JAILBREAK!

Ever since I got here my iPhone hasn't really worked at all, except as an iPod or WIFI device. No phone and no SMS. SMS is everything around here. Even to activate my Smart modem, it is assumed you have a phone capable of SMS in order to do so. I had to have someone do it for me. As I may have mentioned in another post, phones are cheap here. I have seen phones which boast greater features than the iPhone, although without the cool touch screen, for $89 or so. They even have full video recording. A simple phone would cost me a mere $30 if I just wanted to be up and running. I was all set to do it, but then a new question came to mind.

If my iPhone is serving no real purpose here, what have I really got to lose by trying one of the many software hacks to jailbreak it or unlock it? If successful, I could pop in any $10 local SIM card and have local phone and SMS service just like that. I went to Junrex, a popular cell phone store, to ask about it and to buy a cheap local SIM. When they knew what I wanted it for, they said they could unlock the iPhone for me, but it would cost P2500 and take 3 days. I figured I could do it all myself. So off I went.



Finding the right software to do it is another story. There are so many, and some seem downright complex. They talk of reverting iTunes to older versions, and then reverting the iPhone firmware to older versions. After you jailbreak it, you apparently have to upgrade the firmware and then do it all again until you get to the latest. This was all starting to make me think I should have just let Junrex handle it. Eventually, though, I found Ziphone. This tool promised one click operation no matter your iTunes or firmware versions. On top of that, it's free!

I put my new SIM into my iPhone and naturally the Phone and iTunes both complained. Still, with it connected, I clicked the button on Ziphone. A bunch of numbers flashed across my iPhone screen and then all went dark. After a moment, the Apple logo appeared. When the phone booted up this time, it said SMART in the corner next to my four signal bars instead of AT&T. I went to the store next door to put a P500 load on my new SIM card and then decided to text someone to see if it was all working. When she responded, I knew I had it made. So I spent the day texting up a storm and will continue to do so from this point!