Right alongside the new SAM iPhone unlock method is an updated version of Redsn0w which helps users preserve their unlock. Dubbed Redsn0w 0.9.10b8, the updated release does not include any new jailbreaks and is only useful for individuals looking to save an iPhone unlock achieved through the Subscriber Artificial Module spoof method.

Download Redsn0w 0.9.10b8

• Download Now (Mac OS X)
• Download Now (Windows)

Saving the SAM Unlock

Using the new version of redsn0w to save an unlock for the future is done in a few simple steps:

1. Open Redsn0w 0.9.10b8 and click on “Extras” and click on “Even more”
2. Connect the unlocked iPhone and click “Backup”
3. Click “OK” at the popup menu to save the zip file to the redsn0w directory

Don’t lose the zip file if you want to keep the unlock, future versions of Redsn0w will likely use it to preserve unlocks.

A new unlock method has been discovered that works on every iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, and iPhone 3GS running iOS 5, iOS 5.0.1, and even iOS 5.1, the only requirement is the iPhone must be jailbroken already. If you’re already jailbroke go ahead, otherwise here are guides to jailbreak iOS 5.1 and another guide for the iPhone 4S with iOS 5.0.1.

• Assuming your iPhone is jailbroken and ready to go…
• Open Cydia and add the repo “repo.bingner.com” and then search for “SAM” by sbingner and install it
• Tap on the orange SAMPrefs icon that looks like a SIM card to launch the app
• Tap “Utilities” and select “De-Activate iPhone”, tap “OK” when the deactivation notification pops up
• Now tap “Method” and tap on “By Country and Carrier”
• Tap “Country” and select the country the iPhone is locked to
• Tap “Carrier” and choose the origin carrier the iPhone is locked to
• Tap “More Information” and tap the IMSI number found under “SAM Details”
• Tap on “Spoof Real SIM to SAM”
• Tap back to the primary SAM setting screen, and paste the IMSI number into IMSI
• Connect the iPhone to the computer and launch iTunes, letting iTunes reactive the iPhone
• Disconnect the iPhone from the computer and quit iTunes, then tap on “SAMPrefs” again and flip the “Enabled” switch so that SAM is disabled
• Relaunch iTunes and connect the iPhone to the computer yet again, ignore the “failed to activate” message and quit and relaunch iTunes again
• Wait a minute or two and the iPhone should get a signal from the new carrier, it’s now unlocked and activated

The downside to the SAM unlock method is that it requires a jailbreak, that means if you lose your the jailbreak you lose the unlock. If you don’t want to jailbreak or you can’t for some reason, you can officially unlock an iPhone from AT&T by phone or through AT&T via web chat instead. It can take several weeks for the unlock request to process with AT&T and the iPhone must be out of contract, but it doesn’t require any funky software mods and is much easier than the aforementioned SAM method.

Great find by Singularity and @musclenerd.

If you own an iPhone that is not part of a contract with AT&T, you can now officially unlock the device for use on other networks. We’ve discussed this before and our previous guide on unlocking the iPhone through AT&T focused on calling a special direct line, but now we’ll show you how to unlock an iPhone entirely through the web with the help of AT&T’s online technical support chat. This method is extremely quick, there are no wait times, and it’s easier for international users or for those without access to an active phone line.

Requirements

• Any out of contract iPhone
• AT&T Login – if you’re not a current AT&T customer we’ve heard reports that you can create a new AT&T login but YMMV
• The iPhone IMEI number found in Settings > General > About
• A valid email address to receive updates from AT&T
• About 5 minutes of your time

Assuming you meet all the requirements, jump ahead and start the simple unlock process.

