An Australian teenager, who unlocked his iPhone so it could be used on networks outside the US, has traded the gadget for a brand new Nissan 350Z.
Sydney, Aug.29 : An Australian teenager, who unlocked his iPhone so it could be used on networks outside the US, has traded the gadget for a brand new Nissan 350Z.
According to The Age, the US company he made the trade with, Certicell, a mobile phone repair company, also gave George Hotz, 17, three new locked 8GB Apple iPhones and a paid consulting job, "to recognise him for his hard work over the summer", Certicell co-founder Terry Daidone said.
In Australia, a new Nissan 350Z sells for over 60,000 dollars, while in the US a 8GB iPhone can be bought for 599 dollars.
Daidone said he did not plan to sell the device, which is regarded as one of the first completely unlocked iPhones anywhere in the world, but would instead keep it on display in his Kentucky offices and bring it to trade shows to display in the Certicell booth.
He said the handover would take place at a press conference to be held in the US on Friday.
Apple has said it expects to launch the phone in Europe by the end of this year and in Australia and Asia sometime next year.
Today, the iPhone is available only in the US and it is tied to the AT and T network, sparking a battle between hackers to see who could unlock the device for other networks first.
Hotz has said that he would give the three new iPhones to three online friends who helped him perform the unlock hack, which is complicated and requires the use of a soldering iron and software.
Hotz has documented the step-by-step method to unlock the iPhone on his blog, iphonejtag.blogspot.com.
ANI