CUPERTINO, Calif., Sept. 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — 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 (www.itunes.com), 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
It seems to me that this is pretty generic. What’s interesting as 9to5mac.com pointed out to me, Apple didn’t use it’s normal PR machine to distribute this.
I don’t think Apple will do anything to break unlocks. I don’t think they have to. I think the nature of a firmware update is that it’s likely to break the hacks. This mean AT&T is happy because the unlocks are broken (riiight…. because unlocked iphones will be the first to be updated). Apple will come out OK because whatever breaks the hacks will itself, be hacked.
Having a “Apple-supplied” firmware, I can’t wait for my new features, which at minimum, will be WiFiTunes.
I work in marketing. When you use the word “many” it means that in one case, an iPhone broke with the update.
Apple is just covering it’s bases right now.
Either Apple is saying this to scare people from unlocking, or they are saying this to say “I told you so” when they brick your unlocked iPhone. Either way, I’m not taking the risk at this point.
Yeah right. I don’t know if Apple is required to issue this kind of an announcement based on their contract with AT&T, or if they are just trying to be a “good partner”. In any case, this is just a lot of bloviating. Mine isn’t hacked because around here the only service you can really use for business is Verizon. I just use mine as a PDA and media player. It’s a much better choice than the Touch iPod since it has so many more features and I can have my email with me. If I could get a good carrier, I wouldn’t have any problem at all hacking mine.
I’m not interested in hacking my phone and I agree Verizon is the better carrier but I’ve found the pleasure of using the iPhone far outweighs the occassional lack of a signal. My bigger gripe iz the inability to open and view PowerPoint doc. Is there any way to make that work and still be Apple compliant?