iPhone Unlocking - Lets settle this...

[Corbett]

Hello, this would be my first post here. Great site by the way. Im a recent Mac convert to a MBP from a Dell and am never looking back!

Anyways, I just wanted to kind of clear the air on the whole iPhone unlocking thing. I am currently a Blackberry Curve user on the T-Mobile network. See, I had the phone unlocked through AT&T who is currently the only carrier of that phone as well and now I use my Tmobile sim in this phone. That being said, this is important to me because My t-mobile sim is registered as one of my sisters "family friends" so I get a discount, a HUGE discount, on my service. $10 a month for 2000 minutes, unlimited data and SMS, and the blackberry service. So there is no way I am going to switch to AT&T, it would just be stupid.

So, here is my question. Say I purchase the iPhone, activate it, then call and ask for the unlock code. I doubt AT&T will give it to me just because they cant keep their greedy little hands out of my pockets. However, for any other phone, just like my new Blackberr Curve, they do in fact give out the unlock code. Then I put in the unlock code, call and cancel my service and yes, I am hit with the cancellation fee, but I still have a working unlocked phone. So is there any explanation why this would not work with the iPhone as well other than AT&T is not giving out unlock codes for them? If that were the case, I guess no AT&T iphone users can plan on taking their phones overseas then!

Yes, yes, I know the arguments about the visual voicemail not working on other networks, but isnt the phone also being released in Europe on Voda and a few other carriers? I could have sworn I read that somewhere. So if it IS released overseas on other carriers, I highly doubt they have all ugraded their networks too to handle the visual voicemail so perhaps it does not work over their or maybe I am wrong and they DID upgrade their networks as well.

Anyways, thanks for your time, and hopefully we can get to the bottom of this. I've seen the rumors that the iPhone doesnt even have a SIM card, but I believe if the information about it being released overseas is correct, then if would without a doubt have a SIM! Its a GSM phone after all. Looking forward to what others have to say on the issue...

 

[scootermafia]

There's nothing to settle. The AT&T SIM that comes with the iPhone is locked to that particular phone, and putting another SIM into the phone will make it nonfunctional. You will never have a functioning iPhone - you will not be able to get past booting it up, if you do not register a fresh account with AT&T. Your rate plan is a nice deal, getting in on a corporate freebee plan like that, but you're going to have to pay up for iPhone like anybody else. Oh, and this is thread #100 of this kind.

iPhone requires all sorts of server-side data functions in order to do what it does, and even if someone hacked the bejeesus out of the iPhone to get it to work with another carrier, it would barely do what it is supposed to do.

 

[Corbett]

Thanks for the warm welcome, LOL! With your logic, none of the features will work overseas then is what you are saying, since AT&T is not in Europe. I understand now. Thanks for your marvelous insight.

For anyone else who isnt an Apple snob and doesnt want to carry on a conversation in a condescending tone, please feel free to add to this thread.

 

[scootermafia]

AT&T allows international roaming through AT&T. It costs a damn fortune. And if you roam outside of your network for too much of your time the first 3 months into a contract, they terminate you. So you can't go out of a state without real AT&T coverage (i.e. somewhere that doesn't sell AT&T phones) and buy the phone and take it home and call that a solution.

There is no way that the fancy iPhone features would work in an area like Europe that hasn't had these features added to any networks, so the phone would roam as all quadband GSM phones would roam, and that's about it. You can take iPhone to any GSM roaming network and pay the horrible fees if it is outside of the US, but it'll only work as advertised on AT&T's own network.
Sorry to crush your spirit, it's just that your blind hope and optimism is something that has been stamped out by Apple & AT&T into nonexistence in this forum in the past few weeks.

 

[Corbett]

So then how do you explain the iPhone being released on other networks in Europe? Will it not have the same features as it does in the states?

 

[LeeTom]

Welcome to the forum! Here's some pie! OMG!
Now don't be a dick!
No one here knows how the unlocking is going to be handled. The iPhone is being handled in a unique way by AT&T, and the unlocking may well be unique also. Wait until at least next week, and I'm sure someone will have an answer for you.
If you're bummed about the stupid answers, it's because it's SORT OF a stupid question at this point in time. Just relax for a week, bro!

 

[mpw]

Hello, this would be my first post here...

Would be? would be but for what? your other post??

Anyways I think it's wishful thinking that this thread is going to clear anything up once and for all.

I think you're best waiting a week to see the first reports of attempts to unlock before buying in hope you'll be able to.

From what I've read the iPhone needs to be activated through iTunes, I would assume people are going to need to input an activation code to unleash their phone. Once this is done will unlocking it from AT&T in the way you have your BlackBerry going to do any good if iTunes will still only sync with the original SIM?

We're limited to something like 5 iPods synced to each Mac at the moment aren't we? Will an iPhone count as one of these, will a single iMac family be able to use an iPhone if Mum, Dad and two kids each have a iPod and maybe a couple of shuffles too?

There's lots I don't think we'll know until Friday at the earliest and they'll still be stuff that people are taking for granted which'll be found just won't work.

Expect lots of "I can't believe my new phone won't XXX like my old phone/iPod!!" next week.

 

[mpw]

So then how do you explain the iPhone being released on other networks in Europe? Will it not have the same features as it does in the states?

Tell us which network it'll be on and when and I'll take a pop at explaining what it will or won't do.

 

[tasslehawf]

Apple has quite a hurdle ahead of them as some european countries require non-3g phones to be unlocked by law. They may be able to get around this by waiting and releasing the 3g version for europe.

My advice would be to wait for the european version of the phone. It will likely be a different version of the phone and may be easier to hack. The US version coming out on friday will be locked down tight and very difficult to hack.

