Filed under: iPhone, Jailbreak/pwnage
iPhone 3G unlock (finally) crashes everyone's party
While everyone was assuredly watching the ball drop in in NYC and finishing off glasses of bubbly, the iPhone Dev-Team was hard at work pushing out the iPhone 3G unlock. They previously stated that an iPhone 3G unlock would occur in the final hours of 2008, and though the unlock was made available a few hours in to 2009 it is currently being released as a beta. The 0.9 beta release of "yellowsn0w" does still have some noted issues, but a big feature worth noting is that the unlock will work with the latest modem firmware (02.28.00). In other words, if you have an updated iPhone 3G at version 2.2, it is possible to unlock your iPhone without having to exploit holes only found in previous versions of the firmware. Even though this release is dubbed a "beta" reports are pouring in at the Dev-Team blog of success stories.
For more details, issues and experiences (positive or negative) head on over to the Dev-Team blog. While this intrepid blogger will be passing on the unlock, if you have any luck trying this out, let us know in the comments.
Thanks to everyone who sent this in!
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Brian said 12:01PM on 1-01-2009
sounds great but being in the US, AT&T is more reliable with 3G (and overall service) compared to T-Mobile. And just a note for anyone trying this on the Vodafone network, ive been hearing issues from my friends (in UK and India) with getting the exploit to work.
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ktulaman said 2:30AM on 1-02-2009
I beg to differ. I had nothing but drop calls with AT&T when i first bought an iPhone in July 2007. It wasn't until i unlocked the iPhone and switched back to T-Mobile that my calls stopped being dropped.
Rami Mohsen said 12:20PM on 1-01-2009
i didn't work for me , i don't know why , i'm on 2.2 , Vodafone Egypt
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shalom said 12:50PM on 1-01-2009
You can find a great tutorial on how to perform the unlock here: http://www.iclarified.com/2538. It is worth noting that there have been a few issues but the Dev-Team is working hard to fix them. At v.9.1 update to yellowsn0w has already been released.
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Jacko said 3:42PM on 1-01-2009
Didn't work for me, have tried Vodafone and orange UK sims.
Nothing happens at all!! weird!
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Thegreatnick said 12:59PM on 1-01-2009
Help. I don't understand where to download Yellowsn0w.
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Rami Mohsen said 12:59PM on 1-01-2009
ok , it's working now , this is what i did , it may help
1 - Installed Yellowsn0w
2 - Reboot with the thirdparty sim in the iphone
3 - wait for 2 min before you unlock the lock screen ,don't touch the phone .
4 - remove the sim card , wait for like 10 - 15 sec and insert it again .
5 - Enjoy your new carrier .
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Tommie said 1:13PM on 1-01-2009
I've been thinking about unlocking my iphone even though i'm on att. I would really like some unlock-only features like video, etc..., but i was worried about my visual voicemail feature.
Is this something that i'm going to lose if i install yellowsnow?
Thanks!
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Shunnabunich said 1:38PM on 1-01-2009
The "video, etc." features you refer to don't actually require unlocking, only jailbreaking, which is a different thing. Keep in mind, though, that jailbreaking may render the "phone" part of an iPhone 3G useless, making it unable to acquire a cell signal until it's restored to the original firmware.
Jon said 2:30PM on 1-01-2009
Visual Voicemail was developed specifically for the iPhone so yes, you will lose it if you switch to another carrier.
Shunnabunich said 1:39PM on 1-01-2009
Major kudos to these guys! Now if only Robbers Wireless weren't the only damned GSM-based carrier in the entire country, I could get some use out of it.
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Byran Newell said 2:15PM on 1-01-2009
I've had an unlocked 3G iPhone for months now- I imported it from Singapore. But I had to- I dropped the original iPhone in water, and found myself unable to use another phone (yeah, I got spoiled). I paid an arm and a leg, but I HAD to, because although I live in Orange County, CA, AT&T works neither at my house nor my office.
I'd love to have a 3G signal speed for browsing, but I like constant service better.
Quidam said 11:17AM on 1-20-2009
Shunnabunich said 1:38PM on 1-01-2009
The "video, etc." features you refer to don't actually require unlocking, only jailbreaking, which is a different thing. Keep in mind, though, that jailbreaking may render the "phone" part of an iPhone 3G useless, making it unable to acquire a cell signal until it's restored to the original firmware.
I agree on the video part, but I've never heard of anyone rendering the 'phone' part useless. I have a 3G with AT&T that I jailbroke for video and all the other great apps that don't make it to the AppStore and have had no problem whatsoever. I travel within the US and internationally (Europe, South Africa, El Salvador, Saudi Arabia, etc.) and I roam just fine too.
I may look into unlocking just so I can acquire a SIM from a local provider while abroad and save on some of those AT&T roaming fees.
Shunnabunich said 11:26AM on 1-20-2009
That's interesting, because both times I've jailbroken my 3G, it's consistently "de-phoned" the device. I bought mine here in Canada and (of course) use it on Rogers Wireless, with a pay-as-you-go SIM that worked fine without even unlocking when I was using the factory firmware, which came as a surprise initially. Perhaps the issue is more localized than I thought, if you haven't heard of anyone else being affected. I'll have to ask around. :)
Jacko said 3:49PM on 1-01-2009
Finally got it going, followed this guys instructions to the tee and it now works a treat on Vodafone UK "i installed yellowsn0w via installer with an o2 sim in, rebooted, pressed home then the power button to switch the keylock on. removed o2 sim and replaced with the third party sim (orange voda, etc...) then waited for a few mins and this worked. if 'no sim' or 'invalid sim' is displayed, press home then the power button again remove and insert sim again and wait for network to be found. hope this helps, and if can answer any other questions i will do as i know how desperate i was for this to work. once again many, many thanks to the devs!"
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giles.cooper said 9:27AM on 3-26-2009
Looking at the Jacko posting, I NEED an iphone, to replace the HTC I currently have. I have been with Orange UK for years, where is the best place to buy an unlocked iphone I can use with my Orange sim?? Jacko mentions that the 02 sim is still required for the switch, will this be the same with a new phone, as I will have only my Orange UK sim??
Looking forward to getting my iphone, and ditching the HTC!!
DT said 5:16PM on 1-01-2009
Is that original data in the picture on this page? If so congratulations on posting it.
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dauphin said 5:30PM on 1-01-2009
I have an iPhone 3G from Belgium so i don't need to unlock it but i was thinking about jailbreaking it, but i have a few questions maybe you guys can help me, 1- will the Jailbreak damage the phone if a new firmware update comes? 2- will i be able to update normally like i've been doing so far or will it require waiting for custom updates? 3- is there a way to reverse a jailbreak if i get tired of it or i need to take the phone to the carrier for warranty or service?
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Brian said 6:34PM on 1-01-2009
1- no ive been doing it since day 1 and never had any issues upgrading to an apple firmware.
2- yes you will be able to update normally through itunes but if you want to keep the hack you have to wait until an updated hack comes out for the firmware
3- just restore through itunes and your back to normal.
dauphin said 6:43AM on 1-02-2009
thanks brian, i think i'll give it a shot, my main problem is that i have this unlocked 3G and for me it was just stupid to jailbreak it cause i can get my apps from the app store but there are some cool apps from cydia and installer that i used to have back when i had the regular iPhone like video and stuff like that.. you can't get those on the app store thanks again and happy new year