Unlocking an iPhone with AT&T Web Tech Support

1. Go to AT&T’s online account tech support page, login with a valid AT&T ID, and click on “Technical Support” to start a chat with a live representative
2. State that you would like to unlock an off contract iPhone and provide the iPhone IMEI number
3. Let the AT&T representative check if the iPhone is indeed without a contract and give them an email address when asked

If everything checks out, the AT&T rep will provide you with a case number and an estimated date of completion for resolution. The date they provide is a rough estimate and by no means represents the date you will get an email from AT&T. Sometimes AT&T sends the unlock emails out within an hour but it can take up to 10 days as well, the time varies widely based on the volume of unlock requests. I have completed this process several times with multiple different iPhone models and it has worked every time, though the time between request and completion has varied.

There are a few potential situations that could complicate the otherwise simple unlocking process:

• Did you buy an iPhone used, or through a service other than AT&T or Apple? You may need to provide a receipt of purchase
• Is the iPhone still on a contract with another AT&T customer? You may need to wait until that customers iPhone contract period is up
• Do you have a past-due balance on an AT&T account? You will need to pay that before AT&T will unlock the iPhone

Once you do receive the unlock instructions from AT&T , they are basically telling you to restore the iPhone to activate the unlock. Backup before doing this so you can get back to where you were, and you’ll know the unlock worked because after restoring you get a “Congratulations, your iPhone is unlocked” message in iTunes.

As expected, you can now unlock an iPhone that is out of contract with AT&T. The process is straight forward and simple assuming you meet the basic requirements.

Requirements:

• iPhone not in contract with AT&T, either having completed a contract or purchased without contract
• AT&T account in good standing
• iPhone IMEI number

If you meet those requirements, proceed:

Unlock an iPhone Out of Contract with AT&T

1. Locate the iPhone IMEI number and make a note of it:
   • Tap Settings then tap General
   • Tap “About” and scroll down to find “IMEI”
2. Call AT&T either by dialing 611 from the iPhone, or call 1-800-331-0500 and then dial 0010 to immediately speak to a representative and skip the hold time (International users dial 1-800-335-4685)
3. Request your iPhone to be unlocked, provide the IMEI number of the device, and then wait for the instructions to be emailed to you

AT&T will initiate a request to unlock the iPhone and then you have to restore the iPhone through iTunes to complete the device unlock. With the device unlocked, a micro-SIM from T-Mobile or other compatible networks will now work in the iPhone.

The time it takes to receive the unlock instructions seem to vary widely, with requests being made earlier in the day being fulfilled sometimes with an hour, while later requests given up to two weeks wait time.

You can also complete the entire unlock request process online with AT&T technical support, read how to do that here.

iPhone owners who are out of contract with AT&T will be able to unlock their devices starting April 8. An unlock means the SIM card slot becomes usable outside of the AT&T network, allowing for an individual to swap SIM cards and gain service on another compatible carrier, like T-Mobile.

This exciting news comes from America OnLine Engadget, who provides the following official statement from AT&T:

Beginning Sunday, April 8, we will offer qualifying customers the ability to unlock their AT&T iPhones. The only requirements are that a customer’s account must be in good standing, their device cannot be associated with a current and active term commitment on an AT&T customer account, and they need to have fulfilled their contract term, upgraded under one of our upgrade policies or paid an early termination fee.

There are no instructions provided on how to unlock the iPhone, presumably a user will have to contact AT&T directly to walk through the unlock process with a representative. Typically this requires the IMEI number of the iPhone in question, which can be easily found on the iPhone itself or through iTunes. The phone number for AT&T wireless is 1-800-331-0500, and repeatedly pressing 0 is the easiest way to speak with a human being.

Given the pent up demand for unlocked iPhones there will likely be a surge of interest in unlocking contract-free devices. Unlocking is extremely beneficial to users who travel abroad. Purchasing a local pay-go SIM card is significantly cheaper than roaming through AT&T’s overpriced international rates, and also makes an iPhone more useful in areas where AT&T coverage is limited or does not exist.

Even those with no intention on using an iPhone abroad or with a competing cellular network should unlock their iPhone if given the chance. Individuals who bought an iPhone out of contract can also request the unlock, though their devices should already be unlocked by default.

