The Dev Team has announced that it will not offer unlocks for the iPhone until iOS 4.2.5 and 4.3 are made public. The reason according to MuscleNerd is that most people can’t take advantage of the unlocks until the OS is public.

Verizon’s CEO has admitted that the wireless giant was never in the running to get the original iPhone. According to the CEO Verizon will take the lead in 4G iPhone hardware too.

Now, the Dev Team can use the same sort of technique as used in redsn0w to update ultrasn0w for Apple’s latest smartphone.  The team believe that the iPhone 3GS’ bootrom was finalized in roughly August 2008, so the emergence of 24Kpwn earlier in 2009 did not affect it.

The Team are now working on integrating the new technique into ultrasn0w, which they’ve warned will “take some time”.  Once that’s done, however, it will be possible to both jailbreak and unlock the iPhone 3GS.

Here is how Ultrasn0w works for iPhone 3G:

1. Ensure you have upgraded to iPhone OS 3.0
2. Jailbreak your iPhone 3G using redsn0w or PwnageTool (this will also install Cydia/Icy)
3. Run Cydia or Icy
4. Please add the repo repo666.ultrasn0w.com to Cydia or Icy.  That last “o” is actually the number zero “0”! If you use the letter “o” you’ll get an error.
5. Search for ‘ultrasn0w’ in cydia or icy and install ultrasn0w
6. Reboot your iPhone 3G
7. T-Mobile USA users should disable 3G before using ultrasn0w
8. Enjoy

[via SlashGear]

The DevTeam warns:

You must upgrade to the latest 02.28 baseband (firmware 2.2) in order to use this unlock and also jailbreak with QuickPWN/PwnageTool and add Cydia/Installer.

Please take a note that this is a beta application—version 0.9.1— so install at your own risk.

Btw, Gizmodo said, it doesn’t work very well!

Yeah, since it was still in beta version, I think it could be understood. However, bravo the DevTeam! Two thumbs up!

Yeah, it’s a New Year gift from a group, known as Dev-Team, who created a software unlock for the iPhone 3G so that the device could run on other carrier’s networks.

You can view a live demo of the yellowsn0w – the software’s codename here.

So you can enjoy this first public demo of the iPhone 3G unlock, courtesy of Dev-Team member MuscleNerd. You can see it that the team was able to get T-Mobile service working on a previously locked AT&T iPhone 3G. Yay!

The team has set the release date of their free unlocking tool for New Year’s Eve 2008 (so you just have to wait 9 more days to try it yourself ). As they warned before, the unlock is only for the iPhone 3G with a baseband of 2.11.07. To figure out which baseband you have, simply go to Settings-> General-> About-> Modem Firmware.

They have set the release date of their free unlocking tool for New Year’s Eve 2008. They have codenamed the unlock “yellowsn0w.” They are packaging the unlock method into a user-friendly applications much like the QuickPwn that everyone will be able to use.  As they warned before, the unlock is only for the iPhone 3G with a baseband of 2.11.07. To figure out which baseband you have, simply go to Settings-> General-> About-> Modem Firmware.

The unlock can only be applied to jailbroken iPhone 3G handsets via Cydia. Those of you who have update their Mac to OS X 10.5.6 will have to find an alternate method as this version disables DFU mode, a vital step in the jailbreaking process. The iPhone Dev Team believes the issue with DFU mode to be triggered by a kernel bug rather than countermeasures made by Apple. There is a way to fix this issue for those of you who are brave enough to attempt it.

The iPhone Dev Team advised not to blindly upgrade to the iPhone firmware 2.2 without first knowing all the hidden changes that it will have on your iPhone. Recently Apple has taken more steps to prevent the jailbreaking and more importantly unlocking of iPhones. There is another application out there that helps users get an edge on the law by showing locations of red light cameras and speed traps NMobile is almost always up to date through users input an moderators confirmation. While there are free versions of such an application out there, this one seems to be much more reliable.

