Apple today released the following statement:
Apple has discovered that many of the unauthorized iPhone unlocking programs available on the Internet cause irreparable damage to the iPhone’s software, which will likely result in the modified iPhone becoming permanently inoperable when a future Apple-supplied iPhone software update is installed. Apple plans to release the next iPhone software update, containing many new features including the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store, later this week.
Apple strongly discourages users from installing unauthorized unlocking programs on their iPhones. Users who make unauthorized modifications to the software on their iPhone violate their iPhone software license agreement and void their warranty. The permanent inability to use an iPhone due to installing unlocking software is not covered under the iPhone’s warranty.
Source: Apple Inc.
Duncan Martell reports for Reuters, “‘We are not doing anything proactively to disable iPhones that have been hacked or unlocked,’ Phil Schiller, Apple’s head of worldwide product marking told Reuters. Asked how widespread the practice of downloading unlocking software, he replied, ‘We do not know.'”
Martell reports, “There are a number of unlocking software programs on the Internet, and, at least two of them, iUnlock and Anysim, can cause the iPhone to stop working once its software is updated, Schiller said. ‘There may be others, but we don’t know all of them,’ he said.”
Full article here.
In a related article from earlier today, MacFixIt reports, “According to the Apple reps we spoke with, the addition of third-party applications will fall under the ‘accidental damage’ clause, and hence phones that are brought in for service with evidence of third-party software modification may be denied service, and potentially have their warranties permanently voided, meaning that future service will not be delivered.”
MacFixIt reports, “However, the Apple rep we spoke with said that — though this is information he is generally ‘not supposed to share’ this common sense fact with customers — iPhones that have been ‘hacked’ (received third-party software modifications) then restored to an original factory state will certainly be eligible for service. In other words, if Apple can’t prove that you’ve made third-party software modifications to the iPhone, it will have no grounds to terminate the warranty; a fairly obvious fact.”
MacFixIt reports, “The moral of the story: Restore your iPhone before bringing it in for service. You can do so by connecting it to your computer, then in iTunes, selecting your iPhone and click the Restore button under the Summary tab.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Note: It follows logically that users who have modified their iPhones’ software should restore their iPhones before installing Apple-supplied iPhone software updates or risk bricking their iPhones and/or voiding their warranties. Hacks are never supported by manufacturers. Solder iron-wielding iPhone hardware modders are, as always, completely on their own.
Well, mine gets here tomorrow. Let the modding begin!
I guess we can expect an update tomorrow folks!
Looks like their new name is Applesoft. I wonder how long it’ll be before the transition is complete…
Any Swine who would violate their iphone like that deserves to loose its functionality.
You have a gadget that does everything bar making a cup of coffee or tea and you are still not satisfied?
Just go back to carying a mobile phone, laptop, mp3 player and a satnav unit instead of buying an iphone, at least you can modify those gadgets to your hearts content, hey why not unlock them into one gadget???????
Rather ominous tone to that, I’d say. I wonder if its true or if apple did something to break things on purpose? Whichever I’m sure they’ll be getting an earful about it
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”smile” style=”border:0;” />
Modding anything is always at a user’s own risk. The Applesoft comment is ridiculous. Go try to tweak your blender and see if Hamilton Beech will honor your warranty.
apple is trying to be apple and if the macfans like it is it how it should be.
Is this on Apple’s web site? I couldn’t find it anywhere…
So in your world:
“Apple plans to release the next iPhone software update, containing many new features including the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store, later this week.”
means “tomorrow”?
“Any Swine who would violate their iphone like that deserves to loose its functionality.”
Thaats noot a veery niice thiing too saay.
Apple FUD
I, for one, hope that anyone who hacks an iPhone to obfuscate its original, implied, warranted functionality loses every nickel he invested in it. Yeah: an unpopular opinion on sites like these, where leaving something alone is a sign of weakness or intellectual vapidity. Nevertheless, if I were Apple I’d tell all tinkerers to suck it when the device fails in ANY respect.
Well if you don’t want me to unlock it then bring the phone to canada….oh wait thats right our money is different!
