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iPhone hack to unlock for T-Mobile


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iPhone hack to unlock for T-Mobile
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Mr Ten
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Join Date: Oct 2005
 
2007-08-24, 12:17

So I just read this CNN article about a kid collaborating with some others in unlocking the iPhone to work with T-Mobile. All the instructions are posted on his blog and he's auctioning one on ebay as well.

Blog w/Instructions: http://iphonejtag.blogspot.com/
eBay auction: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=230164884672
CNN article: http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/ptech/0....ap/index.html

Discuss.
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zippy
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2007-08-24, 12:22

I browsed the instructions earlier, and they are more than a bit complicated for the average person. This is for real tech geeks who are willing to potentially ruin the device if they do something wrong.

Do you know where children get all of their energy? - They suck it right out of their parents!
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Windowsrookie
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2007-08-24, 12:24

I'm assuming things don't work when you do this. (Like visual voicemail?)
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turtle
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Join Date: Mar 2005
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2007-08-24, 12:24

Quote:
Originally Posted by zippy View Post
I browsed the instructions earlier, and they are more than a bit complicated for the average person. This is for real tech geeks who are willing to potentially ruin the device if they do something wrong.
Which fits most people who are willing to unlock their phone by doing more than punching in a code...
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Mr Ten
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2007-08-24, 12:26

Quote:
Originally Posted by Windowsrookie View Post
I'm assuming things don't work when you do this. (Like visual voicemail?)
That's the only stated feature that doesn't work, not sure what else.
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Brad
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Join Date: May 2004
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2007-08-24, 12:43

Title edited for clarification.
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Mr Ten
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2007-08-24, 12:45

Quote:
Originally Posted by Brad View Post
Title edited for clarification.
control freak!
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2007-08-24, 13:19

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr Ten View Post
So I just read this CNN article about a kid collaborating with some others in unlocking the iPhone to work with T-Mobile. All the instructions are posted on his blog and he's auctioning one on ebay as well.

Blog w/Instructions: http://iphonejtag.blogspot.com/
eBay auction: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=230164884672
CNN article: http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/ptech/0....ap/index.html

Discuss.
Like Apple won't break/undo this with a future update. I understand the thrill of doing something you supposedly can't and all, but it just seems like such a bother. You'll be missing features, you have to know that any future Apple update could instantly undo your hack, you may do irreversible damage to something, etc.

Big deal...I guess I'm not impressed by this stuff. Wouldn't it just be easier to switch over to AT&T? Of course, that's no fun for a hacker type, I realize...

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Brad
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2007-08-24, 13:20

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr Ten View Post
control freak!
Well, the way you originally wrote it made it seem as though there had been some sort of official release for iPhone on T-Mobile.
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Mr Ten
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Join Date: Oct 2005
 
2007-08-24, 13:38

Quote:
Originally Posted by Brad View Post
Well, the way you originally wrote it made it seem as though there had been some sort of official release for iPhone on T-Mobile.
well... huff! my bad
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Mr Ten
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Join Date: Oct 2005
 
2007-08-24, 13:39

Quote:
Originally Posted by pscates2.0 View Post
Like Apple won't break/undo this with a future update. I understand the thrill of doing something you supposedly can't and all, but it just seems like such a bother. You'll be missing features, you have to know that any future Apple update could instantly undo your hack, you may do irreversible damage to something, etc.

Big deal...I guess I'm not impressed by this stuff. Wouldn't it just be easier to switch over to AT&T? Of course, that's no fun for a hacker type, I realize...

your comments are common sense, some people don't have that or stop and think about such. we do, which is why our toys last longer and function properly.
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2007-08-24, 14:11

True.

I know people who get a brand new Mac, and then do a bunch of freaky, under-the-hood "refinements" and the thing is completely torqued-up (and requiring a clean install, etc.) withing 6-9 months). It's deep-rooted, psychological stuff...



Glad I'm not a tinkerer, always having to chase little things down or figure out why my stuff isn't working the way it's supposed to. I've got no patience for that type of stuff.



For those who do, more power to ya (I just don't wanna hear you bitch and moan when things go south).
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torifile
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2007-08-24, 18:54

Quote:
Originally Posted by pscates2.0 View Post
Like Apple won't break/undo this with a future update. I understand the thrill of doing something you supposedly can't and all, but it just seems like such a bother. You'll be missing features, you have to know that any future Apple update could instantly undo your hack, you may do irreversible damage to something, etc.