Rovio owners will be happy to know that there is a new way to control your new Rovio. Take the controls from your computer to your iPhone with the Rovio Driver application from the App Store you can even see the onboard camera in real time. Apple is the victim of yet another lawsuit, big surprise there. This time it also includes the cracking of iPhone 3G units that were reported shortly after the launch. Apple reportedly has continued to ignore the odd issue and customers would like to be over compensated by Apple’s wealth.

Attention all Wal-Mart customers, the iPhone 3G is soon to hit store shelves. That’s right, looks like they will be getting the unit shortly after Christmas (December 28th), more than likely because there will be a price difference. Now iPhone users can make the most out of their iPhone by turning it into a wireless add-on 10-key pad for their MacBook. Users can choose from 4 different skins to best suit their needs.

More iPhone backup batteries are coming to market, trying to cash in on the untapped extra battery market that Apple has decided not to get involved with. The Incase Power Slider battery not only gives you a boost of power when you need it most, but also acts as a protective case as well.  Remind us now, how large do you really need to make your iPhone? Mobispine has set out to deliver MMS to iPhone users around the world. It’s not going to be easy however; they need to brand each application to fit the specified carrier. We still don’t know how they plan to get it by Apple and their application approval process. This may just slip by like so many other banned applications.

Apple’s new iPhone firmware 2.2 came out this week and is certainly pleasing the masses.  Those who do not know what is included in the update are having somewhat of a problem finding what the features are. It turns out just about every feature that was previously leaked has made its way to the iPhone this time. The day after the new firmware released, the iPhone Dev Team pushed out there various jailbreaking tools, but this time with a very specific warning. Apparently this update can render the baseband permanently locked preventing a later iPhone 3G unlock. It appears that when the iPhone Dev Team speaks, they mean business.

Upgrading using iTunes can forever eliminate your chances of ever unlocking you iPhone 3G. The baseband has apparently been changed now so that it will be near impossible to unlock in the future. For those who still don’t quite understand the meaning of the baseband:

Baseband 101

The ‘baseband’ is the generic name given to the internal components of the iPhone that handle the phone calls and Internet access. This ‘baseband’ is a tiny and unique independent computer system that runs inside your iPhone, it is separate to the main system that handles the applications (such as email and google maps) and it talks to the main part of the phone over an internal communications network. Think of it like a cable modem or other peripheral that is attached to your home PC that needs occasional updates. When a software update is released and presented to you within iTunes the baseband is sometimes updated (to fix bugs or add new features). The 2.2 update for the iPhone 3G contains such an update, so running the vanilla updater straight away with iTunes will reprogram and update the baseband. This could be bad for certain people, depending on your ultimate aim.

The iPhone Dev Team have included a few rules when upgrading to the iPhone firmware 2.2:

• GOLDEN RULE: If you have a 3G iPhone and want potential soft unlock in the near future do NOT use QuickPwn, and do not use the official ipsw or the iTunes update process without using PwnageTool.

• Read item 1 again and again.

• Please read all parts of this post before downloading and using these tools.

• The ‘late 2008’ MacBook/air/pro line of computers have an issue with DFU mode. While it’s possible to go from Pwned 2.1 -> Pwned 2.2 (using PwnageTool), you can’t yet go from stock to pwned. If in any doubt use a different machine.

• Choosing the correct tool is crucial. Be warned!

[Via iPhoneDevTeam]

 
The photo above shows the iPhone 3G’s baseband and the modifications that have been made to it. Apparently this fails the “integrity check” but still keeps running anyway. I call that progress!

The Dev Team notes the ability to modify the baseband is “useful” but they are unsure as to how close they are to unlocking for real.

[via blog.iphone-dev.org]

They still haven’t quite managed to unlock the iPhone 3G just yet, but Windows QuickPwn 2.1 supports the recently released 2.1 firmware. It works with unlocking and jailbreaking the first-gen iPhone. It will also jailbreak the first-gen of the iPod Touch and the iPhone 3G. The newly released iPod Touch (2nd-gen) is not yet supported.

So, if you have a first-gen iPhone or iPod touch and need some QuickPwn action, the Dev Team has you covered. How do they do all of this so fast? It’s a mystery the world of iPhone jailbreakers may never come to fully understand.

