Unlocking an iPhone

MikePA · ‎03-25-2003

Just curious, is it possible to get an iPhone4 unlocked? The reason I ask is a friend of mine may be relocating to Europe and currently has an iPhone4 and wants to keep the phone but needs to switch to a European carrier.

WRIGHTRACING · ‎08-19-2010

Have you tried searching eBay yet? They usually have all the unlock codes. IDK if they have them for other carriers overseas, but I know they generally have them for all other carriers

wingrider01 · ‎05-26-2008

MikePA wrote:
Just curious, is it possible to get an iPhone4 unlocked? The reason I ask is a friend of mine may be relocating to Europe and currently has an iPhone4 and wants to keep the phone but needs to switch to a European carrier.

Not in the US, neither ATT or Apple will unlock any legimately sold Iphone in the US. All legitimately sold US phones are locked to ATT

MikePA · ‎03-25-2003

wingrider01 wrote:
Not in the US, neither ATT or Apple will unlock any legimately sold Iphone in the US. All legitimately sold US phones are locked to ATT

Just to be clear, if I buy an iPhone in the US, then move to Europe my iPhone becomes a paperweight?

Virtual · ‎04-15-2010

MikePA wrote:
Just to be clear, if I buy an iPhone in the US, then move to Europe my iPhone becomes a paperweight?

Exactly!

If you want to use an iPhone in Europe, it's better to buy one there.

I am an AT&T employee and the postings on this site are my own and don’t necessarily represent AT&T’s positions, strategies or opinions.

MikePA · ‎03-25-2003

Virtual wrote:
MikePA wrote:
Just to be clear, if I buy an iPhone in the US, then move to Europe my iPhone becomes a paperweight?
Exactly!

If you want to use an iPhone in Europe, it's better to buy one there.

Lovely. Real customer focused policy.

satchev · ‎07-31-2007

MikePA wrote:

Just to be clear, if I buy an iPhone in the US, then move to Europe my iPhone becomes a paperweight?

No, it does not. The phone still functions perfectly fine as an iPod and internet device (WiFi only).

It is no secret that all US sold iPhones are locked to AT&T.

There are ways to unlock them, but they cannot be discussed here and will void any warranty you may have on the device.

If you/your friend decide to move outside the US, simply sell the existing iPhone and purchase one in your new country of residence.

iPhone warranties are country specific, so if you could unlock the device but then later needed the warranty service, you would need to return to the US for service.

MikePA · ‎03-25-2003

Not that I don't believe you guys , but could someone from ATT confirm this?

wingrider01 · ‎05-26-2008

MikePA wrote:
Not that I don't believe you guys , but could someone from ATT confirm this?

go to faqs about the iphone, search for unlock

pick up the phone, call att customer support

go to a brick and mortar ATT store, ask there

both methods will verify what you have been told. This is a peer to peer forum, you will not get att official answer here

here saved you some time, from the FAQS

http://www.wireless.att.com/answer-center/main.jsp?t=solutionTab&ft=searchTab&ps=solutionPanels&loca...

Question:
What is the unlock code for my iPhone?

How do I unlock my iPhone?

What is the subsidy unlock code for my iPhone?

What is the subsidy password for my iPhone?

Answer:
iPhone cannot be unlocked, even if you are out of contract. If you are traveling internationally, iPhone is a quad-band phone and will work in many countries across the globe. Stay connected while traveling to over 215 countries, plus get discounted rates in over 80 of those countries when you sign up for AT&T World Traveler

BrianfromNO · ‎03-16-2006

I don't have anything to add to what wingrider01 said, but keep in mind that AT&T customer service agents do NOT work the forums. The only AT&T employees here are the moderators. So asking someone from AT&T to confirm anything likely won't do you any good.

DEDYWKA · ‎10-07-2010

Dear sirs at&t. I address to you so-as I have lost hope for the help! My acquaintance living in America has bought for my son iphone4 and has told that it will work on all as this of a card. I have paid 699.99 + the tax. It has sent to me iphone4 and the check to Latvia where I live. My son very much was delighted that it will have such good phone. Well I have seen when I have connected to Itunes that washing with this a card doesn't support the operator. Now at my son the office number lies not! I ask you to help me! I am ready will pay more how many it is necessary only that phone has earned!
Excuse for my English I write through the translator.
Thanks!

wingrider01 · ‎05-26-2008

DEDYWKA wrote:
Dear sirs at&t. I address to you so-as I have lost hope for the help! My acquaintance living in America has bought for my son iphone4 and has told that it will work on all as this of a card. I have paid 699.99 + the tax. It has sent to me iphone4 and the check to Latvia where I live. My son very much was delighted that it will have such good phone. Well I have seen when I have connected to Itunes that washing with this a card doesn't support the operator. Now at my son the office number lies not! I ask you to help me! I am ready will pay more how many it is necessary only that phone has earned!
Excuse for my English I write through the translator.
Thanks!

there is nothing that can be done legitimately, a Iphone in the US will not be unlocked, that is policy of both ATT and Apple.

