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Dev Team Releases Jailbreak and Unlock for 3GS

Christine Chan — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 21:44:21 -0500

The Dev Team has announced that their redsn0w and ultrasn0w apps are now iPhone 3GS ready, despite an original plan of waiting until iPhone OS 3.1 was released.

With the release of George Hotz's purplera1n, which was the first 3GS-ready jailbreak tool, the Dev Team was pressured into releasing their own just days later. Thanks to purplera1n, Apple may have an easier time plugging up security holes.

The Dev Team also warns any ultrasn0w users to avoid installing any future Apple firmware updates, since this will overwrite the baseband hacks. Doing so will result in a device that can no longer be unlocked until a new exploit is discovered.

It should also be noted that there is currently a bug with ultrasn0w, which requires users to do a single reset of network settings. A fix for this is coming, but there is no specified date.

via MacNN

How to Free Your 2G iPhone From its AT&T Shackles

Mike Spitalieri — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 22:41:21 -0500

On June 28, after two long years of toiling under AT&T's exclusivity boot, original iPhone users--those that haven't upgraded--will be released from their contracts, ready to strike out on their own with a (hopefully) kinder, gentler mobile carrier. To help ease the transition we've researched the legal and technical implications of unlocking your first-gen iPhone and arranged them into this handy-dandy FAQ.

I'm sick of AT&T and I'm ready to give them the hard goodbye. What do I need to know?

For starters, you should know that all iPhone models utilize GSM mobile voice technology. GSM allows users to switch SIM cards out of their cell phones for use with other accounts while also allowing carriers like AT&T to lock their handsets for use only on their network. This is the case with all iPhones. Unlocking a cell phone allows you to put any carrier's SIM card and still use the network.

Sounds shady. Can I get sued doing this?

No. Despite what AT&T or anyone else tells you unlocking any cell phone, including the iPhone, for personal use is completely legal in the US. The reason being, in 2006, the US Copyright Office granted an exemption for cell phone unlocking under the Digital Millenium Copyright Act. In short, the Copyright Office ruled that users are free to unlock their cell phones to lawfully connect to other carriers. The exemption is set to expire later this year, which still puts you in the clear, but if you'd like to hang on to this little freedom you can support the Electronic Frontier Foundation, which lobbied for the original exemption in 2006.

Oh, ok. How do I unlock my iPhone?

Technically, the easiest way to unlock your iPhone is to call AT&T and request a subsidy unlock, which is a code that allows the iPhone to accept other carriers' SIM cards. The unlock procedure itself is relatively simple and often granted for other devices: You provide the carrier with your device's model number, a reason for unlocking, say vacationing or moving abroad, and the device's unique IMEI number (dial *#06# on the iPhone). The rep should then provide an unlock code.

Sounds simple enough. Let me get AT&T on the horn...

Not so fast, Sparky. AT&T has billions riding on their exclusivity deal with Apple, so they aren't too keen on letting any iPhone, even the outdated 2G into the wild unlocked. Worse yet, AT&T is under no legal obligations to unlock the iPhone or any other handset for their customers. Unlike some European countries like France and Italy, no US laws or regulations compel telecom carriers to unlock cell phones upon request or at retail. As of May 2009, AT&T's official stance is that it will not unlock any iPhone for any reason.

So it's hopeless, then?

Not quite. Earlier this year we successfully procured a first generation iPhone unlock code from a friendly AT&T rep. More recently, though, we tried to obtain another unlock code from five different customer service reps, four at AT&T and one at Apple. Three reps flat out refused while the other two reps provided us with case IDs and promised we would be emailed the code within one week. As of this writing we have not received any codes, but we'll update if that changes. Your best bet is to try your luck and hope for a helpful (read: clueless) rep, but success is not guaranteed.

What if AT&T won't budge on giving up the unlock code?

You've still got one more trick up your sleeve--the software unlock. A group of developers calling themselves the iPhone Dev Team have been steadily releasing free unlocking tools since the original iPhone's release back in 2007. QuickPwn, a simple and easy program for the PC and Mac can unlock any first-gen iPhone running 2.2.1 firmware. You can even relock the phone just by reinstalling an official update. The Dev Team is also hard at work creating an update to unlock iPhones running firmware 3.0. If you've already updated to 3.0, check their blog on Friday, June 19, the expected date the unlock software will be released.

