Is unlocking the iphone worth it?

[alwaysaangel]

I am a big fan of apple - love my ipod, love my macbook pro and would KILL TO HAVE AN IPHONE. But I hate AT&T and want to keep Tmobile because it fits my purposes better.

In June I am starting my third year of medical school and I will need a reliable smartphone that has internet access and the programs I need. Key there is reliable.

How difficult is the upkeep for a hacked ipod? I'm not that computer savvy (but can hold my own and read directions) and I won't have a ton of free time during my third year. I've heard rumors that updates will download to your iphone and it will suddenly be locked again and that you have to be constantly waiting on new hacks for your phone.

Is that true? Will I be constantly doing things to my phone or will I be able to hack it once and be done with it without worries that it will suddenly stop working. Can I use purchased apple apps on my hacked iphone?

Thanks for any help you can give me - I can't wait to get an iphone and I'm really hoping its going to work out

 

[Mr. Giver '94]

I'd look into the G1 if you want to stick with TMobile.

Yes you can manage a hacked/unlocked iPhone but it'll be a bit more difficult to do since you're planning to use it on another network.

 

[bamafever09]

If you really want one bad id say its worth it.

 

[ppc750fx]

I've heard rumors that updates will download to your iphone and it will suddenly be locked again and that you have to be constantly waiting on new hacks for your phone.

Is that true? Will I be constantly doing things to my phone or will I be able to hack it once and be done with it without worries that it will suddenly stop working. Can I use purchased apple apps on my hacked iphone?

Nope. The iPhone will only update its firmware if you tell it to. If you don't click "Update", it won't update.

As for what you should get: get an iPhone if you want one. It'll do what you want, and you'll spend less time fighting with the UI and more time just using it.

 

[Moi un Mouton]

I will need a reliable smartphone that has internet access and the programs I need. Key there is reliable.

The iPhone is generally reliable in my experience.

I've heard rumors that updates will download to your iphone and it will suddenly be locked again and that you have to be constantly waiting on new hacks for your phone.

- Updates only load on the phone if you choose them. So you can avoid them.
- If you get a used first generation iPhone, the unlock for that is permanent. Many people think it's a nicer phone. It doesn't have 3G, but if you will be accessing the internet mostly by wifi that won't really affect you.
- If you get a 3G phone, the latest firmware is not yet unlockable, so you'd be well advised to get it soon with 2.1 or 2.2.0 on it from the factory, not 2.2.1

Will I be constantly doing things to my phone or will I be able to hack it once and be done with it without worries that it will suddenly stop working.

You can unlock it once to get it working on T-Mobile and forget about it. You can find out on this forum when available updates are safe to use. It's rare that an update is so compelling that you'll feel deprived while you haven't got it.

Can I use purchased apple apps on my hacked iphone?

Yes you can. And also get "unofficial" apps once your phone is unlocked. More info here:
http://modmyi.com/cydia/search.php