iPhone unlocked once again

 

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By Matthew Sparkes

Posted on 11 Oct 2007 at 10:18

iPhone owners who found their handsets turned into 'iBricks' after Apple's latest firmware update have a new tool at their disposal to restore them to working order. A new version of SimFree, v1.6, allows users to unlock their iPhones once again for use on any network.

"We are very proud to announce, (after some very difficult and lengthy hardware hackery), we were able to retrieve the necessary info to create the world first 1.1.1 unlock solution," says a notice on the SimFree website.

The release comes just two weeks after Apple released version 1.1.1 of the iPhone firmware, which crippled any devices that had been unlocked. Apple forbids unlocking in the terms and conditions of the device, but many feel that the move is unjustified. One group in the US has even started legal proceedings against the company.

The new tool builds on work done by hacker group, iPhone Dev Team, and will unlock disabled phones, as well as previously untouched, new phones.

Many users in the US have been unlocking phones in order to use the handsets on different networks, and any iPhone users in the UK will either have an unlocked phone, or be using expensive international roaming.

Of course, those in the UK still waiting to get an iPhone need only wait until the 9 November to avoid this cat-and-mouse game between Apple and the hardware hacking community.

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