[Ian Kemmish @ Aug 29th 2007 3:42AM]

Third-party hacks are all very well and good, but remember that you're still beholden to Apple to replace your phone when the touch screen goes dead. And, if it's been hacked, they're unlikely to do that.

As for Europe - well the Commission and numerous MEPs have already voiced their displeasure at the way you can't use iTunes across borders. Any attempt to play silly beggars in such a politically sensitive arena as mobile telecoms (think of the recent brouhaha over roaming charges) will make Apple an even more tempting bogeyman for them. I'd say in the long term they're more likely to deliver than hackers...

[supermeerkat @ Aug 29th 2007 3:59AM]

Jealous of what? You're ability to use "your" in place of "you're"? You sir, are a cretin.

[PEZ @ Aug 29th 2007 8:00AM]

So it pretty much sounds like it will not work completely.

[SteveJ @ Aug 29th 2007 7:20AM]

What if you *do* want to update and the update will kill the unlock? Will this company be offering rapid and free updates to work around such iPhone system updates? If not, I'll wait for something open source, thank you very much.

[nathan @ Aug 29th 2007 2:29PM]

My guess is that the highly skilled reverse engineers ("hackers") contributing to iPhone OSS development efforts could easily reverse engineer this and get the answers they need to release an open source tool.

[liosha @ Aug 29th 2007 7:25AM]

I don't believe them. Their "video proof" actually proves nothing. It seems it's just hardware unlocked phone. Otherwise why they didn't show to TUAW guys how they made it? Carrier menu in preferences? My hardware unlocked phone shows it too. So don't bother that 48-72 hours — you can get it working faster.
One more: it seems 1.0.3 update will not break that hack — I've unlocked with 1.0.1 then totally restored and updated to 1.0.2 and it works fine.
Cheers!

[jalapeno @ Aug 29th 2007 10:06AM]

iPhoneSIMfree has already been proven to work by Engadget, those guys with the bad video are a different company.

[liosha @ Aug 29th 2007 10:15AM]

Sorry, you're right! Just too much info about it so I'm lost :) Anyway I think Engadget was fooled...

[jax80 @ Aug 29th 2007 9:01AM]

One would hope with any license from the iPhoneSIMfree guys that if 1.03+ locks the iPhone --if they are able to successfully unlock that version or greater, they would provide existing license owners free upgrades.

[hyoo2 @ Aug 29th 2007 9:13AM]

whose to say once the hack is released, we can't distribute it amongst ourselves???..aka file sharing :P

[elfribo @ Aug 29th 2007 10:07AM]

Ok continue to discuss this topic ad nauseum, Vaporware needs no updates.

[jilie @ Aug 29th 2007 9:36AM]

"We are hoping to release in the next 48-72 hours. "
just hopes to keep the hype up

[Bee Hatch @ Aug 29th 2007 9:37AM]

The Jesus Phone will be saved!

[applegenius @ Aug 29th 2007 4:33PM]

http://one.revver.com/watch/377887/flv/affiliate/95410

[dustin @ Aug 29th 2007 10:10PM]

I just bought an 8 gig iphone today. I thought maybe apple might start making you hook up to AT&T right when you bought the phone if the hack becomes public. I have 14 days to return if no hack.

Now all I just need to do is find out how to duplicate my sim so I can use two phones at the same time without swapping my sim card. I still need my treo 680 for business.

[shum @ Aug 30th 2007 1:49AM]

still waiting for the SOFTWAAAREEEEEE!!!!! i dont wanna open my iphone!

[pantolgist @ Aug 30th 2007 8:19PM]

Folks

I have it from an extremely credible source on the iPhone OS team that they will be releasing an OS update in the next two weeks that will disable this specific hack and close a couple other back doors that were left open during their rush to get the OS stabilized and out the door. Sorry to rain on the parade, but they're gonna lock it down even tighter than before after the next update.

[JugoGoya @ Aug 31st 2007 11:59AM]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Is there a way to turn off the updates on the Iphone?

[Anton @ Aug 31st 2007 4:00PM]

Yes, there is.
1. Don't click update in itunes.
2. Be happy you didnt click update.
3. Enjoy your unlocked (non-bricked, hopefully) iPhone.

[Anton @ Aug 31st 2007 6:44PM]

Still waiting for the goddamn unlock program... Which should be out by the end of today...
:impatient:

[Alexander @ Sep 2nd 2007 3:08AM]

Yeah dude. The 72 hour window has passed, am I right? Hmm...

[DANIELl ANGLADA @ Sep 2nd 2007 10:54AM]

for dustin:http://www.hyper-card.com/share/mv5.wmv

[nathan @ Sep 2nd 2007 12:45PM]

Times up guys! Where's my software? grrr :(