The iPhone update question ... unlocked users will probably want to click "Cancel" for lack of a "Hell, NO!" option. (Source: Gizmodo, Brian Lam)
Apple warns users that their unlocked iPhones may not work after new software update
Apple recently announced that its new update will likely kill iPhones that have been unlocked to work on to networks other than AT&T, rendering them completely inoperable.
In a statement released by the company earlier this week, the company stated: "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."
This statement was immediately followed by Apple's announcement that unlocking the iPhone will result in a voided warranty.
"This has nothing to do with proactively disabling a phone that is
unlocked or hacked," Phil Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of
worldwide product marketing, said in an interview with The Associated Press. "It's unfortunate
that some of these programs have caused damage to the iPhone software,
but Apple cannot be responsible for ... those consequences."
Last week Steve Jobs had publicly denounced the unlocked iPhones, saying Apple would fight against them. "It's a constant cat and mouse game," he stated.
There are currently many free and paid unlocking programs, as chronicled at DailyTech.
John McLaughlin of UniquePhones.com, a company out of Ireland that has developed unlocking software, thinks Apple's claim that unlocking software made harmful irreversible changes is fabricated.
"We have reviewed the source code of a number of these applications and
to the best of our knowledge any changes made to the software can
easily be reversed," McLaughlin said in an e-mail. "After unlocking the
iPhone, minimal effort is required to get it in to its previously
locked state."
Apple has sold over 1 million iPhones as reported at DailyTech. There is no word on how many unlocked iPhones are "in the wild," operating on T-Mobile's compatible network or other compatible networks worldwide.
The update's includes the software that will allow the iPhone to access
iTunes wirelessly and the Starbucks promotional software, among other
updates.
Apple's move may be illegal according to legal experts. The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act forbids manufacturers from voiding the warranty of a product unless they can prove that the user damaged the product. Whether Apple's moves are legal depends on whether they can prove in court (as they likely will) that the unlocking software caused irreversible damage to the iPhone's software or hardware.
Many iPhone users will likely find this development alarming. The solution is simply not to update their iPhones, but many will be displeased that they cannot get the same priveleges as other users -- such as WiFi iTunes. The legality of the move is debatable, but Apple seems firmly resolved to try to stamp out unlocked iPhones.
"This week I got an iPhone. This weekend I got four chargers so I can keep it charged everywhere I go and a land line so I can actually make phone calls." -- Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg
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