 

[Corbett]

Tell us which network it'll be on and when and I'll take a pop at explaining what it will or won't do.

http://news.softpedia.com/news/Vodafone-Exec-on-iPhone-48545.shtml

 

[mpw]

Tell us which network it'll be on and when and I'll take a pop at explaining what it will or won't do.

http://news.softpedia.com/news/Vodafone-Exec-on-iPhone-48545.shtml

...Several Vodafone executives have claimed they are very interested in becoming the exclusive European carrier for the iPhone...

I'm sure if you ask any exec from T-Mobile/O2/Orange/FranceTelecom/Sure/AirTel/Wave/Cable&Wirless/etc. etc. etc. they'll all be very interested as well.

Also in that article it makes the point that the networks are waiting to see if Apple produce a 3G version for Europe and the exec from Vodafone is quoted as saying it'll boost the market even for his company, doesn't sound like he's thinking it'll be exclusive to me.

 

[amd4me]

Thanks for the warm welcome, LOL! With your logic, none of the features will work overseas then is what you are saying, since AT&T is not in Europe. I understand now. Thanks for your marvelous insight.

For anyone else who isnt an Apple snob and doesnt want to carry on a conversation in a condescending tone, please feel free to add to this thread.

Dont listen to these people.
The iPhone, like any phone is hackable.
Within a week of its release there will be unlocking service for it just like any other phone.

 

[tasslehawf]

Is there widespread use of the Sidekick on networks other than T-Mobile?

 

[OutThere]

Dont listen to these people.
The iPhone, like any phone is hackable.
Within a week of its release there will be unlocking service for it just like any other phone.

Agreed. I'm sure we'll see unlocked version appearing very quickly and guides to how to unlock it not long after that. I'll wager that the resale on the first few unlocked phones will be astronomical.

 

[tasslehawf]

Agreed. I'm sure we'll see unlocked version appearing very quickly and guides to how to unlock it not long after that. I'll wager that the resale on the first few unlocked phones will be astronomical.

I'd wager those that are the first to hack the iphone may face legal action from Apple (given their litigation-happy history). Don't f- with SJ. Lol.

 

[kbonnel]

No Sim?

So, I have read the reviews, and I am getting the impression that there is NO SIM slot, but rather the "SIM" is built into the phone. If that is the case, it doesn't matter if the phone is eventually unlocked. Boy, this is really a bummer, for me at least.

Kimo

 

[kamiboy]

We can't settle anything until after the iPhone launch. No one knows if iPhone is unlockable or if it is at all possible to use it on other networks and how painful it will be. All anyone is doing right now is guessing. I live in Europe and I want the iPhone ASAP. I have about a 1000$ I want to spend on getting it. First I was going to just pick one up from ebay or through some other person at launch, but the whole activation through iTunes thing has thrown a wrench in my plans.

From the look of things I have no choice but to wait a week or two to see what savy iPhone fans in similar situations will come up with to remedy the situation. Just wait and come Friday the much needed information will start to trickle in day by day.

 

[kbonnel]

deleted by me

 

[surefire09]

So, I have read the reviews, and I am getting the impression that there is NO SIM slot, but rather the "SIM" is built into the phone. If that is the case, it doesn't matter if the phone is eventually unlocked. Boy, this is really a bummer, for me at least.

Kimo

no its not built in but i think the iphone has a different shape then a usual simcard

unlocking the phone isnt going to easy or practical at this time. forget unlocking if you dont want cingular dont get the iphone. because what makes an iphone is what cingular can provide you.

 

[Corbett]

no its not built in but i think the iphone has a different shape then a usual simcard

Seriously, where do you guys come up with this stuff? Like I have been saying all along, if there is a different shaped SIM card or no SIM card at all, that basically means you have no chance of taking the phone outside of the USA to use it. If iPhone is trying to get into the business market whatsoever and you are right about the no sim card or different shaped sim card, they are tying their own hands behind their back!

 

[technicolor]

Seriously, where do you guys come up with this stuff? Like I have been saying all along, if there is a different shaped SIM card or no SIM card at all, that basically means you have no chance of taking the phone outside of the USA to use it. If iPhone is trying to get into the business market whatsoever and you are right about the no sim card or different shaped sim card, they are tying their own hands behind their back!

How about you just cool out until the thing is released in a few days and we get some objective reviews from members here? Most of the stuff that is posted here is pure speculation.

 

[Corbett]

Is there widespread use of the Sidekick on networks other than T-Mobile?

Thats because the Sidekick is made for T-Mobile from conception to production. Whereas, Apple came out and announced they were making a phone and THEN AT&T came around and jumped in bed with them.

 

[Corbett]

Would be? would be but for what? your other post??

Thanks for the warm welcome by the way smart ass. You and others in this thread have proven why there is such a stigma of snobiness with mac elites. You are one of them. Go takes some high school lit classes and come back and play grammar police.

 

[Corbett]

How about you just cool out until the thing is released in a few days and we get some objective reviews from members here? Most of the stuff that is posted here is pure speculation.

Well its called common sense and I just get very annoyed when people start throwing out these WILD rumors when they have no shred of proof even hinting that they are right.

 

[fishkorp]

i'm guessing that if unlocked, the first time you sync with iTunes it'll disabled all functionality of the phone. just my guess.

i believe unlocking the iPhone is a 2 step process. first, actually removing the SIM lock (which i bet AT&T will not do. they can only unlock phones in which the vendor provides codes, and i doubt Apple will provide a code). the second part, once the phone itself is hacked, is some 3rd party application other than iTunes to sync the phone since iTunes will probably cripple the phone rendering it useless.