Can it be unlocked?

[odysseus]

At some point, I think Steve Jobs said that extraordinary measures were being taken to insure that the phone couldn't be unlocked. But the standard design of any GSM phone guarantees that there is an unlocking mechanism, doesn't it?

Does anyone think that this can be unlocked?

 

[Mike Overbo]

From what I've read, you might not be able to even take the SIM card tray out without cutting the iPhone open, so unlocking may be the lesser of the challenges involved. I'd consider this speculative information so far, we'll probably know for sure by the end of the month. Beyond that, they'll probably have some sort of unlocking mechanism. They always do. How easy it will be to access that is unknown.

I think you'll start seeing them available on the market unlocked when they go on sale in Europe; in some European countries (like Belgium or Finland, if memory serves) it's illegal to sell locked phones.

 

[Felipe#WP]

from the pictures we haveseen, there doesnt seem to be a sim tray. funny thing I didnt go looking for it until someone on another board mention it didnt have one.

if it doesnt have a sim tray, why have a sim "card." why not just have it intergrated into the phone?

best way to lock the phone forever. there have been no indication that apple want to sell this phone to unlocked.

if you were the carrier, wouldnt you want something like this? especially, if you have a 2-5 year deal for the iphone?

 

[Kupe#WP]

if you were the carrier, wouldnt you want something like this? especially, if you have a 2-5 year deal for the iphone?

It's how the CDMA world operates - the jerks!

 

[Pearl_Diva]

Locked(or unlockable) GSM phones are almost useless. The resale value will be compromised. If SIM is stuck in phone, how can you even sell the phone to someone else? People buy from personal sellers because they don't want to deal with the carrier's hoops!

 

[Felipe#WP]

after i wrote the above, I went to howards and there are a couple of post with pictures pointing to the slot.

it doesnt look like the slot to me and others are saying the pics are of the volume control.

so, it is is wait and see.

yes it would be stoopid for it to not have one, but like i wrote, not having one is the best way to "lock" it down.

I'm sure there will be a way to re-program the phone/internal sim so that you can change its numbers. if now, they dont want # porters?

 

[archie]

hmph!

The official spec sheet that I have now says:
? Connectors and other input & output
- 30 pin iPod connector
- 3.5mm jack includes audio and mic support
- SIM tray
- Built-in speaker
- Built-in microphone

I could have told everyone this before (in fact I think I did 3 or 4 times) but no one believed me. Everyone wanted to believe the not me.

But once again, I was right.

 

[mikec#IM]

right

Wow archie, you showed that the iPhone is like every other GSM phone in the world and has a SIM slot.

MOTO.

For your next trick, will you bw showing that cars are powered by (gasp) gasoline?

 

[Pearl_Diva]

Well I'm glad it has at least that!!! Otherwise, it'd be really difficult to buy from private owners.

 

[byronchurch]

http://www.macrumors.com/2007/06/08/apples-iphone-specs-and-requirements/

 

[questionfear]

Wow archie, you showed that the iPhone is like every other GSM phone in the world and has a SIM slot.

MOTO.

For your next trick, will you bw showing that cars are powered by (gasp) gasoline?

Dude. He answered a question that another poster asked; he didnt start a thread just to brag the iphone has a sim slot. And if you don't care about the iphone, don't bother to post in here if you're going to make obnoxious comments.

 

[archie]

Wow archie, you showed that the iPhone is like every other GSM phone in the world and has a SIM slot.

Well, every since boy genius posted that it would not have a SIM slot, everybody was up in arms because of the copycat journalism nature of the net.

But of course you choose to ignore this in order to belittle me.

 

[mikec#IM]

hmm

My point is that a GSM phone MUST have a SIM tray. To think it would not be defies logic.

 

[archie]

I agree.

The iPhone hate is not logical; it is based on fear and the unfamiliar. Two things that society does not typically embrace.

 

[Malatesta]

I agree.

The iPhone hate is not logical; it is based on fear and the unfamiliar. Two things that society does not typically embrace.

Isn't that just a little grandiose, hopping from disagreements about the iPhone (erroneously characterized as "hate") to a comment about "Society"?

I mean it's a phone. That takes pictures and plays music. That's it.

Fear? Unfamiliar?

You're not fighting for the Civil Rights movement.


As far as the SIM thing goes, this is how it looks:

- Yes, SIM card tray (obviously)

But there is much more to it (that I guess Archie is choosing not to share with us...? Notice how he evaded the OP's original question.)

"in order for the iPhone to function correctly, there is a requirement for Apple servers to be placed deep in the operator's network," which has led some to believe that Apple could have a "a non-GSM, non-standard way of authenticating its phone."

--> http://biz.yahoo.com/seekingalpha/070606/37489_id.html?.v=1

Sounds like Blackberry and the Sidekick systems of authentication. So I'm not convinced at all that unlocking or using it on other networks is possible, in fact it seems quite the opposite, which is exactly what you would expect.

 

[Felipe#WP]

hmph!

The official spec sheet that I have now says:
? Connectors and other input & output
- 30 pin iPod connector
- 3.5mm jack includes audio and mic support
- SIM tray
- Built-in speaker
- Built-in microphone

I could have told everyone this before (in fact I think I did 3 or 4 times) but no one believed me. Everyone wanted to believe the not me.

But once again, I was right.

Archie,

arent yout the one who "guranteed" a ipod with the form factor of the iphone, but with out the phone? didnt you say 6 weeks after the iphone was announced?

wasnt that you?

forgive me if I dont take everything you say as gospel.

 

[Pearl_Diva]

I agree.

The iPhone hate is not logical; it is based on fear and the unfamiliar. Two things that society does not typically embrace.

It isn't hate, it's trying to know exactly what we're paying $600 for!

You could say the same thing over the skepticism of the Foleo, but again, it's $600 also and we want to know what we're getting!

 

[Pearl_Diva]

But there is much more to it (that I guess Archie is choosing not to share with us...? Notice how he evaded the OP's original question.)

"in order for the iPhone to function correctly, there is a requirement for Apple servers to be placed deep in the operator's network," which has led some to believe that Apple could have a "a non-GSM, non-standard way of authenticating its phone."

--> http://biz.yahoo.com/seekingalpha/070606/37489_id.html?.v=1

Sounds like Blackberry and the Sidekick systems of authentication. So I'm not convinced at all that unlocking or using it on other networks is possible, in fact it seems quite the opposite, which is exactly what you would expect.

Even with BB you can unlock and use on other networks! You still have to ping their servers to get email service, but at least they aren't THAT restrictive!!!

 

[bruckwine]

hmph!

But once again, I was right.

Wow archie, you showed that the iPhone is like every other GSM phone in the world and has a SIM slot.

MOTO.

For your next trick, will you bw showing that cars are powered by (gasp) gasoline?

is there an age limit for this site or what? Or are some ppl here too childishly competitive?