Virtual · ‎04-15-2010

Again, neither AT&T or Apple unlock US iPhones. What you can do is to sell that iPhone and with the money buy another one that works with the carrier you have at the moment.

I am an AT&T employee and the postings on this site are my own and don’t necessarily represent AT&T’s positions, strategies or opinions.

dwill05 · ‎04-06-2005

Also, I'm afraid that there is no one from AT&T customer service on these boards to help you even if it were possible.

DEDYWKA · ‎10-07-2010

Thanks all!

DEDYWKA · ‎10-07-2010

Friends I have decided to bring an action on at&t. Under your law officially bought phone, should be unblocked. I have paid the tax in the USA and have still paid the tax at us in Latvia. It means at&t is obliged to me to unblock my phone! I signed what contracts and it means I have the right to use with any operator. I ask to help me under laws with the USA.
Thanks!

dwill05 · ‎04-06-2005

There is no law in the USA that requires any cell phone company to unlock any cell phone regardless of where you bought it, how much you paid, whether tax was paid, etc. I'm pretty sure that AT&T contracts do not say anything about unlocking iphones or allowing you to use it with other cell phone companies in the US or elsewhere. iPhones have never been factory unlocked by either Apple or AT&T since the phone came out. They can't stop you from doing it yourself, but they have no legal obligation to help you do it. There have been legal actions to try and make this happen, unsuccessful so far.

Why did you buy an iPhone without without checking whether it would be unlocked first? It says on AT&T's web site that the phones will not be unlocked.

http://www.wireless.att.com/answer-center/main.jsp?t=solutionTab&ps=solutionPanels&solutionId=61097

DEDYWKA · ‎10-07-2010

dwill05

I thought that you live in the free country? It appears isn't present! If to you sell the goods without the contract and speak that you should fill the car with one mark of gasoline, to you speak that you should live only the water house or you should watch a film only from company Warner Brothers it not freedom! In Europe it is possible any phone and in any company, officially to unblock. I will achieve truth in court and I will achieve! Not who can't forbid to use to the person the phone as he wants. And it means the company at&t any can't forbid to use to me this a map from any operator. When I bought phone, not was the contract that phone should work only on at&t, I mean I can prove in court that I am right!!! I am not obliged to read a site http://www.att.com/ where is written that phone only works on at&t. The company at&t means, should warn that phone is blocked and works only on the company at&t.
I will submit the claim on the company at&t!
at&t. WE WILL MEET IN COURT USA

drumn_bass · ‎08-27-2008

You will lose. Just go to your local cell phone shop and they will unlock it for a small fee, I know how it works, I grew up in a country not too far from Latvia. USA is a free country, one company makes a product, they are "free" to make it any way they want, and the customer is "free" to either buy it or not, and if they buy something and don't like it, they are "free" to return it and get their money back. You bough a US version of iPhone, it's different, it can only be used with AT&T (officially), it has no support outside of us... Don't waste your time, you can get it done, but not through here.

DEDYWKA · ‎10-07-2010

I was in our shop in Latvia and they have told that I should will address only to operator AT&T. LMT the OPERATOR CAN not unblock AT&T phone. I have bought phone official and I want, that my son, used official phone from apple. I am going to persuade whom I simply I want truth and I it will be will be added!

drumn_bass · ‎08-27-2008

The truth is that in 4 years there hasn't been a single (one) case of anyone getting a US iPhone unlocked by Apple. Your case is not going to be any different, any and all attempts will fail. The sad truth is you wasting your time. When did you buy it? Return it is it's not too late and buy an officially unlocked iPhone, from Canada or somewhere in Europe.

DEDYWKA · ‎10-07-2010

Thanks friends for support! But all who buys official phone, unblocked phone has the right to demand from the operator! I in Latvia have bought from operator LMT 3g iphone and 3gs iphone and have officially unblocked, when at me the contract has ended. All of you live in the democratic country, and it means, you can use your phone with any operator and in any country!
If your phone officially bought without the contract at operator AT&T he is obliged to unblock phone! And in USA there is SUCH LAW! You should achieve the rights! I only ask that operator AT&T, has unblocked phone for my son! I love production apple and it at me the first case when me to have to spoil the nerves. I won't sell the phone for which I have paid in USA the tax and in Latvia! [Keep it Spam Free]

dwill05 · ‎04-06-2005

You are making incorrect assumptions about a few things. True, you do have the right to ask for them to unlock the phone. Just as you have the right to ask, they have the right to say no they won't. You are completely free to unlock your phone and do what you wish with it. They can't stop you and you can't be put in jail or fined for doing so. However, they are under no obligation to unlock it for you. They can't stop you, but they don't have to help you. That's their right and freedom.

