Quote: (01-28-2012 10:54 AM)rinestone Wrote:
you can unlock an iphone4 but it's a bit of a nuisance. Took it to a place north of chapinero in bogota and they did it. The catch is that every once in awhile you have to reset it by jumping rough a bunch of hoops like turning it off and in, airplane mode, dial 112, etc. also you can't update the latest iPhone software. In the end, I think I'd rather just buy one down here at the added expense
Let me make clear some points as I am an iPhone techie/junkie.
If you plan on traveling the world, you can now buy a factory unlocked iPhone 4S for about $700USD (16GB) directly from apple.com or visit any apple retail store. If you do this, you NEVER have to worry about software updates that lock your phone ever again, and can travel the world worry free, just make sure you carry a sim card cutter with you (amazon). You also do not have a signed contract with AT&T, and can leave anytime if you think the grass is greener at T-Mobile (it's not!)!
The iPhone 4 however, is a completely different story. There is only 1 unlockable baseband (you bought it locked) on the iPhone 4, that baseband is 1.59.00 found on the very first releases of the iPhone 4. Apple does not sell unlocked versions of the iPhone 4.
You can run the latest firmware 5.0.1, but your baseband aka "Modem Firmware" MUST be 1.59.00 on the iPhone 4 to be able to unlock it. Keep in mind that if you intend to run iOS5 on your iPhone 4, you must use a custom ipsw (iPhone software update) made through REDSNOW (redsnow.com) THESE 1.59.00 baseband iPhone 4 devices ARE EXTREMELY HARD TO COME BY, AND CAN GO FOR 500USD on amazon if you find one.
Bottom Line: There are other "jumping through hoops" methods named above, but my time abroad is precious, and I don't want to spend my day searching fro a magical sim card or questionable codes to
temporarily unlock my iPhone, or worse, have it brick on me in the middle of a text or booty call, which you also risk by doing the method described in Post No. 9.
If everything I have written here is TOO TECHIE/GEEKY FOR YOU, DO NOT FUCK WITH YOUR IPHONE, YOU WILL BRICK IT!!!
BUY THE UNLOCKED IPHONE 4S if you want to use your iPhone in any country with GSM operators. Your time is more precious than saving a couple of hundred dollars on a locked one.
Mixx