Step 1
Let’s check to see if jailbreaking or unlocking an iPhone makes sense for you by explaining what they actually mean: Jailbreaking allows you to load non-iTunes, third-party apps like these onto the phone, at your own risk. Unlocking lets you use another company’s SIM card (for T-Mobile or international travel). That’s it. And if you don’t like it, you can restore the original Apple software any time using iTunes’ Restore button—we’ve done it plenty of times.

This guide is for the original iPhone, iPhone 3G and iPod Touch running the new iPhone 3.0 firmware. If you own a 3GS, you’ll need to wait since it hasn’t been hacked quite yet. But if you’re ready to hack your iPhone, grab your Mac or PC, iPhone and the USB adaptor cable. Let’s do this.

Step 2
Even if all you want to do is unlock the phone, you need to jailbreak it first, and that requires redsn0w, a Mac/PC jailbreaking program. Download the official redsnow torrent files HERE, then download redsn0w via your Bittorrent client of choice. Make sure you’ve backed up your iPhone to your computer before moving forward. That creates a data restore point in case you want to ditch the jailbreak apps. Done? OK.

Step 3
Redsn0w works by patching the iPhone firmware file on your computer, then loading it onto your iPhone without using iTunes. So open redsn0w. Follow its instructions to select your .ipsw (iPhone firmware) file. On Macs, you can find the file at Home Folder/Library/iTunes/iPhone Software Updates. Or just download a new one from HERE. Once you’ve found your .ipsw, move on.

Step 4
Begin patching, but keep in mind this one setting: Redsn0w will ask if you want to install Cydia or Icy or Both. (These are apps that can load programs on jailbroken phones and will be needed to unlock the phone later.) JUST INSTALL CYDIA, NOT BOTH, OR ERRORS ARE PRONE TO ARISE LATER. TRUST ME. Once the .ipsw file is patched, make sure to plug in your iPhone then turn it off while still plugged. When you see the screen “Click NEXT when your iPhone is both OFF and plugged in…” go on to the next step.

Step 5
Now you need to put your phone into DFU mode to load the patched firmware. You’ll hold the top power button for two seconds, then hold the Home button with it for 10. Then you’ll release the top button and just hold Home for 30 or so. It’s not as hard as it sounds, and if you mess up you can just try again, but you need to pay attention, so make sure you’re holding your phone and watching the computer screen when you hit “next.” Redsn0w will guide you through the pattern of holding the top and home buttons in timed succession. If you’re successful, redsn0w will inform you that your phone is being jailbroken and you can stop holding the Home button. If you’re not, redsn0w will reset the process and you’ll probably need to manually restart your iPhone.

Step 6
Wait as the jailbroken firmware loads onto your iPhone. (You’ll see a disk drive on the phone’s screen, then this cute pineapple graphic as it installs.) After a few minutes, the phone will reboot just as it does with official firmware. Congratulations, your phone is jailbroken! Most of you are done—just load Cydia (which is now an app on your iPhone) and search for apps you’d like to install. Others need to continue this tutorial for the unlock.

Step 7
If you want to unlock your original or 3G iPhone so it can take a T-Mobile or international SIM, follow these next steps. You’re done with your computer, so make sure your iPhone is on a Wi-Fi connection. We’re going to use Cydia to download and install ultrasn0w, which unlocks your iPhone.

Step 8
Cydia will first ask what kind of interface you’d like. I’m no hacker, so I chose the graphical view. Then Cydia will want to download at least 2 Essential Upgrades. Let it by choosing “complete upgrade.” If Cydia’s successful, you’ll see a bunch of install code and the option to “Close Cydia (Restart).” Hit that button. (Note: If you are getting errors in this step, it may be because you installed both Cydia and Icy. If you did that, restore your iPhone with official 3.0 firmware via iTunes and start the process over.)

Step 9
Reopen Cydia. Go to Manage -> Sources -> Edit – > Add and then enter “repo666.ultrasn0w.com” in the text field. This should add ultrasn0w as a Cydia source so that you can download the ultrasn0w software. Choose to return to Cydia and then click “Done”.

Step 10
Click the repo666.ultrasn0w.com listing under your Sources. Click repo666.ultrasn0w.com again at the next screen (redundant, we know). Then click Install. You’ll see a black screen with some text and, after a few seconds, it should read “Complete”. Reboot your phone with your new SIM.

