History of the iPhone

The history of the iPhone began with Steve Jobs' direction that Apple engineers investigate touch-screens. At the time he had been considering having Apple work on tablet PCs.Cohen, Peter. [http://www.macworld.com/news/2007/01/09/liveupdate/index.php Macworld Expo Keynote Live Update] , "Macworld", (2007-01-09)accessdate|2007-02-01] Block, Ryan. [http://www.engadget.com/2007/01/09/live-from-macworld-2007-steve-jobs-keynote/ Live from Macworld 2007: Steve Jobs keynote] , "Engadget", (2007-01-09)accessdate|2007-02-01] Grossman, Lev. [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1576854,00.html The Apple Of Your Ear] , "Time", (2007-01-12)accessdate|2007-02-01] Many have noted the device's similarities to Apple's previous touch-screen portable device, the Newton MessagePad. [Wilcox, Joe. [http://www.microsoft-watch.com/content/desktop_mobile/apples_son_of_newton.html Apple's Son of Newton] , "eWeek Microsoft Watch", (2007-01-09)accessdate|2007-02-01] [Kahney, Leander. [http://blog.wired.com/cultofmac/2007/01/in_1998_steve_j.html Apple Newton Versus iPhone] , "Wired News", (2007-01-15)accessdate|2007-02-01] [McCracken, Harry. [http://blogs.pcworld.com/techlog/archives/003557.html iPhone: It's a Newton! Sort of!] , "PC World", (2007-01-13)accessdate|2007-02-01] [Mortensen, Pete. [http://blog.wired.com/cultofmac/2007/01/iphone_the_newt.html iPhone: The Newton's Revenge] , "Wired News", (2007-01-09)accessdate|2007-02-01] Like the Newton, the iPhone is nearly all screen. Its form factor is credited to Apple's head of design, Jonathan Ive. [Wilson, Greg. [http://www.nydailynews.com/business/story/488512p-411422c.html Private iCreator is genius behind Apple's polish] , "New York Daily News", (2007-01-14)accessdate|2007-02-01]

Origins

Comments made by Jobs in April 2003 at the "D: All Things Digital" executive conference expressed his belief that tablet PCs and traditional PDAs were not good choices as high-demand markets for Apple to enter, despite many requests made to him that Apple create another PDA. He did believe that cell phones were going to become important devices for portable information access, and that what cell phones needed to have was excellent synchronization software. At the time, instead of focusing on a follow-up to their Newton PDA, Jobs had Apple put its energies into the iPod, and the iTunes software (which can be used to synchronize content with iPod devices), released January 2001. [Mossberg, Walt. [http://online.wsj.com/article_email/0,,SB108716565680435835-IRjfYNolaV3nZyqaHmHcKmGm4,00.html The Music Man] (fee required), "The Wall Street Journal", (2004-06-14)accessdate|2007-02-01] [Kennedy, Niall. [http://www.niallkennedy.com/blog/archives/2004/06/walt_mossberg_i.html Walt Mossberg interviews Steve Jobs] , (2004-06-14)accessdate|2007-02-01] [Chaffin, Bryan. [http://www.macobserver.com/article/2003/06/05.9.shtml Steve Jobs: No Tablet, No PDA, No Cell Phone, Lots Of iPods] , "The Mac Observer", (2003-06-05)accessdate|2007-02-01] [Howell, Denise. [http://bgbg.blogspot.com/2003_05_25_bgbg_archive.html D: Interview With Steve Jobs] , "Bag and Baggage", (2003-05-30)accessdate|2007-02-01] On September 7 2005, Apple and Motorola released the ROKR E1, the first mobile phone to use iTunes. Jobs was unhappy with the ROKR, feeling that having to compromise with a non-Apple designer (Motorola) prevented Apple from designing the phone they wanted to make. [Lewis, Peter. [http://money.cnn.com/2007/01/10/commentary/lewis_fortune_iphone.fortune/index.htm How Apple kept its iPhone secrets] , "CNN Money", (2007-01-12)accessdate|2007-02-06] In September 2006, Apple discontinued support for the ROKR and released a version of iTunes that included references to an as-yet unknown mobile phone that could display pictures and video. [Chen, Jason. [http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/cellphones/itunes-701-has-buttloads-of-mobile-phone-mentions-203780.php iTunes 7.0.1 Has Buttloads of Mobile Phone Mentions] , "Gizmodo", (2006-09-27)accessdate|2007-02-01] On January 9 2007, Jobs announced the iPhone at the Macworld convention, receiving substantial media attention, [Mather, John. [http://www.rrj.ca/online/658/ iMania] , "Ryerson Review of Journalism", (2007-02-19)accessdate|2007-02-19] and on June 11 2007 announced at the Apple's Worldwide Developer's Conference that the iPhone would support third-party applications using the Safari engine on the device. Third-parties would create the Web 2.0 applications and users would access them via the internet. [Apple Inc. (2007-06-11). [http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2007/06/11iphone.html iPhone to Support Third-Party Web 2.0 Applications] . Press releaseaccessdate|2007-06-14] Such applications appeared even before the release of the iPhone; the first being "OneTrip", a program meant to keep track of the user's shopping list. [ [http://www.macrumors.com/2007/06/13/iphone-application-example-onetrip/ iPhone Applications Example: OneTrip] , "MacRumors, (2007-06-13)accessdate|2007-06-14] On June 29 2007, Apple released version 7.3 of iTunes to coincide with the release of the iPhone. [http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,133590-c,iphone/article.html Apple Updates iTunes For the iPhone] , "PC World", (2007-06-29)accessdate|2007-06-29] This release contains support for iPhone service activation and syncing.

