Last summer the news was full of stories about people who unlocked their iPhones. So with the new iPhone not out even a week yet, the news cycle is repeating itself. The Brazilian newspaper Folha de Sao Paulo is reporting that the firm DesbloqueioBR has won the race to be the first to unlock Apple’s latest version of the iPhone.
By altering the handset’s firmware and installing a special card add-on to the SIM chip, DesbloqueioBR claims that the iPhone can connect to any carrier. In most countries, only one service provider has the right to carry Apple’s brand. The initial price of the iPhone is subsidized by the service provider, which makes up for the loss through lengthy contracts and monthly charges. DesbloqueioBR plans to charge between 250 and 375 dollars to unlock an iPhone, an alteration that may cost service providers big money.
Other unlocks are sure to follow and so are the stories that cover them.
I can confirm that 3 in Hong Kong is selling the 3G iphone unlocked - just that they won’t currently sell it to you unless you buy a service contract. I did sign a contract but it’s going to take them a few days to switch me over from my existing provider, so I’m now running the phone with my Smartone-Vodafone sim installed. Works perfectly, didn’t require any hack.
Comment by Spike — July 16, 2008 @ 8:04 am