iFunia News Blog » unlocked iPhone

Should I buy an unlocked iPhone or remain indentured?

macfunia — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 10:06:32 +0000

Apple has finally started selling unlocked iPhone 4s in its US stores, which means that the popular smartphone meaning can now be used on any GSM network in the world. And is free to be used on any carrier on the same wireless frequency, all you need to do is swap out the SIM card. You could use an unlocked iPhone on AT&T or T-Mobile in the US, and on a variety of carriers should you be traveling elsewhere in the world.

The question is: should you buy an unlocked iPhone? Is it worth it? Here we have put together a quick FAQ with everything you need to know about the unlocked iPhone. Should you buy it? Which carriers does it work on? How does it work?

What does “unlocked” mean?
An unlocked iPhone is a GSM-compatible iPhone that is not contractually tied to any specific wireless carrier and can be used on any compatible GSM network.GSM is the standard used in most countries, and includes AT&T and T-Mobile here in the United States.

What is the difference between factory unlocked, software unlocked and jailbroken iphone?
Factory unlocked means the phone was never locked and left the factory (Apple) unlocked. It is an OFFICIALLY unlocked apple product, and is usually sold by official resellers/telcom companies. And the warranty and “stuff” is 100% enforceable and honored. Since its officially unlocked it can be updated whenever you need.

A jailbroken one is an iPhone that was locked, and the store or supplier OPENED the box, took it out, and “Hacked” it to be unlocked. It is not sold by any official channels, and has NO warranty. You also cant update it (If you do it will be come locked again)

A software unlocked phone can be used by any cell provider, but doesnt add the modification functionality of jailbreaking.

What carriers can you use with the unlocked iPhone?
For right now, AT&T is a given for full iPhone compatibility. You can sign up for an AT&T plan with no term commitment with an unlocked unit, meaning that frequent travelers now have at least one officially-sanctioned option for temporary service; simply cancel your plan at the end of the month, and re-up on your next trip. AT&T spokesman Seth Bloom ecplains as below:

You can, of course, buy an unlocked iPhone from Apple and use it on the AT&T network. If you do, there’s no term commitment – and customers may choose any current voice and data plan. AT&T offers data plans starting as low as $15 per month for 250 MB of data. (You do still need to have both a voice and data plan.)

Can I unlock my AT&T iPhone 4 when I am out of contract?
AT&T’s website says: “iPhone cannot be unlocked, even if you are out of contract.” We have contacted AT&T for more details in case this information has changed.

How much is the unlocked iPhone
The 16 GB unlocked iPhone costs $649. The 32 GB unlocked iPhone costs $749. Both are available in black or white.

Why is the unlocked iPhone 4 so much more expensive?
Wireless carriers like Verizon and AT&T subsidize the cost of these devices. The monthly service fees more than make up for the carriers’extra cost.

What can I do with the unlocked iPhone that I can’t do with a Verizon or AT&T iPhone 4?
Because the unlocked iPhone 4 is not subsidized by any carrier and not bound by a contract, you can cancel your wireless plan at any time without a fee. This is ideal for the frequent traveler who needs the flexibility to change wireless plans.

So is it worth it to buy an unlocked iPhone 4?
That really depends on how you’ll use it.
It’s great that Apple’s offering an unlocked option for those who need it, but for most of us we can just stick with the usual. If you’re a frequent international traveler or split your time between the United States and a residence in another country and would like to use a local service plan there, then the unlocked iPhone 4 could be right for you. But if you don’t leave the country much, it probably doesn’t make financial sense.

Jailbreak iPhone 3GS on Mac

macfunia — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 02:57:06 +0000

George Hotz has finally come up with Mac version of BlackRa1n jailbreak on Oct. 15th. but BlackRa1n requires you to update iDevice to OS 3.1.2 and then jailbreak it. Which means your Baseband will be updated and would not be able to unlock your iPhone later. PwnageTool, on the other hand, creates a custom firmware which preserves your Baseband from updating so that you may unlock iPhone later. So, We strongly recommend to use PwnageTool if you want to unlock your iPhone after jailbreaking it because PwnageTool does NOT update your iPhone Baseband. Here is a guide about how to jailbreak iPhone 3GS, 3G running OS 3.1.2 using PwnageTool on Mac OS.

Unlocked iPhone 3GS on sale from Apple Hong Kong

admin — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 01:41:21 +0000

Unlocked versions of the iPhone 3GS are now on sale from Apple’s Hong Kong online store. In contrast with many regions, including a number with multiple iPhone carriers, Hong Kong only requires that shoppers have the proper SIM card inserted to use a 3GS with any GSM network. 16GB phones are being sold online for $5,388 HK ($692 US), while 32GB models cost $6,288 HK ($808 US).

The iPhone 3G has been available unlocked in Hong Kong since 2008. The city is currently the only one in China to carry the iPhone, due to its distinct government, international carriers and support for standard 3G networks. The rest of the country is not expected to receive official iPhones for three to four months, at the earliest.

iPhone 3GS Unlocking Solution will Soon Be Available

admin — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 02:38:56 +0000

I know some of you are waiting an unlock solution for the iPhone 3GS, the latest generation of iPhone. Yesterday, iPhone Dev Team has announced a good news for iPhone 3GS.

If you have kept track of iPhone 3G/3GS unlock, you probably know the jailbreak and unlock solution is only applicable to iPhone 3G. Pretty soon, however, you’ll see an updated version of ultrasn0w and other jailbreak tools that can handle iPhone 3GS. iPhone Dev team has finally found a way to jailbreak and unlock iPhone 3GS, so you can use it on any carrier:

About 5 hours ago (Thursday evening, less than a week after the 3GS launch), we were able to verify that the 24Kpwn exploit that the hybrid team used on the iPod Touch 2G is still applicable to the bootrom of the iPhone 3GS. That means we can use the same sort of technique used by our current redsn0w tool to jailbreak and unlock the iPhone 3GS.

The unlock solution for iPhone 3GS is not available yet. But iPhone Dev team is working on the update of jailbreak tools and they should be available very soon

Apple now selling unlocked iPhones in Italy

admin — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 00:58:14 +0000

Apple has begun direct sales of unlocked phones in Italy, the first time the handset has been offered outside of carrier stores in the country. SetteB.IT reports that the change was just recently confirmed by employees at the Roma Apple Store, who had previously denied any plans to offer the handsets directly. Macity goes on to explain that while the phones were offered unlocked through TIM and Vodafone previously, neither would sell the phone without forcing the customer to sign a contract. iPhones purchased through Apple, by comparison, are free to be used on any service. Pricing for the iPhone 3G S is €599 for 16GB models and €699 for 32GB units through Apple, and €619 and €719, respectively, through TIM and Vodafone; the iPhone 3G S goes on sale in Italy today.