It seems like a lot of people are interested in how to unlock a 16gb iPhone, because that exact search phrase has sent an odd amount of traffic to some seemingly unrelated posts here. So I figure, why not just give the people what they’re looking for?

Firstly, and most importantly - there is NO software unlock for an out of the box - otb - 1.1.3 firmware. Just isn’t happening, at least until 1.1.4 is released. That means that you are going to need a hardware method.

Editors note - As of 2/8/2008, there is a software method put out by GeoHot. That will be discussed later. The easiest of such is going to be a TurboSIM, or one of its Chinese knockoff counterparts.

For around $30 (USD), you can pick up a brand-neutral “Turbosim”. What this does is “tricks” your shiny new iPhone into thinking that the SIM card that you’ve just inserted (be it T-Mobile, Orange or otherwise) is actually an up-and-up AT&T sim card. But there’s a problem! The phone must be activated first, because no matter how much the iPhone thinks your card is valid, iTunes is going to disagree.

To bypass activation and “jailbreak” a 1.1.3 iPhone is no easy process, but Sbrocket at Macrumors.com has done an excellent job of doing so. You can read a thorough and excellent guide here. You will need to downgrade your phone to version 1.1.1 and then go back up through the upgrade process while jailbreaking at each step. This is time consuming, but its your only hope to use that large capacity iPhone on an unsanctioned network.

Once your device is activated and running, things get easier. Follow the instructions included with your turbo sim and attach the sim to the card sled. Insert into the iPhone, and you should be in business.

If you remain patient and follow ALL the steps outlined, you will be fast on your way to some carrier-unrestricted iPhone loving!