Sung to the tune of "Too much time on my hands", a teenager on summer break has managed to unlock an iPhone from AT&T. It is apparently not an easy fix, but for the DIY'ers...
NEW YORK (AP) - A 17-year-old hacker has broken the lock that ties Apple's iPhone to AT&T's wireless network, freeing the most hyped cell phone ever for use on the networks of other carriers, including overseas ones.
George Hotz of Glen Rock, N.J., confirmed Friday that he had unlocked an iPhone and was using it on T-Mobile's network, the only major U.S. carrier apart from AT&T that is compatible with the iPhone's cellular technology. In a video posted to his blog, he holds an iPhone that displays "T-Mobile" as the carrier.
While the possibility of switching from AT&T to T-Mobile may not be a major development for U.S. consumers, it opens up the iPhone for use on the networks of overseas carriers.
"That's the big thing," said Hotz, in a phone interview from his home.
The phone, which combines an innovative touch-screen interface with the media-playing abilities of the iPod, is sold only in the U.S.
AT&T Inc. spokesman Mark Siegel said the company had no comment, and referred questions to Apple. A call to Apple was not immediately returned. Hotz said the companies had not been in touch with him.
The hack, which Hotz posted Thursday to his blog, is complicated and requires skill with both soldering and software. It takes him about two hours to perform. Since the details are public, it seems likely that a small industry may spring up to buy U.S. iPhones, unlock them and send them overseas.
"That's exactly, like, what I don't want," Hotz said. "I don't want people making money off this."
How does hacking the iPhone unlock for use on other networks compare to the discussion of the WM6 threads we have had here recently. I thought hacking was illegal. Just a thought.
if you read it, there is no law on unlocking devices.
Self explanitory
Quote:
Since the details of both hacks are public, Apple may be able to modify the iPhone production line to make new phones invulnerable. The company has said it plans to introduce the phone in Europe this year, but it hasn't set a date or identified carriers.
There is apparently no U.S. law against unlocking cell phones. Last year, the Library of Congress specifically excluded cell-phone unlocking from coverage under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Among other things, the law has been used to prosecute people who modify game consoles to play a wider variety of games.
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You still have to pay the penalty if you break your service agreement, so there is no practical reason to have a law preventing the unlocking of cell phones, provided they actually belong to the consumer.
People generally want to share. It's unfortunate that it effects the companies. But i still feel that most of the hacking that is done is because it has been provided by the companies themselves.
If it weren't for Microsoft program leaks to the public or hacked versions, microsoft would not be enjoying it's popularity.
mind you they have done things to help them maintain their popularity... but still...
i have to questions how programs or movies etc. get out to the public black market.
I don't believe the rest of the world (except US) has locked phones.
Silly to lock the phones.
In the UK the networks can lock them.. but they have a legal duty to unlock them once you've had them for a certain time (3 months?). They can charge a small administrative fee for this.
You can also buy unlocked phones, but these tend to be more expensive
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