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Bell, Virgin Mobile Canada reportedly start unlocking iPhones, at a steep cost (update: Telus does too)
Canadians have had the option to buy a factory-unlocked iPhone for awhile, but liberating Apple's handset after the sale has been officially limited to Rogers and Fido customers. As long as MobileSyrup's leak is the real deal, though, subscribers to Bell and its Virgin Mobile branch can spring for an unlock as of today. That's good news for many, although the hurdle is once again the carrier's desire to keep customers from jumping ship. Those pursuing an unlock will supposedly need to be out of contract, skip any prepaid plans and pay a $75 fee -- in short, they're more likely to derestrict an old, well-worn iPhone than the iPhone 5 they bought last week. We'll just be happy to have another route to hardware independence, and hope that the mention of widened unlock eligibility in 2013 is more than just a rumor. Update: Telus lets you unlock as well, so this mostly completes the big three carriers. Thanks, Tim!
iPhone jailbreaking legal, iPad not
The latest round of exemptions added to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) may be problematic for iOS owners who unlock or jailbreak their device, according to a report in Ars Technica. Signed into law in 1998, the DMCA bans the production and dissemination of technology designed to circumvent digital rights management systems. This broad-based law gives the Librarian of Congress the power to add exemptions to the law every three years. The latest exemptions were announced on Thursday and will go into effect on October 28. Among them is an exemption that will let users jailbreak their smartphones, but not their tablets. This Librarian decided not to include tablets because the "tablet" category of devices was not well-defined and could include devices like an e-reader, an iPad and even a tablet PC. It's likely that this decision will have a negative effect on the jailbreak community which releases tools that work with both the iPhone and iPad. The Librarian also decided to revoke the exemption allowing customers to unlock their device and use them on a new carrier. The new provision lets you unlock any smartphone purchased before January 2013. Phones purchased after that date can only be unlocked with the permission of the carrier. The librarian noted that carriers have policies that allow for unlocking and felt there was no compelling reason why customers should be allowed to unlock their phones themselves.
Daily iPhone App: Summoner Wars is a complicated mix of virtual board and card game
I took a trip down to Tampa Bay, Fla., for my sister's wedding last week, and before I headed for the airport, I loaded up my iPhone and iPad with a few new apps to check out on the way. Honestly, Fieldrunners 2 HD ended up taking most of my gaming time, but Summoner Wars was a very impressive choice as well. Summoner Wars is a complicated, intriguing game that combines tactical strategy, good old fashioned dice rolling and even some deckbuilding card game elements. You're fighting on a board pushing around cards as units. With each turn, you can either use your cards (as spells or actual heroes) in the battle, or save them as mana to summon more units on your next turn. There are plenty of deep strategical choices here that fans of complicated board games will find satisfying. Unfortunately, all of that complexity makes the game tricky to pick up. There is a tutorial, but even it only explains the mechanics of the game, and leaves you to figure out strategies completely on your own. But I appreciated that, especially on a long plane ride where I needed plenty of distraction from the crying baby behind me and the talkative gent across the aisle to my left. Summoner Wars is completely free-to-play, too, so if you want to check it out, you've got no excuses not to. If you like it, you can unlock everything in the game for US$7.99, or pick up individual card decks or card packs individually.
Unlock your contract-free AT&T iPhone 5: just restore in iTunes
AT&T customers who bought their iPhone 5 off-contract can easily unlock their phone to work on another carrier, says a report in TechCrunch. Instead of faxing paperwork to AT&T and waiting for authorization, customers without a contract can simply connect their iPhone 5 to iTunes and restore it to unlock the device. After the restore process is complete, customers will be greeted with a message saying, "Congratulations, your iPhone has been unlocked." TechCrunch reached out to AT&T, which confirmed that a restore will unlock the iPhone 5 for customers who are not under a contract. Writer Romain Dillet tested it with his device and was able to get a signal on T-Mobile after he inserted a microSIM that was trimmed to fit into the iPhone 5. Other users on AT&T's support forum also report success with this procedure.