According to "The Wall Street Journal", the iPhone is manufactured on contract in the Shenzhen factory of the Taiwanese company Hon Hai. [http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB118677584137994489.html?mod=blog The Forbidden City of Terry Gou] , "The Wall Street Journal", 2007-08-11.]

Advertising

The first advertisement for iPhone, titled "Hello," aired during the 79th Academy Awards on February 25 2007 on ABC. The ad features clips from several notable films and television shows over the last seventy years, showing iconic characters answering telephones and saying "hello" or a similar greeting. The iPhone is shown at the end with the caption "Hello. Coming in June."

The commercial was created by TBWAChiatDay, Apple's ad agency since CEO Steve Jobs' return to the company in 1997. TBWA's Media Arts Lab will continue to handle all upcoming advertising for iPhone, much as it has for iPod. [cite news|url=http://adage.com/article?article_id=116738|title=TBWA to Tackle Apple's iPhone Launch|first=Brooke|last=Capps|work=Advertising Age|format=fee required|date=2007-05-17|accessdate=2007-05-27]

On June 3 2007, Apple released four advertisements that announce a June 29 2007 release date, and which concluded, "Use requires minimum new 2 year activation plan."; the footnote has since been removed from all four of the ads. [cite web|url=http://www.apple.com/iphone/ads/|title=Apple—iPhone—TV Ads|work=Apple Inc.|accessdate=2007-06-03] A fifth ad featuring YouTube was released on June 21 2007. All five advertisements feature a voice over describing various iPhone features, demonstrated on-screen. The song "Perfect Timing (This Morning)" by Orba Squara plays in the background. [cite web|url=http://www.myspace.com/orbasquara|title=Orba Squara's Band Page|work=MySpace|accessdate=2007-06-26]

Domain name

On July 1 2007, it was reported that Apple paid at least US$1 million to Michael Kovatch for the transfer of the iphone.com domain name. Kovatch registered the domain in 1995. [cite news|url=http://blog.domaintools.com/2007/07/iphone-now-owned-by-apple/|title=IPhone.com has been acquired by Apple|work=DomainTools Blog|first=Jay|last=Westerdal|date=2007-07-01|accessdate=2007-07-03] That URL now redirects to Apple's iPhone page.