Place yourself in the shoes of someone who actually makes a real physical thing (say for example, an iPhone). Now, using the real world of profit and loss, please explain to all of us how you will run your splendid little company as you accept responsibility for every mod your nut job user base decided was good just for them.
“Well if you don’t want me to unlock it then bring the phone to canada….oh wait thats right our money is different!”
Yeah, I think it is actually worth more than the USD still, or at least still parity. Damn. But your data plans are way still too expensive, even with a stronger C$.
You mean that unlock hack where I had to go in and resolder the circuit board won’t be supported by Apple?
Hrmmph!
HAHAHAHAHAHA, you dumb hackers.
Dudes,
Listen up. Last week I installed a radical Nitrous setup on my new Ford Mustang. Ran great for a week and then I blew the motor while racing some dweeb in a Scion.
Now the lousy bastards at Ford-soft won’t honor their warranty.
You bought the product KNOWING that is was tied to AT&T;…. but that was not good enough. You had to go dick with it and mod it. Apple told you not to… and now it is broken.
People that do this are the same kids that broke toys and their parents just bought them news ones. APPLES IS NOT YOUR MAMA NOR YOUR PAPA! They are not going to fix or give you a new one because you fscked it up! GROW UP! PAY ATTENTION! TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR ACTIONS!
This does not make Apple a bad company. It makes you A BAD CONSUMER!
The Dude abides.
@Crabapple, I think you’re a little too Fond of your iPhone. I liked mine before but I like it better now that it’s unlocked and I can email any file I want and use a carrier that isn’t quite so quick to give up my personal data to the Feds. I’m not worried about the update or bricking my iPhone. Time will tell whether I’m right or not.
Hacking is At Your Own Risk. What’s the big deal here?
It has always been expected that hacks would clash, perhaps to brickdom, with the whole software update thing.
To: Moo
Excellent comment.
How about master of the obvious? Did this really need to be elaborated so much? Is there really such lack of common sense? You hack the phone; something goes wrong (related to your hack or not). Wanna bring it for service? Try covering your tracks first!
One would think that those who had enough brains to actually know enough to look for unlocking software and use it would also know enough to revert the device to the way it originally was!
As for Apple’s warning, it is more than likely worded in such a way only to make one point clear: you unlock it, you void the warranty. You have it in plain words, as well as in legal lingo. That’s that.
Some people have claimed that Magnusson-Moss act provides for protection against this kind of legal warranty language, but it in fact doesn’t. Google it up and you’ll quickly figure it out. Apple has indeed legal right to define limited warranty this way and in the end, it just makes sense.
Bell has $75 for unlimited data and the only company to offer ExpressCards. Not U.S. pricing but a lot better than it’s been.
“You bought the product KNOWING that is was tied to AT&T;….”
Actually I bought my iPhone when I knew I could unlock it and use my existing T-Mobile contract, a right that the FCC specifically grants me.
“Go try to tweak your blender and see if Hamilton Beech will honor your warranty.”
Um, if all I did to tweak my blender was change some lines of code in the software that I could easily restore to it’s original state then I don’t see how they would be unable to. Unless tweaking the code on my iPhone results in some sort of physical damage to the hardware like frying a transistor or something, I’m just a restore away from normal. Much ado over nothing.
“It follows logically that users who have modified their iPhones should restore their iPhones before installing Apple-supplied iPhone software updates”
It SHOULD follow logically, BUT somehow hackers these days feel that they should be able to hack away AND install sponsored software… or perhaps it’s not the true hackers (which understand these things and are excited about the challenge) but the poor saps who, after some script flunkie takes a hackers work and make it available via a GUI, install the software with NO way of knowing how to fix it were it to break.
Those are the suckers who will complain the loudest. The true hackers will work on a solution in their spare time and if they find one, fine, if they don’t, maybe someone else will, but they understood the rules of the game all along. Remember kids, all that has a GUI is not user friendly…
If you can’t figure out how to stop the hackers then hey why not frighten the bastards – that’ll work!
Apple: Do not unlock iPhones; many unlocking programs cause irreparable iPhone software damage
Bullshit.
“Irreparable software damage”, LOL that’s a good one. Unless of course there’s no easy way to “restore” an iPhone once someone’s scrambled it…
Sigh, what happened to the Good Old Apple, that allowed -and even encouraged- users to play around with the software side? “Don’t worry, you won’t permanently break anything…”.