Congratulations, your iPhone is unlocked! But if you’re having any type of problems (it’s not our fault!!) check out the Dev Team blog. Chances are that if you’ve encountered a particular issue, so has someone else.

Q: I chose sides early in the HD DVD/Blu-ray shenanigans and unfortunately, made the right decision and supported HD DVD. What do I do now?
A: Try and sell your HD DVD player or Xbox 360 HD DVD add-on as fast as you can. Go list it on craigslist or eBay already. The mainstream hasn’t heard about HD DVD’s demise just yet, which means you can find some chump to buy your player and movies on the cheap. How soundly you sleep at night is up to you.

Q: Really? You mean my player is useless? Won’t there be any more movies released on HD DVD?
A: A few more releases that are already in the pipeline might trickle out in the next couple months, but just watch as all the studios abandon the format and go exclusively Blu-ray. You’re better off just selling off all your stuff unless you want to keep it around to win our retro Gizmodo tech contest of 2028.

Q: But what if I already have a gigantic HD DVD library?
A: It depends on how gigantic it is. If it’s not too big, you can re-buy your library on Blu-ray. If it’s huge, you might want to buy a combo player, like the one from LG, in order to ease your transition. Either way, you’re going to be out a bit of money. You might want to just shoot yourself in the face now and be done with it.

Q: I chose sides early in the HD DVD/Blu-ray shenanigans and chose Blu-ray. What do I do now?
A: Besides calling up your grandmother to rub it in her face, there’s not much you need to do. Just sit and wait for your favourite movies to come out on Blu-ray.

Q: Right, but how long do I have to wait, exactly, before I can watch Batman Begins on my PlayStation 3?
A: Beats me. Now that Blu-ray is the de-facto format, the studios should be falling over themselves trying to remaster their already released HD DVD movies onto Blu-ray. If we had to guess, it’d be within the year.

Q: OK, now that the war is “officially over”, is it time for me to buy a Blu-ray player?
A: Maybe. It’s still relatively early in the technology’s lifespan, which means prices for Blu-ray players are still quite high when you compare it to the sub-$100 upscaling DVD players you can find at Harvey Norman. Plus, the BD library is incredibly thin when compared to DVD, so you might not be getting much use out of the player in your day-to-day movie watching. But if you really do want to get into the HD game (and have an HDTV to back it up), it’s finally safe to buy a player.

Q: So you’re saying that I’m going to be paying more for these movies on Blu-ray? When will the prices drop to DVD levels?
A: That’s tough to say. For example, Superman Returns is only US$14.98 for the DVD version but US$23.95 for the Blu-ray version. It’s going to take a few years yet for that 23 to drop to 14. If you had to force us to guess, we’re going to say about three years. That’s 2011.

Q: I don’t buy movies, I rent them. When are Netflix and Blockbuster going to get in gear and stock a bunch of Blu-ray movies?
A: As soon as the major studios start releasing Blu-ray movies in bulk. If you recall the VHS to DVD transition, it took quite a while for VHS tapes to phase out, and this transition will be quite similar. Again, if you forced us to guess, we’d have to say 2010.

Q: Screw it, I’m convinced. I’m going to go out and buy a player today. Which player should I buy?
A: Unless you’re morally opposed to gaming or having a gaming device in your living room, you should go with the PlayStation 3. It’s software-upgradeable, plus it’s relatively cheap even when compared to standalone Blu-ray players. You even get a gaming system thrown in.

Q: Speaking of gaming, what if I already purchased an Xbox 360 and want to be able to watch Blu-ray movies? Will I have to buy a PS3?
A: Maybe not. Even though Microsoft backed HD DVD and released an HD DVD add-on, they weren’t staking their entire console on the format (hence, the add-on). This means that Microsoft has a big minus in their column when comparing the 360 to the PS3 in terms of high-def DVD playback. It’s a hole they’re going to want to patch up right away, so don’t be surprised if you see a Blu-ray add-on for the 360 some time in the near future.

Q: Can you sum up what I, the average consumer, should do at this point in one sentence?
A: Wait one more year for the Blu-ray format to mature, for more titles to be released, and player prices to drop before jumping in.