Microsoft has approved a new jailbreak tool that allows Windows Phone 7 users to officially unlock their Windows Phone handset for use on other carriers. On top of that, this official tool will allow WP7 users to run apps outside of Microsoft’s Windows Phone Marketplace.
For those unfamiliar with the process, unlocking a Windows Phone using this new jailbreak tool allows you to install, run, and debug unsigned and/or homebrew apps outside of Microsoft’s Windows Phone Marketplace.
This tool, created by ChevronWP7, has Microsoft’s blessing and warranties will not be voided if the phone gets messed up due to the jailbreak. ChevronWP7 originally released an unlocking tool over a year ago, but Microsoft took it down.
The official tool requires a $9 “token,” which can only be used on a single device. For users who want to create their own apps, ChevronWP7 is a less expensive alternative to Microsoft’s App Hub developer program, which costs $99.
“We know that our work is sometimes misinterpreted as promoting “jailbreaking” activities. This is not the case. Our goal is to help bright people do awesome things without infringing upon the developer community with apps in the Marketplace. In fact, we had many conversations with Microsoft to make sure we do this the right way. It may be the long way around, but we feel this approach is ethical, the best way to ensure that the program stays alive and hobbyists like us get more access to cool toys,” states the ChevronWP7 team in defense of the tool.
Check out the jailbreak tool here.