Big deal...I guess I'm not impressed by this stuff. Wouldn't it just be easier to switch over to AT&T? Of course, that's no fun for a hacker type, I realize...

The smart thing for *us* to do, if it's broken in a future firmware upgrade, is to leave our phones at 1.0.2 for resale value purposes.
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Luca
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Join Date: May 2004
Location: Minnesota
 
2007-08-24, 19:44

Hey guys, look at the eBay auction again! It's at $99,999,999.00.
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Banana
is the next Chiquita
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
 
2007-08-24, 19:50

I think the $99,999,999.00 bid is BS.

(Can anyone enlighten me on how eBay handles people who makes bid but doesn't/couldn't pay for it?)
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turtle
Lord of the Rant.
Formerly turtle2472
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Upstate South Carolina
 
2007-08-24, 20:05

They (eBay) will automatically cancel the auction knowing it's fake bid and I believe they ping the bidders with a bad mark.
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SpecMode
Wait what
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: El Dorado County, California
 
2007-08-24, 20:48

I know the title says the kid hacked the phone to be usable on T-mobile (which is all well and good), but perhaps the more important point is that the method can be used to get the iPhone working on *any* GSM carrier - which would be useful for me since I'll be living in Japan starting next year. Just a thought.

EDIT: Oh, and a simpler, software-only method of unlocking the iPhone should be available before long. Just an FYI for the two or three of you out there that somehow missed the news being posted on nearly every tech site in existence today (myself included, seeing as my Internet access at the moment is sporadic, at best).
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Mr Ten
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2007-08-24, 21:56

Quote:
Originally Posted by Banana View Post
I think the $99,999,999.00 bid is BS.

(Can anyone enlighten me on how eBay handles people who makes bid but doesn't/couldn't pay for it?)
methinks you're a brain surgeon

they just cancel bids down to the last bidder they consider legitimate, that's all.
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Dave
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Join Date: May 2004
Location: Bay Area, CA
 
2007-08-25, 04:15

Someone found a software-based way to unlock them. Much better, IMHO, than soldering up your iPhone.
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neiltc13
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
 
2007-08-25, 08:54

Quote:
Originally Posted by Brad View Post
Title edited for clarification.
You've made it less clear - it would be better to say "iPhone Unlocked for use on any GSM network" which includes not only T-Mobile but Orange, Vodafone, O2, Telefonica and many, many others.
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2007-08-27, 08:43

And AT&T are none too happy with all this:

http://www.macrumors.com/2007/08/27/...iphone-unlocks

Good. Sue their balls off. They're not supposed to be doing this stuff, so AT&T (and Apple) have a leg to stand on here. These people who are going in and engineering and tweaking this stuff and breaking/ignoring the licensing agreements we don't read are in the wrong.

It doesn't matter that you "don't like AT&T" or whatever. That's not the point. It's not up for people to go around this and get away with these kinds of hacks.

You want an iPhone? Then get out of your current agreement and sign up with AT&T, which we've known for eight months now is the exclusive carrier.

Otherwise, STFU.

If the situation happened to be reversed, and Apple had partnered with T-Mobile or Verizon (and I knew this since January), you can bet you eyeballs that if I truly had to have an iPhone that I would've taken the steps to get out of my Cingular/AT&T contract and sign up with the official iPhone carrier...as opposed to waiting for some legally questionable, half-assed hack to come along and probably not provide all the functionality I'd get doing it the right way (and knowing that at any time Apple could release an update that killed the hack...they do this on the iPod all the time, so why would anyone think that a hack that truly pissed Apple and AT&T off would be long for this world?).



Everybody wants something for nothing. Another by-product of the "I want it now, and I want it free!" Internet culture.

Imagine if all these geeky hacker types actually put their time and energy into stuff that was truly meaningful and worthwhile, like designing a better space shuttle or coming up with a way to keep my Dr. Pepper cold after two hours. Instead, it's always lame-o stuff like trying to unlock some format or product and, eventually, having all their work be in vain once the legal teams get wind of it.

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Taskiss
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Join Date: Jul 2007
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2007-08-27, 08:51

Quote:
Originally Posted by pscates2.0 View Post
You want an iPhone? Then get out of your current agreement and sign up with AT&T, which we've known for eight months now is the exclusive carrier.

