Apple: Jailbroken iPhones will be Problematic

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

Apple is cautioning iPhone users who are tempted to jailbreak their iPhone and extend functionality and run non-Apple approved applications that their iPhones and iPod Touches are likely to malfunction. Releasing a recent report, Apple stresses that Jailbroken iPhones will likely not be able to take official OS updates and maybe locked out.  Read the document after the break.

Summary

This article is about adverse issues experienced by customers who have made unauthorized modifications to the iPhone OS (this hacking process is often called "jailbreaking"). Issues that have been encountered include instability, disruption of services, and compromised security.

Products Affected

iPhone, iPod touch, iPad

As designed by Apple, the iPhone OS ensures that the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch operate reliably. Somecustomers have not understood the risks of installing software that makes unauthorized modifications to the iPhone OS ("jailbreaking") on their iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. Customers who have installed software that makes these modifications have encountered numerous problems in the operation of their hacked iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. Examples of issues caused by these unauthorized modifications to the iPhone OS have included the following:

 

Device and application instability: Frequent and unexpected crashes of the device, crashes and freezes of built-in apps and third-party apps, and loss of data.

 

Unreliable voice and data: Dropped calls, slow or unreliable data connections, and delayed or inaccurate location data.

 

Disruption of services: Services such as Visual Voicemail, YouTube, Weather, and Stocks have been disrupted or no longer work on the device. Additionally, third-party apps that use the Apple Push Notification Service have had difficulty receiving notifications or received notifications that were intended for a different hacked device. Other push-based services such as MobileMe and Exchange have experienced problems synchronizing data with their respective servers.

 

Compromised security: Security compromises have been introduced by these modifications that could allow hackers to steal personal information, damage the device, attack the wireless network, or introduce malware or viruses.

 

Shortened battery life: The hacked software has caused an accelerated battery drain that shortens the operation of an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch on a single battery charge. 

 

Inability to apply future software updates: Some unauthorized modifications have caused damage to the iPhone OS that is not repairable. This can result in the hacked iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch becoming permanently inoperable when a future Apple-supplied iPhone OS update is installed.

 

Apple strongly cautions against installing any software that hacks the iPhone OS. It is also important to note that unauthorized modification of the iPhone OS is a violation of the iPhone end-user license agreement and because of this, Apple may deny service for an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch that has installed any unauthorized software.  

One thing to consider, most of the iPhones sold are locked to carriers. The only way you can unlock the iPhone to be used with another carrier is through Jailbreaking it. This means that if it was hard to unlock an iPhone and move carriers or switch SIM cards before, it will likely be impossible unless Apple provides a means to unlock iPhones.