The Jailbreaking Phenom May Have Caused Unintended Consequences

Tue, Jun 10, 2008 | by Jimmy Rogers

Everyone has seen the wonders of unlocked phones. They can play games, play screensavers, and had multi-pane icon storage way before the legitimate firmware did. Of course jailbreaking infringes on the EULA, but it never feltlike a big deal. Who even reads EULAs?

Well it seems all the jailbreaking did have an impact on Apple and its partners. They have set up new activation guidlines for the 3G iPhone. While the specifics are not clear, it appears that all activations will be done in-store and that that process takes between 10-15 minutes. This will obviously make purchasing an iPhone more of a hassle and one might wonder why the providers would want to make launch day even more aggravating than it already is. The most logical answer is that by keeping the ability to activate the phone “behind the counter” they believe they will stifle the ability of jailbreakers to figure out the system. Maybe this makes sense in a business proposal in a board room, but realistically only one script kiddie needs to hack the firmware and the entire populous will be able to jailbreak again.

Also, it seems that there will be penalties for users who do not activate their iPhones within 30 days of purchase. Another obvious effort to deter hackers, but again, one that will probably not work. As I understand it, even an activated iPhone can then be subsequently hacked. Maybe they will apply a tracking number or something to each model. Overall, this seems like yet another corporation thrashing around in an attempt to stop the inevitability of hackers and tinkerers.

[Via MacRumors and iPhoneFreak] [Image from Techinvasion.net]

3G iPhone, AT&T, iPhone News

8 Comments For This Post

Matt Says:
June 10th, 2008 at 6:55 pm

I think you mean “unlocking” instead of “jailbreaking”. In-store activation would do nothing to prevent jailbreaking.

E-man Says:
June 10th, 2008 at 6:58 pm

I agree with Matt jailbreaking is totally possible after activation

Jimmy Rogers Says:
June 10th, 2008 at 8:46 pm

I guess I was under the impression that in order to unlock, you had to jailbreak? I’m one of those with an iPhone that still has it’s original firmware on it, so I’m definitely not up on the specifics.

Also, I did mention that in-store activation would not prevent jailbreaking…”As I understand it, even an activated iPhone can then be subsequently hacked.”

Still, the point of this post is that Apple seems to be doing these new protocols in order to get the activation process (and possibly the hacking process) under their control again.

Raphael Says:
June 11th, 2008 at 4:28 am

I am sure that it wont take long for someone to figure out a way to “Enhance” the operation of the new phones. Its a simple case of stated evolution. They create it… We buy it… someone hacks it… they create new… we buy it… and so on, and so on… Its a self perpetuating circle of upgrades. Thus providing improved services and profit for Apple.

ihoo Says:
June 11th, 2008 at 5:45 am

I really don’t understand why apple would have a problem with jailbreaking. It enhances the appeal of the iphone to a broader population of end users. Certainly there are many people who bought the iphone purely to unlock it. I guess the deal between at&t and apple could be strained from at&ts end if apple didn’t take steps to make unlocking difficult, but there’s really no reason for them to care about simple jailbreaking that I can see. Actually it makes apple money on phones that they (technically) aren’t required to provide support for any longer.

There has to be something else at play here for apple to take the activation process from something that was so streamlined and simple into something so inconvenient and un-apple-like.

KT Says:
June 11th, 2008 at 9:33 am

It’s spelled “hassle”, not “hastle”. Otherwise, great article.

Jimmy Rogers Says:
June 11th, 2008 at 11:39 am

Fixed, thanks KT.

I think AT&T really just wants to have control. They fear the hacker community because they think it might hurt their business model. They probably don’t see much difference between jailbreakers and unlockers (and again, these two go together sometimes).

RA Says:
June 11th, 2008 at 3:18 pm

The price for the new iphone is $199 with 3G and built in GPS while other phones with similar features (if not less) will cost over $500. Therefore Apple must be relying on some of the income generated from the at&t contacts.

I think that it would be a little bit harder to unlock the model.

