Upcoming Firmware Will Brick Unlocked iPhones

iCry writes "It was rumored last week, and Apple has now confirmed it: 'Apple said today that a firmware update to the iPhone due to be released later this week "will likely result" in SIM-unlocked iPhones turning into very expensive bricks... So what are users of SIM-unlocked iPhones to do? Not run the latest software update, that's for sure. Users can instead pray to the hacking deities — the famed iPhone Dev Team that released the free software unlock, and iPhoneSIMfree, which released a commercial software unlock — to write applications that will undo the unlocks, as it were, if those users want to run the latest iPhone software.'"

Comments

Re:Is that even legal?

[Ilgaz]

If people are afraid of firmware updates which sure includes security updates, there will be thousands of communication devices with a very high CPU speed and fast (EDGE fast) Network connection around.

Those devices owners, unless they have stolen them has real good amount of money in bank too.

So, do you remember the 3rd party application lock was for? Security? :) I am not speaking about J2ME they ignored which a $50 phone can do and run Opera Mini for example.

I got a Nokia 9300 Symbian 80 series phone here, I am a very conservative user without any kind of "hacked" firmware since it came without Simlock and Symbian offers a huge SDK all free even including free application signing to open source developers.

Why should I hack it at all? I am happily running a $10 SMS Anti Spam tool which got installed by "opening" the .sis file without any hacks or something for example. I run whatever latest Nokia Firmware is, installed at service centre for $10 or something.

Also I must add that firmware update has fixed so many issues on my Nokia that I even started to purchase J2ME apps,services. A firmware on a device is more like a OS update.