“Beautiful as it is, the iPhone isn’t finished — its OS is a hack, rushed out to meet Jobs’ demanding product deadlines. Last week’s update brought the iPhone closer to perfection, but it still isn’t fully baked,” Leander Kahney reports for Wired.
“The iPhone bricking problem has been a PR disaster for Apple, making the company look punitive and obsessed with control. But Erica Sadun, a technical writer and blogger at TUAW.com who contributed to an iPhone unlocking application, said Apple’s update wasn’t designed to disable hacked devices. Just the opposite: Sadun thinks Apple worked hard not to brick iPhones — even hacked ones,” Kahney reports.
“‘It wasn’t intentional at all,’ she said. ‘If they wanted to brick hacked iPhones, they could have done a much better job of it.’ Sadun said the software update disabled some hacked phones because it was a ‘troublesome update’ — it even caused problems with iPhones that hadn’t been touched. ‘They messed up,’ she said,” Kahney reports. “The new iPhone software appears to be a ground-up rewrite, unrecognizable under the hood to the older version, which Sadun said was ‘very unfinished’ and, in some places, ‘a complete hack.'”
Kahney reports, “The new iPhone software closely resembles the software on the iPod touch. But it’s hard to know what it looks like in detail because it’s very secure. ‘Everything is certified, everything is encrypted, everything requires a checksum,’ Sadun said. ‘Apple wants no one else on the platform. It’s a pretty strong statement of that.'”
More details in the full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Another Irish Dude” for the heads up.]
For a “hack,” the iPhone sure worked well-enough at the outset, but – we must say – the current iPhone software does work even better with more stable apps and a snappier UI.
I still have issues with
• Safari “just quitting”
• Slider getting stuck and not unlocking my phone
• Slowdowns
I’m not complaining. Just reporting the facts of what i’m experiencing with miPhone
I don’t really notice an benefits to the new update except for the double space click for periods, which I can’t seem to ever remember to do when I’m actually typing on the phone.
The wi-fi is cool, but the icon is too garish, I think. What else got added or fixed? I can’t even recall.
If any of this is true, I just hope Apple comes out and says it publicly like they did with the recent iMac issue.
same here on my safari.
Agreed with above comment. My iPhone is totally unhacked and has frequent slowdowns switching in and out of SMS as well as with Safari qutting.
As I have written on countless blogs in response to countless lame stories about Apple’s “evil” intentions, there is no electronic device in the history of the universe that did not carry a warning stating that unauthorized modifications and/or use of the device will void the warranty.
Furthermore, Apple’s iPhone development team would quickly go stark raving mad if they even attempted to factor in all the unauthorized hacks as they update the iPhone over time. People are asking for the moon here and aiming totally unjustified accusations at Apple instead of acknowledging their own stupidity.
The iPhone is far from perfect… and needs many enhancements for not only stability… but also maneuverability.
A universal “Back” button would be extremely helpful, and of course a Copy/Paste function.
But the last update was very helpful… with the double-click to favorites, and data roaming “off” button.
I expect the functionality will just keep improving…
I’m sorry, but it has been far from a “PR disaster” as they say. 98% of iPhone buyers have no intention of ever hacking the device in any way whatsoever. And sales aren’t exactly drying up, so it’s simply a case of making a mountain out of a mole hill.
“Apple’s update wasn’t designed to disable hacked devices”
Oh yea, right. That’s like when your utility bill overcharges you, and the company says it was a genuine mistake. Oh yea, why aren’t the mistakes ever in our favor? Come on …
@ Umm: totally agree!
People who hacked their iPhones did so knowingly at their own risk (even if some of the hacks did improve the functionality of the phone). Even if they DID deliberately break the unlocks and 3rd party apps, they are within their right to do so. Sorry, Charlie.
I still experience some Safari crashes, but it’s definitely improved. Also, the iPod rarely crashes now when I am using Safari and it used to all the time.
This update was great and I look forward to future updates as they improve functionality.
@Umm
More like 90%. Estimates peg the number of iPhones purchased to be unlocked at around 10%. So basically, one in ten iPhone owner has an unlocked iPhone (which is hacked). Now what percentage of the other 90% have hacked their iPhone to install third party apps? I’d guess at least 10-20% of them. So in reality, probably 20-30% of iPhone users are being restricted from doing what they want with their iPhone with the latest update.
