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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.'"
Is that even legal?
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At least it's a stylish brick!
Don't people have statutory rights with regards to purchased goods in the US? I'm pretty sure if they tried such a trick in the UK they'll get a kicking in court.
in SIM-unlocked iPhones turning into very expensive bricks... So what are users of SIM-unlocked iPhones to do?
Bricks have uses too. You can build houses from them. Very expensive houses. But bricks are bricks after all.
... This is most likely to be just lowly scare mongering. Apple is becoming evil awfully quick.
I wouldn't be surprised if the iPhone Dev Team released a work-around rather than a roll-back. I.e. Have your unlocked iPhone cake and eat it (upgraded s/w) too. How? That's up to the clever people...
Obfuscation is easy
It seems to imply that running any 3rd party software on the phone voids your warranty.
I wonder how long Apple will be able to play hardball before they are in court on the wrong end of a class action suit?
* Winners compare their achievements to their goals, losers compare theirs to that of others.
There are instructions on how to relock an iPhone here
It seems a bit involved
To brick or not to brick...
Thats what you get for giving Mac any of your hard earned money,a suckerpunch.Remember although you bought it ,it belongs to Steeev Jobs.
If he says no,you better listen.After all he is richer,smarter and better than you.Think Different.
*Repent!Quit Your Job!Slack Off!The World Ends Tomorrow and You May Die!
This could create an interesting legal situation in countries where modding the equipment is a protected consumer right. On the other hand, if you hack the iPhone you pretty much void the warranty and can't expect the official updates to work. But with "FUDdish" threats like this Apple makes it sound like their intentionally breaking the phones. And I wonder how Apple plans to prevent returning the bricked phones for warranty. If they can detect that afterwards, they probably could have detected it as part of the bricking update.
If something you do that intentionally destroys private property, that is absolutely something that can be brought to court.
I think it is time to stop thinking of Apple as anything less than an even more evil version of Microsoft with slightly less money.
...we have the unedifying spectacle of Apple fanboys scrambling to justify the exact same types of behaviour they constantly condemn Microsoft for:
- defective by design hardware featuring crippleware to degrade functionality in the event of uses which differ from the uses the parent company approves
- intentional attempt to force customers to buy uncompetitive/unattractive services in addition to the thing they want
- vague and misleading corporate spin which dodges the real issue
Apple have done some good stuff lately, particularly playing hardball over music licensing on iTunes. But this is not good, and you should have the guts to say so, just as you would if it was Microsoft or some other similar company.
Read Pynchon.
if you want a Linux based, good looking, feature full and open phone then have a look at Open Moko it is probably going to be capable of multitouch (the touchscreen hardware can do it but the software does not take advantage yet) it will come without a contract so I will be getting an O2 sim only contract when they come out next month. OpenMoko in October, OLPC in November, wow, I am going to be skint by Christmas.
I'm an Apple fanboy - I've used Macs since 1984, worked for Apple for a couple of years, and have promoted Apple equipment and software where I've been employed. But at this moment, I'm disgusted. There is no need to disable the unlocked iPhone's, and Jobs and crew should damn well accept that some of us actually refuse to use AT&T on principal. Think Different my a**.
I'm not going to subscribe to AT&T. AT&T, the firm that's trying to eliminate net neutrality. AT&T, the reconstituted (near) monopoly. AT&T the firm that opened their switch boxes to the NSA without hesitation and is now attempting to manipulate legislation to provide immunity from prosecution in that matter.
On a practical note, Does Mr. Jobs even recognize how expensive his bed partner is overseas? And this matter practically to myself and my family. Apple, as normal, has forgotten that Israel exists. Apple has, as far as I know, has never sold its products directly in Israel. If I want to send an iPhone to my family in Israel, should I have to sign up for AT&T and pay for their pathetic World Traveler plan? The world does exist outside the US and a few European markets.
Incidentally - my evil unlocked iPhone works perfectly on T-Mobile - without Visual Voice Mail, but gods, I'll live. So what, precisely, is the point of altering the modem firmware, except to break unlocking? Point out examples of the baseband firmware wreaking havoc on the network; explain how this change benefits users.
