Apple's iTunes unlocks iPhones in Germany

By now you're all fully schooled in the black art of jailbreaking and unlocking your new iPhone, right? Did you know that the whole dirty business can be done via iTunes in just "seconds?" The catch: it requires a €999 (about $1,480) unlocked iPhone sold (at least temporarily) by T-Mobile Germany. Interestingly enough, there isn't any physical (or bit-level) difference between a locked and unlocked iPhone, it's Apple working all the unlocking magic over the network with a bit of help from iTunes. According to first reports from MacNotes.de, the IMEI number is recorded at the point of sale and sent to Apple. After 24 hours, the iPhone can be unlocked by iTunes in a procedure taking just seconds. The firmware remains unchanged at 1.1.2. This news potentially opens up the iPhone to further unlocking schemes although it already sounds very similar to the approach favored by iPhoneSimFree clan, don't you think?

[Via MacRumors]

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 27th 2007 3:01AM]

So if you think about it, if we figure out the unlocking procedure of iTunes (like what bits of software code they change), then hackers can easily make an unlock program which is truely upgrade safe. Unless of course Apple is going to be an arse from now on and check your imei number before updates to determine whether you get the "good update" or the "you unlocked your phone without paying so we screw you over update."

Woo. Fun. Bring unlock to the US! Woo!