Hey, it worked! My iPhone is unlocked! Er, now what?

Congratulations! Your iPhone is now unlocked and ready to be used on any GSM network you choose. The two biggies in the US are T-Mobile and AT&T, plus a handful of regional providers.

Do I still need to sign a contract?

Nope. T-Mobile, in addition to unofficially supporting iPhone users, offers a competitive FlexPay plan that doesn't lock you into a contract. Sadly, AT&T can't say the same, anymore, but that doesn't mean you can't employ another simple hack to avoid AT&T's shenanigans and wave goodbye to mobile contracts forever.

Dev Team Demos Yellowsn0w iPhone 3G Unlock

Danny Estrada — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 13:31:49 -0600

Finally some yellow snow we can't wait to sink our teeth into, don't ask, it was a traumatic experience up in Lake Tahoe. The Dev Team has released a demo video of its upcoming software unlock for the iPhone 3G. The hacking utiity Yellosn0w, will allow iPhone 3G owners to unock thier devices to use on unauthorized GSM networks. The utility is supposed to super-duper simple.

It has taken several months to get this unlock hack ready for the 3G iPhone, mainly because Apple has gone super CIA with their security protocols. The finished version of the hack will be available in time for New Year's Eve. That way if you are left without a date, you can feel free to kiss your iPhone while pretending it's Catherine Zeta Jones, just don't accept any lemon snow cones from her, she broke our heart once, never again CZJ, never again!

Apple Lists Unlocked iPhone Carriers

Danny Estrada — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 13:34:32 -0600

If you are one of the few people who hasn't picked up an iPhone because you don't want "The Man" harshing your calls with his locked iPhones. Plus, you're still dreaming of moving abroad to start your life as a rare-breed chicken farmer. Well, Apple is now making it easier for you to pick a country and a carrier.

Apple has recently added a column to their support page listing carriers who are authorized to unlock iPhones. There is an easy to ready check mark by each company that does so. The page is also lists which companies are selling locked iPhones which means you're still tied to a single carrier, but it will possibly reduce the costs of the iPhone and monthly fees.

Some countries like Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay offer unlocked phones on all carriers, while other countries like Brazil, Portugal, and India only have some carriers who unlock your phone. Either way, farming rare-breed chickens in any of these countries would be very close to our idea of paradise... chickens live on beaches right?

A Newbie's Guide to the iPhone Underground

Warren Frey — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 04:54:00 -0500

There comes a time when an iPhone just isn’t enough. Sure, it’s the best phone on the planet, but some users want to go beyond Apple’s arbitrary rules and restrictions. Maybe they want to run the phone on a network other than AT&T, or maybe they want to use apps that you just can’t find on the App Store. When that happens, it’s time to go underground.

For the iPhone newbie, the unofficial side of the device can be a scary, confusing place. Even the terms, like “jailbreaking” and “unlocking,” sound ominous. But for some users, entering the underground wasn’t as much of a choice, as it was a necessity.

The Unlocking of the iPhone

For anyone who didn’t live in a country with an official OG iPhone release, unlocking was necessary. For example, until the introduction of the iPhone 3G, every single phone operating in Canada was hacked, either by its user or a third party. Demand for the phone spread far beyond the official iPhone country borders, so one of the first questions asked when the original iPhone was introduced last year was how easy it would be to unlock the phone and use it on networks other than AT&T. It turned out that unlocking the phone, while not without complications, happened more quickly than anyone expected. Only a few weeks after the iPhone was released, Jon Lech Johansen, AKA DVD Jon (so named because he cracked the copy protection code on DVDs while still a teenager) announced he’d cracked the code that would allow third-party applications to run on the phone, a practice known as “jailbreaking.” Soon afterwards, New Jersey teenager, George Hotz announced he’d unlocked the iPhone, allowing it to be used on networks other than AT&T. Another group of hackers, iPhoneSimFree, soon announced that they had unlocked the phone, and began selling unlock keys to resellers.

Jailbreaks and Unlocks for the Masses

The turning point in the iPhone underground came with the announcement from a different group, the iPhone Dev Team. They not only unlocked the phone, but would provide it for free to the public. From there the battle ping-ponged back and forth between Apple and the hacking community, every time Cupertino closed a hole in their phone’s operating system, hackers would find another vulnerability and exploit it.

