I have an iphone 3g to unlock. It's out of contract from my carrier so they want to charge $50. I see there's other websites who will unlock it for a lot cheaper. What security issues do I need to worry about if choosing a third party service?
The only entity who can legimately unlock an iPhone is the carrier it is locked to. There are a number of issues with third-party unlocking services, outside of the legality issues, a common example being the phone becoming re-locked after a restore/software update.
Expanding on what Brandon said, there are no third-party services that can legitimately unlock a phone. Any third-party service is doing one of the following:
- hacking your iPhone to unlock it. It will relock the next time you update or restore iOS.
- working with someone inside the cell carrer that they pay to without authorization enter in your phone into the carrier's unlock database. The carriers generally find out about this quickly and will relock your phone and may cancel your service.
- following exactly the same procedure you would with the carrier, but charge you for the service in addition to any carrier charges.
As Brandon said, only the carrier to whom the iPhone is locked can authorize unlocking. If they charge to do so, then you'll just have to pay it if you want your iPhone officially and permanently unlocked.
Regards.
So why is it only the original seller of the phone can have it unlocked. What's the reasoning behind that. And what if, for example, I buy a used phone from someone and then don't have acess to the original owner's account?
Because that is the policy of some cell providers who determine these things. No all providers have that requirment. If you buy a locked iPhone from someone and they don't have such access and the cell provider will not unlock it for you then you will need to use that cell provider for service.
Hi, I'm still don't understand how the Website oofers the Imei Permament Unloacking. I have been using one of such websites and the Unclock have been done very quickly, next day or so... There is many of such website offering unlocking in different countrie, different providers - as per post above you trying to say that ALL OF THEM have insiders in Cell Provider companies? all around the world? that sounds to me somenthing unreal... So pls explain HOW THEY DO IMEI UNLOCK ???
KoshaK009 wrote:
So you want to say - they actualy call to the Carrier to get the phone unlocked? Regardless what country the Carrier are?
I don't want to say anything. Varjak paw has listed the ways non-authorized third party sites get around official unlocking. No one here can know exactly how any specific third party manages to accomplish the unlocking.
KoshaK009 wrote:
So pls explain HOW THEY DO IMEI UNLOCK ???
See varjak paw's post above.
So you want to say - they actualy call to the Carrier to get the phone unlocked? Regardless what country the Carrier are?
They rarely get relocked but the overall points mentioned by varjak are correct.
mikey132 wrote:
They rarely get relocked but the overall points mentioned by varjak are correct.
Nonsense. The hacks used frequently get removed when software is updated.
Third party iphone unlocking
