Software said to 'unlock' iPhone 3G

NEW YORK, Jan. 3 (UPI) -- Apple's deals with iPhone carrier partners such as AT&T Inc. in the United States could be threatened by moves to "unlock" the phones, analysts say.

This week a group called the iPhone Dev Team released a free piece of software that enables iPhone 3G owners to use wireless carriers other than AT&T and France Telecom SA's Orange unit, which in turn could lead to a loss in revenue for Apple's wireless partners, The Wall Street Journal reported Saturday.

Under agreements in force since iPhone was launched in June 2007, the device can generally be used only by subscribers to those carriers, but the Journal said several users have successfully installed the new software on their mobile units and were able to make calls on non-authorized networks.

The iPhone Dev Team earlier unlocked the original iPhone model and didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. An Apple spokeswoman declined to comment to the Journal, saying only that Apple doesn't support unlocked iPhones in the United States.