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Apple iPhone unlocked for $96 with forged SIM?

Monday, August 6, 2007 · 9:54 am · 39 Comments

“Hackers in Europe claim that they have completely unlocked the JesusPhone, allegedly using a SIM reader/writer and a blank SIM card to obtain full calling and SMS capabilities. Total cost: $96,” Jesus Diaz reports for Gizmodo.

Diaz reports, “A Hackintosh forum member has been able to test the hack in the Orange UK network.”

Just tested it – works fine with Orange UK – Call In/Out, SMS In/Out…

Diaz writes, “If the SIM forgery works those $96 seems like a very low price to buy an iPhone and have it working in your network.”

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Comment Feed

39 Comments

1 2 Next »

en

Monday, August 6, 2007 - 10:04 am · Reply

Hmmmm, I just do not know what it is with people. OK, you can break into most any car with a slim jim and a few specialized tools.
First of all, its illegal. Get caught and go to jail.
Second, you end up having to spend years getting to know how to use the software and equipment to make it work so, its hardly free.

en
??

Monday, August 6, 2007 - 10:04 am · Reply

What about data and internet?
NavyTim

Monday, August 6, 2007 - 10:04 am · Reply

Was only a matter of time – however, once Apple figures it out – I would bet it will be locked down with another patch. If I were selling these ‘kits’ – I would unload as many as possible before they become no use.
Confused...

Monday, August 6, 2007 - 10:11 am · Reply

What is a JesusPhone?
Gregg Thurman

Monday, August 6, 2007 - 10:13 am · Reply

I love seeing stuff like this. Why?

Does anyone ever remember hackers going to this much trouble for a Blackberry, or a Treo? I don’t.

I’m not in the market for it myself, but the fact that so many are interested, means there is strong interest for the iPhone in markets where the iPhone isn’t currently available.
OPM

Monday, August 6, 2007 - 10:15 am · Reply

Just got my first AT&T bill for the jesus phone on the $60/mo plan. I went over 135 min for which they charged me (legitimately, but @ .45/min, 60.75). So I was expecting something around $155-ish.

Surprise: $235. Why? For some reason AT&T is slipping next month’s flat charges into this month’s bill.

So friendly.
****WARNING*****

Monday, August 6, 2007 - 10:18 am · Reply

If you have an iPhone, do not use it in Europe for data. I was in Europe for 2 weeks last month and used my phone minimally for internet. I just got my bill from AT&T for $3,215.84.

Unless you have money to burn, set your phone to check email manually and do not launch Safari.
Nick Gallinger

Monday, August 6, 2007 - 10:20 am · Reply

Where Can I buy this unlock? I want it NOW!!!!!
Mr. Reeee

Monday, August 6, 2007 - 10:21 am · Reply

The JesusPhone… saves you from the sins of other phones…
I love it! hahahahaha

I paid $15 to get a T-Mobile RAZR V3 unlocked in Bulgaria, so I’d drop $96 in a heartbeat to get one to work on T-Mobile (in the US) and Globul (in Bulgaria). I bought an unlocked Sony Ericsson so I could swap SIM cards and do essentially the same thing.

It was only a matter of time…
liquidu

Monday, August 6, 2007 - 10:24 am · Reply

“First of all, its illegal. Get caught and go to jail. “

Um, no it is not. You are allowed to unlock your own phone. You own it. You should learn about your consumer rights instead of accepting a framework set up so you can freely monitored and the data can goto the government or the highest bidder. Its an invasion of privacy. Moreover, in this hack, people do not have data access. However i suspect wifi works just fine, which is pretty plentiful in most european cities.

-Liquidu
ChrissyOne

Monday, August 6, 2007 - 10:25 am · Reply

Sure seems like a lot of trouble to unlock a phone that won’t work on other carriers anyway. Something about COMPLETELY DIFFERENT AND INCOMPATIBLE RADIO TECHNOLOGY. But hey, who’s keeping score?
hotinplaya

Monday, August 6, 2007 - 10:33 am · Reply

If I was in the States, I would not have a problem with using ATT

here in Mexico, we have no idea when or if ever we would have access to an iPhone, we do not even have an iTunes store, that is required for activation
The Great Apple Fanboy Massacre

Monday, August 6, 2007 - 10:41 am · Reply

@en

That is a completely moronic comparison. If someone shells out $600 for a phone, they own it and should be able to do whatever the hell they want with it. You don’t go to jail for breaking into your own car.

However, if you want to stay with the automobile anaology, what Apple and AT&T are doing is equivalent to Ford selling you a car and then forcing you to buy your gas from Shell only. Does that sound reasonable to you?
KK

Monday, August 6, 2007 - 10:43 am · Reply

I’m quite happy to hear that someone unlocked it .. even if it is for just a matter of time..just shows that its unlockable and will be sooner or later! I am a huge fan of everything that’s Apple ..I do not have AT&T service in my country.. as is the case with many other Apple fans..so that pretty much shuts me out of all the fun.. sucks!!
ron

Monday, August 6, 2007 - 10:44 am · Reply

hotinplaya, If I was in the States, I would not have a problem with using ATT.

Come to California, everyone else does. You might get an iPhone given to you.
Really

Monday, August 6, 2007 - 10:48 am · Reply

“Something about COMPLETELY DIFFERENT AND INCOMPATIBLE RADIO TECHNOLOGY”

Uhm.. GSM is GSM babes.. once the phone is unlocked it’ll work on any GSM network seeing that its quad or tri band
The Great Apple Fanboy Massacre

Monday, August 6, 2007 - 10:50 am · Reply

@ChrissyOne

“But hey, who’s keeping score?”

Obviously you’re not. The iPhone runs on the GSM standard, just like virtually every other country in the world.

It’s called the GLOBAL System for Mobile communications for a reason, sweetie.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GSM
http://ntrg.cs.tcd.ie/undergrad/4ba2.05/group7/index.html
ChrissyOne

Monday, August 6, 2007 - 10:54 am · Reply

@ The Great Apple Fanboy Massacre

Eat me, sweetie. Virtually the rest of our country does not, yet Americans seem more obsessed with unlocking the iPhone than the proles in the old country.
ChrissyOne

Monday, August 6, 2007 - 10:59 am · Reply

To wit…
The Great Apple Fanboy Massacre

Monday, August 6, 2007 - 11:06 am · Reply

ChrissyOne:

If you took the time to actually read the article, you’ll notice that these are EUROPEAN hackers who claim to have unlocked the iPhone to work on a EUROPEAN network.