It’s been a long time waiting but I can confirm now that my 3G iPhone is now unlocked on the South African Vodacom network. Its simply sweeeeeeet!
Basic requirements: (see how to below)
iPhone firmware MUST be upgraded to version 2.2
iPhone MUST be jailbreaked with Quickpwn
You MUST install Yellowsn0w
Obviously I can take absolutely no (SFA) credit for this. It is all down to the marvellously clever and ever perseverant chaps at Dev Team and Yellowsn0w! Combined they have come up with the all new Quickpwn to jailbreak the phone and then through the new Cydia package you can download the Yellosn0w app which unlocks the iPhone. Here is Dev Teams blog where you can catch up on all the latest and greatest updates in the fight against the Apple Capitalist Whores (I mean that in the nicest possible way of course!)
This has been out for a couple of weeks now but with all things technical I don’t usually like being the first kid on the block to try it as there are always teething problems. And thank goodness for that since there were a few issues as reported in many forums, but this is known as beta testing! Most of the expected (and unexpected) issues have since been taken care of and it seems pretty stable to me. Actually its quite incredible. So simple!
Here’s a step by step: Check * comments below first for hints and tips! Use at own risk. I hold no responsibility whatsoever. I have merely listed what I had to do. There are better forums and instructions you can find with simple searching on Google and the relevant Yellowsn0w and Dev Team websites!
- BACK UP YOUR IPHONE! *
- Connect iPhone 3G to iTunes
- Download and install update to 2.2 (essential) **
- Download the latest Quickpwn
- Restart your PC
- With the iPhone still connected (do not open iTunes) run Quickpwn
- Follow all Quickpwn prompts on your iPhone. Be alert! There are quick user actions required. Know what your Home button it. Know what your power button is! ***
- iPhone will restart. Close Quickpwn
- Open your WiFi connection and connect to a WiFi network (I used Mugg & Bean) ****
- Open Cydia on your iPhone (you will now see the icon on the desktop)
- Run the necessary updates as prompted
- Click Manage – Click Sources – Click Edit – Click Add
- Type in http://apt9.yellowsn0w.com *****
- Click Add Source
- It will automatically update all source repositories
- Click Search – Type in Yellowsn0w
- Click on search result Yellowsn0w and install it
- Restart your iPhone3G
- HEY PRESTO, welcome to your unlocked iPhone on any network
* In iTunes, right click on your device and select Backup! This can take a while. This is just in case the shit hits the fan and you have to restore the thing. Be aware this backup does not cover everything. It will back up your Contacts, Notes, Camera Roll (not synced photos), SMS’s and some App Store applications. It does NOT backup your music or videos or much else for that matter. If the proverbial does hit then reconnect and restore. This will also take some time!
** You can do this in one step in iTunes and just allow iTunes to connect, download and install. Mine however failed a couple of times. It is a 248MB download and since I am on cellular 3G on my laptop this wasted my cap limit instantly basically costing me a small fortune. I now prefer to download the update file independently and once I know its there and good then open iTunes, cancel the prompt to auto update, hold down shift key and click update. It will open an explorer type browse window and prompt you for a file location for the .IPSW file you just downloaded. It will self extract and run. Just let it do it’s thing. FIND THE IPSW FILES HERE!!!! <— CLICK! This will take you to a page that lists all the direct download links for the iPhone firmware files to upgrade to version 2.2
*** If you manually downloaded the 2.2 update file, then when prompted in Quickpwn for your update file (.IPSW) simply browse to the location you saved it. Let it run and do it’s thing. Your Home button is the round (only) button on the face of the iPhone. The Power button is the small long thin silver button on the top right of your iPhone. This may seem trivial to you you but you are suddenly prompted to push and hold these in different orders and different timings. Get this wrong like I did and you may end up having to unnecessarily restore your iPhone to factory default and then run a restore from backup! Painful.
**** I wasted a lot of time thinking how stupid this was. If I couldn’t connect to the mobile carrier then how the hell could I get into the 3G network and how the hell could I download Yellowsn0w with Cydia?? I completely forgot about the WiFi connection because I hardly ever use it here. WiFi is the ONLY way you can do this!
***** Yellowsn0w is spelt with a 0 (zero) in sn0w
Have fun. There’s not a lot more info I can offer. If you have any technical issues then please use our good mate Google to find all the forums for any known solutions. You will be warned countless times that this software is still in it’s beta testing phase so therefore cannot be expected to be 100% foolproof. Saying that though, I am having no problems AT ALL! 8)
GREAT JOB Dev Team and Yellowsn0w!!!
