A cottage industry has grown up surrounding unlocked iPhones, and two new companies are looking to cash in.
Brazilian company DesbloqueioBr came up with a clever way of using a SIM-card adapter to enable unlocking the phone and choosing a carrier at your discretion. It's much like the Turbo SIM unlock. (There's video showing how this works at our sister site, Engadget.)
It ain't cheap: according to this site, the company plans to charge as much as $375 for the hack. Trouble is, the call quality is apparently worse, and Apple can break your unlock with a software update.
So, if you're not willing to drop that much for a hack, and you're into totally shady, fell-off-the-truck deals, then this is for you: You can order a "original" Apple devices direct from a dealer in Hong Kong. You do have to place a minimum order of $1,000, but everything you get will be network-unlocked.
Who knows, though, if they'll get here.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
7-17-2008 @ 1:57PM
kiko said...
Inaccurate. The unlock from the Brazilian guys will cost 375 BRL, that is about 250 USD. That is quite fair - 100 dollars is for the TurboSIM and 150 dollars for the service for the first and only unlock yet.
Reply
7-17-2008 @ 2:17PM
mSiqueira said...
And there's a third way, known as "The iPhone Dev Team"... (have anyone heard of it, already?)
In a few days, Pwnage will be available Activating, Unlocking and Jailbreaking 2.0 firmware, and Activating and Jailbreaking 3G. Hopefully unlocking for 3G will be released soon, too.
It's reliable as a hack can be, it's a beautifully made solution and.... it's free.
So pls, folks, be patient and stay away of the scum...
Reply
7-17-2008 @ 2:33PM
DDrDark said...
hi!
this dealer in honk kong it's safe? someone have bought anything?
Reply
7-17-2008 @ 2:35PM
caixapostal said...
I wonder how many phones add up to a grand. Actually I sent them a message through Alibaba asking that. No answer yet though.
Reply
7-17-2008 @ 3:33PM
mark said...
Their video proves NOTHING. No unlock here.
Reply
7-17-2008 @ 7:05PM
munchkin said...
Or you could buy an unlocked iPhone from New Zealand...
Reply
7-18-2008 @ 1:59AM
Greg said...
I'm sorry but how does call quality get worse with this method? That's ridiculous nonsense.
SIM is only used for identification, has nothing to do with the comm circuits.
Reply
7-20-2008 @ 10:08AM
doobi18 said...
check out http://www.kingsim.com/kingsimen.htm
this guy sells sim-unlock devices like those used in the unlockable 112 period for much cheaper prices than those listed above
Reply
7-20-2008 @ 8:46PM
Dane said...
$1000?!? Why not come to Australia, buy the prepaid iphone (from optus) for $720 then pay $80 to get it legally unlocked? For $800 you get a legally unlocked iphone which won't eventualy be bricked by a software update
Reply