You won’t frighten the hackers, they LIVE for this.
Double-clicking an application icon does not make you a hacker, though if you’re screwed down the road, it makes you a sucker.
It’s all about greed, that’s all. Just a greedy Steve who became blind because of his power. I’ve said it before: he should beware of the karma boomerang.
There’s no Karma involved here.
Apple is supposed to piss away it’s time, money and resources trying to figure out what every loser hacker has done to f@ck up his iPhone? Bullsh!t.
I really want to spend an extra few hours waiting for an Apple Genius because every time Apple does an update, some loser/moron bricks his phone… then comes cryin’ to his momma.
Um, no. Sorry.
Apple only becomes Applesoft when they ALLOW a world of incompatible, garbage code to pollute their ecosystem. Then we can all waste our lives troubleshooting and repairing our Macs, instead of using them- just like the Wintards.
If you don’t want me to unlock it then bring the phone WORLDWIDE!
ALSO, release third party apps and we won’t hack it.
That’s why Windows Mobile is still the best. Lots of 3rd party apps, Word, Excel, Power Point, ….
@Karma? Um, those were good points if you have already have your mind made up that Apple can do no wrong and don’t want to think , but I’d posit that the game changed as soon as they entered the cell phone market and decided to partner with AT&T;.
The “ecosystem pollution” started day one when employees at some AT&T;stores decided that they weren’t going to sell iPhones to people who had been waiting in line for days unless they bought another $150 worth of accessories and hasn’t let up since. If you’re comfortable with that, fine. I’m not.
And I’m having a hard time understanding why people are getting so worked about what other people are doing with their iPhones.
I’m not mad at Apple for doing what they need to do or updating their software -in fact I appreciate the warning and that’s what I’m regarding it as, but if I go into the store to get my earphones replaced because the housing came loose from the recessed port and get told it’s not covered because of a software modification I may or may not have made, the next words out of my mouth are going to be I’m going to need your full name and the name of the store manager for my subpoena.
I doubt that will be necessary since I always receive great service from Apple.
So um no sorry I’m not buying that you’re worried because your service might suffer. You’re a fanboy on this one, plain and simple who’s mad because you think you detect a note of Steve criticism in all this someplace and have to defend your boy even though he could probably care less. You do know he’s married, right?
PS I spent about an hour last week talking exchanging iPhone hack tips with the geniuses at my local Apple store so I don’t think this anything more than a political move to keep AT&T;mollified. By exchanging I mean they showed me theirs and I showed mine.
I borked the navigation in my Honda last night. I put the newer version of the software in the drive, to see if I could see a noticeable improvement.
I did, indeed, see an improvement. How delightful! I then took out the DVD and put my original in its place.
The message came on the screen, as it did before, “Do not turn off the vehicle while this software is loading,” or something like that.
It took a while, and I had to go inside, so I turned off the engine. I figured, “What’s the worst that can happen?” I thought that it would just have to start over again from the beginning the next time I started the vehicle.
Guess I was wrong though… It just goes into a diagnostics screen, that it can’t exit from. I showed it to the service guys today, and they didn’t have anything to say. They’re going to look into it.
I certainly hope that it will be covered under warranty, but if it’s not, there really isn’t anything that I can say about it. I was clearly warned not to turn off the vehicle. I wasn’t warned of the severity of the possible outcome, so I may have a case.
Apple, however, is clearly saying, “Don’t mess with your iPhone’s software. If you do, it may become an iBrick.”
If people want to use 3rd party software then they knowingly choose to take the risk of turning their phone into a “brick.” It’s no different with cars, if you mod the car in such a way that it damages the vehicle, the warranty is not applicable.
Magnusson-Moss does apply, though it is questionable if it applies in this case.
Again, the idea is that the manufacturer cannot void the entire warranty because of a modification. For example, in Figurative’s example above, Ford could easily refuse to give him a new engine because his modification affected the engine and probably led to the problem. I’m sure Ford would have no problem confirming this.
