yellowsn0w unlock video

The unofficial iPhone Dev Team has released a video demonstrating its upcoming software unlock for the iPhone 3G. Dubbed "yellowsn0w," the hack is said to be relatively simple and quick to run; after substituting an iPhone-specific SIM card for one from an unofficial carrier, users launch the appropriate app or root code, which checks for baseband vulnerability before making necessary changes. When a phone is ready, the carrier identifier in the upper-left corner should switch over.

The finished version of the hack should be available by New Year's Eve, and will be the first software-based unlock for the iPhone 3G. Although the original 2G iPhone was unlocked within weeks, it has taken several months to achieve a 3G unlock, due in part to increased security measures from Apple. The blocks were meant to reduce the impact of a flourishing gray market; the proliferation of legal sales in dozens of countries may have reduced this threat, however, along with a switch from revenue sharing to a subsidy model.

by MacNN Staff