SIM modding kit offered to Brits

Easy handset unlocking has come to the UK courtesy of online supplier SIMable which is now offering a 20 quid kit to let any SIM work with (almost) any network-locked mobile. SIMable SIM unlocker SIMable: sits alongside your SIM SIMable seems a typical turbo SIM modifier, of the kind recently launched by Hong Kong supplier …

[Anonymous Coward]

What's the point????

I don't get why any of this is relevent anymore in the UK. When the original iJunk was released I got the point because all you did in store was buy the box and you could jailbreak (or whatever you wanted) when you got home with no airtime commitment. Since the launch of iJunk 3G it's all changed though, hasn't it? As far as I was aware you now sign the airtime agreement in store, so even though you can take it home and unlock it what's the point, you're already commited to 18 months of Steve Jobs rummaging through your wallet.

[Dave]

RE: What's the point????

Not everything is about the iPhone you know. This is more to do with the millions of handsets in the UK that are locked to a network.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: What's the point????

Because people who travel abroad often want to use a SIM from a foreign network to save money. I've had exactly this problem. I don't want to get out of my UK contract, but I would like to use a different SIM when I'm abroad. The networks just don't care as they just want your roaming money...

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: What's the point????

See you've bought into the Cult of the Only One Phone.

We're not all sheep here.

[Anonymous Coward]

What's the point? Well...

iJunk. That's funny, come up with that yourself?

The point includes being able to use another sim in low signal areas, local sims while abroad to avoid roaming charges, ability to use an employers sim card. Should I go on?

[Alex]

@What's the point????

I think it's more a case of if you get phones second hand (rather than just for Apple iPhone), it'll save you 10-20 quid a time (if not more) for you to unlock it. Chances are, you'll never change your supplier of your contract as often so it saves you the unlocking fee. I'm buying one now because it's cool :o)

[Jared Earle]

The point is Roaming

"As far as I was aware you now sign the airtime agreement in store, so even though you can take it home and unlock it what's the point, you're already commited to 18 months of Steve Jobs rummaging through your wallet."

If one goes abroad, the first thing most of us do is pop our local PAYG SIM in our phones and avoid O2/AT&T's wallet-rapingly high roaming charges.

A device likes this will allow us to use our contracts when in the UK (or wherever you call home) and our cheap PAYGs abroad.

[Graham]

@AC

Did you even read the article? It quite clearly says "(almost) any network-locked mobile" - not just iJesuses.

[Tony Hoyle]

No point at all

With pretty any phone other than the iPayalot the operator will unlock it for you for a small fee... no dodgy hardware mods required.

These kind of things have been around for years.. they never caught on becuase they're largely pointless - not to mention forcing two SIMs into one slot (which is what you're basically doing) isn't going to do the phone any good.

[AndiTails]

RE: What's the point????

Some peope have more than one contract you know!

My g/f and I have 4 between us (work + personal, each) across 3 networks. Being able to 'borrow' her O2 iPhone 3G and run it as my personal phone on Orange would be brilliant, well worth £20. Especially as she's getting bored of the phone and is eyeing up my Blackberry...! :)

I, for one, welcome our SIM card unlocking overlords.

[Mitch Kent]

@AC - For the love of sweet jesus h mary christ

It is not always all about the iPhone! Screw that heap of crud.

You now have a portable means of unlocking most handsets you ever buy in the future. You can buy from ebay without worrying about if it's unlocked or not, borrow a buddies phone if your battery has run out etc. etc. etc.

[Tim]

Here's one reason why this is awesome...

3 have cut me off, not because I haven't paid them, but because I won't use a direct debit and they can't control the payments. I have some old pre-pay sims but my phone is locked and I don't want to scupper my chances of using the 3 network once they relent. This would let me use my pre-pay sim without the traditional method of unlocking.

[Brian]

Swap from phone to phone - nah!

Someone said you could move the SIMable about from phone to phone, intimating that you could continue to use it for ever.

However, if you have a phone where you are required to make a cut out and this isn't so for another phone, I assume that it wouldn't work in that other phone. If it would then logic would have it that they would supply the SIMable with all the necessary cut outs in situ.

[Andy]

Does this actually work?

Most of these cards are flakey at best. And as far as I know, every such card that's been claimed to work with the iPhone 3G actually doesn't - some of them even work for a couple of days, then stop. Is this really different?

[KCJH]

See it in action...

Yes it does actually work - You can see it working on the Mobile Industry Review Podcast here :-

http://www.smstextnews.com/2008/08/video_podcast_17_from_covent_garden.html

It isn't forcing 'two sim cards' into the phone the device itself is wafer thin and the 'cut' required on the sim card is minimal (it allows the tiny chip on it space to lie flush with card.)

HTH

Kip