[Ask] AT&T iphone now can be factory unlocked ?

[zkid86]

i bought an iphone 4 from AT&T and now im travelling to Europe so how can i buy unlock code to use my iphone in Europe?thank you.

[dwill05]

You can't.  US iPhones are locked to AT&T and will not be unlocked by either Apple or AT&T.  It doesn't matter if you bought it with a contract or not, it still won't be unlocked.

[johninsj ACE - Wizard]

When you look on the back of the box of your iPhone4, it says

"Service required with AT&T network for cellular network capabilities"

If you got an iPhone that was unlockable, it would not say that. This is the difference between an Unlocked iPhone and a No-Contract iPhone. You bought the latter, which is the only kind of GSM iPhone sold in the USA without a contract.

You'll just have to roam in Europe, or buy yourself a cheap world phone to use with local sims until you return.

[sandblaster]

...and of course you do not have to unlock it to use it while in Europe.  If you already have ATT service, just make sure international roaming is enabled.

[TerraPhantm]

There are some companies who somehow gained the ability to add IMEI's to Apple's database or something, and these iphones are being "officially" unlocked in the sense that they're being unlocked through iTunes without the need to hack the phone or anything like that. It's expensive though, and all of these companies seem to be backordered. Some people have also reported success in getting European carriers to unlock AT&T iphones by simply giving them the IMEI.

[johninsj ACE - Wizard]

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TerraPhantm wrote:

There are some companies who somehow gained the ability to add IMEI's to Apple's database or something, and these iphones are being "officially" unlocked in the sense that they're being unlocked through iTunes without the need to hack the phone or anything like that. It's expensive though, and all of these companies seem to be backordered. Some people have also reported success in getting European carriers to unlock AT&T iphones by simply giving them the IMEI.

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Unlikely those are sanctioned or offical or anything more than a way to get $175 off of you. I'd stay far far away from those.

[browski]

these threads seem to pop up with greater frequency these days. a simple search would show a list of people asking the same question and people giving the same answer. the only way to unlock an iphone is after a jailbreak. it is possible and the instructions can easily be found with google.

[HPLouis]

I unlocked both of my phones through one of those places and it worked.

Get a reputable place.  The place I went through guaranteed that if my phone ever gets locked, I get my money back.

[wingrider01 ACE - Geek]

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HPLouis wrote:

I unlocked both of my phones through one of those places and it worked.

Get a reputable place.  The place I went through guaranteed that if my phone ever gets locked, I get my money back.

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then expect teh money back - the next time a OS upgrade occurs the phone will be relocked.

[HPLouis]

I'm prepared for that.  That's why I downloaded and saved all of the information from the vendor about his guarantees.  That is also why I went for the larger company instead of the smaller ones.  If the phone gets locked, I'll request my money back.

[johninsj ACE - Wizard]

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HPLouis wrote:

I unlocked both of my phones through one of those places and it worked.

Get a reputable place.  The place I went through guaranteed that if my phone ever gets locked, I get my money back.

---

Assuming they're still around, and honor it, sure.

The message is clear from AT&T and Apple: an unlock of an AT&T/US GSM iPhone is not available, and using any method to do so voids the warranty.

[HPLouis]

AT&T does not warranty the iPhone and the warranty is only voided for unauthorized software unlocks (jailbreaking, Cydia, Ultrasn0w etc.).  Nobody knows if this iTunes method of unlock will void the warranty.  The phone or its software is not modified in any way.  The IMEI is added to Apple's database and it's unlocked.

Also, you can unlock a US iPhone if you go overseas.  One of my coworkers did it when he travelled.  O2 unlocked his phone when he bought a SIM from them to use in his iPhone.

https://www.o2.co.uk/apps/help/help?qid=1&q1=2&route=unlocking

[johninsj ACE - Wizard]

Well, that's news to me, and to Apple, and to AT&T.

[wingrider01 ACE - Geek]

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HPLouis wrote:

AT&T does not warranty the iPhone and the warranty is only voided for unauthorized software unlocks (jailbreaking, Cydia, Ultrasn0w etc.).  Nobody knows if this iTunes method of unlock will void the warranty.  The phone or its software is not modified in any way.  The IMEI is added to Apple's database and it's unlocked.

Also, you can unlock a US iPhone if you go overseas.  One of my coworkers did it when he travelled.  O2 unlocked his phone when he bought a SIM from them to use in his iPhone.

https://www.o2.co.uk/apps/help/help?qid=1&q1=2&route=unlocking

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sorry do not beleive that O2 unlocked an ATT purchased iphone, there have bene to many posts about not being able to unlock a ATT supplied iphone. That would be a viiolation of the TOS of O2's contracvt with Apple for the phones. If this where true then there would not be thousands of threads complaining about not being able to unlock a ATT or Verizon Iphone

[HPLouis]

Check over at ModMyI and there's someone else that had their AT&T phone unlocked by O2.

