“Since Monday, Apple officials have been warning iPhone owners that using unlocking software could cause the phone to become “permanently inoperable when a future Apple-supplied iPhone software update is installed.” But in many cases those warnings went unheeded,” Katie Hafner reports for The New York Times.
“People who had unlocked their phones to use them with another carrier ran the greatest risk of, in techie terms, having them ‘bricked’ — rendered about as useful as a brick. Most of those who committed the lesser transgression of installing programs not authorized by Apple simply had those programs wiped out,” Hafner reports.
“The update has [also] made the iPhone ‘almost impervious to any third-party hacks,’ said Erica Sadun, a technical writer in Denver who has created more than a dozen programs for the iPhone, including the screen-shot program and a popular voice recorder,” Hafner reports.
Hafner reports, “Jennifer Bowcock, an Apple spokeswoman, said that when people went to update their software with their computer through iTunes, a warning appeared on the computer screen, making it clear that any unauthorized modifications to the iPhone software violated the agreement that people entered into when they bought the phone. ‘The inability to use your phone after making unauthorized modifications isn’t covered under the iPhone warranty,’ Ms. Bowcock said.”
Hafner reports, “There were reports online that employees at Apple stores were reviving or replacing some dead iPhones. But Ms. Bowcock did not offer much hope to iPhone owners with problems: ‘If the damage was due to use of an unauthorized software application, voiding their warranty, they should purchase a new iPhone.'”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: When companies start to support unsupported hacks, we’ll be sure to let Webster’s et al. know, so they can change the definition of “unsupported.”
That said, Apple, if you plan an iPhone SDK or a “Made for iPhone” plan to distribute authorized third-party apps via iTunes Store for the iPhone, right about now would be a good time to announce it:
G spank… how is hackers are the good guys? they have no moral…..
We love the iPhone as it is, but we love it even more after hacked. Stop acting like apple sheeps and open your eyes. The same iPhone with more apps and features = better. Some of you guys are just too worried about your little warranty to even try anything. You can wait 2 more years until your AT&T;contract is over and still not get a third of what 3rd party apps has to offer right now.
I really boggles the mind that someone who knowing does something to circumvent software that the iPhone was intended to operate.
A user/buyer that are told in advance before buying the iPhone that it IS exclusive to AT&T; warned in advance that any UNauthorized modes could damage the iPhone – GOES ahead knowingly and when what WAS warned happens- gets upset!!!
Either they are very ignorant or totally self absorbed that doing something they are told is wrong and do not want to suffer the consequences.
And I’m sure these are the same people who complain about all those worthless lawsuits.
My 2 cents
With regard to that YouTube video posted by MDN, the hackers actually aren’t “the crazy ones, the misfits…” etc, as implied, because they hack every new device; it’s standard procedure, same ol’ hackers, doing what they’ve always done – how predictable.
Whereas…
…it is most certainly Steve Jobs and Apple that remain “the crazy ones, the misfits…” etc, because they’re rolling out *their* iPhone strategy the way they see fit; bucking the trend and not making the usual poor choices other companies have made that have resulted in shit mobile handsets and shit user experiences.
I believe that as long as Apple is contractually involved with ATT and other cell phone providers, it will be duty bound to prevent the phone from any ‘modifications’ to protect its ability to work on that provider’s network, alone.
Apple and these providers know full well that VOIP is next. Anything less than total control of the device would potentially undermine the agreement between apple and the cell phone providers, who provide network access.
This is a very shrude move on Apple’s part, because it is necessary in the deployment and adoption of iPhone on a global scale; First, partner with the recognized network providers to penetrate the traditional phone market. Second, once global saturation of iPhone reaches a tipping point, allow all software hacks, including ability to use iPhone via VOIP. Third, minimize ties and dependency on traditional network providers, allowing Apple and Apple consumers to function in a free and unfettered market place, open to all. (^_^)
In the mean time, the vast cell phone wasteland could become littered with iPhone/iBricks like mushrooms popping up after a Spring rain. So please be aware and hack with care.