Verizon won't relock the iPhone 5's GSM
Traveling overseas can be a big problem for US iPhone owners, as most of the iPhones sold in the US are locked to Sprint, AT&T or Verizon. And while those carriers do have data roaming plans, the charges can quickly add up. That's why everyone got so excited when it was revealed that the Verizon iPhone 5's GSM was not locked to the carrier. But soon the question became, what if Verizon decides to relock your iPhone 5 at some point in the future? According to the AP, Verizon spokesperson Brenda Roney says the company doesn't plan to re-lock iPhone 5s. That's great news for US travelers, and might be the selling point if you're still deciding what carrier to go with. Keep in mind, if you're getting your unlocked Verizon iPhone, you'll still need to sign up for a two-year contract with them. If you want a truly contract-free unlocked iPhone 5 you must wait a few more months probably. Apple has said they will sell all three sizes of the iPhone 5 unlocked in the US, but they haven't set a release date yet. Last year, the unlocked iPhone 4S became available in late November.
Verizon's iPhone 5 ships unlocked, likely thanks to FCC
When the iPhone 5 arrived on doorsteps last week, some Verizon customers were surprised to discover the handset was unlocked on international and US-friendly bands, as iDownloadBlog pointed out. This means customers can sign up for Verizon, stick an AT&T nano SIM in the phone (or chop up a conventional chip) and it'll work out of the box. Granted, it won't connect on the GSM carrier's LTE service, but it will work fine on the older network. This also means VZW customers can travel overseas and not have to worry about asking Verizon to unlock the phone before they leave. (Traditionally VZW will unlock a phone for customers in good standing after 60 days on contract; unlocking does not absolve you of your two-year contract obligation.) Earlier models of the iPhone could be unlocked for international use, but not for domestic use on carriers like AT&T or T-Mobile. It's unusual for a carrier to sell a phone that can be easily used on another carrier and polymath Java developer / photographer James Duncan Davidson did some digging to find out why Verizon is now offering the iPhone in an unlocked state. He tracked down, via Howard Forums, the notion that federal regulations apparently require Verizon (using the 700 Mhz Upper C block of spectrum) to sell the LTE iPhone unlocked. The forum thread points to Title 47, Part 27, Subpart B, Section 27.16 of the Code of Federal Regulations which says: (e) Handset locking prohibited. No licensee may disable features on handsets it provides to customers, to the extent such features are compliant with the licensee's standards pursuant to paragraph (b)of this section, nor configure handsets it provides to prohibit use of such handsets on other providers' networks. This wording appears to prohibit Verizon -- the auction winner for the relevant chunk of radio spectrum, which was used for analog UHF television channels until February of 2009 -- from selling the LTE iPhone carrier-locked. There are still some unanswered questions; this doesn't explain why Verizon sells its Android LTE phones locked to its network, for instance. The implications of these spectrum rules were discussed back at the time of the auction for the spectrum block. This Susan Crawford post, from 2008, notes the rules but also points out that Verizon would be able to claim exceptions for "reasonable network management and protection" and regulatory compliance requirements. Regardless of the reason why the Verizon iPhone is unlocked, it's an important feature for people to consider when they are shopping for an iPhone, especially if you travel or see yourself switching carriers in the near future. Of course, customers are still under contract with Verizon if they buy the iPhone at a subsidized price, but the convenience of having an unlocked phone may be worth the cost of a two-year customer agreement.
Verizon iPhone 5 is unlocked, able to accept GSM SIMs right away
Great news for those waiting anxiously at the door for their UPS / FedEx delivery... well, for those awaiting a Verizon iPhone 5, anyway. We've already broken down the differences between the trifecta of iPhone 5 models, and it seems that the one VZW is hawking is a real gem for travelers. Aside from handling Verizon's LTE waves just fine, the nano-SIM slot will also accept cards from any other GSM carrier worldwide. In other words, AT&T nano-SIMs will get you onto its HSPA+ network, and T-Mobile nano-SIMs will play nice as well. If you're heading overseas, you can pick up a local nano-SIM on arrival and plug it straight in -- no unlocking code necessary. To confirm, this even applies to Verizon iPhone 5 units that were purchased under contract. You can hit the video after the break for proof, but heed one word of advice: wait until you find a legitimate nano-SIM to throw in there. It looks as if the cut-and-stuff approach leaves a bit to be desired.
