The dangers of unlocking your iPhone may not be apparently clear at first. This is, after all, something we hear about every day on the internet. However, there is a serious danger of ruining your iPhone. In my opinion that makes it a very expensive experiment, and I wouldn’t go trying it out just to see what might or might not happen. In many cases the damage that happens cannot be undone!

An unlocked iPhone is an iPhone that has its firmware hacked into. The most common reason for this is so that the user can bypass the Apple – AT&T exclusive agreement that AT&T is the sole provider of cell phone service for the iPhone. When you unlock your iPhone, you are allowing the iPhone to be used on any cell phone network using standard GSM technology.

The reason we hear about this so often is that while AT&T has a pretty big network, there are definitely areas where it’s not available. My friend Angela and I were discussing this today actually. She can’t get the AT&T service in her small town area, so even though she really wanted the iPhone, she settled on another phone that was compatible with the cell phone plans available to her. Of course, other folks simply might not want to change their service providers, yet they want the style icon and fun extras that an iPhone offers.

You may have heard several different pieces of information about how to execute an unlock for the iPhone. Not only can you unlock iPhone firmware 1.0.2, now firmware 1.1.2 is also cracked and so is firmware 1.1.3. If your read all of the hype, then you might think that this is not a big deal and anyone can do it. You even have the choice of purchasing an unlock from one of several unlocking sites or you can search YouTube for the latest video on how to unlock your iPhone. There is risk associated with this, especially if you start messing around with the bootload program. The dangers of unlocking your iPhone may actually outweigh the benefits.

If you make a major mistake, you can “brick” your iPhone. This is exactly what it sounds like, your iPhone locks up, cannot be recovered from, and is now nothing more than an expensive shiny brick. At best you can use it as a fancy paperweight on your desk.

What about buying an unlocked iPhone? Here again the dangers of unlocking your iPhone still hold true, only this time you have no idea of how the phone was unlocked. Vendors selling unlocked iPhones may not be so helpful, but you can try to contact them for help. Honestly, I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for a reply from them.

The best thing to do is to see what service providers are available in your area, that meet your personal phone needs, and then choose your cell phone. There are plenty of other amazing smartphones out there… the iPhone is just one in a sea of many!