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macin · Mar 13, 2008, 04:15 PM

When I do buy my Iphone which method of hacking and unlocking is better or are they equal.Hack that Phone - True unlock for 1.1.4 firmware on OS X ZiPhone's Blog

Tomchu · Mar 13, 2008, 08:40 PM

A lot of people are all saying you should use iPlus, but no one's been able to give me a technical explanation of how it's different from ZiPhone.

It seems like fanboyism and hating all around. I would say use iPlus, but only because it has some better error-checking in place. What it does is identical to ZiPhone.

Big-C · Mar 13, 2008, 09:04 PM

I don't know the difference, but for what it's worth, I used Ziphone and it took less than 2 minutes to jailbreak the phone. They've made it so easy as to be trivial at this point.

Good luck either way.

kman42 · Mar 13, 2008, 09:24 PM

I used Ziphone this afternoon with no difficulties. It took so little time to complete that I was worried. But I just undocked the phone and there was installer.app waiting for me to install new apps. I was intrigued by the voicedial app, but it doesn't seem up to snuff yet. Voicenotes is welcome as is a nifty little app that puts indicators in the bar for new mail and sms msgs. Dictionary is also cool for solving arguments quickly (CIA fact book). I haven't gotten into much else yet. Anyone else have favorite apps?

kman

Ozmodiar · Mar 14, 2008, 12:33 AM

Ziphone downgrades your bootloader without telling you. If you unlock without downgrading (leaving it at version 4.6), every feature of the phone will work except for Google Maps' "Locate Me" feature. That's it. Everything else will work.

The problem with downgrading (to 3.9, the original version the iPhone shipped with) is that it is impossible to re-upgrade to 4.6 without opening the phone and doing it mechanically. Some people say that it doesn't matter what bootloader you have, since Apple has sold millions with 3.9 and will always continue to support it. My feeling is my phone shipped with 4.6 so I want to keep it that way. That is why I wouldn't use Ziphone.

iPlus downgrades the bootloader to version 3.9FB (fake blank), which can be re-upgraded to 4.6 via software. In my opinion, iPlus is the safest way to go right now. I don't care about the "dev team" drama or any of that, I just want my phone to work with the latest firmware and a bootloader that I not permanently stuck with.

Xarthan · Mar 14, 2008, 02:36 AM

yeah who knows what 2.0 will bring. maybe apple will make 2.0 only work with 4.6 to mess with the unlocks out there.

Ozmodiar · Mar 14, 2008, 07:04 PM

I doubt Apple will cease supporting iPhones with a 3.9 bootloader any time soon, if ever. Can you imagine the backlash if they said the App Store will be only available on phones purchased after December 1, 2007?

Le Flaneur · Mar 20, 2008, 08:54 AM

Originally Posted by Ozmodiar

iPlus downgrades the bootloader to version 3.9FB (fake blank), which can be re-upgraded to 4.6 via software. In my opinion, iPlus is the safest way to go right now. I don't care about the "dev team" drama or any of that, I just want my phone to work with the latest firmware and a bootloader that I not permanently stuck with.

So is it possible with iPlus to restore an iPhone to OTB condition? That would be key?

Despite all the postings, I'm still not sure about one thing: with an OTB iPhone, what specific steps do I follow to activate/unlock/jailbreak? Do you just let itunes discover the phone, quit itunes and its related processes and then start iPlus (without doing anything else)?

Ozmodiar · Mar 20, 2008, 06:40 PM

Originally Posted by Le Flaneur

So is it possible with iPlus to restore an iPhone to OTB condition?

No. iPlus only activates, jailbreaks, and unlocks. You can't use it to restore to OTB conditions. As far as I'm aware there are currently no Mac solutions to upgrade back to 4.6, though I'm sure that will change if there's ever an absolute need to go back. Right now you're safe with 3.9FB.

Do you just let itunes discover the phone, quit itunes and its related processes and then start iPlus (without doing anything else)?

That is exactly what you do. Follow this tutorial and you'll be unlocked in about five minutes.

Le Flaneur · Mar 20, 2008, 06:55 PM

Originally Posted by Ozmodiar

No. iPlus only activates, jailbreaks, and unlocks. You can't use it to restore to OTB conditions. As far as I'm aware there are currently no Mac solutions to upgrade back to 4.6, though I'm sure that will change if there's ever an absolute need to go back. Right now you're safe with 3.9FB.

Because iphone-tools is Windows-only?

But what will I do if my iPhone needs service?

Le Flaneur · Mar 20, 2008, 07:59 PM

For Macs at least, there's currently no way to go from the BL3.9FB to 4.6. Now iNdependence unlocks via an alternate route -- by downgrading the baseband to that present in 1.1.2. The developer of iNdependence assured me that everything could be restored to virgin via firmware restore, which might be worth the sacrifice of the Locate Me feature.

Is there any unlocking method besides iNdependence which offers the possibility of returning to an OTB condition?

Ozmodiar · Mar 21, 2008, 01:02 AM

Technically you can't take your phone in for service unless it's been activated to work on the official carrier - Apple simply won't honor the warranty.

I've never used iNdependence and I haven't really followed its development, so I'm a little unsure of how it unlocks. I'm not aware of any other programs that unlock FW 1.1.4 without downgrading the bootloader.

Le Flaneur · Mar 21, 2008, 08:19 AM

Originally Posted by Ozmodiar

Technically you can't take your phone in for service unless it's been activated to work on the official carrier - Apple simply won't honor the warranty.

I've never used iNdependence and I haven't really followed its development, so I'm a little unsure of how it unlocks. I'm not aware of any other programs that unlock FW 1.1.4 without downgrading the bootloader.

iNdependence works by downgrading the baseband to the version that comes with firmware 1.1.2 -- apparently this works with either the 3.9 or 4.6 BL.

loveanh · Mar 23, 2008, 10:30 PM

So by using iPlus, everything should work except for visual voicemail and google "locate me feature" right?

Le Flaneur · Mar 23, 2008, 10:42 PM

Originally Posted by loveanh

So by using iPlus, everything should work except for visual voicemail and google "locate me feature" right?

Actually, the Google "locate me feature" works. The only thing that doesn't work is visual voicemail -- and that's because in the U.S., the only provider that implements it is AT&T. It isn't the fault of the unlocking.

loveanh · Mar 23, 2008, 10:45 PM

Originally Posted by Le Flaneur

Actually, the Google "locate me feature" works. The only thing that doesn't work is visual voicemail -- and that's because in the U.S., the only provider that implements it is AT&T. It isn't the fault of the unlocking.

Cool, and NO 2 yr contract renewal right?

Le Flaneur · Mar 24, 2008, 08:41 AM

Originally Posted by loveanh

Cool, and NO 2 yr contract renewal right?

When you unlock the phone, you can use whichever plan from whichever GSM provider that you already have.

analogue SPRINKLES · Mar 24, 2008, 02:11 PM

ZiPhone is ridiculously easy. I have used it on brand new phones and 6 months old ones and with 2 button presses and 4 min the whole thing is done and ready to use.