Comments on: Unlocking iPhone 3Gs--the Vietnamese way

Hanoi business owner Tuan Anh Do turns unlocking the iPhones into a highly successful business.

[Philips]

Uhm... I understand why that can be interesting in Vietnam, but I think for NA, it is much easier to import iPhone 3G from e.g. Europe where it is sold in "unbranded" variant. In Europe, phone locking is mostly forbidded and top what carriers do is to put some branding and unremovable proprietary applications on the "branded" phones. Yet, generally all phones are also available without branding.

[Benoneya]

Well, the author is talking about what he FOUND in his visit to Vietnam. The whole point is what's going on over there, not what's going on here. DUH! The cost of an unlocked European phone is probably prohibitive for most Vietnamese citizens. Why even compare in that manner? The article has nothing to do with NA, and what we do here or what's available for us here. That's a very unpleasant attitude! Can you say ignorant and self centered?

The articles are about Vietnamese culture, and what they're doing, things the author discovered when he was visiting. He's not suggesting YOU or anyone else use this method of unlocking.

[Philip_for_ever]

In Vietnam, there are more about tech than just iPhone, come to Ho Chi Minh City next week, they even have a huge meeting event for Mac users, as I know, Microsoft Hardware will joint it, too.
A funny video for the "meeting" could be seen from here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2v09nCcbYqA

[Philip_for_ever]

Two more things: Apple already opens online store in Vietnam, really they consider 80 millions people nation/market with 45% under 30.
And here how Macintosh really is in Vietnam: www.macvn.com

[jfigueredo]

Great story...nice to see how free enterprise is alive and well...

[the_redistributor]

How stupid and dense people are in this world. With the cost of reprogramming the phone after every software update by Apple, why not just stick with AT&T or Apple's telecom partners. Or is it because AT&T represents American capitalism and most Appleheads are left leaning socialists? I'm probably right about the latter.

[undeniable]

You're right, it's definitely not the fact that AT&T has horrible service. No, never that. It has to be a political issue, surely!

[dotKev]

the_distributer - What if the people that want an iphone but its not available on their network or country or maybe they can't afford to get stuck with an 18 month or 2 year rip off contract or maybe don't have a bank account and can only afford pay as you go. Not everyone lives in the good ol' U.S.A. and can sign up to an AT&T contract.

Who's really stupid and dense?

[SixVodkas]

undeniable;

I dunno, I was with Verizon for nearly 4 years, and have now been with AT&T for just over a year.

Service?

From Detroit to Houston, I've not seen ONE BIT of difference, and have most certainly NOT found AT&T to be inferior to Verizon in any way, manner, shape nor form.

[georgehoang]

wow, u must really be stupid and dense...
this is vietnam we're talking about, if u have a little bit of knowledge and common sense, u no that apple DID NOT RELEASE THE IPHONE THERE YET. Other than importing the phone and unlocking it this way, there is no other way...

[p.shearer]

Dense and stupid??? This article demonstrates the resiliency and innovation of the human spirit. The statist approach is what Apple and AT&T are doing by locking down the phones and demanding complete control. This is nothing more than a brilliant demonstration of the free market at work. People did not like being told what to do whether by centralized, totalitarian regimes or by corporate bureaucracies.

[cooper6--2008]

Uh, no.
With this operation, you can use your iPhone anywhere in the world. You still have to get a local SIM card, but you can use the phone outside of say, the States, and not only pay the local provider for their services.

Travelling outside of your local providers area can be brutal in terms of data charges.

And that guy in Vietnam? Looks like capitalism to me....

[cbong69]

huh..now I know how people like Bush can be the president of USA. It's from 51% of the voters who don't know what's going on outside their country. Get real, there're some 100+ countries in the world with a total of 400+ GSM networks, and Apple only officially launch iPhone 3G to about 80 countries with no more than 100 networks in the world. Even iPhone is available in my country but with another network, I may not want to switch not only because of cost and service, but just simply because I do not want to change my phone number ( Mobile Number Portability MNP is not working in every country yet )

[leson2403]

AT&T? Nope, no AT&T exists in Vietnam. Apple's telecom partners? I hope you're able to find one, since there is none in Vietnam.
Have you ever been outside U.S.?

[Mr. Dee]

Too bad he doesn't have a subsidary in Jamaica W.I. CLARO Jamaica recently launched the iPhone 3G here but it is absurdly expensive.
JA $50,000 with first month contract - thats US $650
JA $10,000 which is the minimum for a monthly contract is US $129

That's too much money, I get one abroad and jail break it to work with either Digicel or Cable & Wireless (LIME).

[eurek2000]

Bought unlocked iphone from australia $900.

