Teenage Hacker Unlocks the iPhone

A New Jersey teenager has unlocked the iPhone, opening the way to Apple’s iconic mobile telephone being used by non-US networks.

The Associated Press news agency confirmed George Hotz, 17 years of age had unlocked the iPhone and used it on T-Mobile, a rival to its sole US operator, AT&T.

The hacker says the unlocking takes about two hours and involves some soldering and skill with software so I guess its not for all of us.

Some of my friends think I wasted my summer but I think it was worth it.

I think this is a great achievement for someone that is only 17. Being able to open a phone that has not even been out for a year is great, especially when there where no plans for it coming to other networks any time soon.

Technology blog Engadget (Our Biggest Competitor) also claims to have successfully unlocked an iPhone using a different method that required no tinkering with the hardware. The software was supplied by an anonymous group of hackers that apparently plans to charge for it, AP reports.

The balls rolling now but what do AT&T have to say about this?

Last week, Belfast-based “UniquePhones” joined several others in claiming it had cracked the code which locked iPhone into AT&T’s network.

But a middle-of-the-night phone call from AT&T’s lawyers have forced the firm to rethink its plans.

It will now take legal advice to assess the ramifications, the firm said.

According to UniquePhones, it received a 3am call from a lawyer claiming to represent AT&T and warning it that selling unlocking software could constitute copyright infringement and illegal software dissemination.

Tech blog Engadget (their name keeps popping up doesnt it?!) thinks UniquePhone’s should make their unlocking solution available to the public:

“Here’s to hoping that, should UniquePhones not find themselves able to actually sell their software, at very least the unlock method they’ve discovered gets opened up to the public. After all, there’s no reason why everyone shouldn’t be able benefit from this knowledge just because one company isn’t able to sell it,”

I would love to see a simply piece of software to unlock this phone, wouldn’t you?