The iPhone is the first tablet computer I've seen that inspires the imagination. I want to write programs for it, I want to explore a new user interface. If it runs OS X, treat it like an OS X box and let us get on with writing the programs that will sell the bloody thing. Don't freeze us out while you write such amazing accomplishments as the "Wireless i-Tunes Store" while we're trying to write vertical apps for the medical profession, law, and other fields.
Job's, former AT&T hacker, has decided to repeat the folly of the early closed Mac, the early closed NeXT, and even at times the Newton. Apple made a terrible choice in its partner, and seems incapable of realizing the potential of the iPhone.
/* Dang, I can't type that well. */
Apple overreaches with a very expensive experiment, and proceeds to knock itself out of a (or even THE) market. It's Newton-time all over again; the karma of Steve-o.
Religion is what happens when nature strikes and groupthink goes wrong.
While the jury's out on whether the bricking is intentional or not, it's clear that something in the update process is incompatible with the changes made by unlocking.
The solution is to reverse the changes before updating. There is a preliminary guide to doing this at:
http://www.tuaw.com/2007/09/24/how-to-relock-your-iphone-before-the-firmware-update/
Of course, this means that your phone is no longer unlocked.
The other option is to just not upgrade.
Anyone who owns an iPod will know the firmware gets updated fairly regularly will fixes and on occasion new features too. To hack your own firmware onto an Apple device is tight-rope-walking at best.
For goodness sake people, you don't buy Apple products because they're cheap or because you want to save money; nay fellow brethren, you buy because Apple products are the coolest, the best user-tested, and yea, because you are blessed enough to afford luxury. It comes at a price.
Amen.
throw new NoSignatureException();
If you own something, its yours. You paid for it, you paid taxes on your purchase, you completed the transaction.
If a company intentionally destroys your property and thus denies you the rightful use of your property, how is that *ANY* different than a DDOS?
If Apple does this, it should be sued into the ground. I'm not talking just statutory damages, I'm talking "punitive" damages intended to reduce the likelihood they do this crap again. If every iPhone use who gets bricked sues for $1m, it could be interesting.
I am sick of U.S. companies treating customers like shit. Damn it! Make a good product, sell a million of them, and support your customers. What the hell is so difficult about that formula? It is the basis of real capitalism, not this fascist lock you in and bend you over crap companies are doing today.
Apparently the phone won't be disabled immediately. It will first make a call to the nearest AT&T NSA approved logging center, where the phone number will be recorded and your address details passed on to Apple.
Then the phone will disable itself.
Shortly after, you will meet with a mysterious accident.
Apple users that we interviewed were of the opinion that while this was a good first step, it didn't really go quite far enough. "Ideally I'd like to see the offender's family murdered in the streets as well. It's really the only way to teach the proper respect for Apple's products and business strategy.", said one person who was soon copied by all the others in an attempt to show their individuality.
An Apple spokesman who we contacted offered the following statement, "LOL, Windows, LOL!".
Or do you mean because it renders unlocked phones useless?
Even bricked iPhones have a use... You can always blend it.
right. so why do so many people try to hack the device desperately ? if the vendor does not want your money, your contributions - go to another.
:) )
like, already mentioned fic neo with openmoko/qtopia.
instead, painful attempts to hack or use the device that the manufacturer has quite clearly noted it does not want to be hacked (or even used, in some cases
Rich
In fact, in Europe (I don't know about the US) phones *must* be unlockable (providers often refer to this a 'subsidy code' - it's cheaper to buy it from a third party). It can be around 3-4 UKP to buy a subsidy code (generated from your IMEI) online, it's usually about 10-20 UKP to get it done on the high street and about 50+ UKP to get one from the original provider.
After the contract period is up on AT&T from what I have read I believe they are letting you use the device with other providers . I'm not sure if that is through legal mandate or not, as I've indicated I don't know what US legislation there is covering network interoperability for mobile phones.
In either case their most certianly ARE going to be unlocked iPhones out there, that's not the issue. All that's being said here is that "if you've modified the software on your iPhone, upgrading it [i.e. applying a binary delta which is intend to patch against the original OS] might prevent the phone from booting". I would add that if you find that even remotely surprising you are not sufficiently technical to be messing around applying 3rd party hacks to your phone's OS (and that you can almost certainly restore the original firmware on it, even if it won't boot - as with the iPod's).