Just because there's something in a TOS doesn't mean that people always follow them. As we all know, rules get broken all the time.

[HPLouis]

If my phones get locked by Apple, I'll gladly request a refund and post back here to eat a large helping of humble pie. As you can see there are many people that have unlocked their phones with companies like Negri Electronics and they're doing fine. Also, Negri offers a money back guarantee. You can't beat that if you're desperate for an unlock.

[johninsj ACE - Wizard]

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HPLouis wrote:
Check over at ModMyI and there's someone else that had their AT&T phone unlocked by O2.

Just because there's something in a TOS doesn't mean that people always follow them. As we all know, rules get broken all the time.

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Not by carriers, no.

[HPLouis]

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johninsj wrote:

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HPLouis wrote:
Check over at ModMyI and there's someone else that had their AT&T phone unlocked by O2.

Just because there's something in a TOS doesn't mean that people always follow them. As we all know, rules get broken all the time.

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Not by carriers, no.

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I beg to differ but I respect where you're coming from.  I know that there's alot of black and white but I also know there's alot of grey too and I like to search out for and find the grey. I'll give you an example.  On another thread, right in this forum,  I was told that you can't have the A-List on a 700 minute family plan.  When I said it wa possible, I was told no it's not possible.  Then I posted a screenshot of my plan showing a 700 minute family plan, free A-List and free 200 bonus minutes for life.

Before i posted that screenshot, I was told it was impossible.  I then showed proof that it was possible and I still have that plan.  Like I said, I know a person that, during his vacation, had his ATT locked iPhone unlocked by O2.  He was in the UK and they did it for him right in the store.  Right or wrong, it was done.  Same as the person over at MMI.  He also had his phone unlocked by O2.

Now, as much as I like to look for grey, I also crash and burn too.  I am ready to accept the fact that Apple could find out that I got my phone unlocked through iTunes and a third party and relock my phone, void my warranty, or even blacklist my phone.  If that happens, I'll be the first one on here to tell people not to do it because I don't want anyone to go through what I went through.

We'll see what happens.  I'll keep everyone updated.  Right now, I'm unlocked through iTunes, just like a factory unlock.  I got the Congratulations, your phone is unlocked message through iTunes and everything.  This isn't Ultrasn0w or BlackRa1n.  I'm on 4.2.1 and I'll be updating my firmware sometime this week when I can get to my laptop.  Hopefully my phone doesn't relock itself.  I'll keep you all updated.

Henry

[TerraPhantm]

Would it be officially sanctioned by the carrier? No. But who's to say a low-level employee wouldn't do it? Especially if there aren't any security measures in place that verify the origin of the IMEI (which apparently there aren't).

I'm not going to pay $175 since I don't actually need the unlock... But if I were traveling internationally and didn't have an iPhone with a vulnerable baseband, I definitely would give these "unofficially official" unlocks a try since the cost would basically be offset by the increase in resale value

[HPLouis]

I think Apple's going to catch onto this (if they haven't already) and patch this up.  What I'm thinking is that it's a low level employee or it's a rogue carrier (or group of them) that is inputting these IMEI's in the system. 

That's the reason why I wanted to money back guarantee and why I went with a bigger company instead of the smaller internet companies.  I'm hoping that Apple will just tighten their security measures and stop future IMEIs from getting whitelisted. 

What I'm worried about them doing is tightening the security measures and then fiding all of the IMEI's that were whitelisted and delete them from the database.  That wouldn't be too hard to do.

That's why I also kept my 1.59.00 baseband on both of my phones.  That's my backup for the worst case scenario.

[wingrider01 ACE - Geek]

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TerraPhantm wrote:
Would it be officially sanctioned by the carrier? No. But who's to say a low-level employee wouldn't do it? Especially if there aren't any security measures in place that verify the origin of the IMEI (which apparently there aren't).

I'm not going to pay $175 since I don't actually need the unlock... But if I were traveling internationally and didn't have an iPhone with a vulnerable baseband, I definitely would give these "unofficially official" unlocks a try since the cost would basically be offset by the increase in resale value

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Apple will catch on also - really simple for them to mass lock the phones through itunes... Hopefully they will prosecute the ones that are doing it also

[TerraPhantm]

Why would you *want* Apple to proseute people for doing thing that only helps consumers? I'm sure they'll do it, but generally anti-competitive practices are not in the best interest of consumers, so it's not really something you should be hoping for... unless perhaps you invested in AT&T's stock. I'm just hoping all of this leads to at&t offering official unlocks.. At the very least, if we buy the iphone without accepting a subsidy, it should just come unlocked (much like the ipad).

