Update : A much faster easier solution for Mac users can be found here. Windows users may resort to ZiPhoneGUI.

I am back after spending 4 hours on the entire process (which includes some hits and misses! Which means, you no longer have to figure out the right steps/combinations!!). Now the process is trimmed down to much lesser time and the best part being : No command line hackery!

All you need is an iPhone (OTB 1.1.2/1.1.3 BL 4.6), Mac (preferable) / Windows, Firmware files (1.1.2, 1.1.3 ipsws), courage to try this all on your pricey iPhones (Trust me, it is so easy!!). Please note I used the ATT sim that comes with the iPhone all the way till the iPhone is unlocked.

I am performing this Unlock on a brand new 16gb iPhone that cam out with 4.6 BL and 04_03_13GB BB. Please proceed with his guide only if you have an OTB 1.1.2 or 1.1.3 with 4.6 BL.

UPDATE : After trying this method for one full day, I had some issues with 1.1.3 Dev Team’s soft upgrade. I had no problems restoring it to 1.1.2 and the Unlock sustained just fine. Hence, I recommend using 1.1.2 until a stable 1.1.3 is achieved.

Step 1 : The most important and tricky one : Downgrading OTB 1.1.3 to 1.1.1 (From _BigBoss_)

• Turn your iPhone off and hold the power and home buttons for exactly 10 secs (yeah count them!).

• Now, release the Power button still holding the Home Button till iTunes prompts this message ( you get a beep sound both on PC and Mac ). Remember that the display doesn’t show up at any point.

If you have come this far, you have completed the tough part, now for the time consuming sit-back and let-it-perform part!!

Step 2:

Make sure you have 1.1.1 and 1.1.2 firmware files downloaded. Now hit the ‘Ok’ button on the iTunes prompt and hold the opt(Mac)/shift(Windows) key and hit the Restore button. Now locate the downloaded 1.1.1 Firmware file. Wait for it to restore and repeat Step 2 one last time! Yeah, I had to do it twice. First time, I couldn’t kick it out of the restore mode after the iTunes performed the restore process. Hence, I recommend performing the Restore process once more

Step 3:

Time for famous WiFi Jailbreak process, thanks to Jailbreakme.com! Follow the process here if you are yet to memorize it!!

Step 4:

Don’t worry about any weird SIM error messages till you reach the last step! Now another routine method, OktoPrep Jailbreak 1.1.2 which is detailed here. So, you now see 1.1.2 iPhone HomeScreen. If you still see the Plug icon (DFU mode) then Lunch iBrickr/ iNdependence to kick the hell out of the DFU mode!!

Step 5:

Now comes the 1.1.3 SoftUpgrade process. Remember not to perform 1.1.3 iTunes upgrade as some did which takes us back to Step 1!! iClarified really detailed this step. It involves adding iClarified repo in installer.app (add source : installer.iClarified.com). Dev Team 1.1.3 SoftUpgrade process takes a minimum of 30 minutes. So be prepared.

Step 6:

So now comes the best part : Freeing your iPhone for any network in the world. Time to use Geohot’s most famous, completely free Software Unlock.

Make sure you set General -> Auto unlock -> Never.

Now Launch installer.app -> iClarified -> Geohot Unlock (1.1.2, 1.1.3) -> install. It should take not more than 5 minutes to free your iPhone! Congratulations – You have successfully unlocked your Apple iPhone!!

Snapshots of the unlock process at iClarified’s detailed post

Install iWorld from installer.app -> Tweaks 1.1.2 to prevent phone/sms crash. iWorld supports only few carriers. If you are still facing phone/sms cras, rush to iClarified to resolve this issue

Few Observations :

• Sound seems lot better on 16GB iPhones !

• This method doesn’t fix Google Maps faux-gps solution. Locate Me is still needed from istaller.app to guide the mighty ‘Google Maps’ !!

• *SIMS will soon be offered for peanuts, trust me eBayers rush your orders before its too late !!

A video compilation of some important steps in the process is underway. Check back soon!!

Related posts:

1. ZiPhoneGUI – Activate, Jailbreak and Unlock 4.6 BL iPhones for Windows Users
2. Easiest Mac/PC independent iPhone 1.1.1 Activation/Unlock
3. Easiest & Fastest way to Unlock 1.0.2 iPhone (Mac and Windows)
4. iPhone 1.1.4 Upgrade, Downgrade, Activate, Jailbreak, Unlock Horror Story!
5. iPhone 1.1.4 Downgrade – Quick Guide (MAC and Windows)