“A Brazilian company is claiming to be the first to have found a way to unlock Apple’s new iPhone 3G, getting around restrictions that require users to sign up for calling plans with exclusive carriers, reports said Tuesday,” AFP reports.

“The firm, DesbloqueioBr, hacked the phone by altering its firmware and by adding a special card add-on to the SIM chip,” AFP reports. “The results allow iPhone users to connect to any carrier.”

“DesbloqueioBr plans to charge between 250 and 375 dollars to unlock an iPhone, which itself costs around 200 dollars in its basic eight-gigabyte version — but only with the subsidy offered by signing on to the exclusive carrier,” AFP reports.

“There are some [more] problems with the Brazilian fix,” AFP reports. “One of the company’s partners, Breno MacMasi, admitted that the quality of the connection for the phone can vary, Folha Online reported. Apple can also wipe out the hack with a software update.

“But MacMasi predicted that there would always be ways to circumvent the locks,” AFP reports. “‘Apple has made some big mistakes, so it’s certain that we will be able to come up with another hack. It’s going to be a game of cat-and-mouse,’ he said.”

Full article here.

[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader "Willie F." for the heads up.]