Can I use an iPhone for T-Mobile?

[radhak]

Yesterday my brother handed me his 'older' iPhone because he has upgraded to the latest and greatest. I have always like the iPhone but not their cost of service from AT&T. I am wondering if I could unlock this phone and use it as any other with my present service from T-Mobile.

Google does throw up a bunch of commercial sites that claim to 'jail-break' iPhones. Before I shell out any money, wanted to know if anybody has any experience or opinion on them - do they work? And does it wipe out existing data and apps on the iPhone? The settings page tells me the version is 4.1, so I guess that is the OS version? What else do I need to know before I can unlock it?

I wonder if AT&T would unlock this phone if asked nicely.

[woodturner]

Google does throw up a bunch of commercial sites that claim to 'jail-break' iPhones.

There are plenty of free sites that explain how to "jail break" an iphone. Jail breaking allows you to load applications that are not "Apple approved".

It appears that what you want is a sim-unlocked iphone, rather than a jail broken iphone. Sim-unlocking will allow the phone to use any sim card, which should allow it's use on the tmobile network, at least in theory. Again, there are free or pay sites that will do this for you or explain how to do it. Most vendors will unlock their phones - IF you have an active account with them and have been a customer for some period of time. If there is no active account for the phone, though, they usually will not unlock it.

[Cochese]

There's a couple of terms here:

Jailbreaking - running programs and software that Apple does not approve of.

Unlocking - using a phone on a network that it wasn't originally assigned to.

Both are legal.

Your software is 4.1, but there's a more important number you'd have to find out, your baseband. This would determine if you'd be able to unlock the phone. A much simpler solution would be for your brother to get AT&T to unlock the phone for him, most carriers will do this after so many months - his explanation could be as simple as he wants to go overseas or he wants to sell it. But if you want to do it yourself, you do so at your own risk. I or someone else could walk you through it if needed.

As for AT&T and T-Mobile compatibility, they really aren't for data. Your voice will work fine, but you'll be limited to EDGE connectivity (the slowest) for any data, if you chose to sign up for a data plan. The 3G frequencies are incompatible.

To use the phone you'll have to get iTunes if you haven't already, and set the phone up as new - meaning you'll lose all the apps he put on, because those would be registered to his iTunes account. You will most likely be forced to upgrade to the latest firmware and baseband to do this, so the first thing you would have to do is jailbreak, and load a custom IPSW.

This site would be a good starting point: http://www.9to5mac.com/65753/ios-4-3...now-available/

Reputable jailbreaking/unlocking sources/searches - Dev Team, ultrasn0w, redsn0w, limera1n. Limera1n was the easiest, but it's been awhile since I jailbroke mine.

[leehljp]

I do not know the technicalities but I did watch two fellows do this. I had two friends for our organization visit me in Japan, one from Brazil 18 months ago and one from Thailand about a year ago. Both brought their iPhones. I took them to Softbank, they purchased Japan sim cards and pay as you go plan, installed them in their iPhones and with a couple of minutes instruction were on their way. Worked fine. When they went home, they re-installed their original sim card. I don't know if they had to do anything to "re-lock" it or not.

But it worked for both.

[radhak]

Thanks, all - that's a lot of info I did not know - I only want unlocked, not jail-broken, but I think one is needed for the other, right?

My real need is to use it as a phone; and since my brother continues to have the AT&T account, he might be able to get it unlocked for me. I'll ask him to make the call - T-mobile and Cingular did it for me, so maybe AT&T will, too.

[Cubsfan]

Sadly, AT&T won't unlock an iPhone.