Unlocking

T-Mobile has a strange relationship with Apple. They're the only major U.S. carrier who doesn't officially carry the iPhone, but they're very proud that over one million T-Mobile subscribers are iPhone users. T-Mobile has even went as far as to offer free iPhone micro SIM cards, and are working on building a "iPhone compatible" network. Now they're offering free iPhone support to their subscribers.

T-Mobile recently launched an iPhone support webpage to teach users how to optimize their iPhones. An iDownloadblog reader received an email announcing the new service:

"FREE T-Mobile Msg: Help speed up your iPhone. Free up memory to keep it running at its best. Learn how: m.t-mobilescoop.com/memory/iphone”

While iOS 5.1.1 may have thrown jailbreakers a curveball, unlockers using the GEVEY Ultra S GSM with their GSM iPhone 4S will be happy to know it's safe to upgrade. According to online retailer ApplenBerry's Twitter feed, the GEVEY Ultra S GSM is compatible with iOS 5.1.1.

CDMA iPhone 4S or 4 models need to be jailbroken to use the Ultra 5.1 SIM interposer. There is no jailbreak for iOS 5.1.1 currently, but the GEVEY Ultra S does support iOS 4.1 and later (through 5.1). iPhone owners should not update to iOS 5.1.1 if they would like to keep their devices jailbroken.

AT&T has started to unlock iPhones for customers who have completed their contract obligations. The process is as simple as contacting AT&T customer support and requesting the unlock on your device. Of course, your account must be in good standing (ie. paid up to date) for AT&T to provide the service.

Once your iPhone is unlocked, you are free to install any replacement micro-SIM card from another compatible GSM carrier. This means you can use your iPhone overseas or with another US carrier such as T-Mobile without resorting to any workarounds or jailbreak unlocking methods.

Beginning Sunday, April 8, qualifying customers will be able to request a carrier unlock from AT&T. iPhone users who wish to unlock their iPhones must have their AT&T accounts in order, and not be associated with a current and active term commitment with the carrier.

Unlocked iPhones allow users to replace AT&T's micro-SIM with other compatible network cards. This is a great option for people who frequently travel, and would like to use international or other local carriers. An AT&T spokeswoman confirmed the news with Engadget. Read on for their official statement.

T-Mobile Chief Technology Officer Neville Ray announced that the carrier will "be compatible with a broader range of devices, including the iPhone" sometime next year. This means T-Mobile iPhone users will finally be able to enjoy 3G HSPA+ speeds once the company deploys its 4G network in 2013. This is very good news for the one million T-Mobile customers who are stuck accessing the carrier's slower EDGE network with unlocked iOS devices.

Chief Executive Officer and President Philipp Humm said he wants T-Mobile to be known for “4G services, 4G devices and a great 4G network," but added that the carrier is not interested in offering the iPhone until the "right terms” come along. U.S. Cellular also turned down the iPhone 4S in 2011 due to "Apple's unacceptable terms of business."

A newly discovered Apple patent filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office outlines a new method for iPhone users to determine carrier rankings.

The filing, submitted in April of last year, and discovered by Apple Insider this week, would allow iPhone owners to search for competing carriers and service plans directly on their phones. In 2010, Apple was rumored to be working on an embedded SIM iPhone service that would allow users to shop for a plan on their device, instead of dealing directly with the carriers. This angered European carriers who threatened to cut subsidies if Apple went ahead with their plan.

Apple is now offering unlocked iPhone 4 models in the Apple Store. "Unlocked" means you can use AT&T or T-Mobile's network in the US without having to sign a two--year contract with either carrier. Unlocked doesn't mean "jailbroken," you still have to buy apps and receive software updates through Apple via iTunes. Another catch is that the unlocked iPhone doesn't support T-Mobile 3G download speeds and won’t operate on Verizon or Sprint at all.

To be clear, the iPhone will "work" on the T-Mobile network, meaning it can be used. However, you'll be stuck on the slower EDGE network, which most individuals will find practically unbearable. When given the option of a brand-new Android smartphone on T-Mobile's 3G and 4G network, you'd be hard pressed to find a compelling reason to use an unlocked iPhone on EDGE, regardless of how much we all love the iPhone.

iPhone Dev-Team has packaged the jailbreak solution released by Chronic Dev Team along with some extra features into Pwnage Tool 4.2. This latest incarnation of Pwnage Tool provides an untethered jailbreak on Mac OS X for all recent iOS devices running firmware 4.2.1 and the Verizon iPhone running 4.2.6.

One key advantage of using the Pwnage Tool will appeal to unlockers, as these individuals can safely restore to a custom 4.2.1 IPSW while keeping their current baseband and unlock. Two problems that were reported with the GreenPois0n jailbreak have also been fixed, including iBooks not opening as well as Wi-Fi issues on the Apple TV 2.

A new utility has been developed by iH8Sn0w for users interested in figuring out whether they can jailbreak or unlock their iPhone or iPod Touch. F0recast will check your device using the USB connection and examine the baseband and bootloader versions.

Jailbreaking and downgrading have become more complex as different versions of hardware and software are constantly released by Apple. F0recast will tell you if your iPhone is unlockable, if you can downgrade your software, and if your specific model requires a tethered jailbreak.

Here we go again. With Apple's release of iPhone OS 3.1 the iPhone Dev-Team has been busy getting jailbreak and unlock solutions ready. The first of these software packages is Pwnage Tool 3.1 for Mac OS X.

The current version is available directly from the iPhone Dev-Team and supports the first generation iPhone and the iPhone 3G. The Dev-Team is still working on software for Windows and the iPhone 3GS.