Confirmed: AT&T offers complimentary unlock of in-contract iPhones for deployed military personnel
Finally. A bit of closure. AT&T has confirmed the long-lived speculation of its policy to unlock in-contract iPhones for our military men and women deployed overseas. To qualify for the complimentary service, active military members must have an account in good standing and provide the carrier with deployment verification -- that's it, no other hoops to jump through. The revelation was made today as part AT&T's new Device Unlock Portal, which allows off-contract iPhone owners to apply online to have their handsets unlocked. Previously, this unlock service was available only through the carrier's retail outlets, online chat support or by dialing 611. As a quick rehash of the non-military policy, all users -- either current or former AT&T subscribers -- must have completed their contractual obligations to AT&T, and the phone cannot be flagged as lost or stolen. All those eligible should certainly apply for the service, as an unlocked iPhone is infinitely more useful when traveling abroad -- a reality that deployed military members know all too well. [Military photo via Shutterstock]
Google wins face-to-unlock for multiple users patent, makes us hungry for Android support
Google has won a face-to-unlock patent that seems to let multiple users share one "computing device." Point your face at the built-in camera, and you'll be allowed access to your personal profile -- and when it's time to move, someone else can do the same to take your place. While there's no connection to a real-world product and relates more to biometric ID than consumer technology, it does tickle hopes that we could see the feature included alongside official multi-user support in a future iteration of Android.
Google gets patent for eye tracking-based unlock system, shifty looks get you access
Look up. Now down. Back up here again? Imagine having to do that every time you wanted to unlock your phone, as this granted Google patent for "Unlocking a screen using eye tracking information" possibly suggests. Okay, it actually looks more like it's intended for the firm's super spectacles -- which given their general hands-free nature -- makes more sense. The claims are fairly straightforward, unlocking of a device would be granted based on "determining that a path associated with the eye movement substantially matches a path of the moving object". As long as those moving objects aren't moving too fast, we think we can work with that.
Diablo III forces digital consumers to wait up to 72 hours to access full game
Chalk this up to another great moment in customer service history. With Diablo III's 1.0.3 patch came an interesting change that's hurting those who purchased the title as a digital download. Blizzard's made it so that only a small part of the game is accessible for up to 72 hours following its purchase, after which the rest of the game will unlock. Digital download customers are now restricted to the starter edition section of the game: part of Act 1, a level cap of 13, no auction house access, and limited interaction with other players. These restrictions do not apply to those who purchased the retail box of the game. A Blizzard employee explained the unlock delay in a forum post: "Outside of the issue that we fixed, digital purchases do require a review period before they kick over from Starter to Full editions. We apologize for the inconvenience, but it is a necessary step to combat fraud and other malicious activities that can weaken everyone's play experience. The delay is no longer than three days, and is often much quicker than that. Hang tight." This follows this morning's news that the South Korean government is twisting Blizzard's arm to make the studio issue refunds for dissatisfied customers. [Thanks to Marc for the tip!]
Nuance Dragon ID secures phones, tablets and PCs with your voice
Do you wish your phone would wake up when you commanded it to, like Galaxy S III? Well, it's not gonna happen (at least not without some hacking). But, your next phone might just sport the feature, all without having to be saddled with the rest of TouchWiz. Nuance is bringing its powerful voice recognition tech to OEMs and offering them the ability to not only unlock phones with voice controls, but lock them down using biometrics. In that way, it's actually got a leg up on S Voice. Dragon ID isn't a gimmick -- it's a security feature. In fact, if properly integrated, it can recognize multiple voices and open up to custom homescreens for each user. Sadly we have no idea when or where this tech will first show up, but we wouldn't be shocked to see it on both Android and Windows 8 tablets, as well as smartphones and PCs in the near future. For a few more scraps of info, check out the PR after the break.
Newest version of ultrasn0w unlocks iPhone 4, 3GS on iOS 5.1.1, RedSn0w 0.9.12b1 also released
Are you one of those folks who depends heavily on an iPhone 4 / 3GS unlock, but made the unsafe trip toward iOS 5.1.1 territory? Worry no more, as the hard-working Dev-Team's come through yet again, delivering its newest version of ultrasn0w to help alleviate your carrier lockdown problems. Version 1.2.7 of the unlocking method is friendly with iPhone 4s (nope, not the 4S) on baseband 01.59.00, while the older 3G / 3GS slabs will have to be on 04.26.08, 05.11.07, 05.12.01, 05.13.04 or 06.15.00. To go along with the latest ultrasn0w release, the Dev-Team also outed a fresh copy of RedSn0w (0.9.12b1) for both Windows and Mac, making it easier for devices sporting Cupertino's A4 chip -- and other earlier ones -- to adopt and restore using an untethered solution. All in all, we'd say it's a pretty good day for the jailbreak scene. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Mobile Miscellany: week of May 28th, 2012
Not all mobile news is destined for the front page, but if you're like us and really want to know what's going on, then you've come to the right place. This past week, we learned of another possible prepaid destination for the iPhone (hint: it's a subsidiary of Sprint), and Samsung announced a combined sales total of 50 million Galaxy S and Galaxy S II smartphones. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore the "best of the rest" for this week of May 28th, 2012.
