How to Unlock Your Apple iPhone to use in Europe, Asia and beyond

Technically, a gsm phone that uses a sim card should be able to be used on any cell phone carrier with similar networks.  One of the biggest downsides of cell phones these days are that although you usually can get discounted / subsidized handsets, in return, the phones are basically “locked” to a specific carrier, limiting use on their network. 
 

But at $599, the Apple iPhone isn’t considered a discounted or subsidized handset by the carrier.  You’re basically paying full price for the smartphone — yet it’s still locked to AT&T Wireless!  This fact really should be added to the list of drawbacks of the iPhone.

You paid full price, you should be able to have full use of it – so now there are ways to unlock the phone . . .

With varying degrees of required technical skills and equipment such as a sim card maker, here’s a quick round up of various attempts for unlocking the Apple iPhone:

 
• iPhone lover provides details from Hackintosh on how to unlock for full European use
• There’s a blog devoted to the development of unlocking iPhone hacks
• Semi-unlock details for activating an iPhone without a phone number, but access to everything else
• Another pda/ipod unlock tool, without sim unlock function

It’s only a matter of time before unlocking the iPhone will be successful and revealed.  If they ever sell the iPhone in France, their 1998 law on the books requires phones to be unlocked for free after 6 months into the contract or immediately for the price of 6 months service…so the french are good for something afterall?