“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:
So many myopic people… Owners of iBricks – you have no one to blame but yourselves. There is no way on this planet that a law suit against Apple would prevail.
For anyone out there complaining about iPhone’s closed architecture, please turn on your brains and think a bit for a moment.
A week after iPhone came out, some obscure ‘security’ company publicised some vulnerability in the iPhone. In the past three months, there were lots of discussions about the security of iPhone’s OS, web browser, etc. One of the unlocking methods was actually a result of an exploit of a vulnerability in the iPhone.
Apple will no doubt eventually find a way for developers to create real apps for the phone (beyond web 2.0 crap). This simply cannot happen until they find a way to control installation of these onto the iPhone. Allowing free-for-all third-party development with just a simple SDK and an app installer would invite all kinds of hackers – not just ‘good’ ones. Many would be happy to write malicious apps, perhaps even viruses, trojans and such.
The number of people who are using third-party apps today is negligible. They are inconsequential for Apple’s strategic planning. The development of the iPhone took more than 3 years. The deal with AT&T;makes sure that it is paid for through all the subsidies. Apple chose (arguably) the best nation-wide cell provider. Where I’m at Verizon blows big time; so does Sprint and T-Mobile (not to mention that Verizon was out of the question anyway, as it is not GSM). Since AT&T;is the largest national carrier, it was an obvious choice. Since the phone is obviously a historic success, they made the right choices.
All those who desperately want to develop native apps for the iPhone, as well as those who want to run them, your choices are very limited for now. You will just need to show patience, though. This will come.
Who is Big Brother now?
Does Microsoft support Xbox hacks? Has Apple promised to update the Linux running iPod?
Most of these complaints are based on strawmen, AFAIAC. I simply do not believe that number of people whom this update affected numbers anymore than a dozen.
As a Mac user for most of my computing life, I find Apple’s handling of this situation despicable. I had every intention of purchasing an iPhone. Now I have absolutely no desire whatsoever. F’ you, Steve Jobs.
@shiva105
iphone isn’t a computer….. you are comparing apple and orange.
to all other,
the fact is… if you don’t like the way apple running the iphone business then don’t buy it. Nokia have a open to anything model go with them….
i agree with Sue
Look, Im not saying that what they did was wrong, they have a commitment to AT&T;and im cool with that. BUT, they need to find away to support 3rd party, simple as that, or else the iPhone will be just a memory as Nokia and others march past.
If you’re not willing to live by Apple’s terms, then don’t buy an iPhone. Wait for somebody to create a better product and buy that instead.
Oh, and have fun waiting.
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MW: “Strong,” as in: Some posters here have a strong case of delusion.
@Got Apple?
The f*** it isn’t a computer. It’s running OS X, Safari, Mail and a whole slew of other programs. It happens to also be a phone.
The iPhone is a computer, no doubt about that. And for all of you who are blind and living in a fairy tale land where Apple can do no wrong. Wake up.
Once again, lazy lazy journalists repeating unsubstantiated rumours. The statement ‘buy a new phone’ has been denied by Apple. Why is it being repeated here as if it were fact?
See http://www.ipodobserver.com/story/33189
@Luke Skywalker
“Wow, this part is really scary”
Not scary to me, and I applaud the actions taken ON MY BEHALF by the the NSA and AT&T;. It’s not like some guy with headphones was listening to my phone calls; it was computerized pattern recognition scanning a zillion calls. Guess what. We have not had another attack on our soil in seven years. So if some NSA dweeb at some point hears a bit of me and my wife discussing the milk I’m picking up on my way home I am neither offended, scared, outraged or any other negative verb you might choose.
After the Pearl Harbor attack, large numbers of innocent Japanese, Germans and Italians were rounded up an placed in internment camps for the duration of the war. America was shocked and scared, and didn’t know who to trust. With arguably a worse attack, instead of rounding up every Muslim, the government scanned some cell phone traffic for threats. Be happy that we could use less draconian methods this time around to assure our safety.
Reminds me of a story I once heard about an egg named Humpty.