However, if he was having a problem with his driver-side door handle, Ford could not refuse to fix his car because he’d added nitrous oxide by claiming he’d violated his warranty without demonstrating how adding nitrous oxide to the air intake affected his door handle, causing it to prematurely break.
So, if I take my hacked iPhone to Apple because the screen has a green tint, Apple cannot void my warranty without showing how my change affected the screen.
Of course, you have to drag Apple into court to get them to do that, something that will probably cost you significantly more than $400.
I agree completely. I neglected to elaborate with my example. Thank you for finishing my thought.
@theconfuzed1 You never should have borked your navigation software without backing up and having a clean way to get back….but that was just a metaphor, wasn’t it?
iPhone hackers, take heed, backup and don’t update until you know whether your unlock will survive. But you if you were smart enough to follow the directions to unlock your phone in the first place you probably already knew that.
I’ve been following the unlocking efforts pretty closely since the iPhone first came out and I’ve yet to hear of anyone’s phone being permanently bricked.
Stop the iHack FUD before it affects someone you love. Superstition ain’t the way.
Should just sell the hardware with the operating system as usual.
The $100 back scenario is nothing compared to the class action lawsuit for intentionally damaging a legally, unlocked cell phone. And announcing your intention to do it. Uh, like how many million witnesses.
Hey Stevie, “Don’t you know that you are a shooting star….”
Peter.
I agree with every word you said except that it only costs $70 to file a small court claim where I live and I doubt very much that it would come to that. The words alone are usually enough.
Five comments on one thread is four too many. I’m unchecking the “notify me of follow up” box and turning my wifi off.
“nothing compared to the class action lawsuit for intentionally damaging a legally, unlocked cell phone”
there is a LOT of question over whether a phone even can be unlocked legally, so that is an interesting statement.
a warning that “you break it we won’t fix it” is hardly a threat that “we will break it and blame you.”
your paranoia is showing, adjust your tinfoil hat.
Meanwhile T-mobile has a lock on the new WiFi enabled \”Crackberries\”
The Empire Stikes Back.
Oh wait, AT&T;is the \”Empire\” amd T-Mobile is the \”Resistance\”.
What does that make Apple? Darth Vader?
Good for Jobs.
All these iPhones running around with every hack some pimple faced Geek can bang out in a month, looking and working like crud.
Crud infested like some Windows box.
Apple has every right to break hacks to protect all the blood sweat tears and financial RISK they have in this thing.
I hope they self destruct like something out of Mission Impossible…
Then when people see it they think,
Why would anyone list an email address that is linked to a web site that says “This Web site is coming soon.”
It’s like saying, “I’m a wanna-be.”
Kinda takes some credibility away from their comments, no?
Good lord man. Do you ever make comments that have any bearing on the posts or are you just checking in to make sure nobody’s sullying the honor of the “immensely talented” Karen Carpenter again. The only reason I didn’t respond to you earlier is because I got to thinking about the kind of dufus that actually thinks the way you do much less says it out loud and took pity.
And I still got under our skin enough to make you go look and then follow me here with your wannabe snark.
To answer your question: someone who’s learned the hard way that the net is too full of insecure quasi-stalker losers like yourself to give them anything that might be linked to a physical address but to toss them some klnd of a bone so they don’t start screwing with IP traces and the like. But you don’t seem smart enough to figure it out and it seems unlikely that such an ardent Carpenters fan would pose much of a physical threat anyway.
In any case, I’m over caring so if you want to declare victory in the great Karen Carpenter vs Ramones debate of September 2007, knock yourself out. Just have some dignity and stop following me around already, it’s embarrassing and you’re working way too hard.
AT&T;was the deal Apple got to get iPhone out to the public.
Sad people need to hack the hell out of it to get it how they want things.
Frankinstien-ing an iPhone is BASICALLY like pirating.
Cool hacking is possible – but the contest to do that is OVER.
The fun of all that is done. Yes, it can be done. And a chip in your tv can get all the satellite shows you want.
Now lets get back to business.
I agree with APPLE… and WOZ this isn’t hash for you is it?
Honestly, the reply to hacking the phone has be very fair.
Applesoft. Is that a sour Macfan or a Switcher who realized Microsoft was the dark side – thinking Apple is getting shady!
I think not.
