iPhone disabling reports 'true'

2 October 2007

Reports that the iPhone could be completely disabled if it is unlocked to be used with other handsets have proved to be correct, it has emerged.

According to the BBC, thousands of iPhone users have hacked their mobile to attempt to unlock it to insert a SIM of another provider, despite a warning by Apple that doing so could leave the device "permanently inoperable".

In the US, iPhone users are obliged to take out two-year contracts with network operator AT&T, but many people have tried to unlock the gadget to get a cheaper deal with another network.

The news comes as a woman in New York has filed a $1 million lawsuit against Apple for cutting the price of the iPhone by $200 only months after it was launched.

Dongmei Li from New York claims the company violated price discrimination laws after cutting the price of the eight-gigabyte version down from $599 to $399.

Apple has sold more than one million iPhones worldwide since the introduction of the gadget in June.

The device goes on sale in the UK on November 9th.

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