Chinese input is not officially supported yet in any release of software for the iPhone or the iPod Touch, here is how to get a bootleg version to work for the latest jailbroken and unlocked iPhone (currently 1.1.1). Thanks to the posts at “iphone.org.hk”:http://www.iphone.org.hk/cgi-bin/ch/topic_show.cgi?id=2962&h=1&bpg=1&age=0 for explaining the 1.1.2 trick and also to “iphone.org.hk”:http://iphone.org.hk for hosting all the software. Also to the “engadget”:http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2007/11/09/nativecn-2-30-enables-chinese-input-on-iphone/ for the pointer
# Assuming you have a iPhone or iPod Touch at virgin 1.1.1 go to “jailbreakme.com”:http://jailbreakme.com and this will unlock the phone when you install Appsnap Installer at the bottom of the page
# If you have an iPod Touch, you can then go onto 1.1.2 which has more complete chinese localization (for instance in 1.1.1, the icon titles are not localized, but in 1.1.2 they are), to do this, after the jailbreak, connect to itunes and have iTunes update the system to vanilla 1.1.2, then download the zip file from conceitedsoftware.com that has a .jar application you run from your PC, this jailbreaks 1.1.2
# After a reboot, the iPhone will have a new icon called _Installer_
# Click on Installer and go to the Sources tab
# Click on Add to add a new location for applications that can download over Wifi to the iPhone (you need to be in Wifi range)
# Enter the address “http://i.unlock.no”:http://i.unlock.no into the list and choose save and refresh
# Click on the Install tab of the Installer and there will be a new category called _Unlocking Tools_
# Click on the new application called “Enable International menu” and this will enable international support that is available in 1.1.1 but not turned on
# This gets you to the point where you can input Japanese, but they don’t support Chinese (argh)
# Go back to the Sources tab and and Add another source called “http://www.iphone.hk.org/repository.plist” which is where the code that hacks the Japanese input method to accept Chinese
# Hit refresh and you will see a new category called “Localization (1.1.1)” and click on the application called NewCN4.2 and install it
# Now go to the the Settings menu and General and you will see a new section called International. Set the keyboard to Japanese
# There is a new application called NativeCn, go to it and select input method 3 (simplified chinese input)
# Unintuitively, when you type in pinyin, it will show both Chinese and possible Japanese katakana as well
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