@Peter
I do agree. However, when the appliance is basically electronic software driven, then your metaphor does not apply so easily here to the iPhone.
Hacking the OS on the iPhone is the main function here to run the machine. Now if you painted the phone with blue paint… I think Apple show not warrant the devise from any scratches. I see your point, but the modification was on the engine, and if the engine can not start up as originally built – SORRY.
“f Apple can’t prove that you’ve made third-party software modifications to the iPhone, it will have no grounds to terminate the warranty; a fairly obvious fact.”
RESTORE settings. Seems PRETTY fair to me.
You’re so over caring that you had to post a response.
What a tool. You’re too easy.
loaloa
Do you know Jobs personally.
Yes he has an ego, but honestly, he is only as greedy as any other mortal. Actually, I am guessing a whole lot LESSER then you.
j
Ya Apple trying to scare people with tactics like this. Does Apple think its dealing with some punk kids. No we’re talking about major players in the hacker-software community. They know their stuff. Steve Jobs is purposely trying to sabotage his own iphones. But again does he really think there’s not a hack for that too already. Apple’s moves will be matched every step of the way. Hackers for Life!
Nope, walked away twice now and you keep following me. I honestly can’t figure out what your deal is. On the one hand, you make all these ridiculously tight-assed statements that make you seem like one of wizened grumpy Hollywood villains that want to destroy rock and roll and stop the kids from having their sock hop and on the other hand you keep following me around trying to get my attention like some heartsick, lovelorn little puppy. I’m sorry it didn’t work out with you and Justin but how many times do i have to tell you I’m not interested.
I had a heartsick, lovelorn little puppy once.
They LIE!
They are breaking your device intentionally. No software ever broke a hardware device. Not unless they built a bomb into it in the first place.
MicroApple is that what you are saying you did?
Is this how you show your thanks to people who buy your hardware, by declairing “Submit to enslavement or be destroyed!”
So much for the being the caring artsy folk.
Anyone else smell burning pork?
I think there’s going to be a media and consumer backlash if an update bricks their phones. Apple could have released statements a lot earlier once word of these hacks started to surface. Their silence on the issue (and maybe even implicit acceptance of it) served to encourage people to try the hacks.
Personally, I’m drooling over the phone, but I don’t want to leave US Cellular, so I haven’t bought the phone. I’m also not planning on getting the iPod touch or classic, and will stick with my 5.5g 80 gig instead.
Once the online, print and broadcast journalists start getting out articles that an Apple update junked hundreds or thousands of iPhones, it can’t help but have a negative effect on sales.
Look people, Apple makes money off every iPhone user each month (via royalities for the cell companies), so if you crack it (as I have), then they lose money. So they’re just protecting their investment which they’re entitled to.
Except that I live in a country where the iPhone is not sold, so Apple isn’t losing a penny by my having cracked it. In fact, they made $400 off me. Once the iPhone does come here, I won’t need to use the crack.
But the most important point was Jobs’ comment in England: It’s a “cat and mouse” game. What do think will happen a few days after the next update if cracked phones are affected? The hackers who cracked it will come up with a step by step procedure for restoring the crack. It’s that simple. I really don’t know what all this fuss is about…
Why do people feel that computer and computer-related products such as the iPhone should be open to hacking? Would you hack your car’s on-board computer, or how about your microwave’s? No, you wouldn’t. If car manufacturers warned against hacking, you’d accept their warnings. Apple has a right to protect the integrity of its product, especially one that must co-exist on a cellular network.
“Does Apple think its dealing with some punk kids.”
No, Apple KNOWS they’re dealing with punk kids… and those that grew up to be punk adults. Adults understand and fully recognize that their actions can have repercussions. Punk kids do what they want knowing that the rules don’t count because mom or dad will rush in to save them/buy them a new car/get them on the team/bail them out of jail/etc.
Here’s a perfect example
“Their silence on the issue (and maybe even implicit acceptance of it) served to encourage people to try the hacks.”
BUT the Principal never SAID I couldn’t smoke weed in the Gym!! By not saying anything he was practically BEGGING me to smoke weed in the Gym! I have no brain and no self control, but EVERYBODY’S DOING IT!!!
