Official Apple iPhone Unlock Possible!?!

[ronzo]

what about these?
Apple iPhone 3Gs 32GB Never-Locked LEGALLY Unlocked GSM Cell Phone - 8859091859 - Buy.com

Every iPhone out-of-the-box is equal: neither locked nor unlocked.

When the iPhone is activated, Apple's database determines what kind of lock the individual device should have and sends an Activation Token that can only be used on that particular iPhone. The Token is encrypted and signed so it could only be forged by obtaining their private key. See Unlock - The iPhone Wiki for details.

Wether an iPhone will be locked or unlocked is completely up to the Carrier selling it. When a Carrier unlocks an iPhone, they tell Apple to update the record for that specific device. Next time iTunes checks for updates for your phone, it receives a new Activation Token.

There are quite some Carriers (most of them in Europe and SE-Asia), who decided to have no SIM-lock at all. The iPhone Activation Support Page lists those, and for the others it shows, wether an official unlock is offered. Again: this list represents the Carriers' policies to Apple's best knowledge and NOT limitations imposed by Apple or the iPhone itself.

Why is unofficial activation so much easier than unofficial unlocking?
In both cases it is not the Activation Token itself that is patched, but the code that validates it. For activation the check is done by the OS, for the SIM-lock it is done by the baseband which is much more difficult to hack.

[confucious]

Every iPhone out-of-the-box is equal: neither locked nor unlocked.

When the iPhone is activated, Apple's database determines what kind of lock the individual device should have and sends an Activation Token that can only be used on that particular iPhone. The Token is encrypted and signed so it could only be forged by obtaining their private key. See Unlock - The iPhone Wiki for details.

Wether an iPhone will be locked or unlocked is completely up to the Carrier selling it. When a Carrier unlocks an iPhone, they tell Apple to update the record for that specific device. Next time iTunes checks for updates for your phone, it receives a new Activation Token.

There are quite some Carriers (most of them in Europe and SE-Asia), who decided to have no SIM-lock at all. The iPhone Activation Support Page lists those, and for the others it shows, wether an official unlock is offered. Again: this list represents the Carriers' policies to Apple's best knowledge and NOT limitations imposed by Apple or the iPhone itself.

Why is unofficial activation so much easier than unofficial unlocking?
In both cases it is not the Activation Token itself that is patched, but the code that validates it. For activation the check is done by the OS, for the SIM-lock it is done by the baseband which is much more difficult to hack.

Great post - pity it's rubbish!
Some people will believe anything.

[Mes]

Great post - pity it's rubbish!
Some people will believe anything.

OK ..... so maybe I'm an idiot.

Care to share some 'non-rubbish' information?

[confucious]

OK - we both know you are not an idiot. But I am drunk and off on my honeymoon in the morning.
Phones are locked. Apple can unlock them for certain models but based on Carrier , NOR and other things.
I used to have the link to an article where the Dev Team explained why it can't be done but just upgraded to Win7 and lost everything, I'll find it again, but not now.

[Mes]

OK - we both know you are not an idiot. But I am drunk and off on my honeymoon in the morning.
Phones are locked. Apple can unlock them for certain models but based on Carrier , NOR and other things.
I used to have the link to an article where the Dev Team explained why it can't be done but just upgraded to Win7 and lost everything, I'll find it again, but not now.

Hey congratulations!!! .... and STOP reading MMI (hahahahaha)

Take you time with the Dev-Team link. I'll search around their blog.

[srbug]

Here in Australia we can buy them off the shelf unlocked. If someone wants one send some cash this way and I'll sort it out for you.

iPhone - Apple Store (Australia)

Other wise you can sign up to a contract with Telstra, Vodafone, Optus, Virgin, Three ect (we are pretty lucky here we have the pick of a number or carriers)

From there you get your carrier to unlock it for you for a small fee. I'm with Vodafone and they charge $25 to unlock a phone doesn't take long at all so there is no messing around with all the software crap and locking phones when a new FW update comes out.

EDIT: Sorry if this has been said a million times, not interested in reading 6 pages of posts to find out.

[Ozdude]

Nope. It's not common knowledge in the US. No 'authorized' rep will say anything (maybe they don't even know ). Very few iPhone users even know they're getting the shaft, and for those few, it takes lots of research to find the keys. Lots of blab, little substance.

Oh yeah, I forgot how insular the US is. If it does happen there, then it cannot be true. haha.

[Inrego]

I'm surprised to see that this is not available everywhere
Here in Denmark, you buy the iPhone with 6 months subscription, and after that, the carrier will unlock your phone for free. If I want it unlocked right away I can just pay about 60$ and they will unlock it. Still have to pay for the subscription each month though, so I see no reason to unlock it before the 6 months subscription is expired.

[StealthBravo]

^ Would be nice

[tuton11]

Every iPhone out-of-the-box is equal: neither locked nor unlocked.

When the iPhone is activated, Apple's database determines what kind of lock the individual device should have and sends an Activation Token that can only be used on that particular iPhone. The Token is encrypted and signed so it could only be forged by obtaining their private key. See Unlock - The iPhone Wiki for details.

Wether an iPhone will be locked or unlocked is completely up to the Carrier selling it. When a Carrier unlocks an iPhone, they tell Apple to update the record for that specific device. Next time iTunes checks for updates for your phone, it receives a new Activation Token.

There are quite some Carriers (most of them in Europe and SE-Asia), who decided to have no SIM-lock at all. The iPhone Activation Support Page lists those, and for the others it shows, wether an official unlock is offered. Again: this list represents the Carriers' policies to Apple's best knowledge and NOT limitations imposed by Apple or the iPhone itself.

Why is unofficial activation so much easier than unofficial unlocking?
In both cases it is not the Activation Token itself that is patched, but the code that validates it. For activation the check is done by the OS, for the SIM-lock it is done by the baseband which is much more difficult to hack.

I agree! thanks to all the devs out there who rely on donations for their hard work, many of the casual, (but somewhat intelligent :P ) consumers can enjoy their iPhone just as much

[hot sause]

thanx alot for the news

[confucious]

I agree! thanks to all the devs out there who rely on donations for their hard work, many of the casual, (but somewhat intelligent :P ) consumers can enjoy their iPhone just as much

Not sure what you are agreeing with? The person you quoted who was just wrong? Or developers who take donations? Unlike the Dev Team who help us most?

[StealthBravo]

I agree

[confucious]

I agree

I agree with you agreeing

[StealthBravo]

I agree with you agreeing

Then we both agree that our agreement has been agreed upon?

[confucious]

No! i don't think we can agree on that!

[StealthBravo]

No! i don't think we can agree on that!

[angiepangie]

Hasn't the unlock always been possible?

[StealthBravo]

Of course it has

[confucious]

What unlock? I have no idea what this thread is about, I was just waorried that someone might think I could agree with SB when we all know that is impossible!