Unlock

How AT&T unlocked my under-contract iPhone 4S in two days

Sébastien Page ∙ September 11, 2012

Last week we reported that AT&T was reportedly starting to unlock iPhones that were still under contract. Though they had been a few reports of this, we hadn't been able to verify the information ourselves.

I decided to take the matter in my own hands and submitted a request to unlock my under-contract iPhone 4S via AT&T's handy online form. I was a bit doubtful because I had previously asked AT&T if they could unlock this device for me, and at the time, they kindly declined, saying that they couldn't because I was still under contract.

A couple days after filling out the request form, I received the following confirmation email from AT&T...

AT&T reportedly unlocking under-contract iPhones

Cody Lee ∙ September 7, 2012

Earlier this year, AT&T started unlocking iPhones for subscribers that were out of contract. Prior to that, users had to be jailbroken, or utilize third-party services to unlock their handsets.

Well, good news for folks with AT&T iPhones that aren't quite out of contract yet. According to a new report, the carrier has started unlocking iPhones that are still under commitment...

T-Mobile to reportedly install unlocked iPhone displays in stores

Cody Lee ∙ September 4, 2012

By all accounts, T-Mobile isn't getting the iPhone this year. The carrier will once again be put on the sidelines this month as the other three major US operators prepare for Apple's massive handset launch.

But that hasn't kept T-Mobile from trying to get in on the action. Yesterday, it started distributing iPhone-friendly nano SIM kits to retailers. And according to a new report, it's also prepping in-store iPhone displays...

T-Mobile preparing “Bring your iPhone to T-Mobile” campaign

Cody Lee ∙ August 28, 2012

It's starting to look more and more likely that T-Mobile will once again not be receiving an iPhone nod from Apple this year, making it the last major carrier in the US without the handset.

But it's not going to take this lying down. Recently-leaked flyers show that the carrier is about to launch a "Bring Your iPhone to T-Mobile" campaign, with an emphasis on plan price."

How I factory unlocked my iPhone 4S in 10 minutes

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated January 25, 2016

Recently, I've been interested in factory unlocking my still on-contract iPhone 4S. I'd heard of various services over the past few months, but never really investigated them until recently.

After asking around on Twitter, I stumbled upon Cellular Medic — one of many services available online that claims to be able to factory unlock the iPhone for a fee.

I was pleasantly surprised that the entire unlock process took a mere 10 minutes. I went from an iPhone 4S locked to AT&T, to a permanently unlocked iPhone 4S that's usable on virtually any GSM carrier. Take a look inside for a video walkthrough documenting the experience...

T-Mobile to start offering 4G micro SIM kits for unlocked iPhones

Cody Lee ∙ August 27, 2012

Last week, T-Mobile announced that it was going to begin offering truly unlimited data plans on September 5th. It says the plans will work in conjunction with 4G data speeds, and promises that users will never be throttled.

Well, good news today for current or potential iPhone customers on the network. According to a new report, the carrier is about to start offering 4G micro SIM kits, compatible with its unlimited plans, for unlocked iPhone users...

Parts vendor offering new permanent unlock service for AT&T iPhones

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 25, 2016

Apple N Berry is an online parts vendor that also deals in iPhone unlock solutions. We actually point to the store quite often when mentioning GEVEY Ultra products — they usually have them.

But now it's offering something much different than interposers. The vendor has just launched a new IMEI unlock service that, it promises, will permanently unlock all AT&T iPhone models...

T-Mobile confirms network upgrade won’t affect legacy data plans

Cody Lee ∙ June 28, 2012

Over the past few months, T-Mobile has been touting its plans to upgrade its wireless network to be more friendly with Apple's smartphone. Despite not being an official partner, the carrier sees a lot of business from unlocked iPhone users.

The upgrade, which allows iPhone users to enjoy 3G data speeds, has already started rolling out to a handful of areas. So that has some T-Mobile subscribers wondering, will they get to keep their old data plans on the new, faster network?

Watch MuscleNerd talk about the evolution of the iPhone baseband at HITB

Cody Lee ∙ June 17, 2012

With the release of the highly-anticipated 06.15 baseband downgrade likely just around the corner, we figured this would be a great time to show off this video.

The clip is of Dev Team's MuscleNerd explaining the evolution of the iPhone baseband, and corresponding unlocks, at this year's Hack In The Box conference...

T-Mobile continues iPhone push, offers free support to unlockers

Cody Lee ∙ June 13, 2012

T-Mobile may be the only major carrier in the U.S. that doesn't officially offer the iPhone, but you wouldn't know that by watching its PR departement. The company continues to find its way into Apple news.

Earlier this year, the operator announced that it was going to be launching an iPhone-friendly network by the end of 2012. Last week it confirmed it would be showing off that network at WWDC. And now...

MuscleNerd says “all pieces are there” for 06.15 baseband downgrade

Cody Lee ∙ June 10, 2012

Last year, the Dev Team announced that iPhone 3G/3GS owners unlocked on baseband 06.15.00 would likely be stuck there forever, leaving them to deal with GPS bugs and other issues.

But that may not be the case, as it appears that hackers have been working on a fix. Unlocking expert MuscleNerd has just announced that a baseband downgrade is on the horizon...

T-Mobile confirms it will be offering iPhone-friendly 4G service at WWDC

Cody Lee ∙ June 7, 2012

So this is pretty interesting: earlier today we passed along a report that [unlocked] iPhone users have recently started seeing 3G data on T-Mobile's network around the Moscone Center in San Francisco. This is where Apple will host WWDC next week.

This isn't typical for T-Mobile iPhone users, as technology conflicts between the carrier and the handest usually force them to 2G data (which is why T-Mobile still isn't an official iPhone partner). So we figured something must be up...