Want to dev-unlock your Windows Phone? Here are your options.

Pretty colors!

So you got a Windows Phone for Christmas? Sweet. If you lot're a developer, you're probably itching to start writing code for the device. If an avant-garde hobbyist, homebrew software may be more than of your interest. While the emulator -- a function of the Windows Telephone SDK -- rocks for testing locally, you'll eventually desire to effort the real deal by loading up XAPs on your phone. We'll cover the pros and cons of each approach to exercise and so.

Microsoft App Hub

The App Hub is evolution of what was previously called the XNA Creators Club,offering a hub for both Xbox Live and Windows Phone development. With the purchase of a subscription costing$99 USD per year, you'll gain access to man technical support and more than chiefly access to the Marketplace where you tin sell your shiny wares. If you tin afford it or know you have the next killer app (to comprehend the yearly dues) -- we say go for it. Our friends outside Marketplace Launch areas, like those in the Middle East, will have access to App Hub via a proxy participating in the Microsoft Global Publisher Program. (Yalla Apps is a cracking example.) It's also worth noting students, via the Dreamspark initiative, can get that fee waived if eligible. (A steal!)

Pros: Original Microsoft solution, Marketplace publish admission, technical support. Can unlock iii devices.
Cons: It'southward expensive ($99 USD/yr). Tin can vary if using a GPP proxy.

But some developers tin can't or won't make that delivery. They may desire to practice their C# skills or play with some crazy experimental code from a neighbor. In any case, there are effort-before-you-purchase-App-Hub options at your disposal:

Jaxbot's WindowBreak

Using XDA Developers' Heathcliff74's original packet as a starting time, another XDA Developers member,Jaxbot, made some tweaks to simplify the deployment mechanism. Rather than deploy the packet using a PC (i.e. sideload), requiring an already unlocked device, his solution involves visiting a specially crafted webpage. That ease of use, withal, comes at a price -- limiting compatibility to only Samsung devices at the moment. (He'south working on this and soon expects it to be equally compatible as Heathcliff74'southward original offer.)

Pros: Free, offers coveted "interop access", like shooting fish in a barrel to install
Cons: Merely (currently) works on Samsung phones, will break if Microsoft patches hole

ChevronWP7 Labs

The ChevronWP7 Labs experiment-- deriving its proper name from the already missed Stargate franchise -- was put together by Rafael Rivera, Chris Walsh, and Long Zheng, and is an evolution of the original ChevronWP7 unlocker. The squad was given a rare opportunity by Microsoft to offer a cheaper, not free, solution by decoupling the telephone unlocking mechanism from App Hub. (That means no Marketplace publishing.) For $9 USD, 'Labs will (legimitately) unlock whatever Windows Phone you have for the life of that device. No Microsoft vs. hacker cat and mouse game participiation required. The downside is that you lot don't become that coveted "interop access" the other solutions provide. But you could, of class, combine this unlock method with perchance another. Cough.

Pros:Vetted by Microsoft, like shooting fish in a barrel to use, compatible with all devices, future proof
Cons: Not free ($9 USD), no "interop access" out of the box

Every bit you lot can see, at that place are quite a few options for programmer unlocking your Windows Phone. Each has their pros and cons and which one is "best" depends on your short and long-term goals. Tinker tots not unfamiliar with flashing their devices and working out issues volition be happy with the free offerings. Those looking for less trouble and a longer-term solution would probably be improve suited with ChevronWP7 Labs or a full blown App Hub subscription. Regardless, when y'all get that crawly app written allow us know.

Full discosure: I work with 'Walsh, and 'Zheng on the ChevronWP7 Labs experiment. This guide was designed to simply lay out the facts in a digestible format. I take no intention to mislead the public for financial proceeds of any kind. The comparison chart's columns are sorted by consumer usefulness (green).

Revision note: Heathcliff's XAP was removed from the guide. I forgot it required a developer unlocked device, hence the development of WindowBreak. Pitiful nigh that! Too much 'nog. (Thank you @Jaxbot!)

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