Mobile devices Toolkit
Story: Apple's iPhone exclusivity plan unravels
Unlock - are you mad
Unlocking handsets in the past has been 1 easy and 2 had no negative side effect. This is not the case with the iPhone.
Like the Sony PSP the iPhone will receive regular firmware updates via iTunes to add new features or correct bugs and issues. These firmware updates will respond badly to those that have unlocked or jailbreaked their phone. The best case would be you would be unable to use your phone until someone cracks the latest firmware which could be days, weeks or months. Worse case you phone will be permanantly damaged or "bricked". On top of this is that the software used to unlock or jailbreak your phone has no warranty and is likely illegal and breach of warranty so there is always the risk that altering your phone could break it and then mean you can't get a replacement.
For this reason it is unwise to try unlocking your iPhone.
Even if you are succesful and don't mind using a back up phone for a few weeks after each firmware update - it will just mean that the next must have phone will have no simcard reader and will just have a simcard builtin to stop you swapping out your sim.
If you can't afford to pay to play then get an N95 or something. I've seen some outrageous excuses that employees/execs have given for needing an iPhone through work and truthfully it adds nothing to your business unless your business is making iPhone apps or webpages.
David Long
Web / Multimedia Developer, London, UK
Member since: October 2006
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