U.S. release

On June 28 2007, during an address to Apple employees, Steve Jobs announced that all full-time Apple employees and those part-time employees that have been with the company at least one year would receive a free iPhone. Employees received their phones in July after the initial demand subsided. [cite news|url=http://www.thinksecret.com/news/0706freeiphone.html|title=Steve Jobs: Free iPhones for Apple employees|work=Think Secret|date=2007-06-28|accessdate=2007-06-29]

Initially priced at US$599 and US$499 for the 8 GB and 4 GB models, the iPhone went on sale on June 29 2007. Apple closed its stores at 2:00 PM local time to prepare for the 6:00 PM iPhone launch, while hundreds of customers lined up at stores nationwide. [cite news|url=http://www.mp3newswire.net/stories/7002/iphone-line.html|title=Steve iPhone: Hundreds Come, Lines Orderly|work=MP3 Newswire|date=2007-06-29|accessdate=2007-06-29]

The iPhone is only available for those who subscribe to a two-year AT&T service plancite news|url=http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/hughes/14081|title=Why I'm Not Getting an iPhone|work=Yahoo!|date=2007-06-26|accessdate=2007-06-28] . In addition, in the U.S. and some other countries it can only be acquired with a credit card precluding a completely anonymous purchase. [ [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/27/technology/27apple.html Apple Limits Sale of iPhones: Two Per Person and No Cash - New York Times ] ] [ [http://blog.wired.com/business/2007/10/the-iphone-cash.html The iPhone Cash Ban: It's Legal, and Here's Why | Epicenter from Wired.com ] ] [ [http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/27/apple-refusing-to-accept-cash-for-iphone-limits-em-to-two-per/ Apple refusing to accept cash for iPhone, limits 'em to two per person - Engadget ] ] There is no way to opt out of the data plan. The iPhone at first could not be added to an AT&T Business account, and any existing business account discounts cannot be applied to an iPhone AT&T account, which AT&T changed in late January 2008. [cite news |url=http://www.macworld.com/weblogs/editors/2007/06/iphone_act/index.php |title=iPhone activation disasters |work=Macworld |first=Jim |last=Dalrymple |date=2007-01-29 |accessdate=2007-06-30]

The Associated Press reported also that some users were unable to activate their phones due to what AT&T reported was "high volume of activation requests were taxing the company's computer servers." [cite news|url=http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070701/ap_on_hi_te/apple_iphone|title=Some iPhone customers face delays|work=Yahoo!|first=May|last=Wong|date=2007-07-01|accessdate=2007-07-01]

Early estimates by technology analysts estimated sales of between 250,000 to 700,000 units in the first weekend alone, with strong sales continuing after the initial weekend. [cite web|url=http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/07/07/02/amtech_iphone_to_become_fastest_selling_apple_product_in_history.html|title=AmTech: iPhone to become fastest selling Apple product in history|accessdate=2007-07-08|last=Marsal|first=Katie|date=2007-07-02|work=AppleInsider] [cite news|url=http://www.usatoday.com/tech/wireless/phones/2007-07-03-iphone-tech_N.htm|title=Up to 700,000 iPhones have sold|work=USA Today|first=Jefferson|last=Graham|date=2007-07-03|accessdate=2007-07-03] As part of their quarterly earnings announcement, AT&T reported that 146,000 iPhones were activated in the first weekend. Though this figure does not include units that were purchased for resale on eBay or otherwise not activated until after the opening weekend, it is still less than most initial estimates. [cite news|last=Johnson|first=Steve|title=Apple, AT&T shares fall on fewer-than-expected iPhone subscriptions|work=San Jose Mercury News|date=2007-07-24|url=http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_6452729|accessdate=2007-07-24] It is also estimated that 95% of the units sold are the 8 GB model. [cite web|url=http://news.com.com/8301-10784_3-9738446-7.html|title=Piper Jaffray: 500,000 iPhones sold over the weekend|accessdate=2007-07-09|last=Krazit|first=Tom|date=2007-07-01|work=CNET News]