If you didn’t buy an unlocked iPhone 4S from Apple to begin with, the phone is probably locked to its default carrier. In the USA, that is AT&T, and that means if you want to use it on another network either home or abroad it’ll need to be unlocked first.

Currently there are no software unlocks for iPhone 4S, but now a hardware unlock is available for the phone through GEVEY. The new GEVEY SIM works with iOS 5.0 and iOS 5.0.1, and iPhone 4S basebands 1.0.11, 1.013, 1.0.14. No jailbreaks are required, just the new GEVEY SIM which works as an interposer and unlocks the iPhone 4S with its original sim card. Afterwards, you can pop in a third party SIM and use the iPhone 4S on T-Mobile or any other compatible network. The video below will demonstrate how it works.

Gevey SIM costs $55 and will ship soon. That might seem fairly expensive until you realize there are no other options except buying an unlocked iPhone 4S which starts at $650.

If you buy an iPhone 4S off-contract from Apple, the phone comes unlocked. This means the iPhone can be used on any compatible GSM carrier as long as you have that networks micro-SIM card, and the device is activated on that network. This guide will show you how to activate the iPhone 4S for use on other networks.

Important: If you don’t own an iPhone 4S yet but you plan on buying an unlocked iPhone 4S in the USA, be sure to buy it directly from Apple and not from a carrier. Buying from a carrier locks it to that carrier even if you pay full price, while buying off-contract from Apple is unlocked from all carriers. This is the only guaranteed way to get an unlocked iPhone 4S in the USA.

Activating an Unlocked iPhone 4S

This has been confirmed to activate an unlocked iPhone 4S on any other compatible network:

• Be sure to have available wifi and internet access
• Remove the original AT&T micro-sim card
• Plug in the new carriers micro-SIM card
• Turn the iPhone on with the new sim card inserted, don’t do anything else on the phone
• Connect the iPhone to the computer by USB
• Launch iTunes
• Let iTunes find the iPhone 4S, and wait for the device activation to begin

iTunes will show you a “Congratulations, your iPhone has been unlocked” message, indicating the device is carrier unlocked and can now use any compatible micro-SIM card.

Thanks to Steve, Marcelo, and Antonio for confirming this solution with unlocked iPhone 4S models in the USA, Brazil, and Switzerland with a variety of carriers.

If you’ve maintained old iPhone baseband in order to utilize carrier unlocks, you’ll be pleased to know that you can now upgrade to iOS 5.0.1 and jailbreak untethered the iPhone while preserving the unlockable baseband. The procedure is done by using the newest version of PwnageTool 5.0.1, and if you’re familiar with past versions of pwnage then you should be right at home, but nonetheless we will walk through the entire process.

Note: Only need a jailbreak? If you don’t need a carrier unlock, use this guide to jailbreak iOS 5.0.1 untethered with redsn0w, it’s faster and doesn’t include the baseband preservation.

Before proceeding, make sure you meet the following requirements:

• iPhone 4 or iPhone 3GS with preserved and unlockable baseband: 01.59.00, 04.26.08, 05.11.07, 05.13.04, 06.15.00
• iOS 5.0.1 IPSW – optional, depending on if you already have it stored locally or not
• iTunes 10.5.2
• PwnageTool 5.0.1 – download now

Assuming you meet all those requirements and you understand the risks, continue on. Read carefully or else you can accidentally update your baseband and lose your unlock.

Jailbreak iPhone with iOS 5.0.1 while Preserving Baseband Unlock

• Launch PwnageTool 5.0.1 and select your iPhone model, then click the next arrow
• Let PwnageTool search for firmware (or you can download iOS 5.0.1 firmware manually), select it and click the Next arrow again
• Click “Yes” when asked if you want to save the custom IPSW file to the desktop, and click yes/no depending on your activation
• Let PwnageTool build the custom IPSW, enter the administrator password when asked
• Now connect the iPhone to the computer and place it into DFU mode: Hold power button for 3 seconds, continue holding Power button and also hold the Home button for 10 seconds, release Power button but continue to hold Home button for another 15 seconds
• When DFU is confirmed, quit out of PwnageTool and launch iTunes
• Hold the Option key and click on “Restore” and select the custom firmware created by PwnageTool, located on the desktop
• iTunes will now restore the iPhone to the custom iOS 5.0.1 build, simultaneously jailbreaking the phone and also preserving the unlockable baseband
• After the device has been jailbroken and booted up, launch Cydia and download Ultrasn0w 1.2.5 to unlock the iPhone

