A proper iPhone (software) unlock still not with us
I’ve been reading about iPhone unlocking over the weekend. What an arse that is.
Dan Lane, the other day, asked if I’d considered unlocking my iPhone with a soldering iron. Heh. Nooooo thank you Dan. Noooo way. When I was last at school and messing around with soldering irons, almost anything I touched melted. It was quite fun melting bits of metal on to circuit boards and what not but one false move and I fried my little capacitor and my little LED. Not what I want to do with my iPhone, no sir.
So I’ve been looking for the software-unlock. The iPhone is going to be a terrific handset to carry around and refer to, even at less than 2g speeds. I’m carrying it around now, but I’d really like to properly experience the handset in all it’s glory.
I have considered trying to activate the handset with a pay-as-you-go AT&T option. If they had a reasonable international calling plan, I might have even done so.
The challenge for Apple is avoiding winding me up chronically. I’m one of their big spenders. Like most iPhone users here in the UK, I spend shitloads of Apple products. I know I’m paying over the odds compared to some knock-off from China and it’s often galling to know that the Apple product I’m holding was more or less made in the same knock-off Chinese or Asian factory — just the one with the Apple badge comes at a £150 premium.
What has surprised me is the cloak and dagger X-Files stuff going on.
First off, the American teenager who unlocked his iPhone with his soldering iron. Right. Forget that. I’m not arsing about with that.
Then there’s iphoneunlocking.com — which is currently being redirected to their blog. This site is owned by UniquePhones, the folk who routinely unlock other handsets for small fees. They got a call from a ‘lawyer’ claiming to act for AT&T who did an X-Files Cancer Man on them:
After saying they were phoning on behalf of AT&T, the law firm presented issues such as copyright infringement and illegal software dissemination. Uniquephones is taking legal advice to ascertain whether AT&T was sending a warning shot or directly threatening legal action. The logistics of different continents as well as it being a weekend factors into how the situation develops.
Wired’s journalist, Scott Gilbertson reckons that a lawyer phoning this company at 3AM in the morning is a little far fetched.
The idea that a lawyer would be so concerned about the software as to call at three A.M. is doubtful.
I can’t say I’d have answered my phone at 3AM in the morning either. Published and be damned 😉
It very X-Files though, isn’t it? 3AM calls from unidentified lawyers.
The other company who apparetly have an iPhone unlocker is iphonesimfree.com. Who knows. It’s great that Engadget have verified that this solution works.. but.. where is it? I wonder if iphonesimfree has been getting 3AM threatening phone calls from chaps in dark glasses with silenced pistols on tables?
Just as soon as there’s a $15 unlock, I’ll take a look. Until that time, it’s reasonably exciting reading about the shenanigans associated with the unlock take place.