Outsized bills

Stories of unexpected billing issues began to circulate in blogs and the technical press a little more than a month after the iPhone's heavily advertised and anticipated release.cite web
url=http://www.coxwashington.com/hp/content/reporters/stories/2007/08/16/BC_IBILL16_COX.html
title=A 300-page iPhone bill? Too much information, users say
accessdate=2007-10-02
author=Ho, David
date=2007-08-16
work=Atlanta Journal-Constitution
publisher=Cox Newspapers
pages=p. C1
quote=Internet message boards and blogs are buzzing with talk of paper iPhone bills dozens and even hundreds of pages long.] The 300-page iPhone bill in a box received by Justine Ezarik on Saturday August 11, 2007 [cite web
url=http://tech.monstersandcritics.com/news/article_1344359.php/Thirty_thousand_text_messages_equal_a_forest_killing_300-page_phone_bill
title=Thirty thousand text messages equal a forest killing 300-page phone bill
accessdate=2007-08-19
author=Ragan, Steve
date=2007-08-17
work=Monsters and Critics
publisher=WotR Ltd.
quote=The box arrived last Saturday and inside it contained her first bill after she purchased Apple’s iPhone.] [cite web | url = http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/05/AR2007090500370.html | title = Sexy Portable Storage : The 300-Page iPhone Bill | quote = Justine Ezarik, a graphic designer from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, posted a 1-minute video on her blog that shows her opening up a 300-page iPhone bill from AT&T--which was mailed in a box. | accessdate = 2007-10-02 | date = 2007-09-05 | author = Martin, James A. | format = | work = Washington Post ] became the subject of her viral video, posted by the following Monday, which quickly became an Internet meme.cite web
url=http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,136068/article.html
title= A 300-page iPhone Bill? : iPhone owners rail at AT&T for paper waste with overly detailed bills.
accessdate=2007-08-19
author=Keizer, Gregg
date=2007-08-16
work=Computerworld
publisher= PC World Communications
quote=One blogger, in fact, is in the middle of her 15 minutes of fame after posting a video that shows her unwrapping a 300-page AT&T bill.] cite web
url=http://www.usatoday.com/tech/wireless/phones/2007-08-14-iphone-bill_N.htm?imw=Y
title=How many trees did your iPhone bill kill?
accessdate=2007-08-19
author=Graham, Jefferson
authorlink=
date=2007-08-15
work=USA Today
publisher=Gannett
pages=
language=
archiveurl=
archivedate=
quote=Justine Ezarik, a Pittsburgh graphic designer and active Internet blogger, got her first bill on Saturday. She says it was so huge — 300 pages — it was delivered in a box.] This video clip brought the voluminous bills to the attention of the mass media. Ten days later, after the video had been viewed more than 3 million times on the Internet,cite web
url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/23/business/23bill.html?em&ex=1188014400&en=de1fe8dde56cab98&ei=5087%0A
title=AT&T’s Overstuffed iPhone Bills Annoy Customers
accessdate=2007-08-23
author=Hafner, Katie
date=2007-08-23
work=The New York Times
quote=Ms. Ezarik, 23, made a one-minute video that shows her flipping through the voluminous bill and posted it to YouTube and other video-sharing sites on Aug. 13. The video has since been viewed more than three million times,] and had received international news coverage, AT&T sent iPhone users a text message outlining changes in its billing practices. [cite web
url=http://arstechnica.com/journals/apple.ars/2007/08/22/att-says-no-more-300-page-iphone-bills
title=AT&T says "No more 300-page iPhone bills"
accessdate=2007-08-22
author=Cheng, Jacqui
date=2007-08-22
work=Ars Technica
quote=Surely due to the recent flurry over massively large iPhone bills, AT&T has begun sending text messages to its iPhone users assuring them that 50, or 75, or 300+ page iPhone bills will no longer be sent to their houses (unless they want them).]

Price drop outcry

On September 5 2007, the 4 GB model was discontinued, and the 8 GB model price was cut by a third.Apple Inc. (2007-09-05). [http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2007/09/05iphone.html Apple Sets iPhone Price at $399 for this Holiday Season] . Press releaseaccessdate|2007-09-05] Those who had purchased an iPhone in the 14-day period before the September 5 2007 announcement were eligible for a US$200 "price protection" rebate from Apple or AT&T. However, it was widely reported that some who bought between the June 29 2007 launch and the August 22 2007 price protection kick-in date complained that this was a larger-than-normal price drop for such a relatively short period and accused Apple of unfair pricing. [ [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/07/technology/07apple.html?_r=1&oref=slogin IPhone Owners Crying Foul Over Price Cut - New York Times ] ] [ [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/06/AR2007090600581.html Apple Stock Falls After IPhone Price Cut - washingtonpost.com ] ]

In response to customer complaints, on September 6 2007, Apple CEO Steve Jobs wrote in an open letter to iPhone customers that everyone who purchased an iPhone at the higher price "and who is not receiving a rebate or other consideration", would receive a US$100 credit to be redeemed towards the purchase of any product sold in Apple's retail or online stores. [ [http://www.apple.com/hotnews/openiphoneletter/ Steve Job's open letter to iPhone customers] ]

iPhone 3G pricing model changes

With the July 11 2008 release of the iPhone 3G, Apple and AT&T changed the U.S. pricing model from the previous generation. Following the model for mobile phone service in the United States, AT&T will subsidize a sizable portion of the upfront cost for the iPhone 3G followed by charging a moderately higher monthly fees over a minimum two year contract. [ [http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-phone-service/services/serviceDetails.jsp?LOSGId=&skuId=sku1160053&catId=cat1470003 Get Started - | Wireless from AT&T, formerly Cingular ] ]

European release

On November 9, 2007, iPhone was officially launched in Europe in the United Kingdom and Germany. In the UK, sales are going through the UK O2 unit of Telefónica, while in Germany, it is offered through Deutsche Telekom’s T-Mobile division. Similar to the previous launch in U.S. customers lined up as much as a day in advance to get hold of the much anticipated phone.

However, the initial operating model locking iPhone owners to one selected carrier have been controversial in Europe. In Germany, a competing operator, Vodafone, brought the case for court claiming that the arrangement was against German law. On November 20, 2007, an interim court order resulted in the locked iPhone sales in Germany to be temporarily stopped.

It is currently unclear how this situation will continue to develop in Europe. The iPhone launch in France a few weeks later through the operator Orange, facing the same legal issues. Other countries that will pose the same problems for the locked iPhone business model include Belgium, Italy, Finland, and Brazil.

On December 1 2007, Tusmobil, Slovenian mobile operator, started selling "unlocked" iPhones without an official contract with Apple, offer caused a lot of confusion with Apple Europe, local media and local Apple representatives. [cite news|url=http://24ur.com/naslovnica/novice/it/20071204_3111725.php?Ari=1i24|publisher=24ur|date=2007-12-04|accessdate=2007-12-04|title=Kje so kupili IPhone?|language=Urdu]

On May 6 2008, Telecom Italia announced that it has signed a deal with Apple to sell the iPhone in Italy [cite news|url=http://www.telecomitalia.it/cgi-bin/tiportale/TIPortale/ep/contentView.do?tabId=6&pageTypeId=-8663&LANG=IT&channelId=-9793&programId=9596&programPage=/ep/TImedia/TICSList.jsp?fonte=Telecom+Italia&contentId=32029&contentType=EDITORIAL&tabId=6&pageTypeId=9537|date=2008-06-05|accessdate=2008-06-05|title=Telecom Italia: firmato l'accordo per portare l'Iphone in Italia|language=Italian] within the end of 2008. It will probably be the second generation iPhone with 3G-UMTS capability.

On May 27 2008, TeliaSonera released a press release stating that it will start selling the iPhone in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia during 2008. [cite press release |title=TeliaSonera ska sälja iPhone i Norden och Baltikum |publisher=TeliaSonera |date=2008-05-27 |url=http://www.teliasonera.se/press/pressreleases/item.page?prs.itemId=357001 |format= |language=Swedish |accessdate=2008-05-27 |quote=TeliaSonera har skrivit avtal med Apple om att introducera iPhone i Sverige, Norge, Danmark, Finland, Litauen, Lettland och Estland senare i år. ]

On August 22 2008, EMT, Estonian mobile operator, started selling iPhones. [cite news|url=http://www.sloleht.ee/index.aspx?id=292725|date=2008-08-22|accessdate=2008-08-22|title=SL Õhtuleht: Inimesed ootasid hommikul EMT esinduste ukse taga uut iPhone'i|language=Estonian]

On August 22 2008, Vodafone Greece, released iPhones in the greek market. [Apple's iPhone in the market http://www.enet.gr/online/online_text/c=112,id=55308344]

On September 26 2008, Omnitel released iPhones in the Lithuania [http://www.lrytas.lt/-12224184741220369544-p1-it-vidurnakt%C4%AF-vilniuje-parduoti-pirmieji-iphone-3g-video-nuotraukos.htm] .

New Zealand release

The very first iPhone 3G model released on July 11 2008 was sold in Auckland New Zealand to 22 year old student Jonny Gladwell at 12:01am NZST. [cite web |url=http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/497100/1901369 |title=Auckland man snaps up first new generation iPhone |publisher=TVNZ |date=2008-07-11 ] The iPhone is available to customers on the Vodafone network. There was much criticism from New Zealand customers when Vodafone announced their pricing for the iPhone. The first generation of iPhones has be available for sale in New Zealand through parallel import stores since the phones originally went on sale in the US, the original 2G models available for sale in New Zealand have been unlocked for use on the Vodafone network and can be used with any plan including "Pre-paid." [ cite web |url=http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/iphone-price-shocks-apple-fans-32858 |title=iPhone price shocks Apple fans |publisher=http://www.nbr.co.nz The National Business Review |date=2008-07-08]

It is likely that in the near future rival phone network Telecom New Zealand will sell iPhones to be used on the Telecom Mobile Network. [ cite web |url=http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/telecom-may-also-sell-iphone |title=Telecom may also sell iPhone |publisher=http://www.nbr.co.nz The National Business Review |date=2008-05-08]

Non-exclusive deals

On May 6, Vodafone announced that they have signed a deal with Apple to sell the iPhone in Australia, Czech Republic, Egypt, Greece, Italy, India, Portugal, New Zealand, South Africa, and Turkey. [cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/05/06/1209839632618.html|publisher=Fairfax Digital|title=Vodafone to sell Apple's iPhone in Australia|date=2008-05-06]

Subsequent announcements confirmed that Apple is moving away from exclusive one-carrier deals. Soon after Vodafone's announcement, TIM announced it would also be selling the iPhone in Italy, on May 12, Optus [cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/biztech/optus-to-sell-the-iphone/2008/05/13/1210444380242.html|publisher=Fairfax Digital|title=Optus to sell the iPhone|date=2008-05-13] confirmed it would sell it in Australia and SingTel confirmed that it would be selling the iPhone in India through its Indian partner, Airtel. [cite news|url=http://www.newsline365.com/2008952/after-vodafone-its-now-singapore-telecom-planning-to-bring-apples-iphone-in-india/|publisher=NewsLine365|title=After Vodafone, It’s Now Singapore Telecom Planning To Bring Apple’s iPhone In India]

On June 4 2008, SoftBank Mobile released a press release stating that it will start selling the iPhone in Japan during 2008. [cite news |url=http://www.softbankmobile.co.jp/en/news/press/2008/20080604_01/ |publisher=SoftBank Mobile|title=Announcing “iPhone™”]

Russia's second largest mobile operator Beeline announced on August 28 2008 that they signed a contract with Apple to enter Russian market by the late 2008. This deal is rumoured to be non-excluse according to the unofficial statements made by some officials in two remaining mobile operators that belong to so-called Russia's Big Three – MTS and MegaFon - to enter iPhone 3G on Russian market simultaneously with Beeline. [cite news |url=http://www.macitynet.it/macity/aA33990/iphone_3g_arriva_in_russia_ufficiale.shtml |publisher=www.macitynet.it|title=Announcing “iPhone 3G arriving Russia, officially”] As it was predicted, MegaFon issued the press release about the same deal on September 2 2008 [cite news |url=http://megafon.ru/news/newsarhive/10280/ |publisher= [MegaFon Moscow] |title=MegaFon Moscow: MegaFon deals contract with Apple] MTS, the hugest mobile network of Russia and CIS still havent released any statement.

World timeline

†Country is not carrier-exclusive

Activation and SIM lock bypassing

The iPhone normally prevents access to its media player and web features unless it has also been activated as a phone through AT&T. On July 3 2007, Jon Lech Johansen reported on his blog that he had successfully bypassed this requirement and unlocked the iPhone's other features with jailbreaking. He published the software and offsets for others to use. [cite news|url=http://nanocr.eu/2007/07/03/iphone-without-att/|title=iPhone Independence Day|publisher=nanocr.eu|first=Jon Lech|last=Johansen|authorlink=Jon Lech Johansen|date=2007-07-03|accessdate=2007-08-14]

On August 14 2007, Gizmodo reported verification of a method to bypass the iPhone's SIM lock, allowing the phone to work freely with carriers other than AT&T. This method requires a Turbo SIM card costing approximately US$80 and essentially tricks the iPhone into believing that it is operating on the AT&T network even when it is connected natively (not in roaming mode) to another carrier. [cite news|url=http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/breaking/iphone-100-unlocked-using-turbo-sim-card-289148.php|title=iPhone 100% Unlocked Using Turbo SIM Card|work=Gizmodo|date=2007-08-14|first=Jesus|last=Diaz|accessdate=2007-08-14] Australian Personal Computer later published a 10 step guide to unlocking the iPhone using the Turbo SIM method. [cite news|url=http://apcmag.com/node/7122/|title=HOW TO: Hack the iPhone to work anywhere in the world -- 10 step guide with pics|work=Australian Personal Computer|date=2007-09-06|first=Danny|last=Gorog|accessdate=2007-09-08]

In mid-August, UniquePhones announced an unlocking service for the iPhone, only to retract this service the following week after receiving a phone call from a lawyer representing AT&T. [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6966600.stm/|work=BBC News|title=Legal threats halt iPhone crack|date=2007-08-28]

On August 24 2007, George Hotz, a 17 year old hacker from Glen Rock, New Jersey, broke the lock that ties Apple's iPhone to AT&T's Wireless Network. He confirmed that he unlocked the phone and was using it on T-Mobile's Network. The hack opened up a realm of possibilities for overseas customers because the iPhone was only sold in the U.S at the time. By unlocking it, Hotz opened up the phone to all kinds of phone networks across the world. Hotz posted the hack on his blog. [ [http://iphonejtag.blogspot.com/ On the iPhone ] ] The process is complicated and requires both disassembling the iPhone and executing software commands on a personal computer. Hotz, along with four others across the world, reportedly spent about 500 hours to unlock the phone. [cite news|url=http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8R7H9OG1&show_article=1|title=NJ Teen Unlocks IPhone From AT&T Network|work=breitbart|date=2007-08-24|first=Peter|last=Svensson|accessdate=2007-08-25] [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6963696.stm|title=Teenage hacker unlocks the iPhone|date=2007-08-25|work=BBC News|accessdate=2007-08-25] [cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2007/08/24/tech-iphone.html|title=Teenager unlocks iPhone for international use|publisher=cbc.ca|date=2007-08-24|accessdate=2007-08-24]

Also, on August 24 2007, Engadget reported, by way of photos and a video clip, that they were called by the "iPhoneSimFree" team to view a demonstration of unlocking the iPhone using a software only solution. [cite news|url=http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/24/iphone-unlocked-atandt-loses-iphone-exclusivity-august-24-2007/|title=Engadget iPhoneSIMFree post|work=Engadget|date=2007-08-24] Unlike Hotz's hardware hack, the code in this hack has not been made available to the general public. Sales of the unlock started on September 10, by way of several resellers who were able to order "keys" from iPhoneSimFree which are then passed onto the customer to use the software.

After only one full day of sales, early on September 11 the iPhoneDevTeam announced that they had also created a working "software unlock", and released it to the public for free. [ [http://arstechnica.com/journals/apple.ars/2007/09/11/free-iphone-unlock-supposedly-pending Free iPhone unlock supposedly pending] ] Utilizing the existing unlock requires some technical knowledge, although a GUI-based version was under construction. Two free, GUI-based unlocking programs which have been made available are AnySim and iUnlock Reloaded.

On September 24, 2007 Apple issued a warning that future updates could render unlocked iPhones unusable. [cite news|url=http://www.macworld.com/news/2007/09/24/iphoneunlock/index.php|title=Apple warns unlocked iPhones may become inoperable|work=Macworld|date=2007-09-24|accessdate=2007-09-29] On September 27, 2007, owners of unlocked iPhones who took advantage of the version 1.1.1 update through iTunes reported that the update rendered the device virtually inoperable. [cite news|url=http://www.macworld.com/news/2007/09/27/iphoneunlock/index.php|title=Apple update disables unlocked iPhones|work=Macworld|date=2007-09-27|accessdate=2007-09-29] There have also been reports that the update even affected some iPhones that were not unlocked, [cite news|url=http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/09/28/more-on-apples-latest-product-the-ibrick/|title=More on Apple’s Latest Product, the iBrick|work=The New York Times|date=2007-09-28|accessdate=2007-09-29] and Engadget found that the firmware update had "bricked" unhacked iPhones as well. The firmware update relocks iPhones, but in October 11 the iPhoneSIMFree announced that they had hacked the 1.1.1 iPhone update, not only unlocking them but also unbricking those iPhones which where bricked by the update. [cite news|url=http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/iphone-unlock/iphonesimfree-releases-first-111-sim-unlock-the-iphone-is-free-again-309571.php|title=iPhoneSIMFree Releases First 1.1.1 SIM Unlock, Fixes AnySIM-Bricked iPhones|work=Gizmodo|date=2007-10-11|accessdate=2007-10-11]

On October 16 2007, the iPhone Dev Team released AnySIM 1.1, the free utility that unlocks iPhones. The updated version works on firmware version 1.1.1, but doesn't fix baseband problems caused by updating an unlocked 1.0.2 phone up to 1.1.1.fact|date=November 2007

On October 23 2007, the iPhone Elite Dev-Team released Revirginizing Tool to rebuild the lock table in the seczone area to repair the damage done by the original anySIM 1.0x unlockers so unlocked 1.0.2 iPhones can upgrade to 1.1.1 without bricking the iPhone. The tool is unbricking the previously bricked iPhones.fact|date=November 2007

On November 21, 2007 T-Mobile announced that due to litigation commenced against them by their competitor Vodafone (which resulted in a preliminary injunction preventing T-Mobile from locking the SIM card to T-Mobile in Germany), it will sell the phone "unlocked" and will offer the iPhone without a T-Mobile contract for €999 (US$1,478) at its shops to customers in Germany until the court renders a decision. [cite news|url=http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSWEB918820071121|title=t-mobile to sell Iphone without contract|publisher=Reuters|date=2007-11-21|accessdate=2007-11-21]

During the end of November, Apple released another version of iPhone firmware, 1.1.2. This version does not have many new features, but breaks unlocks.fact|date=July 2008

During Macworld '08, on January 15, Apple released a fifth version of iPhone firmware, 1.1.3; this version repairs loopholes used by "iPhone Hackers." The firmware however had been compromised prior to release and new security measures were quickly bypassed.fact|date=July 2008

On February 8, 2008 Geohot released the first full software unlock for the 1.1.2 & 1.1.3 OTB iPhones. [ [http://iphonejtag.blogspot.com/2008/02/11246unlock-good-enough-for-prize.html On the iPhone: 11246unlock, good enough for the prize ] ]

ee also

*Timeline of Apple products

References