UniquePhone answers sceptics with video

Belfast company UniquePhone has reacted to accusations that it can't really unlock Apple's iPhone by posting a four minute video showing someone apparently doing just that. The company has reported receiving legal threats from AT&T, aimed at preventing it launching an iPhone unlocking service. Sceptics have claimed this is a …

[Anonymous Coward]

I don't believe it...

It looks to me like the iphone had been unlocked by one of the real methods beforehand, and they've just written a script with various appropriate length pauses in it...

If they wanted to PROVE anything, they should have video'd the phone before 'unlocking' rejecting the sim, then unlock it without the phone going out of frame..

Way too easy to fake what they've shown... I could make an equally convincing video of a device that unlocks the iphone just be being placed somewhere near it... look this is a "nearly new" iphone, I just wave my magic wand and hey presto, it's unlocked.

I call bs!

[Mark]

Classic

"While the video might well show someone unlocking an iPhone, it definitely shows the importance of a tripod when shooting video."

Pure Douglas Adams!

[Daniel Bell]

Bored of the Speculation

Is someone actually going to tell us how to unlock the I-Phone rather than keep showing us that they can do it?

I need to i-Phones unlocked ASAP

DB

[Steve Evans]

Agreed!

They need to show the phone rejecting it before hand.

I see it's still displaying the number dialled in 'merkin format.. Well I guess it's 'merkin format... 1 (23)... Weird.

[Andy]

Err...

'a debate on where the septics live'

Don't they live in septic tanks?!

Incidentally, is it coincidence that septics is an anagram of cesspit? I think not...

[Joe K]

Print this

Seeing as my comment never made it to the last comments page, which degenerated into nothing more than another "i hate/love the iPhone", i'll try again.

Uniquephones have degenerated into scam artists. They used to be reputable, but now they are not giving out unlock codes to NORMAL phones, never mind the friggin iphone. They take your money and thats the last you see of them.

The support section of their site has been AWOL for months, emails and refund requests go unanswered, and some of us are awaiting a dispute decision from Paypal, hopefully resulting in freezing of their accounts.

[Albert]

UniquePhone - ???

Doing a Whois on iphoneunlocking.com. It is owned by UniquePhones, Inc., 11th Floor, 115 East 57th Street, New York City, New York 10022, United States. After some more searches I found the following site: http://www.manhattanvirtuals.com/ that sells virtual offices at this location

So, this is a REALLY small company with a virtual office using PayPal as their payment system.

None of these are bad in themself (I've used a virtual office before)

It's just the credibility is dwindling.

Also, the on line phone unlocking service is just a software tool you can generate the relevant codes, so an easy business to set up and run cost effectively.

I'm not saying UniquePhone haven't hacked the iPhone, but I am saying I personally wouldn't provide them my personal/credit card details without more suporting information that they are reputable.

[Anonymous Coward]

Why so sceptical?

On the front page of El Reg today you also have a story about a teenager unlocking an iPhone so I don't know why you're so sceptical about this story but not about this one :

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/08/29/hacked_iphone_trade/

Can they be unlocked or can't they? Make your mind up please...

[Bryan]

I don't get

Why readers really give a crap about a substandard piece or expensive outdated technology being unlocked?!?! Get a nice 3G phone and listen to music on your ipods like normal people!!!

[Anonymous Coward]

Fake

At 4:00 the battery on the phone is 1/4 full. After the camera moves away from the phone to the screen then back to the phone about 3:23, the faint outline of the battery charge shows 3/4 full.

[Steve Kelly]

Ok

Tell ya what guys, I live in belfast, from experience people in NI are VERY good at bypassing stuff like that, full estates were running off hooky electricity for years, everyone had the dodgy btcellnet payg phones when they were out, utv and ntl chipped boxes the lot, I wouldn't put it past them to have unlocked this, its unbelievable how many phone shops in shopping malls and high streets offer unlocking services.

If it could clear it up would it be worth me taking a walk around to their store (if they have one) and throwing my sim into one of the unlocked phones, or asking them to unlock it in person (doubt they will do the latter).

[Steve]

Re: Why so sceptical?

Because UniquePhones is asking for money and the other guy isn't.

Because the other guy gives step by step instructions, and UniquePhones just says "trust us".

[Matthew Hale]

Better still...

Or better still dont listen to music on an iPod, use something less restrictive and expensive, like a creative MuVo or any one of the hundreds of other options out there ;)

But yes, spot on. Who cares!? Are there not enough products out there these days which consolidate virtually every digital feature and function you could possibly (not) need into one easy to lose, I mean use, device? I think there probably are.

[Franklin]

Tripods!

I just knew that letting them land

In the first place was a bad idea,

Now this.

If A(H5N1) don't get you

Then the left one will.

[Eduard Coli]

Yes, that's nice, but lets move along shall we?

As cool as running your iPhone off of other networks might this is just academic is it not? When AT&T and-or Apple feel like, that is when the money is good enough, will they not be able to stop all of this and get bags of money from companies like this, any network provider that allows this and possibly end users using the EUs and definitely from the US versions of the DMCA?

[Rob Crawford]

Well

I am back in Belfast in a 10 days

So if anybody want to supply me with an iPhone I am quite happy to head around there in the behalf of ElReg and test their claims I am quite happy to do so. I'm even happy to video the process

I will even return the phone to the owner afterwards locked, unlocked or just plain bricked. (If the people in question brick the phone its not my fault)

[Anonymous Coward]

er

"Because UniquePhones is asking for money and the other guy isn't."

Didn't the other guy get a car and 3 more iPhones?

I do take your point that Unique Phones are being somewhat less than transparent though.

[Damien Jorgensen]

What a joke!

Id believe it, if it wernt for the US dial tone and ringer tone! lol

[Stuart Waters]

This guy must be very ill!

Looking at the shakiness of the picture, I'd say this guy must be suffering from Multiple Sclerosis, either that, or he's full of crap!