On June 28, after two long years of toiling under AT&T's exclusivity boot, original iPhone users--those that haven't upgraded--will be released from their contracts, ready to strike out on their own with a (hopefully) kinder, gentler mobile carrier. To help ease the transition we've researched the legal and technical implications of unlocking your first-gen iPhone and arranged them into this handy-dandy FAQ.

I'm sick of AT&T and I'm ready to give them the hard goodbye. What do I need to know?

For starters, you should know that all iPhone models utilize GSM mobile voice technology. GSM allows users to switch SIM cards out of their cell phones for use with other accounts while also allowing carriers like AT&T to lock their handsets for use only on their network. This is the case with all iPhones. Unlocking a cell phone allows you to put any carrier's SIM card and still use the network.

Sounds shady. Can I get sued doing this?

No. Despite what AT&T or anyone else tells you unlocking any cell phone, including the iPhone, for personal use is completely legal in the US. The reason being, in 2006, the US Copyright Office granted an exemption for cell phone unlocking under the Digital Millenium Copyright Act. In short, the Copyright Office ruled that users are free to unlock their cell phones to lawfully connect to other carriers. The exemption is set to expire later this year, which still puts you in the clear, but if you'd like to hang on to this little freedom you can support the Electronic Frontier Foundation, which lobbied for the original exemption in 2006.

Oh, ok. How do I unlock my iPhone?

Technically, the easiest way to unlock your iPhone is to call AT&T and request a subsidy unlock, which is a code that allows the iPhone to accept other carriers' SIM cards. The unlock procedure itself is relatively simple and often granted for other devices: You provide the carrier with your device's model number, a reason for unlocking, say vacationing or moving abroad, and the device's unique IMEI number (dial *#06# on the iPhone). The rep should then provide an unlock code.

Sounds simple enough. Let me get AT&T on the horn...

Not so fast, Sparky. AT&T has billions riding on their exclusivity deal with Apple, so they aren't too keen on letting any iPhone, even the outdated 2G into the wild unlocked. Worse yet, AT&T is under no legal obligations to unlock the iPhone or any other handset for their customers. Unlike some European countries like France and Italy, no US laws or regulations compel telecom carriers to unlock cell phones upon request or at retail. As of May 2009, AT&T's official stance is that it will not unlock any iPhone for any reason.

So it's hopeless, then?

Not quite. Earlier this year we successfully procured a first generation iPhone unlock code from a friendly AT&T rep. More recently, though, we tried to obtain another unlock code from five different customer service reps, four at AT&T and one at Apple. Three reps flat out refused while the other two reps provided us with case IDs and promised we would be emailed the code within one week. As of this writing we have not received any codes, but we'll update if that changes. Your best bet is to try your luck and hope for a helpful (read: clueless) rep, but success is not guaranteed.

What if AT&T won't budge on giving up the unlock code?

You've still got one more trick up your sleeve--the software unlock. A group of developers calling themselves the iPhone Dev Team have been steadily releasing free unlocking tools since the original iPhone's release back in 2007. QuickPwn, a simple and easy program for the PC and Mac can unlock any first-gen iPhone running 2.2.1 firmware. You can even relock the phone just by reinstalling an official update. The Dev Team is also hard at work creating an update to unlock iPhones running firmware 3.0. If you've already updated to 3.0, check their blog on Friday, June 19, the expected date the unlock software will be released.

Hey, it worked! My iPhone is unlocked! Er, now what?

Congratulations! Your iPhone is now unlocked and ready to be used on any GSM network you choose. The two biggies in the US are T-Mobile and AT&T, plus a handful of regional providers.

Do I still need to sign a contract?

Nope. T-Mobile, in addition to unofficially supporting iPhone users, offers a competitive FlexPay plan that doesn't lock you into a contract. Sadly, AT&T can't say the same, anymore, but that doesn't mean you can't employ another simple hack to avoid AT&T's shenanigans and wave goodbye to mobile contracts forever.