And yes it is fairly simple for them to mass lock the phones through itunes (I'm surprised they haven't already to be honest), but it's fairly easy to "backup" the unlocked state so that your phone remains unlocked even if Apple revokes the cert. At $175 it's not really worth the risk. If it were $50-75, I would've bought one for all 3 of my iphone 4s.

[wingrider01 ACE - Geek]

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TerraPhantm wrote:

Why would you *want* Apple to proseute people for doing thing that only helps consumers? I'm sure they'll do it, but generally anti-competitive practices are not in the best interest of consumers, so it's not really something you should be hoping for... unless perhaps you invested in AT&T's stock. I'm just hoping all of this leads to at&t offering official unlocks.. At the very least, if we buy the iphone without accepting a subsidy, it should just come unlocked (much like the ipad).

And yes it is fairly simple for them to mass lock the phones through itunes (I'm surprised they haven't already to be honest), but it's fairly easy to "backup" the unlocked state so that your phone remains unlocked even if Apple revokes the cert. At $175 it's not really worth the risk. If it were $50-75, I would've bought one for all 3 of my iphone 4s.

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if you have to ask you don;t understand...

The sale terms for the att iphone is not to be factory unlocked, att is already stepping up to the plate and cracking down on those that are tethering without paying for it, hopefully this will be the next step in line.

[johninsj ACE - Wizard]

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TerraPhantm wrote:

Why would you *want* Apple to proseute people for doing thing that only helps consumers?

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There is only 1 US GSM carrier for the iPhone. There are iPhones available for other markets, or sold carrier unlocked, in other regions.

Trying to get a US iPhone for less money, and then unlocking it, essentially raises the cost for all other iPhone purchasers. So, I would prefer not to subsidise others when I buy my phones.

[tonester]

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wingrider01 wrote:

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TerraPhantm wrote:

Why would you *want* Apple to proseute people for doing thing that only helps consumers? I'm sure they'll do it, but generally anti-competitive practices are not in the best interest of consumers, so it's not really something you should be hoping for... unless perhaps you invested in AT&T's stock. I'm just hoping all of this leads to at&t offering official unlocks.. At the very least, if we buy the iphone without accepting a subsidy, it should just come unlocked (much like the ipad).

And yes it is fairly simple for them to mass lock the phones through itunes (I'm surprised they haven't already to be honest), but it's fairly easy to "backup" the unlocked state so that your phone remains unlocked even if Apple revokes the cert. At $175 it's not really worth the risk. If it were $50-75, I would've bought one for all 3 of my iphone 4s.

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if you have to ask you don;t understand...

The sale terms for the att iphone is not to be factory unlocked, att is already stepping up to the plate and cracking down on those that are tethering without paying for it, hopefully this will be the next step in line.

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And how do you propose that AT&T might do that (crack down on folks unlocking subsidized AT&T iPhones)?  And do you think that such a crackdown apply even to those who pay the non-subsidized price or have completed their 2-year commitment?  With tethering, AT&T is simply telling the user to either stop tethering period or else they will add the tethering plan to your account automatically...but with unlocking--is AT&T gonna tell you to relock your phone or else...what?  Are they gonna terminate your service?   For what?  It's not as if you stole any services offered by AT&T upon performing the simple act of unlocking your phone...

Also--why should it be a concern/deal if someone unlocks an AT&T-locked iPhone, as long as they either fulfill their 2-year commitment or pay the ETF?  I mean, how exactly would I be subsidizing other iPhone users (I know you didn't say that part) if I unlock my iPhone (not saying that I would actually do so), yet still pay my monthly bill for the entirety of my commitment?  Isn't that why AT&T offers subsidized pricing on the iPhone--namely because they expect to recoup most--if not all--of the costs of selling the phone hardware via service commitment?

Seriously...why do some of you folks even care that certain others choose to unlock their AT&T subsidized iPhones, to the point that you hope that AT&T NEVER EVER decides to officially unlock them--past, present, and future?  Sorry, the "I don't want to subsidize others" argument doesn't fly, as it applies to (unofficial) unlocking...especially if said "others" are otherwise fulfilling their contract (or pay the ETF).

[johninsj ACE - Wizard]

If you know the terms of the sale, but don't agree with them, why do you buy the product?