[Mr. Dee]

That's still too expensive, I think I will stick with my Motorola E398 or get a Black Jack with Windows Mobile when I'm ready to upgrade.

[meditermeow]

" He'll even add lots of applications and utilities at no additional cost. "

Are the writers or editors allowed to praise software piracy?!!

[praneeth22]

Most software available for jailbroken iphones are free, i.e. they are free downloads from the legal authors of that software anyway, why would it be piracy?

[weeblnbob]

I completely disagree with redistributor's viewpoint and use of name-calling. First of all, the phone belongs to ME, not Apple. I should be able to use MY OWN PHONE on any network and do whatever I feel like with it. It is not socialist or leftist. It's called property ownership. Something any good capitalist should understand. I personally hope our government enacts legislation that would forbid locking phones in the U.S. I sincerely doubt I'll ever buy another Apple product of any kind as long as they stick to such a repressive philosophy. It just isn't American.

[texaslabrat]

While there's no law in the U.S. specifically forbidding companies from locking cell phones to carriers (obviously...), there is a DMCA exemption that legalizes the act of unlocking a cell phone (until it expires assuming that it isn't codified in law and/or renewed). It's not what you were asking for, but at least it's *something* ;) But, just because it's not a criminal act, it doesn't mean that the vendor(s) are required to do business with you after you've unlocked and/or jailbroken your phone (assuming they could detect it). And that's where a law such as you've suggested could come in...make a law that codifies the "carterphone decision", along with an explicit exemption in law for unlocking/jailbreaking devices that have been legally obtained (and/or forbidding the locking of such devices to begin with).

Why crack? Simply buy it from the HONG KONG APPLE STORE. It is sold as official unlock version and is from apple. Check it out at www.apple.com/hk

[texaslabrat]

I doubt the Hong Kong Apple store ships unlocked iphones outside of the Hong Kong area...thus unless you are shopping in person that's not really an option for those who live elsewhere (maybe you can find one on ebay or craigslist...but that's a stretch).

[alan_06]

I don't think it's worth spending this much effort for cracking this phone. There are better alternate phones on the market.

[zhahadum]

The marked chip pictured as being removed is an SRAM next to the baseband processor, not the baseband processor itself:

See the labeled motherboard at http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/First-Look/iPhone3G

[wswanson04]

Will that work on a cdma network like Verizon? I would pay double if so. Verizon phones are so.... well everyone knows!

[debt4life]

Why did anyone have to go trhough this to unlock an iPhone 3G? Use Gevey Turbo SIM instead.
http://cgi.ebay.com/UNLOCK-3G-IPHONE-GEVEY-PLUS-TURBO-SIM-UNLOCKED-8gb-16gb_W0QQitemZ200281089925QQcmdZViewItemQQptZPDA_Accessories?hash=item200281089925&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1234|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1309|301%3A1|293%3A1|294%3A50

[s3283]

and you should use tinyurl.com

[boyhitech]

TA MObile unlock iphone 3G by Hardware is FAke... that is True FAKE 100%

[boyhitech]

TA Mobile unlock iphone 3G by Hardware is fake 100%.

[HUY.TQ]

Em vi?t ti?ng Vi?t cho d? hi?u.

?óng c?a b?o nhau thoy các Bác!

[leson2403]

?óng c?a b?o nhau làm gì, ??ng nào Apple c?ng ?âu th?a h?i mà kéo quân sang ?ánh mình :))
Tr? phi M? l?y ??y làm c? ?? xâm l??c n??c mình l?n 2 :))

[Nick_Lovin]

Just to let every body know the import tax rate for importing electronics into Vietnam is 100 to 200 percent so, the cost can be increased to 2 to 3 times. The only way to get the iphone cheap is to have a relative bring one back from the states, etc and have it unlock.. You can make alot of money if you bring back a couple and sell them, but you will have to bribe the customs officer to let you thru without paying the tax...

[ta_mobile]

This way of unlocking happen again whenever Apple release the new firmware to prevent software unlock. This method works ok with 2.2.1 3G iPhone firmware.

[nhucnha]

If you would like to know how unlocking method this guy is doing just read this link:
http://bmt9x.com/?s=ta_mobile
and then click " click Here To Read More" you will see it.
If you would see how him reacted when Newspaper reporter asking him about the Scam unlocking method, and what he said, in Vietnamese
http://sohoa.vnexpress.net/News/Dien-thoai/2008/12/3B9AFA26/

[ta_mobile]

@nhucnha: Competition has been shown to be useful up to a certain point and no further, but cooperation, which is the thing we must strive for today, begins where competition leaves off.

Be sincere; be brief; be seated.

BR