If, like myself, you have had your iPhone 4 with AT&T for some time and decided to switch to a new iPhone 5 while selling or giving away your older phone to someone else, you would need to go through the AT&T unlocking procedure that requires meeting certain conditions and submitting an unlocking request online.
The unlocking request page will ask you to fill out some required information; such as your wireless number and last four digits of your social security number. These pieces of information are needed to find and verify your account in the AT&T's customer database.
They will check if your account is in good standing (there are no overdue payments, etc.), and will generally issue an unlock within 5-7 business days. There are services like iunlock247 that help speed up this process which may be handy for those who are flying abroad and want to save on roaming charges by using a local carrier.
Things may get a bit dicey if one is trying to unlock a second-hand iPhone. The rule is: one must be the iPhone's original owner in order to qualify for an official unlock from AT&T. On the unlocking request page there is an option for Non-Customers to submit their unlocking requests with the following fine print:
After you submit your information, you'll receive a request number and a fax number. Use the fax number to send a copy of your original receipt with the request number and IMEI. In 5 to 7 business days, you'll receive an email at the email address you gave us giving the status of your request.
Not only will you need to wait 5 to 7 business days, the major problem is where to get the purchase receipt? If you were sold an iPhone on eBay, for instance, and the seller did not include the original receipt with your purchase (what are the chances?!), you may be out of luck with the AT&T's unlocking page. Your options then are to either ask the seller to get an unlock for you or go through a third party unlocking service like the one mentioned above.
Ideally, you would like to buy an already unlocked iPhone to save yourself time and hassle. So, it would be wise to run a check on the iPhone's status in the official Apple's database. One can request the seller to provide the iPhone's IMEI number in order to perform such a check before going ahead with the purchase. The IMEI report will show if the iPhone is currently locked and to which carrier as well as whether it was reported lost or stolen. FYI: AT&T won't unlock the handset if it was reported lost or stolen.
About iPhone Unlocking
While over 100,000 people endorsed the petition to the White House to allow permanent iPhone unlocks and using handsets on various networks, it seems the U.S. mobile industry remains skeptical about the decision by Obama administration to cast support for such request.
Top mobile carriers are against soft unlocks because they want to sell more devices at cheaper rates allowing users to take advantage of subsidized prices in exchange for agreeing to stick to the two-year contract. Understandable. What is counter-intuitive, in my opinion, is that, according to the industry, users should not be granted the right to get their iPhones unlocked after the contract expires. In my view, if I own an older iPhone model and would like to switch to a new one, I should be able to get a quick unlock without any hassle, so I can resell my old phone on the secondary market or give it as a gift to someone else to be used anywhere in the world.
While new iPhone 5 is sold already unlocked by some carriers like Verizon, most older iPhone versions like my iPhone 4s as well as other smartphone models (e.g. Samsung Galaxy) may require considerable effort from users to get official unlocks for.
Faster, new camera and a clever fingerprint reader. But is it enough of an upgrade?
The iPhone 5S: a phone that looks like the iPhone 5, but goes so much further under the hood. Is that going to be enough to impress the impatient masses?
We've been here before: the iPhone 'S' conundrum. The new phone comes along, taking the shell of the previous model, adds some new bits and pieces, and then claims to be an entirely new phone.
Scores in depth
Which it is, of course. But also isn't. But mostly is. It's a move that only Apple can pull off with any kind of conviction: the notion that it can take the same chassis, have a little tinker, throw in a new CPU, slightly better battery and camera, and call it an all-conquering device.
But then again, such is the clamor to know all about it, is that such a bad move? There are literally millions of people the world over who can't wait to see what the next handset from Apple will be, and there was no surprise with the iPhone 5S.
There are a few who question whether it's 'fair' to launch a phone and then append an 'S' to the same thing a year later - Apple's response would likely be that nobody is forcing you to buy the new hardware. And that's a fair point too: yes, this is a phone that bears far too many hallmarks of its predecessor. And yes, this is the third time Apple has done this.
It's also managed to try to pop it onto the market complete as one of the most expensive smartphones out there, even on 3G plans. It'll cost you $199, $299 and $399 for the 16GB, 32GB and 64GB models, respectively, on contracts in the U.S.
But if it were such a bad business move, if the market wasn't willing to accept such a thing, then Apple would have folded as a smartphone brand years ago... or at least been lagging behind the competition.
That said, times are changing in the smartphone landscape. Where before Apple was able to just create the phone it wanted, and forget the competition in the knowledge that it wasn't going to have to worry about losing consumers to a competitor, now it's been forced to realize that there are at least four decent options for a consumer to think about if they want to get a really good handset.
Apple is obviously aware of this change, be it the aluminium unibody of theHTC One, the new fight into low light cameras or the need for a strong processor as a headline to shout about, and it's addressed these needs to some degree or other on the iPhone 5S.
