CNN re-confirms iPhoneSIMfree's iPhone SIM unlock hack

Independent verification of seemingly dubious claims makes the world go 'round, which is why we're a little thankful the iPhoneSIMfree crew has deigned CNN worthy of having the second shot at verifying their iPhone SIM unlock software. We know it won't quiet all the conspiracy theorists out there, but their news wire reads as follows:

Los Angeles software consultant Brett Schulte, who is not affiliated with the developers, demonstrated the software for CNN Friday evening. An iPhone that had the new software appeared to work on the T-Mobile system just seconds after Schulte replaced the AT&T SIM card with a T-Mobile SIM card.

We followed up with Brett, a consultant with CNN, and he confirmed the iPhoneSIMfree unlocked his iPhone as well -- we also really wanted to ask about getting in touch with Ted Turner for a summer internship, but we got the vibe that it'd be a no-go. Now, if only iPhoneSIMfree would release that product of theirs to the public -- perhaps that might land along side the CNN story they're gunning for?

Update: CNN's full story is now live. Still no software.

Read - CNN re-confirms hack (brief)
Read - Our original hack confirmation

[brettschulte @ Sep 1st 2007 5:09AM]

Relax folks - it works. The delay in public release is not a problem with their technology but the challenge of creating bullet proof installation software for Mac and Windows.

[Robert Zolkos @ Sep 1st 2007 5:00AM]

Just release the damn thing already !!

[E71 @ Sep 1st 2007 10:19AM]

That's funny. I don't recall there being this much media coverage on the unlocking of my phone (HTC Trinity) and it has a hell of a lot more features than the iPhone... :p

[rell109 @ Sep 1st 2007 10:40AM]

you guys complain they havent realesed it, but stop. at least they took there time and made it! id rather wait then never have it at all, i bet a few of em lost jobs over this too, there trying to be a safe and make a profit there doing it for our own good because u dont wanna unlock a iphone and the FBI comes knockin on ya door

[bondsbw @ Sep 1st 2007 10:49AM]

The one feature lacking in the HTC Trinity (as well as other Windows Mobile smartphones): usability.

I owned a WM smartphone for two years. I liked it alright. But Microsoft made a phone and PDA OS based on the use case of a keyboard-and-mouse OS. Guess what? There is no mouse! Many phones have to have a stylus to be usable at all, and then it's cumbersome and prone to getting lost. Apple, like few others in the phone industry, realized that there isn't a mouse on the thing and mouse-based menus are, frankly, bad design in that context.

What makes the iPhone stand out? The entire system is based on the size of your finger. It had to be designed from scratch. DESIGNED. Something that Microsoft has been lacking as of late, in every industry (except perhaps the gaming industry). The reason I like the iPhone so much? It makes others in the industry realize that customers expect more. And are willing to pay for that.

[Kevin @ Sep 1st 2007 1:23PM]

Yeah, I just love the finger smudges all over the screen.

You do know that Windows Mobile devices can be operated without a stylus, right? That it's not some kind of magic wand that makes your phone work?

Maybe you MacBigots should just shut up for a while.

[kubism @ Sep 1st 2007 5:14AM]

Although confirming the unlock works is all fine and dandy, all the confirming and re-confirming in the world doesn't mean squat to us if it's never released to the public. I'm ready to get an Iphone once its out.. but looks like its back to waiting to that 48~72h until release or " the next week " for now !

[Ash Ganatra @ Sep 1st 2007 5:40AM]

i only have faith in these guys and the dev team the rest of them seem like monkeys

[paul @ Sep 1st 2007 6:00AM]

I'm not so sure we're not looking at some kind of fake. Keep in mind, that T-Mobile will be the official German carrier and distributor of the iPhone

[ozzielad @ Sep 1st 2007 6:50AM]

Brett, can you describe what you actually did to unlock the phone? Did you have to ssh to the phone, or use iTunes or what? How did the software get on to your phone?

[David K @ Sep 1st 2007 7:18AM]

"[We] also really wanted to ask about getting in touch with Ted Turner for a summer internship, but we got the vibe that it'd be a no-go."

But I thought that you guys were under the same umbrella of Time Warner (because Engadget is under Weblogs, Inc. which is under AOL, a subsidiary of Time Warner, which CNN also is) ? :P

[ED @ Sep 1st 2007 8:23AM]

This time no photos or videos.... Looks even more fake than Engadget does. What's the point for delaying software? Just release it and don't make any promises saying 'we hop it will be released within 72 hours'.

[Kolliyo @ Sep 1st 2007 9:02AM]

dev team sucks balls :( they just like to goof around

[kludge @ Sep 1st 2007 10:49AM]

Yupe! They just ask for donation. And that sucks!

[jilie @ Sep 1st 2007 9:14AM]

i wish apple will relock via software you ipony

[Brett Schulte @ Sep 10th 2007 1:50AM]

iPony?

[Andy @ Sep 1st 2007 9:25AM]

How many more confirmations do we need?

Come on guys, just let us know when they're going to release something. We already know it works.

[phelipe @ Sep 1st 2007 1:00PM]

I dont care for the software anymore. I did 30 hardware unlocks here in Brazil... Iphonesimfree, toke too long...

[phelipe @ Sep 1st 2007 12:55PM]

I dont care for the software anymore. I did 30 hardware unlocks here in Brazil... Iphonesimfree, toke too long...