“Once the online, print and broadcast journalists start getting out articles that an Apple update junked hundreds or thousands of iPhones, it can’t help but have a negative effect on sales.”
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”smile” style=”border:0;” /> Plus, reporters ENJOY making people look silly. I can imagine they’d get a lot of quotes then, in the voice over, report that Apple released a statement before the update that only modified phones would be affected, yet these users love for Apple is so strong, they applied the update anyway…
Actually, there will probably be a bump in sales and mom and dad re-buy phones for a lot of ’em
Can anyone define what irreparable software damage is? I don’t believe I have heard of it before.
Software can always be removed, replaced, or restored as long as there is not any hardware problems. I believe the iphone’s firmware can be restored to its original state.
It should not be a problem.
For those of you who do not know exactly what happens to the iPhone when it is software hacked, there are essentially two things.
Firstly the jailbreak. This simply unlocks all of the other non-phone features of the iPhone. This is a simple software mod that would be undone by a restore. If that’s all that’s been done to the phone, then there will be no problem restoring before updating it.
The second part is unlocking the phone for use with SIMs other than AT&Ts;. This part involves flashing new firmware into the modem of the phone itself. This part has the potential to brick the phone if a new operating system is loaded expecting to find certain firmware in the phone. Again, this is reversible but would need to be done carefully before updating.
I live in Australia and we are unlikely to get the phone here for another year. This is because our largest carrier (Telstra) is the most likely future partner with Apple and they are heavily promoting their 3G offering they are packaging as NextG. They are phasing out GSM and CDMA as quickly as they can, therefore we are unlikely to see an iPhone before a 3-4G HSDPA version is released.
I couldn’t wait that long to use a phone that actually works. I have used those horrible Windows Mobile phones and every other sort as well and they are all crap. Finally I have an enjoyable experience. I have no concerns about Apple releasing updates and in fact I welcome them as the iPhone is not perfect and there are features that I’m sure they will add in time. I also know that I chose to use the hacks and take responsibility for doing so. I also have complete confidence in the hacker community and simply will not update my iPhone until there is a new work around made available.
You said, “Apple FUD”
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”grin” style=”border:0;” />
I say, “Microsoft troll.”
Buy Vista, hack it to pieces and see if they will help you. Infact, they have active software to shut you down and send you away.
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”grin” style=”border:0;” /> Even if you have real microsoft Vista software. LOL
Heck, Apple even told you how to be sneaky and make your system available for warrenttee work again, even after a software hack. What nice people.
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”grin” style=”border:0;” />
en
I think I understand why Apple is trying to keep a lid on the iPhone, and no, I don’t think greed is the main reason. I think it has to do with strategy.
But marketing kind of brought all this upon themselves with that commercial glorifying people who are “not fond of rules, and have no respect for that status quo” (you know, that Think Different one..)
<b>djfred:</d>
@theconfuzed1 You never should have borked your navigation software without backing up and having a clean way to get back….but that was just a metaphor, wasn’t it?
Unfortunately, it was not a metaphor. I work at the dealership though, so if there is a way to fix it, I will find it.
Apparently, in Honda’s nav system, the data is loaded from the DVD, to internal memory. I didn’t realize this. I mistakenly believed that the data was read directly from the DVD.
Since I didn’t allow the data to successfully transfer to the internal system, it’s now no longer bootable.
Unfortunately, there was no way to back this up. I go back to work tomorrow, and hopefully they will have some good news for me. The good thing is that I wasn’t attempting to “hack” anything. This was a genuine Honda DVD, that I loaded into a genuine Honda nav system. I’ve read some stuff lately online about ways to modify the nav system, and I’ve considered trying some stuff. This experience, however, has made me gunshy!
Stupid tag…
MW: Put. I should have put a ‘b.’
@theconfuzed1
Oops, sorry bout that. I’ve been seeing that car mod analogy on all the blogs since this story broke and assumed you were just doing your own riff on it. My reply was based on that assumption. Sorry if I came off an ass and I hope it all works out.
That was supposed to be “like” an ass.
Don’t beat yourself up about it. If nobody tried anything new, we’d still be living in caves, relying on AT&T;for cell phone service and be unable to email PNG attachments on our iPhones.