The Unauthorized App Store

So what can a newly unlocked, jailbroken iPhone do that a standard iPhone can’t? Up until the introduction of the 2.0 firmware, quite a bit. Apple initially pushed for users to get added value out of the iPhone by using web apps. Though some excellent web apps were and continue to be created, the only way to get native apps directly onto the phone was to jailbreak it and void the warranty.

And there were soon plenty of apps to choose from. From Twitter clients, to apps that downloaded podcasts directly on to the device, a flourishing of creativity followed the opening of the iPhone. Apple got the message, and CEO Steve Jobs soon announced Apple would release an SDK for the iPhone, giving third-party developers the ability to create apps for the upcoming iPhone Software 2.0.

Now that Apple has opened the iPhone, many of the original iPhone developers have gone legitimate releasing their previously unofficial apps in the iTunes App Store. Still, even with the explosion of apps available through the App Store, some apps simply aren’t allowed, like emulators to play classic video games, or VoIP applications that work over a cell network. And if you don’t want a three year contract, you’re out of luck unless you opt to unlock.

The Future of iPhone Hacking

Despite the inevitable slowdown, as iPhone Software 2.0 steals the underground’s thunder, new tools are still being released. Pwnage Tool 2.0 from the iPhone Dev Team, is an easy-to-use tool that unlocks and jailbreaks first-generation iPhones and will jailbreak, but not unlock, the iPhone 3G, at least not yet.

Even without prying open their phone’s OS, some iPhone users and developers are finding that extending the capabilities of the device is completely at the whim of Apple, Inc. Take the case of Netshare, the Nullriver application which allows users to tether their iPhone to their computer and use it as a 3G modem. The program, while initially cleared by Apple, has disappeared from the App Store, and it remains a mystery whether Netshare will ever reappear. If it doesn’t, it will become a prime candidate for installation on jailbroken iPhones.

For now, the iPhone underground seems to have reached a plateau. Many of the capabilities made possible by jailbreaking the phone are available at the App Store, and the spread of the iPhone all over the globe has put a dent in the need to unlock the device. But as the recent Netshare controversy has shown, all it takes is a compelling app to tip the scales in favor of a journey underground.

What's Next for the iPhone 3G?

Susie Ochs — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 15:32:01 -0500

The software has been updated to 2.0.1, giving us zippier performance and fewer bugs. Apple is ramping up production to keep pace with the public's rabid demands. So what's coming next for the iPhone 3G? Oh, lots.

Apple filed a patent for software that would let users access -- that's listen to AND manage -- their main iTunes libraries remotely, from their iPhone or iPod touch. It works by keeping a directory of your content on the device, then having the device remotely access your Mac or PC and stream it. Meaning you could get all your gigs of music at your fingertips without having to sync the content to your device first. (Um, yes please.)

A UBS Investment Research analyst named Maynard Um has predicted colored iPhones in time for Christmas and a new iPhone model in the first half of 2009. (He also claims the rumored Mac subnotebook has been pushed back to 2009.)

We mentioned earlier how a mechanism was uncovered in the iPhone 2.0 software that would let Apple remotely pull apps it deems "unauthorized" off our iPhones and iTouches. So far the list is still empty. But it's worth noting that Apple has blacklisted the $999.99 do-nothing (cr)app I Am Rich from the Store. But if you shelled out a grand for it, don't worry, it hasn't been remotely yanked from anyone's phones, and you probably line your birdcage with money anyhow.

CNET reports that a hardware-based SIM unlock will be available for the iPhone 3G starting on August 20. The company is USB Fever, and the device is an incredibly thin piece of FPC that fits onto your carrier's SIM card, which then goes into the iPhone. It'll cost $35; they're taking preorders now.

Also, the iPhone 3G is coming to 21 more countries on August 22. Yay for Poland, Argentina, Uruguay, et al! (Oh, and Russia in 2009.)

But of course the iPhone 3G still has some problems, like the battery life, lack of cut-and-paste and MMS, no syncing of notes or to-dos, etc. What beefs do you have with the iPhone? Sound off in the comments.