Be it the all new Touch ID home button (which is excellent, more on that later), the huge jump in CPU power or the fact the camera has, once again, been improved no end, the new iPhone is clearly Apple's attempt at bringing as much as it can to the party without having to re-design the whole concept all over again.
There are many that think that releasing the same design twice is cheeky, and there are others that realize that sometimes there's no need for change. It's easy to fall into the former camp, and while Apple will happily point out it's not forcing anyone to buy its phones, its acutely aware the competition is now scarily strong and it needed to bring its best to stay relevant.
So like the iPhone but not so keen on AT&T? Or maybe you want to travel over the pond to Europe and would rather not get hit with the ridiculous international roaming charges?
No problem, here is how to unlock your iPhone 3G or iPhone 3GS on firmware 3.0.
UPDATE July 31st 2009: THE NEW 3.0.1 FIRMWARE IS OUT, IF YOU HAVE THIS FIRMWARE YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO JAILBREAK YET (UNTIL WE CAN JAILBREAK 3.0.1). WHEN THAT HAPPENS, WE WILL POST AN UPDATE IN THIS POST.
2. After you have jailbroken your iPhone, goto Settings > General > Network and then turn OFF 3G and turn ON Data Roaming.
3. Goto to Settings > WiFi and then turn ON Wifi and connect to a Wifi Network that you have access to.
4. Now, Â open Cydia on the second page of the home screen.
5. If this is the first time opening Cydia, it will “reorganize” itself and automatically close. Open it back up after it is done.
6. Select Upgrade Essential when it asks about the upgrades it found and then click Install.
7. Once that is installed and Cydia closes, open it back up and click on Manage, then Sources.
8. Then click on Edit at the top right and then click Add at the top left.
9. In the URL input field that pops up, we are going to type (make sure that the 0 in “ultrasn0w” is the number zero not the letter o):
repo666.ultrasn0w.com
then click Add Source.
10. After it refreshes the Sources, click Done at the top right.
11. Then click on the UltraSn0w source at the top of the list and it will slide to the left to reveal the UltraSnow application.
12. Click on the UltraSn0w application and click Install then Confirm.
13. It will install and ask you to click Return to Cydia. Do so then click the Home button and turn off the phone.
14. Turn the phone back on, and put in any SIM card you like to test that you have an unlocked iPhone!
Optional: To get internet access for T-Mobile here in the US:
I. Goto Settings > General > Network and make sure 3G is OFF and Data Roaming is ON.
II. Goto Settings > General > Network > Cellular Data Network and in the field marked APN type one of the following (some work better for others): wap.voicestream.com internet.voicestream.com internet2.voicestream.com internet3.voicestream.com
If you don't want to unlock your iphone that way you can go to www.iunlock247.com to buy an unlock code and will get your iphone permanent unlock for life @ cheap prive
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Apple has launched its seventh generation IOS7 with all the unlocks on ATT. Since then, the company sold millions of these devices, most of which are locked to various mobile operators. So, a lot of users from all over the world are now looking for a way to unlock their iPhones safely, quickly and with Apple warranty preserved. Presented iPhone IMEI unlock method is exactly what customers need since it saves your warranty, makes it fast and easy to become free from the carrier and makes the device more valuable on the market. Besides, it is affordable.
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You may need to unlock your iphone or tablet before it will work on another carrier's network. Devices bought from AT&T may be programmed with an IMEI (Subsidy) lock that prevents it from operating with other compatible wireless services.
To unlock your device, just complete our simple online unlock request form and we'll take it from there. Business customers can request an unlock code for a business device at att.com/biz.
AT&T will provide the necessary unlock code upon request for devices requiring a code, provided AT&T has the unlock code, or can reasonably obtain it from the manufacturer, and you have met the unlocking requirements provided below. AT&T may complete your unlock request within 48 hours, but may take as long as five business days. To check the status of your request, visit Device Unlock Request Status.
Important Note
Not all tablets are delivered to you locked. Some tablets are shipped unlocked. Review your device information package to determine if you need to request an unlock code to use your device on another network.
General eligibility requirements for unlocking all AT&T wireless devices
You must meet the following requirements to unlock an AT&T wireless device:
The person requesting the unlock code must be one of the following:
A current AT&T customer
A former AT&T customer who can provide the phone number or account number for the account
Your device was designed for use on AT&T's network.
Your device must be paid for in full.
Your device wasn't reported lost or stolen.
You're allowed the following number of device unlocks:
Current customers are allowed up to five device unlocks per account, per year.
Former customers are allowed a total of five device unlocks per former account.
Additional eligibility requirements to unlock AT&T devices
In addition to the general eligibility requirements, you may need to meet additional requirements based on your Service Commitment (also known as your contract), whether you're a postpaid or prepaid customer, or if you're requesting a device unlock due to military deployment.
Please select the appropriate option below to view additional eligibility requirements to unlock your device.