RedSn0w updated with Corona A5 jailbreak, more
Over the weekend, the iPhone Dev Team released two new versions of its RedSn0w jailbreak tool that has several features for unlockers, iPhone 4S owners and iPad 2 owners. Version 0.9.10b7 adds support for the corona-A5 jailbreak for the iPhone 4S and iPad 2 devices still at 5.0.1. It also lets you fetch, verify and use your SHSH blobs from Cydia as well as reinstall your jailbreak if you accidentally uninstalled the untethered version. Version 0.9.10b8 includes the above features and is helpful for those unlocking their phone using the SAM unlock. RedSn0w 10b8 lets you backup arbitrary directories or files from your device into a zip file on your Mac or PC and includes your carrier activation records by default. [Via Engadget and Jailbreak Untethered]
ChevronWP7 officially closes up shop for good, hands out App Hub memberships
We were a tad disappointed when ChevronWP7 stopped handing out unlock token for Windows Phones in early January, only two months after launching. But, we held out hope that one day the shop might reopen its doors and once again offer a cheap option to those of us that wish to free our WP7 devices from Microsoft's shackles. Sadly, that dream is officially dead, as ChevronWP7 has been shuttered for good. On the plus side, current customers will be rewarded with a one-year membership to Microsoft's App Hub -- currently the only legit way to unlock your Windows Phone. So, we're sad to see ChevronWP7 go but, if you were lucky enough to score a token before the 10,000 available sold out, you got a pretty sweet deal in paying $9 for a $99 App Hub membership. Hit up the source link for full details.[Thanks, Joe]
AT&T appears to be unlocking iPhones for deployed active duty military personnel
Image by Shutterstock A couple of days ago we got a tip from a reader who said he'd sent a letter to Tim Cook asking "for help to unlock my wife's iPhone, because she is active duty military deploying to Afghanistan this week. I wanted her to have an unlocked phone in Afghanistan, so that she can get a local SIM and use it. I had tried both AT&T and Apple customer care for it, but no use. The made me go round robin between two support centers." Worse, our friend Yash was called by someone at Apple to explain that his unlock request was denied because the 4S was still under contract. Apparently he read later that day about unlocks happening for out-of-contract phones, and called again to unlock a 3GS. As luck would have it, the rep "also unlocked my wife's 4S because they now have a new policy to do so for active duty military getting deployed." So after reading the rumors yesterday I decided to dive back into our reader email and dig up what appears to be proof that AT&T is indeed unlocking iPhones that would ordinarily be denied IF that phone belongs to an active duty military person who is being deployed. Of course, once you are deployed you'll still need service, but that's another story. Thanks to Yashvind for sending this in!
AT&T purportedly unlocks in-contract iPhones for deployed military personnel
AT&T has gotten a good amount of attention lately for unlocking off-contract iPhone handsets, but a recent report from MacRumors suggests that the carrier is extending the same privilege to members of the US military currently serving overseas. While we haven't been able to verify the report, we'd like to believe that news of AT&T's goodwill gesture is indeed genuine. Naturally, we're rather curious to know whether this policy extends to AT&T's entire range of handsets. So, if you or a loved one is on active deployment, be sure to give this a try and let us know your experience in the comments below.[Military photo via Shutterstock]
Daily Update for April 9, 2012
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen. Subscribe via RSS
PSA: AT&T now unlocking out-of-contract iPhones
In case you've been living under a rock (or enjoying the weekend holidays), AT&T on Friday revealed its plans to start unlocking out-of-contract iPhones. However, customers looking to take advantage of the deal will have to meet a few requirements first, which include having an account in good standing (so pay those past due fees before inquiring), a fulfilled contract, paid an early termination fee or that a handset upgrade was done. The unlocking process can be achieved at any brick-and-mortar shop, online via chat or by dialing AT&T's 611. For what it's worth, we tried this and found it to be pretty straightforward. In this writer's case, it only took about 40 minutes after the initial approval went through. The most tedious step was that required restore, after which we were greeted with a joyful "congratulations your iPhone has been unlocked" message. Still, users are reporting mixed results: depending on whose account you believe, AT&T is asking users to wait 72 hours, or telling folks the unlock will complete on April 16th. Be sure to let us know in the comments how it's all turning out for you.
