ChevronWP7 Team To Offer Approved Windows Phone 7 Unlock

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There was once a time when you would of laughed at the idea of Microsoft embracing the homebrew community more than Apple, but, alas that day has come. The ChevronWP7 team, the team of white-hat hackers who first unlocked (or “jailbroke”, though they don’t prefer that term) the Windows Phone 7 operating system, has just announced that they’ve reached a deal with Microsoft to offer an approved device unlocking solution for all the homebrew developers out there.

To develop for Windows Phone 7 currently, you need to sign up for the developer program which will cost you a one-time $99 fee (Microsoft has been offering a $99 rebate if you build two apps since the launch of the platform). The ChevronWP7 team originally said they wanted to create an unlocking tool in order to help students and other people who couldn’t affording the $99 fee to do homebrew work on Windows Phone 7. Microsoft’s Brandon Watson reached out to the team, and the ChevronWP7 pulled the tool and helped Microsoft patch it out the loophole it used on the conditions that Microsoft would work with the team to make homebrew development more accessible for Windows Phone 7. This new approved unlocking solution is apparently what has come out of that deal.

The new solution, called “ChevronWP7 Labs” will required a small fee to be paid, but it will be paid via PayPal not credit card and they promise it will be much more affordable than the WP7 Developer Program from Microsoft. While it will unlock the device, it doesn’t seem to be for those who wish to publish apps instantly to the Microsoft App Hub, instead it seems like it’ll be more for homebrewers wishing to “tinker” with their devices.

This program, as mentioned, as the full support of Microsoft, so I would imagine that this isn’t a “jailbreak”. There will probably be some code in place to prevent you from running pirated WP7 apps on your phone.

Great move for Microsoft by supporting homebrew developers. And a big slap in the face to Apple who has been engaged in this arms race with the iOS jailbreakers since the iPhone first came out in 2007.