@Spark
Apparently, you trust Bush et al. I don’t. He’s show how deceptive and coercive he is. If they want to do it, then they should get a court order to do so. They have a special secret court in place for such actions, yet the simply didn’t use it. Why? It’s not that hard; the judges on that court are available 24/7 and are only a phone call away (hopefully they don’t have AT&T;). The Congress (before and after the election) and the Supreme Court have both agreed that Bush et al. were out of line when they did that (and other things as well, e.g., torture).
It seems a lot of people who think Apple is “dissing” them somehow assume that the iPhone is Exactly The Same as a Mac, and should operate and behave the same way. Here’s an explanation as to why this isn’t the case:
http://brockerhoff.net/bb/viewtopic.php?p=2191#2191
It seems inevitable to me that Apple will eventually allow 3rd party software on the iPhone. But Apple decides who, when and how. If you don’t like the iPhone capabilities that Apple provides natively, then don’t buy it. But if you buy it and then run hacks to unlock it and install unsupported software, then you do so at your own risk. Quit whining about your “rights” for something that you chose to buy knowing its current limitations.
As to what the future holds for the iPhone, only Apple knows the forward plan. But Steve doesn’t often overlook the type of opportunities for market expansion and profit offered by opening the iPhone to 3rd party software. Wait and see.
MDN MW: “plans” – Apple has ’em, and they are generally quite good.
Too many people have bought (or not) arguably the greatest handheld device ever and are complaining that it doesn’t do x, y and z.
Patience grasshopper, great things come in small steps. They had to sneak it in under the radar.
Quit whining, if it had all those wanted features at launch do you think it would have got FCC approval? Or a carrier, maybe AT&T;sux but they offer market penetration. iPod didn’t do much at launch, now look at it.
iphone extreme is the mactablet?
I’m not often sympathetic to the people who hack a device and then bitch about updates that negate their hacks but the fact that Apple has bricked these devices with no way to revert back to factory is unsettling, if not disturbing. It’s just a flash drive for Christ’s sake…Apple would gain tremendously by releasing an iPhone restore utility. That being said, I’m confident it won’t be too long before some hacker figures a way to de-brick (is it un-brick or de-brick?) the iPhone and disorder will once again be restored.
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You idiot. That video didn’t honor Einstein and Ghandi. It equated Apple with them. It said, hey world, we’re just like them… the little guy, the innovative guy.
Apple has become little more than a terrorist.
After all, terrorists issue threats and follow through on them if you cross them.
Saying you won’t support hacks is one thing, going out and destroying others’ personal property because you weren’t able to make money off them is another.
Imagine if Sony started to say that if you use their DVD player with another TV we will come into your house and ‘brick’ your DVD player.
whiny bitches!
Some of you talk as though you have played an instrumental role in developing the third-party apps! You didn’t.
And this FUD-spreading azzwipe star wars character who hasn’t grown up yet, sees monsters under his bed, probably doesn’t even own an iPhone and is probably a windoze malcontent coming in here to take pot shots at apple.
luuuuuke grow up.
“Apple has become little more than a terrorist.”
AYFKM! They’re coming out of the wood work now. Apple is now worst than a terrorist? A terrorist?
This place is going downhill.
Been a hacker all my life. This is funny. Glad I did not buy an iphony…
To the anonymous poster @Tom,
The Apple ads showed Ghandi, Einstein, or others during the voiceover. They did not show Macs.
This YouTube movie shows a scrolling list of pointless apps for the iPhone during the voiceover. If you can’t see the difference, I pity you.
Why doesn’t the development community quit making stupid videos and writing ridiculous screeds against Apple and write something else instead like, oh, I don’t know, maybe applications?
The wailing from the development community would have you believe that every application ever worth having has already been written on every platform except the iPhone. The iPhone is, apparently, the last platform on Earth. Please.
When Apple opens it up (and they will in time), knock yourselves out. Until then, is there nothing else to do?
I don’t know the actual cause of the “bricking,” but most likely it is simply an incompatibility issue. The same thing happened to me when I hacked my cell phone. It wasn’t because the manufacturer made it do that maliciously — it is just the nature of hardware hacks that products can turn into bricks. The more sophisticated the item, or the more comprehensive the update, the more likely the product will be rendered unusable. If you can’t take it, don’t hack.