Carphone Warehouse needs hackers

AN INQ reader has contacted us to reveal that executives at the UK's Carphone Warehouse (CPW) are strutting around head offices sporting Iphones. But they can't use them to make calls.

The reason is simple. These phones are still locked to the AT&T (Cingular) network in the States. So what they need is a decent hacker that can circumvent the SIM lock.

Trawling the web, there are umpteen people claiming to be almost there. Naturally none of them say how many Iphones they have trashed trying to get their unlocking codes to work.

It's also likely that any unlock will only be temporary because as soon as Apple upgrades the firmware (and you download it from ITunes), the handset will probably stop working until the next hack arrives.

The fact that Carphone is definitely going to be selling the phones by December also points heavily towards the fact that O2 is tipped to be Apple's UK network partner. If it had been Vodafone, there wouldn't have been much point.

INQ readers may recall that Vodafone effectively dumped CPW by signing an exclusive deal with Phones4U over contract customers.

Which would have made it impossible for CPW to resell the Iphone. Although it's a little known fact that the Iphone is actually available on prepay in the States on a tariff known as GoPhone.

Our source also reveals that Carphone will soon offer a service known as Fone Finder. If you lose your phone and it's still switched on, the service will give an approximate location for the device.

So if it's rapidly heading North up the M1 then you'll know it's been stolen and not left at home. µ

See Also
Vodafone dumps Carphone Warehouse