[browski]

we buy the product because we want the phone. i didn't buy an iphone because i loved at&t and i wanted to support them. they were the only carrier that offered the phone at the time and i had no other choice. now they have me because i am grandfathered in to the unlimited plan.

but i digress. the point here, as it usually is in these threads is consumers want freedom over something they have purchased. this is not an unreasonable request. but many of you jump to the defense of at&t to the point that some might wonder if you are receiving compensation for the fervor with which you defend them. i understand the terms of service and all that jazz, but once you have fulfilled your contract and you decide to go with another provider, you are left with a perfectly good phone that is reduced to a music player. the only reason this argument hasn't caused more of an uproar is because the iphone does have a useful life other than a phone and i can only assume people are happy with using it as an ipod. that or they reach the point of frustration where jailbreaking and unlocking becomes the only option.

i will echo another claim in this thread, at&t employees have a good bit of freedom to alter contracts and terms of service as they see fit. what i was told could not be done regarding adding a line and switching the numbers can in fact be done in a matter of seconds. all a person must do is find an at&t employee willing to do it.

[wingrider01 ACE - Geek]

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browski wrote:

we buy the product because we want the phone. i didn't buy an iphone because i loved at&t and i wanted to support them. they were the only carrier that offered the phone at the time and i had no other choice. now they have me because i am grandfathered in to the unlimited plan.

but i digress. the point here, as it usually is in these threads is consumers want freedom over something they have purchased. this is not an unreasonable request. but many of you jump to the defense of at&t to the point that some might wonder if you are receiving compensation for the fervor with which you defend them. i understand the terms of service and all that jazz, but once you have fulfilled your contract and you decide to go with another provider, you are left with a perfectly good phone that is reduced to a music player. the only reason this argument hasn't caused more of an uproar is because the iphone does have a useful life other than a phone and i can only assume people are happy with using it as an ipod. that or they reach the point of frustration where jailbreaking and unlocking becomes the only option.

i will echo another claim in this thread, at&t employees have a good bit of freedom to alter contracts and terms of service as they see fit. what i was told could not be done regarding adding a line and switching the numbers can in fact be done in a matter of seconds. all a person must do is find an at&t employee willing to do it.

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you agreed to teh carrier terms, subsidized, unsubsidized payed full price, the terms are stated

Stated on the back of the box

"Iphone maybe configured to work only with a single provider" in this case single provider is ATT, unlocking is at the option of the carrier - and att / verizon do not unlock

[HPLouis]

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wingrider01 wrote:

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browski wrote:

we buy the product because we want the phone. i didn't buy an iphone because i loved at&t and i wanted to support them. they were the only carrier that offered the phone at the time and i had no other choice. now they have me because i am grandfathered in to the unlimited plan.

but i digress. the point here, as it usually is in these threads is consumers want freedom over something they have purchased. this is not an unreasonable request. but many of you jump to the defense of at&t to the point that some might wonder if you are receiving compensation for the fervor with which you defend them. i understand the terms of service and all that jazz, but once you have fulfilled your contract and you decide to go with another provider, you are left with a perfectly good phone that is reduced to a music player. the only reason this argument hasn't caused more of an uproar is because the iphone does have a useful life other than a phone and i can only assume people are happy with using it as an ipod. that or they reach the point of frustration where jailbreaking and unlocking becomes the only option.

i will echo another claim in this thread, at&t employees have a good bit of freedom to alter contracts and terms of service as they see fit. what i was told could not be done regarding adding a line and switching the numbers can in fact be done in a matter of seconds. all a person must do is find an at&t employee willing to do it.

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you agreed to teh carrier terms, subsidized, unsubsidized payed full price, the terms are stated

Stated on the back of the box

"Iphone maybe configured to work only with a single provider" in this case single provider is ATT, unlocking is at the option of the carrier - and att / verizon do not unlock

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Just because you agreed to the carrier's terms, doesn't mean that there isn't a way out.  What if you complete your contract?  What if you pay your ETF?  The T's & C's are not indefinite.

In a way, I kind of see what the other poster is saying.  It seems like the people on this board are ready to stand up and fight for at&t like they're in the military.  

[dwill05]

True, if you complete your contract or pay the EFT, and leave AT&T you are not bound by the T&C.  But people make the incorrect assumption that once you decide to leave AT&T that AT&T or Apple is obligated to unlock the phone for you.  They are not.  They can't stop you from unlocking the phone and leaving to use it on another network.  That's your right.  But, they don't have to help you unlock the phone.  That's their right.

It's not a matter of fighting for AT&T or believing what's "right".  It's just telling what the situation is, and endless arguements about freedom, rights, and legality don't change that.  It hasn't in the nearly 4 years the iPhone has existed.  It just gets old.