Slashdot is mis-representing the truth and people who love an excuse to rant against Apple are lapping it up in blind ignorance.
A bricked iPhone can be returned for a full switch...
I have a small scratch on my iPhone driving me insane, which is not enough to warrent an exchange.
I will have to explain to my family that they should *not* update the firmware if they want to keep using t-moble, at least until someone else figures out how to unlock the phone. Or I will simply install my backup copy of the current firmware, no harm done and all.
I mean, being able to play a few games while in airplane mode, having free personal ringtones ripped from our own media, using t-mobile, an ebay tracker, an application that uses cellphone triangulation to calculate your location on the map, an AIM client, a digital recorder for lectures and meetings, a quickbooks app, an ebook reader, and a NES emulator; are all worth more to us then having an itunes store on the phone that lets us know what songs are playing in our local starbucks... I mean with the tmobile 'total internet' package (for $19.95 a month), I can use the tmobile hotspot in my local starbucks, for speeds faster then EDGE.... A greater convinence in my mind.
3 degrees of separation from Vladimir Putin
This quote from Airplane! seems appropriate:
"Shanna, they bought their tickets, they knew what they were getting into. I say, let 'em crash."
Honestly, they are not using the iPhone as intended and they full well knew it. To make Apple take into account third-party hackery is just silly. I'm not saying I like the idea of a locked-down iPhone in the first place, but that is not the argument here.
--- witty signature
As an example, the iPhone could be unlocked abroad (where there is no AT&T) so that the owner can reach their insurer for payment for an essential operation.
I agree that this isn't a matter of who the other party is, but there are all sorts of times when one has cause to distrust someone, and it is reasonable to treat them differently from someone who you do trust. Do you go out of your way to help someone who has cried "wolf" too many times, when there are others who haven't?
The DMCA was recently deliberately ammended to allow phones to be cracked for the purpose of running on other networks; Apple is already running against the spirit of the law, and possibly also the letter. Cracking the phone is moral, for Apple know the laws that apply, and their intent, when they are selling the iPhone; they have no excuse to complain.
Those who have cracked their phones, or had them cracked, did so in the rational expectation that doing so would be legal, and indeed allowed. Apple's behaviour is shady, even if it is not illegal.
Wikileaks, no DNS
is that they won't check future software updates to the iPhone to work with each and every unlocking hack somebody came up with.
Lars T.
To the guy who modded me down from perfect to terrible Karma - Apple haters still suck
They didn't brick XBox 360's that were modded, but, they did ban 'em from XBox Live. While not the same as bricking it, it definitely rendered it less valuable to people who were playing online games or enjoyed downloading games, videos, etc. from XBox Live.
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The obvious solution is, don't buy the damn things. Why should Apple treat its customers right when it can treat them wrong and they STILL buy their overhyped phones?
Slow down, cowboy! It has been 4 hours since you last posted. You must wait another few hours.
He is not entitled to own one, but ONCE he owns one, he is entitled to keep it in the state it is, or even burn it on a bonfire if he wishes. OTOH Apple cannot force an update on the iPhone on him, because Apple did not license the iPhone or Contract the iPhone usage to him, Apple sold it.
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visit randi.org
I don't understand all the uproar. All you geeks think you should be able to buy something, jab a screwdriver into it and then expect the manufacturer to support it.
If you buy a car from GM, install an after-market modification (some kind of performance chip, etc.), it is quite possible that they may issue a recall that would either a) be denied b/c of your after-market modification, b) cause your modification to stop working or c) cause your car to stop working. Do you think it's GM's responsibility to test each an every modification that someone might make to a car before releasing a recall? Do you think it's Apple's responsibility to test each and every possible software hack out there before releasing an update?
They are selling their phone as a closed-box device, like a toaster or a DVD player. If you want to screw with it, fine, but don't expect any help from Apple getting it to work again. Quit complaining.
If Apple + AT&T weren't prepared to deal with that gaping hole in their business plan, they deserve to lose money. There is no law that guarantees profit, and it's not up to iPhone owners to fulfill a deal made between Apple and AT&T.