The unlocked iPhone should now be good to use on another carrier. If you have trouble activating, use the original activated SIM card briefly to pass through activation, or run the newest version of redsn0w on top.

Ultrasn0w 1.2.5 has been released and it allows for unlocking some iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 models with older modem firmware versions. Compatible baseband is as follows:

• iPhone 4: 01.59.00
• iPhone 3GS: 04.26.08, 05.11.07, 05.13.04, 06.15.00

You can check baseband on the iPhone by tapping on Settings > General > About and looking for “Modem Firmware” near the bottom of the About screen.

If your iPhone 3GS or iPhone 4 has eligible baseband and is already jailbroken, then you can just search Cydia for “ultrasn0w” and download and install the latest version. Reboot the iPhone and you’ll be able to use the new unofficial network. If you’re not sure what to do, follow the instructions below:

How to Unlock iPhone 3GS & iPhone 4 on iOS 5.0.1 with Ultrasn0w

Be sure to confirm baseband firmware before proceeding:

• Jailbreak iOS 5.0.1 with redsn0w 0.9.9b9 and then boot the iPhone tethered
• Open Cydia and search for ultrasn0w, installing the ultrasn0w 1.2.5 package onto the iPhone
• Shut off the iPhone and insert the new SIM card from another carrier
• Boot the iPhone tethered using redsn0w again
• Wait for the iPhone to join the new network

Most iPhones won’t be eligible to use this version of ultrasn0w due to the baseband limitation. Keep in mind you can now buy the iPhone 4S unlocked directly from Apple, they aren’t cheap but you won’t have to bother with jailbreaks, software unlocks, or preserving baseband versions between iOS upgrades, and will always be free to use the iPhone on whatever compatible network you have a SIM card for.

If you didn’t already buy an unlocked iPhone 4S from Apple or take advantage of Sprint and Verizons 90 day unlock request, you can apparently unlock the 4S’s GSM SIM card slot yourself by taking advantage of a strange bug in iOS 5 and how the iPhone 4S handles the Edge network.

Here’s what you’ll need to attempt this:

• GSM activated iPhone 4S (AT&T model on contract, for example)
• AT&T SIM card
• T-Mobile Micro SIM

If you have all of that, completing the unlock is a matter of tripping up iOS 5 by performing a virtual song and dance routine, how someone figured this is out is fairly impressive on its own:

How to Unlock the iPhone 4S

Do this at your own risk:

• Insert original carrier AT&T SIM card
• Dial 611 for AT&T customer service hotline and drop the call
• Turn on Airplane Mode
• Take out AT&T SIM card
• Insert T-Mobile SIM card
• Make sure WiFi is off ( also tap on ‘Forget this Network” to make sure it doesn’t connect automatically later)
• Switch off Airplane Mode and iPhone will search for network. This is followed by the Apple splash screen appearing.
• Activation Required will be displayed on the screen
• EDGE network will activate automatically – notice the ‘E’ on the top left corner of the screen
• Wait for about 20-30 seconds and turn off the phone
• Turn on iPhone and the same Activation Required screen will be displayed
• When you see one signal bar, tap on Use Cellular Connection
• Eject SIM card
• Activation Required screen will be displayed the second time
• Insert SIM card
• Unlocked!

Multiple users are reporting success with this method, although some had to repeat it many times to get it to finally work.

Apparently this trick has been around for a few weeks now, although it hasn’t been widely publicized for some reason or another. Here’s a YouTube video of someone completing the procedure as described above:
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