Please provide the LAW in the US which requires a cell phone provider to unlock a cell phone. The fact that other countries may have laws or that other operators in other countries may do so means nothing in regards with what is legally required in the US. I think you are making an assumption that just because LMT does it in Latvia, that things are the same in the US. They are not.

In any case, there is no one from AT&T customer service here on these boards, so no one here can help you, and arguing with us will not get your phone unlocked. I recommend that you take the matter up with AT&T directly.

BrianfromNO · ‎03-16-2006

Sorry, but there is no such law. US carriers are not, under any circumstances, OBLIGATED to unlock any phone. That is a myth. The American carriers are prohibited from blocking people from unlocking phones so long as the unlock methods are legal, but they are not required to provide the unlock codes.

DEDYWKA wrote:
Thanks friends for support! But all who buys official phone, unblocked phone has the right to demand from the operator! I in Latvia have bought from operator LMT 3g iphone and 3gs iphone and have officially unblocked, when at me the contract has ended. All of you live in the democratic country, and it means, you can use your phone with any operator and in any country!
If your phone officially bought without the contract at operator AT&T he is obliged to unblock phone! And in USA there is SUCH LAW! You should achieve the rights! I only ask that operator AT&T, has unblocked phone for my son! I love production apple and it at me the first case when me to have to spoil the nerves. I won't sell the phone for which I have paid in USA the tax and in Latvia! [Keep it Spam Free]

fcummins · ‎12-05-2006

First, DEDYWKA, I suggest that you stop using an online translator and find someone who speaks English to help you post. The online translator is butchering what you're saying and making the specifics of your posts hard to follow, though the overall theme of "GIVE ME WHAT I WANT REGARDLESS OF THE RULES!!!" is painfully clear.

Second, it's already been pointed out but I'll reiterate. What you are seeing is "free enterprise" at work. Being a "free" country effectively means that there is no government decree that a company MUST sell the iPhone unlocked or that they HAVE to unlock. A country who's government requires the cell provider to unlock the phone is NOT a free country.

AT&T has the freedom to sell the phone how they choose and under whatever conditions they choose. We, as buyers in the US, have the right to either purchase that phone or not. AT&T can't prevent us from unlocking the phone but they are not required to unlock it either. The fact of the matter is that it's really up to us, the consumers, on whether AT&T would change that policy. If enough people voted with their wallets by NOT purchasing the iPhone and letting AT&T know the reason is because of their policies, then AT&T would change. Instead, the vast majority would rather go ahead and get the phone but complain about the policy, which does no good because AT&T, at that point, already has what they wanted - your money.

The simple fact is that there is really no way that you are going to get AT&T or Apple to unlock that particular iPhone for you. Your only two options are to either eBay it, using the proceeds to purchase an iPhone that will work in your country, or to use a 3rd party to unlock it.

In the US there are 3rd party mobile phone stores that cell a variety of phones for a variety of providers and will repair/modify phones in ways that the provider can not/will not. If you have similar shops in Latvia, head there - they may be able to help. If not, there are plenty of sites that will walk you through the unlock process.

There is a { Please keep it relevant and appropriate } dedicated to Apple product news and updates that may help you. Moderators, this site does not strictly deal with jailbreak/unlock nor does it deal strictly with iPhones - it encompasses all Apple products. If at all possible please do not censor it out.

DEDYWKA · ‎10-07-2010

Thanks all for the help! I have sold the phone.

IraF2756 · ‎01-22-2009

I believe by looking at the model number one might be able to tell if the iphone is factory unlocked or not.

General,Settings,about-> model #. Mine reads MC605C, meaning factory unlocked from Canada. If the last two digits indicate LL then it's US and locked to AT&T.

See bottom

Since it's forbidden here to discuss how to unlock the iphone 4,let's just say it can be done.

My qualm with Apple and AT&T, why is it? That's nonsense that it will void the warranty, since restoring the iphone on Itunes will restore it back to the day you bought it in the Apple Store /AT&T store in the US and how in the world will Apple / AT&T ever know.

I hope Apple /AT&T didn't get off the boat last night and think their system is foolproof and untouchable. and i don't care how many versions of updates Apple comes up with that will prevent iphone 4 from being unlocked. That's not the real world and the answer to that is it will take an infinite number of versions and many life times.

If i may use as an example The OS system from Microsoft, all the way from XP to Vista to Windows 7, every one of their systems was supposed to be fool proof and prevent hackers from performing surgery I'm sure all of us can fill in the blanks as to what happened with every system mentioned above. I also believe i see where M$ indicates a non genuine copy of windws 7 will bring about bad problems happening (Virus). I wondering when they wrote that, did they write that with tongue in cheek.