Apple made a mistake by locking the iPhone to a single provider. If Apple's execs are shocked and appalled that computer nerds are modifying what is basically a portable computer, they need to be replaced with people who actually understand what techies will do with computers and plan accordingly.
Someday, you're going to die. Get over it.
Q: How many cops does it take to push a suspect down a stairwell?
A: None, he just slipped!
So the Apple version is:
Q: How many firmware updates does it take to sabotage an unlocked iPhone?
A: None, it just bricked!
Which just goes to show:
Q: What do you get when you cross Apple and AT&T?
A: AT&T!
-Don
Take a look and feel free: http://www.PieMenu.com
Except if you read the TUAW guide to re-locking that some people who tried to re-lock the phone found that it didn't work anymore. Some have gotten it to work again by re-unlocking, but eitherway the process seems to munge the IMEI.
Maybe, just maybe, and I know many people will have to take of the tinfoil hats to believe this, Apple actually has test units that they try out all these published hacks on. And maybe they discovered that if you used one of the SIM unlock methods it caused an issue that a baseband upgrade found in their new firmware upgrade will cause a problem. And maybe, just maybe, in order to avoid a flurry of bad press, they slipped this information out so that people who would be affected would have a chance to try to reverse what they have done first, or avoid the update until the hackers figure it out, so that there aren't stories all over the net this week about how Apple killed the iPhones that were hacked.
Yes, Apple has said that they don't want the iPhone SIM hacked, and they have to since they have exclusive deals with carriers. Heck since they seem to be getting a cut of service fees they probably really don't want you to do it, even though it will lead to more sales of units, especially if the fees work out to as much or more than the profit they make on the device itself. However in those same quotes of Jobs and Schiller saying that they don't want to see SIM unlocks, they also mention being interested in non-network local apps, and the possibility of doing something with them in the future.
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They didn't prevent anyone from unlocking the phone. They're just not supporting you if you do so.
/. crowd to understand? Apple specifically says that non-ATT use of the phone is unsupported. People who bought and hacked the phone knew that when they bought it. Apple didn't stop people from doing so, but they're not going to go out of their way to support them. Get over it.
Why is this so hard for the
This is like whining that Microsoft doesn't support people running Window-Blinds or some other hack.
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Why do I need this update? So it can brick my phone. Hrmm sounds like I don't need it. I thought about this eventuality before I bought and unlocked the phone. It's not really a big deal at all. What functionality does the update provide that would make me want to apply it? None nadda zip. So I won't be. iTunes music store wifi crap could not care less about. I don't buy music from any source that sells DRM music. iTunes want's to force me to update. I will use a third party synch tool or just good old FTP SFTP. I am perfectly happy with the way my unlocked iPhone works right now. And more importantly I get far more value from the new applications the hackers have provided than I do from anything new Apple is talking about. I mean the NES emulator is by far the coolest thing on my iPhone. So in short meh whatever.
I believe the problem is this: The phone OSX operating system can be completely rewritten with a fresh copy by doing a restore in iTunes at any time. So any hacks that were done to that huge chunk of code can be completely undone and restored to factory fresh conditions. BUT the SIM-unlocking hacks, and I'm talking only about the hacks that let you use a SIM card other than ATT, change a chunk of code that is deeper in the hardware of the phone, outside the OSX operating system. It is changing some firmware that is outside the restored code. Note that the unlocking survives a restore. That's because it is hacked outside the OSX system.
Thus, the Restore in iTunes won't restore those particular hacks. And it is very possible that the hacked code won't run with new updates to OSX.
Apple isn't doing it on purpose. They are just doing what they planned to do - update OSX with new stuff. Apple is being NICE in warning people about this. Now, yes, I think with some EXTRA, EXPENSIVE WORK Apple could probably release a standalone program that might be able to restore that other code that is being hacked up. But darn it, do they have to? They warned you in advance, they are warning you now, and why do they have to support these hacks, even by undoing them?
Out of the goodness of their hearts, I do believe if this is actually a significant problem that Apple WILL take the time and spend the money to fix this deep hacking to make things back to factory fresh. But it is above and beyond what they need to do , and if they do it, they will do it because Apple is GOOD.
Mike from www.myallo.com/blog