So I was one of those “few” that installed 3rd party apps on my iPhone. A day before the 1.1.1 came out I did a full restore and made sure that none of the 3rd party software bits were left in and I upgraded to 1.1.1 — and now I’ve come to a conclusion on the subject.
I like the thought of installing what I want on my piece of hardware. I think the option to have innovative software on the phone is a good thing.
Now, with that being said… what was currently available really didn’t excite me. Yeah, sure I can run a NES emulator on it, but would I ever really use it? Nah.
I really would like a native IM client on it… and that was the one 3rd party app that I will miss most. Hopefully we’ll see that soon–though I am sure AT&T;likes me using SMS like iChat…. bastards.
I haven’t hacked my phone, nor will I. However, if Apple proceeds down thisa path AGAIN, they will lose in the long run. Let 3rd party developers in! You allow it with Widgets, so why not with the phone? I was about to drop 10K on a Mac Pro loaded, but now I’m not so sure, not liking what I’m seeing, maybe Woz was right…
Either they are very ignorant or totally self absorbed that doing something they are told is wrong and do not want to suffer the consequences.
Our only consolation is that we’re not a sheep like you. Maybe we should just create a device where we can steal phone time from Ma Bell. I would call mine Blue Box.
Just my opinion: Apple is wrong.
Oh … I’m not saying Apple should support 3rd-party apps, that’s not reasonable. Nor am I saying they should fix bricked iPhones for free, that’s not reasonable either.
Apple bricked these iPhones on purpose. Without sufficient warning. (yeah, I know, Steve said so just before the update and the update itself included sufficient warning) Apple, though, had a choice. They could:
a) break the changes, leaving the iPhone working
b) not break the changes, where possible
c) re-install fresh software to replace the changes
Or, Apple could brick them. Now … where the changes were to allow use on another network, both a) and c) would have bricked the “phone” feature of the iPhone. But, then they could reverse the hacks and you’d have a working iPhone again. Sure, charge a small fee for the fix.
Apple claims the iPhone is running OSX. That means it is, essentially, a Mac! And Macs are open to third-party software. While it would be good for Apple to be able to control this additional software, it is much more important that the software exists! Sabotaging third-party developers is not the way to go, here. That is Apple’s mistake.
Dave
The PROBLEM IS
That the third party hacks don’t always come with a warning it’s unsupported and hardware could be rendered useless by Apple.
Third parties try to make a product better through hacks, sometimes doing it for free or for money. Which bringing useful features that people need or want to a hardware product is a benefit.
Unfortunatly in order to bring these new features, certain things like security are bypassed or left open through shoddy progamming.
The iPhone has the potential to be used to spy, to make unauthorized calls and other nasties.
Apple is allowing these hacks a short chaotic regin on their hardware to justify to installing the most stringent DRM possible. The Trusted Computing Chip.
in other news (ATT)
http://www.betanews.com/article/ATT_Will_Suspend_Accounts_of_Detractors/1191270419
What he said…This Apple has a worm in it. Better let “controlled” 3rd party developers in or Apple is going to regret it big time. Don’t think that Micro$oft and/or other phone manufacturers aren’t keen to this, they will exploit this weakness…and win. Is Steve crazy? Making the same mistake…sad really.
Who cares. At most, maybe 2% of iPhone owners have even considered hacking their phones, and less than 1% have managed to brick them. Those that did knew the risks ahead of time and now must face the consequences. Meanwhile the other 98% of iPhone owners are happily going about their normal business.
Apple is behaving like a bunch of assholes.
I don’t believe the “bricked” iPhones are actually bricked. After all it’s just flash ROM’s right?
Surely they can be restored to factory condition and re-activated.
And another point I would like to make is that Apple never actually said that they will never have the facility to allow the development of third party apps for the iPhone. I think it’s only a matter of time before a sandbox is developed.