Another example from M$, is copy protected music in wma format. That's it nobody can copy protected music anymore. I'm writing that statement with tongue in cheek.

I can go on and on and i'm sure you can too, but the whole point is for every copy protection system that comes out, expect nothing less then it being broken shortly thereafter and i'm not telling you something you already didn't know already.

I've been in Apple stores /AT&T stores thru out the US and have asked the question "How come i can purchase an iphone4 in Canada or go to ebay and get a factory unlocked phone but in the good ole US i can't?

The only answer i get "It's a corporate decision."

I guess the hackers also have made a corporate decision also.

BTW while typing this i searched the internet about model#'s and this is what i came up with

Locked Models:

Germany – T-Mobile
MC603DN/A – 16GB Black
MC605DN/A – 32GB Black

Japan – Softbank
MC603J/A – 16GB Black
MC605J/A – 32GB Black

Spain – Movistar, Orange, Vodafone
MC603Y/A – 16GB Black
MC605Y/A – 32GB Black

United States – AT&T
MC608LL/A – 16GB Black
MC610LL/A – 32GB Black
Apple
MC318LL/A – 16GB Black
MC319LL/A – 32GB Black

Factory Unlocked Models:

Australia
MC603X/A – 16GB Black
MC605X/A – 32GB Black

Canada
MC603C/A – 16GB Black
MC605C/A – 32GB Black

France
MC603FB/A – 16GB Black
MC605FB/A – 32GB Black

Hong Kong
MC605ZP/A – 32GB Black
MC603ZP/A – 16GB Black

Italy
MC603IP/A – 16GB Black
MC605IP/A – 32GB Black

New Zealand
MC603X/A – 16GB Black
MC605X/A – 32GB Black

Singapore
MC603ZA/A – 16GB Black
MC605ZA/A – 32GB Black

Sweden
MC603KS/A – 16GB Black
MC605KS/A – 32GB Black

United Kingdom
MC603B/A – 16GB Black
MC605B/A – 32GB Black

I think we all know if one want's to have internet tetheing on the iphone one pays approximately $20.00/month and we all know the courts have ruled that Jailbreaking is now Legal. Once you do that you can find app's that will also provide internet tethering that might cost you a one time fee of $20.00 and after that no fees.

You do the math

Bottom line Apple/AT&T want to make a fast buck.

wingrider01 · ‎05-26-2008

IraF2756 -

seems like you are basing your rate on a incorrect statement - the COURTS did not state that hacking a device is legal, they are in no way shape or form involded in that decision. If you have different prrof that it was a "court related decsiosn" please provide likes to the documents

Why is it? Simpe business rule 101 - my product, my rules, don;t like it take your buisness someplace else, there are others that are willing to live with my rules.

Might want to do a little research also - believe it is T-Mobile that might be releaseing a device that will prevent hacking of a phone, has code in a read only chip that if it detects a modification of the OS it reloads that base os to the phone - the proceedure is all perfectly legal and accepatble, there are numerous devices out that in the real world that already do this. Here you go, I saved you the 30 seconds of looking for this information on the new t-mobile phone

http://jkontherun.com/2010/10/06/t-mobile-g2-has-onboard-hacking-protection/

/rofl "no one can copy protecyt music anymore" now that had me rolling on the floor laughing, can to sone a validated website where that particlualy copyright low is revoked? Both the US andthe international copyrights are still in affect and going strong, lets see the government ir legal link for the revocation of this ability

johninsj · ‎07-07-2010

IraF2756 wrote:

I think we all know if one want's to have internet tetheing on the iphone one pays approximately $20.00/month and we all know the courts have ruled that Jailbreaking is now Legal. Once you do that you can find app's that will also provide internet tethering that might cost you a one time fee of $20.00 and after that no fees.

No court has ruled that it is ok to steal service, and like it or not tethering is only available if you pay for it. Otherwise you're stealing service.

satchev · ‎07-31-2007

IraF2756 wrote:
I've been in Apple stores /AT&T stores thru out the US and have asked the question "How come i can purchase an iphone4 in Canada or go to ebay and get a factory unlocked phone but in the good ole US i can't?
The only answer i get "It's a corporate decision."
I guess the hackers also have made a corporate decision also.

There is one very simple reason why you cannot buy an unlocked iPhone in the US. There are no laws in the US that require manufacturers or resellers to unlock their devices. Unless and until that changes, you will not find Apple or AT&T unlocking the existing iPhones. Even when AT&T loses the exclusivity on the iPhone, I believe that current iPhones will still be locked to AT&T.

If you do not like this, you have several options.

Find 3rd party options to unlock the device.
Live with it.
Stop griping and find another device.

If you could provide one link to support your assertations, you might get a different response.

Personally, I am tired of all the whiners blowing this out of proportion, refusing to do any research for themselves, and stating that what Apple and AT&T are doing is illegal.