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Apple iPhone 3G may be Unlocked with New Software

SAN FRANCISCO - Apple Inc.’s iPhone 3G can be unlocked with new software, allowing the device to run on unauthorised wireless networks, a group called the iPhone Dev Team said.

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The programmers released a test version of the software, called Yellowsn0w, on their blog this week.

The program aims to free iPhone 3G owners from having to get their wireless service from Apple’s approved partners, such as AT&T Inc. in the United States.

Apple has sought to keep hackers from unlocking the iPhone since it released the original version of the device in 2007.

The company designed the phone to only work on authorised networks, selecting exclusive wireless partners around the world.

In the US, an iPhone purchase requires a two-year service contract with Dallas-based AT&T.

“The iPhone is designed to work exclusively on the AT&T network in the US, and any other use is inappropriate and likely to void the warranty,” Mark A. Siegel, an AT&T spokesman, said in an interview from Atlanta.

“We can’t guarantee all of the features will work with this software.”

Apple tried to quash unauthorised use of the iPhone in September 2007, with a software update that rendered some unlocked devices inoperable. Hacker groups developed programs that allowed those phones to work again.

The iPhone 3G, a faster version of the device, debuted last year.

Company spokeswoman Natalie Kerris didn’t immediately respond to a message seeking comment. Cupertino, California-based Apple is closed during the holidays.

Apple climbed $5.40, or 6.3 per cent, to $90.75 on Saturday in Nasdaq Stock Market trading.

The shares dropped 57 per cent last year.

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