[via blog.iphone-dev.org]

The App Store was in the spotlight once again this week as several new apps were announced. iVerse Comics will be coming to the App Store soon, which allows users to access comic books via individual icons on their iPhone home screens. An LED football game, that is very reminiscent of the old handheld games is on the way, too. BeeJive, which was formerly called JiveTalk, offers a more functional IM experience and is even outfitted with background notification should Apple activate it.

We got our hands on a leaked video that showed Last.fm v2.0 in action and Sharpcast’s SugarSync was revealed to be a MobileMe alternative for those who are fed up with the Apple cloud. Most interesting of all, however, is a possible Steve Jobs email that revealed an official tethering function might be coming to the iPhone soon.

The reception issues that dominated last week’s news carried over into this week when a series of independent surveys revealed iPhone 3G performance varies over regions and the networks themselves are what need fixing, not the phone’s internal antenna. Over the course of these tests, Orange France admitted to capping their 3G speeds, but now promised to raise them. We also got a good look at just why the 3G is so slow. It seems all iPhone users need to update to the latest firmware version–otherwise the users with the old version will continue to bog down the network.

Two new international data plans from AT&T were made available to iPhone users on Wednesday and though its intent was to lower prices, it’s still rather steep. A security flaw was revealed this week as well that made it so even password protected phones could be hacked by a few taps of the home button. But not to worry, Apple has admitted to the flaw and will include a fix in the next update.

If you’re keeping up with the Dev Team, you already known Pwnage Tool 2.0.3 is already out. Plus, a brand new iPhone magazine will be released on September 9th called iPhone Life that gives readers the scoop on the latest news, reviews and more.

Finally, this week we featured a review of the BlueAnt V1 Voice Control Bluetooth Headset, which features voice activation functions. And though the audio wasn’t quite as good as it could be, this headset offers functionality like to other.

Yesterday, the DevTeam reported that there was a slight hold up with PwnageTool 2.0.2 and that we wouldn’t see its release until sometime later today. But they’ve stayed up late, fixed the bug and you can download the tool right this second!

They recommend that you update your current version by using Sparkle, the tool’s internal updater. Included in the download is the newest Cydia and the Installer 4 Beta.

Good luck to everyone giving this a try!

[via blog.iphone-dev.org]

It looks like those anxious to really crack into their iPhones won’t have to wait much longer. The DevTeam announced yesterday that PwnageTool 2.0.2 will be released very soon. Like, I’m talking today soon. 

The only thing holding up the release now for the guys over at RipDev to finish up their beta of Installer 4. Plus, the DevTeam needs to make a few tweaks here and there to ensure 2.0.2 works well with the beta. That way, you can download both in one convenient package. 

If you’re thinking about downloading this when it’s released, you might be interested in knowing it will contain an updated version of Cydia. The DevTeam does provide those thinking about unlocking their phones in the future with a warning, however: 

If you care about the possibility of a GSM/3G unlock in the future (there is no unlock available as yet), do not update your 3G device with iTunes unless you do it via PwnageTool 2.0.2 (this means you’ll need to create a custom .ipsw with PwnageTool 2.0.2 and install it using iTunes) – If you have updated over the last few days with iTunes, you’ll still be able to Jailbreak using PwnageTool 2.0.2 but it may reduce the chance of you being able to unlock the Phone to be able to use a SIM card from all carriers in the future.

Update: Looks like the DevTeam are uploading the new PwnageTool to their servers as we speak. 

[via blog.iphone-dev.org]

If you’ve updated already, you may have noticed that you lost access to any jailbroken apps you may have had. But don’t sweat it. The DevTeam is on it. However, the iPhone 3G’s baseband has also been updated making it a possibility that once the new Pwnage Tool comes out, you may be out of luck. 

So, that puts many in a bit of a predicament. Update now and get greater functionality or wait it out and hope the new Pwnage Tool will fix the same problems and let your iPhone stay unlocked. It’s quite a pickle, if you ask me! 

[via Engadget]