Unlocking the iPhone 3G is not as easy as unlocking the original iPhone. Apple has heavily cracked down on their firmware, and has made it incredibly difficult for anyone to unlock the iPhone 3G. Newer products will probably be the same way, so for now hackers are struggling to find effective unlocking methods.
Apple made a big deal out of making sure that the iPhone 3G would not be as easily unlocked, especially since Apple wants to make sure that all of the profits go to itself, and that it is only used for the intended purpose. The difficulty involved with unlocking the Apple iPhone 3G is unknown, so many people having varying opinions. It could be as simple as manipulating the software to conform to the other cell phone providers company, or as complicated as changing everything about the inner workings.
The SIM cards associated with the iPhone 3G are easily exchanged for a different one, but finding the right SIM cards are difficult. After you switch out the SIM cards you will able to use it under a different service provider but it can be another task trying to find a service provider to activate an unlocked phone.
The iPhone 3G also has hidden services and abilities that are unknown to most people. Hackers are working day and night to unlock those features, and come up with newer and more efficient means to doing so. Direct code manipulation is a good place to start, so that the inner workings will become "confused" and work with other services.
It can be pretty pricey to unlock the iPhone 3G, and the freedoms of having it unlocked are not exactly free. You also have to worry about finding a good hacker that wont rip you off or take your cash. Many honest people are dedicated to finding ways to unlock it that are both easy, and successful.
The iPhone 3G is very new on the market. Its still exciting to think about owning one, and apple knows that. It has created so much hype, that most people will do most anything to get their hands on one. Hopefully the new iPhone 3G will be easily unlocked, but for now we have to wait patiently.
Closing Comments
For some people unlocking the iPhone 3G will be difficult and very costly, but it doesn't have to be. Do your research and look for new ways to unlock the phone. You can risk a lot while trying to unlock the new iPhone 3G, but in time it will become less risky.