Another alternative is to allow for a copy of Apache to run on the iPhone along with other standard web technologies like PHP or Ruby on Rails and a MySQL database server or SQL lite. Then you could develop web apps that you don’t need to be connected to the internet to use.
@doc
Wow, this part is really scary:
Customers may find the move somewhat troubling, especially considering the telecom’s involvement in the warrantless wiretapping scandal that rocked the Bush adminstration in 2005. While the company tried to play down its involvement, it also altered its privacy policy to try to claim ownership over the personal information that customers provide to it. AT&T;had no immediate comment on the change to its policies.
I wonder when they’ll extend that to all calls and data transmissions over their system. Who would want AT&T;, given their history?
Have you guys read about the Nokia, anti-iPhone advertising campaign.
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/07/10/01/nokia_launches_anti_iphone_campaign_amid_controversy.html
“We believe the best devices have no limits. That’s why we’ve left the Nokia Nseries open,” the Finland-based handset maker wrote on its new “Open to anything” website. “Open to applications. Open to widgets. Open to anything. So go ahead and load it up. What it does is up to you.”
That sort of explains where many people are coming from Apple. You can spin it any way that you want to, but that’s how it is.
@RC, granted, 98% could care less. The other 2% are the movers and shakers that have a tendancy to make products ‘cool’ . Isn’t this what has been happening now for a few years with Macs in general? It’s the fringe, the ‘word of mouth’ that makes things happen. Now if that base is gone, another competitor comes out with ‘you can download any program you want’ on your’re phone, Apple is screwed. Period. It will be history repeating itself.
What boggles my mind is how so many folks here don’t mind Apple going out of their way to brick iPhones. I don’t own one, but if I did, and I hacked it to add some software, I would certainly expect to be able to revert back to the iPhone’s stock condition. I would not expect Apple to issue a so-called “update” that bricks the phone with no way of me getting back to a factory default setting. If Apple wants to have an update not install if it detects any hacks, fine. Or if Apple wants to release an update that bricks the phone if any hacks are discovered, that’s fine too as long as I can re-install the factory stock software.
How would all of you like it if Apple were to pull the same stunt with their computers? Install an un-authorized app, and your Mac Book dies. Not only does it die, but there’s no way for you to make it work again because Apple altered the firmware to kill the machine. It’s all to make sure that the user experience is the best it can be, after all, and golly, we sure can’t trust any third party developer to make any useful software.
Users happily going about their business…. what a crock. I was going to purchase iToner to get my ringtones on the phone, because I want to use music I purchased legally for my personal use. I also wanted to be able to have the ability to record sound on my phone. Little apps. like this can make a world of difference in user experience. Why are you so willing to take life as is?
magic word : “trouble”
I can’t believe you linked to that stupid movie. Apple’s “Think Different” campaign honored people like Einstein and Ghandi. You’re linking to something that equates them with the guy who wrote an iPhone version of Tetris. Wow.
I know Digg loves the video, but you guys? Maybe your new slogan should be Think Before You Link.
Apple’s Thinking Is Just Fine, Thank You.
Spark’s 2¢:
1. 3rd Party software developers are good guys.
2. Hackers to break AT&T;contractual agreement are bad guys.
3. Apple needs to empower 3rd party developers for iPhone.
4. Apple will have iPhone SDK by 2008 MacWorld
5. All Apple programmers are too occupied completion of Leopard to focus on iPhone SDK now.
6. SDK and/or iPhone tricks run only with Leopard so cannot be introduced before rollout of new OS.
7. Jobs needs to announce plans for iPhone application development to dampen the fire that is damaging iPhone and Apple reputations.
@shiva105
That’s just it. If you do something to your Mac, you can always reformat the hard drive and reinstall the OS. No such “luck” with the iPhone. Apple is doing this on purpose to protect their monthly revenues.
I’ve been a Mac user since 1992 and this is the first time I’ve really been pissed at Apple.
@Spark. Amen Brotha/Sista. You nailed it. I hope it happens just like that.