2 Trackbacks For This Post

iPhone Activation My Have At-Home Component | iPhonefreak Says:
June 17th, 2008 at 4:22 pm

[...] We have talked previously about how much of a drag “in-store only” activation would be to new buyers of the 3G iPhone, but there may be a light at the end of the tunnel. The in-store activation is clearly a move to prevent people from buying large quantities of iPhones and unlocking them for use on other networks. If the phones cannot be activated at home, it is through that this unlocking process will be harder to accomplish. [...]

The Jailbreaking Phenom May Have Caused Unintended Consequences | iPhonefreak « Tekgiants’s Weblog Says:
October 21st, 2008 at 11:26 am

[...] The Jailbreaking Phenom May Have Caused Unintended Consequences | iPhonefreak The Jailbreaking Phenom May Have Caused Unintended Consequences | iPhonefreak [...]

Matt Says:
June 10th, 2008 at 6:55 pm
I think you mean “unlocking” instead of “jailbreaking”. In-store activation would do nothing to prevent jailbreaking.
E-man Says:
June 10th, 2008 at 6:58 pm
I agree with Matt jailbreaking is totally possible after activation
Jimmy Rogers Says:
June 10th, 2008 at 8:46 pm
I guess I was under the impression that in order to unlock, you had to jailbreak? I’m one of those with an iPhone that still has it’s original firmware on it, so I’m definitely not up on the specifics.

Also, I did mention that in-store activation would not prevent jailbreaking…”As I understand it, even an activated iPhone can then be subsequently hacked.”

Still, the point of this post is that Apple seems to be doing these new protocols in order to get the activation process (and possibly the hacking process) under their control again.
Raphael Says:
June 11th, 2008 at 4:28 am
I am sure that it wont take long for someone to figure out a way to “Enhance” the operation of the new phones. Its a simple case of stated evolution. They create it… We buy it… someone hacks it… they create new… we buy it… and so on, and so on… Its a self perpetuating circle of upgrades. Thus providing improved services and profit for Apple.
ihoo Says:
June 11th, 2008 at 5:45 am
I really don’t understand why apple would have a problem with jailbreaking. It enhances the appeal of the iphone to a broader population of end users. Certainly there are many people who bought the iphone purely to unlock it. I guess the deal between at&t and apple could be strained from at&ts end if apple didn’t take steps to make unlocking difficult, but there’s really no reason for them to care about simple jailbreaking that I can see. Actually it makes apple money on phones that they (technically) aren’t required to provide support for any longer.

There has to be something else at play here for apple to take the activation process from something that was so streamlined and simple into something so inconvenient and un-apple-like.
KT Says:
June 11th, 2008 at 9:33 am
It’s spelled “hassle”, not “hastle”. Otherwise, great article.
Jimmy Rogers Says:
June 11th, 2008 at 11:39 am
Fixed, thanks KT.

I think AT&T really just wants to have control. They fear the hacker community because they think it might hurt their business model. They probably don’t see much difference between jailbreakers and unlockers (and again, these two go together sometimes).
RA Says:
June 11th, 2008 at 3:18 pm
The price for the new iphone is $199 with 3G and built in GPS while other phones with similar features (if not less) will cost over $500. Therefore Apple must be relying on some of the income generated from the at&t contacts.

I think that it would be a little bit harder to unlock the model.

iPhone Activation My Have At-Home Component | iPhonefreak Says:
June 17th, 2008 at 4:22 pm
[...] We have talked previously about how much of a drag “in-store only” activation would be to new buyers of the 3G iPhone, but there may be a light at the end of the tunnel. The in-store activation is clearly a move to prevent people from buying large quantities of iPhones and unlocking them for use on other networks. If the phones cannot be activated at home, it is through that this unlocking process will be harder to accomplish. [...]
The Jailbreaking Phenom May Have Caused Unintended Consequences | iPhonefreak « Tekgiants’s Weblog Says:
October 21st, 2008 at 11:26 am
[...] The Jailbreaking Phenom May Have Caused Unintended Consequences | iPhonefreak The Jailbreaking Phenom May Have Caused Unintended Consequences | iPhonefreak [...]

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