iPhone making calls on Australia's Telstra
updated 02:10 pm EDT, Sat July 28, 2007
iPhone on Telstra
Representing one of the most significant milestones in the race to completely unlock the iPhone, a user has been able to successfully register the device with and make calls on Australia's Telstra network. He's posted a YouTube video demonstration of the semi-unlocked phone in action. The hack was accomplished by modifying the iPhone's default SIM card to be recognized as an AT&T SIM, while actually containing data that allows it to be accepted by Telstra. There are still some significant limitations, however. While the hacked phone can make calls on the Telstra network, it cannot receive them. Also, SMS text messages cannot be sent or received. In the video, ozbimmer demonstrates placing a custom SIM card (that contains data from both the AT&T and Telstra SIM cards) in the iPhone and making a phone call to his voicemail account.
The hack is made possible through the use of iActivator, a Mac OS X program that provides an interface for activating/deactivating your iPhone without invoking an AT&T contract or prepaid plan. The program doesn't unlock the iPhone's SIM, but simply unlocks the functionality of the iPhone so that an AT&T-based activation is not necessary. The tool also has the option to perform a "Jailbreak" on the iPhone, which allows files to be written to the device's filesystem.
No DRM but locked phones?
07/28, 03:50pm reply
...seems perhaps conveniently hypocritical to me... Let the backlash begin... :)
bobolicious
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Aug 2002
Whooooosh!
07/28, 05:54pm reply
There goes his warranty down the toilet.
sigzero
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Nov 2006
wow
07/28, 06:56pm reply
good job. The iPhone seems to have a powerful lock, I thought it would've been easier to hack than this.
suhail
Senior User
Joined: Nov 1999
Backdoor Again
07/28, 07:24pm reply
As in the case of the music giants , the telephone giants have no clue of what is possible with the magic boxes. Sell the boxes and the content will follow as will the input and output which is as free as the air we breath. Free, free, free, to gain not only market share, but industy takeover.
starwarrior
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Mar 2006
Please not Telstra
07/29, 09:17am reply
Telstra Operations Chief Greg Winn thought the iPhone was a pile of junk and Apple wouldn't cut it in the mobile phone bus.
Just Google for iPhone Greg Winn
I sure hope Telstra doesn't get the iPhone, because, well, they just don't get the iPhone!
hamishb
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Mar 2007
iPhone roaming?
07/30, 09:43am reply
So, when roaming on others' networks abroad (sort of the point of a multiband phone), presumably the iPhone will display the local operator's ID instead of AT&T? That could look like a hack without actually being one.
OtisWild
Junior Member
Joined: Feb 2005
Nice hack...
07/30, 08:34pm reply
Great work. This ones a keeper!
http://iphone.corank.com
Guest
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Nov 1999