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I just got an Italian one, sod all that other lark.

Why do these people spend their time working on ways to unlock a phone to use on another network? I know all the justification reasons, but they all boil down to working to make something work in a way it wasn't designed to do, and therefore steal.

then rendered doa when apple updates the firmware..

A Chinese dude from Shanghai came to tour our business a few weeks ago and he was taking pictures with his white iPhone. I asked him if it was an unlocked phone and he smiled and nodded. This was his first time in the US.
If China Mobile with it's 36 billion in cash would be willing to meet Apple's requirements for the iPhone, then both would take off...both companies are top investments as far as healthy numbers and outlook are concerned.

Oct 28, 08 - 02:08 pm Comment from: Demon

Why Unlock the iPhone G3 anyway it's still not going to get you out of the contract with the Carrier that you signed when you buy the phone. Not to mention that if you cancel the contract you have to return the phone or pay-off the high termination fee.

@Demon

Because in some countries the phone isn't subsidized and therefore you don't have long term contracts. There's also the fact that I don't want to carry around multiple phones when I'm traveling - pop in a SIM and use it without the hefty roaming fee's.

Oct 28, 08 - 02:33 pm Comment from: Orest

Why don't people understand that the purpose of a carrier unlock is to avoid incredibly high roaming charges from their carrier.

When I travel to Europe why should I have to pay exorbitant roaming charges when I could just pop-in a local SIM card and talk away.

If you never travel outside the country you don't need to unlock.
Does every one understand NOW!!!

Oct 28, 08 - 02:34 pm Comment from: Big Al

Get your travel iPhones in Italy. You pay the unsubsidized cost up front to have it unlocked. Then you just switch SIMs.

No need to steal one without paying the subsidy.

Apple is not Microsoft or one of the Big 4 Record Labels.

Stop ripping them off.

Oct 28, 08 - 02:43 pm Comment from: TheConfuzed1

Just a guy:
Why do these people spend their time working on ways to unlock a phone to use on another network? I know all the justification reasons, but they all boil down to working to make something work in a way it wasn't designed to do, and therefore steal.

Unlocking isn't stealing. Even if you buy the phone subsidized, the carrier is protected by early termination fees, should you decide to take it to another network.

However, to answer the question, "Why do these people spend their time working on ways to unlock a phone to use on another network?" ...The answer is quite simple--For the challenge.

The iPhone Dev Team makes no profit from their exploits. In fact, they will not even accept donations!

There is no stealing involved.

Oct 28, 08 - 02:49 pm Comment from: madgunde

Carrier locks defeat the benefits of the GSM sim card design. GSM was designed to open up cell phones so you could buy any phone you want and use it on any carrier you want.

I hate the fact that the telcos have taken a great consumer friendly technology and bastardized it to satisfy their greed. It also bugs me that Apple supports this tactic, but I realize that they didn't really have much choice.

How sweet it would have been if Apple just sold unlocked iPhones at a decent price and cut the carriers out of the equation altogether.

Oct 28, 08 - 03:17 pm Comment from: Crabs

Too bad this is useless in the US. Unless you really care that much about real GPS. Stupid T-Mobile using weird random frequencies for their 3G...

Oct 28, 08 - 06:16 pm Comment from: Predrag

The original iPhone could be bought for $400. You weren't required to sign anything when you bought it. It was incredibly attractive to unlockers, since they could get the iPhone at a subsidised price of $400 (thereby saving at least $250) and activate with the crack software, then unlock it and use it anywhere they want (even AT&T in the US, without the $20 data plan).

3G iPhone cannot be taken out of the store without signing two-year contract. This way, they made sure there will be no interest in unlocking.

The only folks that would want to unlock their iPhone now would be those who travel overseas. In the US, that isn't all that many.

for 'just a guy'

well, that's not steal. actually unlocked phone is not illegal. when you go to most other countries, they provide unlocked phone so that you can easily keep your service. I think that only AT&T;in US is keeping locked. this is very weird. just take a look around. country is, which provide iphone, giving you unlocked iphone. that's law in there. most countries law bans monopoly which only one carrier offer service with particular phone.

The (Stupid) Great Apple Fanboy Massacre blathered;

"You are seriously a moron. So, according to you, if I buy a car and instead of buying gas to power it I decided to modify it so it runs on alternative fuel, that's considered stealing?"

When you bought your car, did you sign a contract stating that you agreed to buy only gasoline for it? When you buy an iPhone, you voluntarily enter into a contract to use a certain carriers service.

Seriously, dude? What passes for "thought processes" in your feeble, hate filled little mind?

Anywayzzzz;

Calling you a moron would be an insult to morons everywhere. Why don't you grow up, get a life and give up trolling this site?
You get spanked so hard each time you post each angry, mindless rant, I can't for the life of me imagine why you keep coming back.