I would have to agree with B. Honeydew. I’ve experienced the same problems. I usually have Safari shut down on me 2 or 3 times a week.
Want to improve my iPhone’s functionality? Add Flash!!!!!!! That should be the top priority fix.
No, keep Flash away!! It’s awful and insecure.
The last update also improved the predictive functions and built in dictionary. The keyboard is also better focused. I don’t like the changed behavior of the caps lock key, but I’ll adapt.
The last update was a great improvement from my point of view. I’m sure the Leopard release will bring even more joy.
He says “Everything is certified, everything is encrypted, everything requires a checksum.”
But yet he is sure it’s a hack. How can he know?
NewYorkRules:
Do you practice at being a jerk or does it come naturally? Even your pseudonym spells, J_E_R_K.
If you hack anything electronic, you void the warranty. Don’t you read either?
PR disaster? There are some companies that WISH they could get this kind of coverage. Bad news travels quickly, so with each of these actions, Apple is becoming more and more known to a wider number of people.
“Estimates peg the number of iPhones purchased to be unlocked at around 10%”
Very POOR estimates based on very incomplete information. 10% is possibly the HIGHEST number that could be affected. Depending on the curve, the actual number could be 4% or much much less.
1.1.1 was definitely a big update. And the need to re-activate with AT&T;supports the author’s contention that it was a complete rewrite. I DO like being able to get the iPod controls on screen with a double click of the navel button. And it feels…. wait for it…. SNAPPIER!
Oh boo hoo. People are being prevented from doing what they want by bad Apple’s evil update! Congratulations, you get the Emmy award for most clueless BS on MDN. Step right up to take your prize. Oh, what’s that? There’s no prize but a textual smackdown instead? I’m so sorry.
No-one is preventing these people from doing what they want. Apple isn’t lurking in their bathrooms declaring that they used too many squares of toilet paper. Perhaps you meant “with their iPhones”. Well, did anyone FORCE them to download Apple’s iPhone update? What’s that? No-one did! So they updated their iPhone, knowing that it would restrict their actions.
So which way is it? People are not responsible for their actions or Apple is punishing people for doing unsupported things? Uhm hello? They already knew what they were doing was unsupported and Apple has already stated that it wasn’t punishing anyone. 0 for 2, bottom of the ninth.
It’s like a skateboarder whining about getting banged up while skating.
Well, well, well. Even though I was salivating while watching the iPhone tutorial video, chaining my wallet to the table, I’m glad I decided to hold off on buying one.
In the past I was an early adopter. I bought the iMac G5 in its first generation. I still use it today, though I saw just how much the iMac changed since. Mine even had that recall for the nasty power unit situation. That taught me not but the first gen of anything any computer company puts on the market. I may miss out, but I want fewer headaches to go with my favorite tech stuff.
I’ll definitely be buying an iPhone, maybe even the first gen, as long as I can be sure the OS is complete, maybe with even more features. By that time, we just might see a second gen product!
I’ll leave the hacking to the more daring individuals than I. Cheers!
… taught me not TO BUY the first gen…
Sorry!
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“What else got added or fixed?”
The number #1 fix: ability to turn off data roaming.
After getting slammed on data on my August bill for a trip to Canada, this update came just in time for me. I was in the midde of a trip to Europe, and before the update my phone was virtually useless, as I kept it on airplane mode unless I was making an outgoing call.
I think MDN should take a poll regarding Flash on the iPhone. Surprisingly, I’ve seen several negative posts regarding support for Flash on the iPhone and it would be interesting to see what the consensus is on this.
I think Flash support could certainly fill the gab for robust applications, games, presentations, etc. while we wait for 3rd party app support. Developers who don’t like Flash don’t need to use it, but those who think it’s a good idea could move past the technology roadblock. What’s the harm?!
Flash is practically ubiquitous at this point weather some developers like it or not. It’s going to continue to evolve and it’s not going away. I believe iPhone support should happen.
“It’s like a skateboarder whining about getting banged up while skating.”
They do, then Litigious Soccer Mom SPRINGS into action!!!
Interesting. I’d love more details on how the latest iPhone software differs from the original software. I wonder if they got rid of the little security “issue” where everything was running as root. And the well-publicized user name and password that was the same on every device.