Following the release of a Mac-only tool for hacking the iPhone 3G, a new Windows-only version has been released. However, neither of these solutions will unlock the iPhone 3G for use on non-AT&T networks because of hardware changes made to the handset by Apple. While hackers are trying to figure out how to circumvent carrier lock, we wonder if it is even worth the effort.
The race to unlock the iPhone 3G is heating up, with two solutions now available to hack it. Yet, none of them enables you to unlock the handset for unsanctioned use with a network other than AT&T. This is primarily due to hardware changes in the iPhone 3G that render the hacking procedure that worked on the original iPhone obsolete.

We have talked in the past about the Mac-only hack tool,  Pwnage Tool 2.0, in  previous post. Shortly after Pwnage Tool was released, a new Windows-only solution dubbed WinPwn 2.0 was made available. Hacking your Apple handset voids your warranty and may lead to a bricked iPhone, but, in theory, it gives you the freedom to install and run non-Apple-approved third-party applications that are not distributed on the App Store. However, since most developers who are now re-writing their applications using the iPhone SDK, the majority of them will likely end up on the App Store anyway. This may make hacking your iPhone an academic exercise, and impractical.

Of course, what everyone is waiting for is a solution that would free the iPhone 3G from AT&T's network. When hackers crack that one, there is still the matter of obtaining the iPhone 3G without being bound to a restrictive, long term service contract. That won’t be a problem when AT&T starts selling the 8GB iPhone 3G without a 2-year contract for $599. In the meantime, there is a workaround . You can sign a two-year contract to get your iPhone and then terminate it after 30 days in order to keep the handset. You will end up paying a $36 activation fee, service charges for the first month (around $100 with taxes) and $175 early termination penalty, on top of the $199 you paid for the handset. This comes to $510 in total. Is that still worth the effort? We’ll see.

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