Unlocko: Phones for everyone
October 1, 2005 by Jayvee Fernandez
Filed under Services
Back here, the method of “opening your cellphone” has become a huge underground business – it has become part of culture. However, I was actually surprised to find this article from WIRED that shows how the whole deal can be legit. It’s so legit that you can incorporate the service into a corporation! The reason why telcos hunt down these type of service providers is because opening a cellphone line destroys the business model of mass market. Telcos are able to acquire phones at a much cheaper rate than retail (like, duh!). it’s so cheap that they barely, and most of the time, don’t make a profit from it. What’s in it for them? Subscriber loyalty for several years. That’s why they put that “secret handshake” which Unlocko tries to break.
Unlocko’s software reprograms your mobile phone so it bypasses the “secret handshake” CellPhoneCo’s locking software requires before the phone will operate. After “circumventing” the handshake requirement, the phone — like virtually any modern piece of electronics — runs software installed on its internal chip.
Article at WIRED Magazine Online
