I bought an iphone

[nickx]

My question is can someone point me in the right direction to unlock it for Rogers? As well as anything else I might need (apps, ringtones, etc?)

[jhollington]

The unlocking process is somewhat involved, although you can find more information in our Hacks & Mods (http://forums.ilounge.com/forumdisplay.php?f=79) forum.

Another couple of good places to look is at www.hacktheiphone.com and in the forums at forums.hackint0sh.org.

Basically, you'll need to first "Jailbreak" the iPhone to allow third-party applications to be installed, and will then need to use an unlocking tool such as AnySIM or iPhoneSimFree to unlock it to accept a different SIM card. The exact steps may vary depending upon what version of the firmware is on the iPhone, but if it's a new model, you've likely got v1.1.2.

[nickx]

My friend picked it up in Buffalo for me.. so I'm trying to see what FW it has.. IF its 1.1.2 I'm screwed unless I fork over 200 for a turbosim then?

[jhollington]

You can check the firmware version either in iTunes (the "Summary" tab should indicate which firmware it is running), or on the iPhone itself under the Settings->General->About menu.

iPhoneSimFree.com claims that they can now unlock a v1.1.2 iPhone, although I haven't personally tried it (I've been unlocked since v1.0.2 and it's survived all upgrades). I believe the v1.1.2 code has now been directly jailbroken as well, although as a worst-case scenario, you can find instructions for downgrading to v1.1.1 at the above sites.

[nickx]

Okay sorry to bug you again but here is my FW 04.02.13_g
Is this with the new bootloader?

If the phone is 1.1.2 will downgrading solve the problem or what?

[jhollington]

The "Version" is what defines the firmware in practical purposes. The "Modem Firmware" defines the version of the modem or "Baseband" firmware that is in use.

04.02.13_G as I recall is used in both v1.1.1 and v1.1.2, which is likely why most of the unlock solutions for v1.1.1 also work with v1.1.2 once jailbroken.

You cannot downgrade the "Modem Firmware" -- at least not easily. With the latest unlocks, however, this should not be necessary. The only issue was downgrading the version so that you could "jailbreak" the iPhone -- if you can't jailbreak it, you can't add third-party apps, which means you can't even run an unlocking tool on it.

The original jailbreak method required starting with v1.1.1 and then taking some precautions before upgrading. You can find more information on that in the forums mentioned above. Specific instructions on downgrading can also be found over at the iPhone Dev Wiki (http://iphone.fiveforty.net/wiki/index.php?title=Main_Page), which provides information on how to downgrade to the older version and prepare it for jailbreaking, and then run the jailbreak itself. The entire process has become reasonably well-documented, and the risk of permanently bricking your iPhone is very slim if you follow all of the instructions properly.

[nickx]

From what I've looked into and such is that with that firmware it is currently unlockable and no solution is available..

[jhollington]

Actually, that's correct. If the phone came with v1.1.2, chances are that you may be out of luck. If it came with v1.1.1, then you can unlock it, and then upgrade to v1.1.2 fairly easily.

This is due to a new "v4.6" bootloader in the factory-installed v1.1.2 phones. That having been said, there have been some reports of new out-of-the-box v1.1.2 phones that still have the old bootloader -- perhaps because they were flashed with a different process, or more likely refurbished units that were updated to v1.1.2 prior to being repackaged for resale.

The v1.1.3 firmware release might fix this, but that's uncertain at this point... It all depends upon whether a baseband firmware update is included as part of the next firmware release.

The key, however, is not the "Modem Firmware" version, since that's the same for both v1.1.1 and v1.1.2. The actual firmware version shown in the "Version" field in the About screen is what you need to look for. If it's v1.1.1, then you should have no problems unlocking it. If it's v1.1.2, then you are probably out of luck for the time being.

[nickx]

My friend actually called Pacific Mall and someone there said they could do it in a week. (unlock)

[jhollington]

Well, if they could do it, it really shouldn't take a week unless they're seriously backlogged.

Otherwise, they're just bluffing in much the same way that many so-called "Unlocking Services" were prior to the actual unlock being discovered in September.... They might even just be buying time in hopes that v1.1.3 shows up.

[nickx]

Exactly what I was thinking I'd rather wait and know for sure its possible