[robert taylor @ Sep 1st 2007 10:41AM]

the problem i see and many see is that media can be easily fooled by a hardware unlocked iphone that only requires to be activated. So far the current videos are not a hard proof of unlocking, specially because they don't show the process from scratch, i can perform a hardware unlock and then fool someone into thinking its brand new, run a software that activates it and voila i've have a software unlock.....

I know that engadget likes the idea of another source confirming the unlock, but if you read the article very close, cnn is carefully choosing its words. I know that a prestgious site as engadget and a prestigious person as ryan don't appeciate the fact that people are doubting, and the solution is easy, a full non stopping video of the iphone being bought at the apple store and being unlocked with a laptop right away in a starbucks or a nearby place so it's not very long, that way i don't need any confirmation at all, my sole video is a solid proof. Its all about the clarity/completeness of my information.

[lawrencereyes79 @ Sep 1st 2007 5:47PM]

Hey guys I've developed a software that will truly unlock the iPhone completely!
I will be releasing it within 48 to 72 hours of Sept 1 2000never.

[SJP @ Sep 1st 2007 1:07PM]

Even if it works, can't Apple simply re-lock the phone with an iTunes software update?

Also, won't AT&T and Apple be seeking injunctive relief to prevent distribution of this?

[Ed @ Sep 1st 2007 1:35PM]

okay.

ive officially given up on this sw unlock bs.

ill just stare at my locked 600 dollar 8gb ipod for the next few days.

[eccramer @ Sep 1st 2007 2:46PM]

You know, I can't wait 'til they release this. I'm betting that within 3 days tops their software will be torn apart by hackers, and released in a free open source form. There's no way that software unlocking for the iPhone is going to stay in a "Pay for" form.

The day that iPhone is software unlocked for free, I'm gonna go pick up refurb'd 4gb and run as many hacks on it as I can.

[Milan @ Sep 2nd 2007 3:16AM]

Apple event is on the septemner 5th, maybe its a good idea not to release the unlock solution until they test it on the new iTunes/firmware.

[Mike @ Sep 2nd 2007 5:50AM]

Well they seem confident in their product, we also featured an article about this on www.WhichWebsite.com see the article here http://www.whichwebsite.com/2007/Aug/iPhone_unlocking_software.html

[adam @ Sep 2nd 2007 6:51AM]

It's "deemed", not "deigned". Or you could have said "deigned to grant CNN the second shot...".

[mazl @ Sep 2nd 2007 9:00AM]

Doesn`t that say everything:
iPhoneSIMfree announces availability of iPhone unlock within 3 days (4 days ago - 38 Comments)
????
If it would be all about money, they`d release it for free on a website were they make a million dollars just through advertisement.
But they don`t have the software and they don`t have guts.
Geohot shared his success with everybody. He`s the winner!
iphoneSimfree are the loosers!

[Steve @ Sep 2nd 2007 1:01PM]

Unlocking the phone is going to be more and more frequent... seems that in Europe many countries have strong requirement that will force the carrier to automatically give the information on how to unlock a phone 3 to 6 months after it's on the market... which mean that when the iPhone hit the market 3 to 6 months later we can expect many vendors to reimport unlocked iPhone back to the US market...
Personally I used to have t-mobile but was really unhappy with the coverage where I live... so switching to AT&T in fact was a good move!
Steve
http://inewsonly.com
The first ZUI news aggregator for the iPhone

[staniks @ Sep 2nd 2007 12:57PM]

They are just waiting/hoping that someone will give a buttload of money to buy the software so they don't have to worry about legal issues. All this reconfirming just proves they are looking for a buyer.

[wiedzmin @ Sep 3rd 2007 5:41PM]

I give it a week before it leaks.

[butamironin @ Sep 3rd 2007 11:33PM]

I don't like IPhone at all...... But I do remember that it is some buyers right to buy phone and if it's technically capable of working with another provider buyers have a right to switch..... so it is kinda unlawful to lock the phones......

[Avy @ Sep 4th 2007 5:03PM]

This is just so NOT fair. those guys are just making us wait on n on. I've kind of given hope on them. Might as well buy a tubo sim or get it hardware unlocked.I doubt they even got a solution. even when they've proved.

[Michael Collins @ Sep 7th 2007 6:46AM]

Thread asking Ryan to Blocks to be FIRED for his stupidity!

http://hackint0sh.org/forum/showthread.php?t=5044

Resign Ryan, your and Engadget are USELESS REPORTERS. Give it up.

[Rick @ Sep 7th 2007 11:54AM]

SCAM ALERT: iphonesimfree.com is a SCAM

Iphonesimsfree is a SCAM. Here are the details:

First i received the email saying that please send the payment in accordance with the 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

[Rick @ Sep 7th 2007 11:54AM]

After that bank details change email i received from IPHONESIMFREE.COM . I got 3 emails today and all three with new PROFORMA INVOICE and

they changed the bank branch and

account number. But the bank is still in San marino.

In one of the invoice they have quoted the price as USD 625.00 for 50 licenses. I don't know what kind of scam they are running. But this is F***ed up.

I called my bank and now they are after these guys, Internet scam and crime unit have been informed and case has been opened.

Lets see how far these guys can run.

PS: Anybody interested in receiveing headers of the emails and all the invoices copy. I will be willing to send it to any news reporting agency or law

enforcement agency. or any other Modereator of any news blog just to verify the authenticity of the claims and also the BANK WIRE details.


Rick

[jules @ Sep 13th 2007 12:01AM]

Hey do you know if you can unlock the iPhone and use a service that does not use SIM cards...like Verizan?