14 DAY TRIAL // They've done it! The iPhone 3G has been unlocked and not how you thought they would, but rather using a special SIM card adapter. At least one tech-based site was able to contact the (Brazilian) hackers and confirm the success of unlocking iPhone 3G. A video demonstration of the unlocked 3G iPhone in action is available below.
iPhone 3G is tied to your local mobile carrier authorized by Apple to sell and offer its wireless services to you, as a device user. You cannot choose a different network provider (and the plans it offers) if Apple doesn't support it. However, by "unlocking" iPhone 3G, device users can simply choose any mobile carrier, shove in their SIM cards and start using it at their will. Some features may not be available, but the solution is generally satisfying.
"Despite the best efforts of Apple and AT&T, it appears that the latest version of the iPhone has been unlocked via the same method as used on the original iPhone," Cnet's Crave reveals. Brazilian blog TechGuru posted the first report of it, while Gizmodo was lucky enough to confirm that the method involves using a special SIM card adapter. The adapter allegedly "tricks" the phone into thinking it is using an Apple-approved network.
"This method forges the International Mobile Subscriber Identity, making the phone believe it's working in the network in which it's supposed to work," Gizmodo writes. Breno MacMasi, one of the Brazilian guys who achieved this, told the tech site exactly how it works: "Our procedure consist in using one SIM adapter to simulate a fake IMSI test card. Instead of the AT&T IMSI like in the universals."
No word yet on the availability of this hack. We'll be doing out best to keep you informed of the unlocking method, even though Softpedia doesn't encourage iPhone owners to unlock / jailbreak their handsets.
As a Portuguese speaker, you can even enjoy watching this video demonstration of the unlocked device: