[Osiris]

A utility claimed to be the world's first software tool for unlocking the Apple iPhone was launched yesterday, even as hardware hackers said they'd figured out how to get the same result by tweaking the gadget itself.
Website iPhone Sim Free said its application would go on sale next week. Had we not handed our iPhone back we might have been able to take the company up on its offer of a free trial.
document.write('\x3Cscript src="http://ad.uk.doubleclick.net/adj/reg.hardware.4159/pdas;'+RegExCats+GetVCs()+'pid='+RegId+';'+RegKW+' maid='+maid+';test='+test+';pf='+RegPF+';dcove=d;p os=top;sz=336x280;tile=6;ord=' + rand + '?" type="text/javascript">\x3C\/script>');
It's keen to persuade iPhone punters that its app will indeed easily allow the Apple mobile to work with any SIM cards, not just AT&T's.
That said, the company's only going to allow three publications to have their iPhones unlocked gratis, so we'll have to wait a while to discover if this is the real deal.
Meanwhile, website Finding JTAG on the iPhone has posted a ten-step walkthrough to unlocking the iPhone that involves opening up the phone and soldering in a wire that, the site claims, tricks the chip into thinking part of the Flash memory has been erased. You then copy off the firmware, tweak the code and put it back.
The site provides links to the various software tools you need, but that's no help if you have a shaky soldering hand. Be warned, this is a tricky procedure and, as the website admits, you run the risk of killing your iPhone. You also need to pre-patch the iPhone to allow it to run non-Apple apps.
Does it work? It seems to. A YouTube video shows an iPhone connected via - blink and you'll miss it - T-Mobile and with the SIM card subsequently removed:

iPhone unlock procedure posted | Reg Hardware