Unlocking Your iPhone: The Good, the bad, and the ugly.



Posted: Monday, October 13, 2008

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Since Apple launched it's very first iPhone, there's been a race pretty much to unlock it. Apple is not happy with it of course. iPhone owners are unlocking their iPhones... modifying them to work with carriers other than AT&T and installing unauthorized third-party applications. Sure, unlocking your iPhone is good, but it also has it's fair share of bad and ugly sides.

The GOOD. Some people buy an iPhone just to experience its media and Internet capabilities but not to use it as a phone at all. Unlocking the iPhone will enable them to use the iPhone and experience its beauty without signing up for expensive cell phone service like AT&T. After they have unlocked the phone, they can always access the Internet through their iPhone in places that offer free WiFi. Therefore, if you want to have Internet combined with awesome content, then you really do need an iPhone. Yes, in this manner, unlocking your iPhone is good.

If you are planning to use Skype VOIP service for about $10 a month and still have a WiFi phone, unlocking your phone is also a good idea. You may hack the firmware to allow you to use the iPhone while not activating the AT&T's cell phone service. The AT&T and Apple agreement allows AT&T to provide exclusive cell phone service for the iPhone. And since Skyke VOIP is not a cell phone service provider, unlocking your iPhone and using Skype to make calls is clearly not a violation. The only drawback is that you need to be in an area where you can pick up a WiFi signal in order to use your Skype VOIP service. Again if you are planning to use VOIP to make phone calls, unlocking your iPhone is good.

The BAD. Yes, unlocking your iPhone will enable you to use the phone with different carriers other than AT&T. In this way, unlocking your iPhone is bad. Using other network such as T-Mobile is illegal and clearly in violation of Apple's agreement with AT&T. Apple receives royalties from AT&T for every iPhone that is connected to their network. Apple loses money on every hacked iPhone. It is the author's standpoint that it is ethically wrong to hack any firmware in general. If you are going to use your iPhone to switch to a different carrier like T-mobile, unlocking your iPhone is bad.

The UGLY. Apple doesn't like seeing its iPhone freed from AT&T's tight grip and has actually issued a warning towards all customers that future firmware updates might render the unlocked iPhones useless. Apple sharpened its tone, underlining that future firmware updates might enter in conflict with the modified software running on the iPhone and that this could lead to permanent damages and warranty loss. Also, the dangers of unlocking your iPhone could even outweigh the good. Some of the risks are recoverable.. some are not. If you make a serious mistake, you can "brick your iPhone. A brick iPhone means total lock up... you can never use that iPhone again. These risks are the reasons why unlocking your iPhone,.. yes, definitely ugly.

Apple does not recommend the use of any other SIM card other than the one that came with your phone but it does not specifically prohibit it either. Unlocking your iPhone doesn't make you a criminal either. The reason is an explicit exemption for personal unlocking issued by the Library of Congress in 2006. As the librarian wrote, the locks "are used by wireless carriers to limit the ability of subscribers to switch to other carriers, a business decision that has nothing whatsoever to do with the interests protected by copyright."

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David Chan, a business professional and who owns an iPhone shares his first hand experience working on the iPhone. He also shares the good, the bad and the ugly on unlocking your iPhone. Find out more about how to best use the iPhone and even how to win one for free at http://everypathnbeyond.com/.


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Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)
» left by Anonymous 1 year 276 days ago.
That's all very well and good, but what about the countries where Apple does not have a contract with any providers like AT&T meaning there is zero availability of legal iPhones? I live in such a country and everyone here who has an iPhone has had to unlock it. I would buy a legal iPhone -if- one was available with a carrier in this country, but I can't so I'm forced to consider buying one from another country and unlocking it.
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