Otherwise, STFU.
/agree

Either that or enjoy your stand-alone Mac OS X brick, which, come to think about it, is STILL way cool! I will buy a iPhone when they get a GPS app for it, not a second sooner.

and not a second later.
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scratt
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2007-08-27, 09:16

The main appeal of these hacks is for people like us overseas who want an iPhone and are most likely in countries that don't have the sophistication to get a deal with Apple to sell these things. Or if they do will be so restrictive (even more so than AT&T) that it makes the whole thing a painful experience.

If there is ever an official launch in Thailand you can bet your bottom dollar this will be priced with the kind of ridiculous and frankly corrupt premium that all imported goods are hit with here. And any phone company supporting the gear will have a monopoly so loaded in their favour that it will be embarressing to witness. Far better to make these things SIM free and sell them on the open market. We'd all hapilly pay the price. It's not about gettting something for free 'scates. It's about being given legitimate choices to buy products from companies with the options you want, and not with lock-ins that they dictate simply to satisyf their own greed and that of their shareholders.

From that point of view this kind of capitalist bullshit is something that I feel is morally fine to hack in order to let legitimate customers who love Apple's gear get hold of it sometime before they are old and grey / greyer!

I also am personally kind of bored of the crap that phone companies force on their 'customers' and the phone manufacturers so they can continue to prop up an RIAA style monopoly on overpriced communications. Ever wondered why with increasing amounts of cheap storage you can't have a flash answerphone in your mobile, with the ability to screen calls live? Think about it.

'Remember, measure life by the moments that take your breath away, not by how many breaths you take'
Extreme Sports Cafe | ESC's blog | scratt's blog | @thescratt
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Banana
is the next Chiquita
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
 
2007-08-27, 09:59

While I don't necessarily think that AT & T's suing is without merit, I want to point out that I do have an issue with the idea that even if you bought a unsubsidized phone, you still are chained to one carrier.

It's a bit too much like going out and buy your own personal computer but asked to sign 2 year contract with AOL *just* so you can access internet with this specific computer.

The idea of subsidizing a phone with contract is fine; this is something that company can bargain for to tap into more people who otherwise cannot afford the full cost of a phone upfront. But when it's completely paid for... it feel bit too draconian for them to be telling us what to do with our phone, our property.

For those hackers, can't say I feel sorry; even if I agree with them in principle. Breaking contract is breaking contract, even if it's a bad one.
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Luca
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2007-08-27, 11:03

Quote:
Originally Posted by pscates2.0 View Post
Everybody wants something for nothing. Another by-product of the "I want it now, and I want it free!" Internet culture.
That doesn't apply here at all. People love the iPhone, and they want to be able to use it with other carriers. Some people are fine with AT&T, others aren't. And still others don't even have access to it. Whatever the situation, people are still paying for the phone and for the service. I agree with Banana's point about buying a computer but being forced to go into a 2 year contract with AOL in order to get internet access on that computer. Now imagine that computer is the coolest new thing on the block (the new iMac, perhaps). Can you really blame people for wanting to be able to use whichever carrier they choose?

This is not a case of hackers trying to get something for nothing. They're advocating freedom of choice, and freedom from corporate control of their lives. If AT&T can't handle a teeny-tiny amount of competition from people with unlocked phones, then they're in serious trouble indeed. Also, what about people overseas? The only reason they can't buy iPhones now is probably because Apple is in a bunch of negotiations with carriers over there. Can you blame people for not wanting to wait so long?

Quote:
Originally Posted by pscates2.0 View Post
Imagine if all these geeky hacker types actually put their time and energy into stuff that was truly meaningful and worthwhile, like designing a better space shuttle or coming up with a way to keep my Dr. Pepper cold after two hours. Instead, it's always lame-o stuff like trying to unlock some format or product and, eventually, having all their work be in vain once the legal teams get wind of it.
You're being pretty harshly critical of these guys. What about Folding@home, and the people who run it on rooms full of powerful computers? What about Child's Play, a charity run by the Penny Arcade guys (a couple of hardcore gamers) to provide games and toys to kids in children's hospitals? They've raised over a million dollars in just four years, which I'd say is pretty impressive. And I can't quite agree that "unlocking some format or product" is a totally ignoble cause - it's a way of keeping corporations honest, and preventing them from exploiting their customers unchecked. To some extent, it's the hacker community helping itself, since it can help them do things like share unlocked media, but with the big movie and music publishers all coming up with more and more intrusive ways of annoying you in the name of "piracy prevention," I think it's a good thing to provide legitimate customers an avenue to enjoy the content they bought in the way they want to, without arbitrary restrictions.
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psmith2.0
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2007-08-27, 11:22

Well, I don't make the rules. I'm just observing what I see. If it's not allowed, or if you're going to have to go around things, legally, and be on the hook for breaking agreements and all, it's just not appealing to me. I don't care what the reasons are. Apple went with AT&T. It's not up for us to decide if we should honor that or not. You don't have to, sure, but I don't know if the hassle is truly worth it. But if that's how a person wants to spend their time and talent, go right ahead...

Your examples are some "what if?" hypotheticals that don't really hold any interest for me.

The beef is with Apple and/or AT&T...not with me for pointing out what's what.

As for the other stuff, I don't think I made an all-encompassing blanket statement about "every hacker on the planet". I'm pretty sure I was limiting my dings to the ones doing the things I talk about in my post above...I realize plenty of folks are doing good things with their skills. I don't need that pointed out.



Don't ask me to support/understand this stuff because it's a "noble Robin Hood" type of deal. I'm not that starry-eyed.

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scratt
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2007-08-27, 11:27

The fact still remains that our so called 'free market' is a sham, and this kind of contract / lock-in (whatever you want to call it) server nobody other than the companies doing it. It does not help competition. It does not help pricing. It is totally fascist. It does not even offset R&D. It's purely about control, greed, and more profits.

When companies behave this way, as Banana rightly points out; without even offering an incentive such as subsidizing the hardware partially in return for loyalty then I think all bets are off, and more power to 'hackers'.

I am not saying they should necessarily sell what they do. I think that was a dumb move on their part.. But hack it, and break the monopoly is nothing other than a good thing. Period.

I want to spend my hard earned money on the products I want without any strings attached which benefit fat cats.

'Remember, measure life by the moments that take your breath away, not by how many breaths you take'
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alcimedes
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2007-08-27, 11:33

I know the FCC is starting to look hard at the US cell phone market since we're so far behind the rest of the world. Our exclusive tie-ins have basically made competition a thing of the past, and there's little to no incentive to innovate or offer customers better service or products.

Consumers would be better served in a wide open market. In this instance I think the hackers are dead-on.

You bought the phone, you should be able to use it how you like. All this licensing bullshit is just to control your use of a product from purchase to next purchase. I think people should be able to use them how they like, as long as they aren't hurting others.

Google is your frenemy.
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2007-08-27, 11:34

Well, buy the damn hack and take your chances. What do you want me to say? I don't really even give a rip, and I don't get all torqued-up about "corporate greed" like others do, so I'm probably just going to beat my head on a wall talking to some of you about this stuff.



I've never been a real "down with The Man/fight the system!" type to begin with, so don't expect me to get all choked up over this whole "greed/choice/monopoly" issue. Sorry, I just don't.

It is what it is. I'll let others run around the street, throwing bottles and chanting slogans. That's why God invented college students.



BTW, how long is this Apple/AT&T thing in place? I've never heard a firm, definite answer on this. Two years? Five years?

I will agree with one aspect of this: if they're going to lock this thing and keep it tied to a single carrier for a number of years and limit the all-important "choice" that everyone gets fired up about, the least they could've done was offer some sort of rebate.

Yeah, it was a bit odd to pay the full $499 and sign the contract and know that AT&T was the only game in town.

But it stung less, I suppose, because I was already with them for three years, and happy.



But as hard/expensive as Apple has made this product, it's still doing well. I guess enough people aren't bothered by the system in place. I assume it will eventually open up to other carriers in time? How does that work...the AT&T agreement expires, and others are free to sell the iPhone at some point too? Will they have their own visual voicemail systems in place, or is that strictly an AT&T thing?

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alcimedes
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2007-08-27, 11:40

To touch on an area you might care about, they're doing with phones what they're trying to do with music.

Sell you a license to it, without selling you the music. So if you wanted to remix that track some, no dice. If you wanted to listen to it on a stereo they don't approve of, no dice. (happening already with high-end video)

If in five years they decide that some of the music in your library isn't acceptable anymore, the license is revoked and you have nothing.

A lot of folks are trying to turn our country into one of renters w/o rights to the products we buy. The iPhone/ATT deal is just one more of them.

Google is your frenemy.
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