Gizmodo: Stay away from the iPhone
If you haven’t heard already Apple released Firmware version 1.1.1 for the iPhone, iPod Touch and updated the Firmware for other iPods. But mainly, the update affects iPhone users first and iPod Touch users second, the only problem reported by other iPod owners are lock ups but a quick wipe and reinstallation fix that.
Gizmodo is reporting some iPhone users are ending up with bricked handsets or refusing to use any sim card and even some non-hacked, factory pristine units are deciding that the installed sim card isn’t valid.
Mostly, users that hacked their iPhone for use on other networks besides AT&T are in for a heap of trouble, the iPhone will essentially be bricked after the update and you will be unable to use it, don’t expect the wireless carrier or Apple to help you as the policy is no returns or exchanges on hacked units since you’ve essentially voided the warranty by doing so.
Those that have used the iPhone mostly as prescribed but installed a few third party applications will find that most of them will broken after the update. iPod Touch users will find the same for the applications that also ran on those devices.
People are annoyed but in my opinion they have no right to be. Apple never supported the use of third party applications on either device and even said doing so “may void the warranty” but do people listen? No. Now those people are mad at Apple for locking the iPhone and iPod Touch but these devices are closed systems not yet open to third parties.
I can’t predict the future, but maybe at some point Apple will support third party applications on the iPhone and iPod Touch, until then, live with the “older” Firmware or update the Firmware which has been shown to fix a few problems on the iPod Touch and live without your precious applications.
I think I can live without, the iPod Touch does pretty much what I need it to without adding anything to it. Sure, it would be cool to be able to install applications to the iPhone or iPod Touch but that’s all it would be.
There are also reports that these developers are working on a way to get applications working with the new Firmware or a way to restore the old Firmware. All new iPhones and touch iPods ship with the new Firmware so restoring the older version will be more difficult and could lead to even more problems than it may be worth.
Just face facts, the iPhone and iPod Touch were not designed with third party applications in mind and the company that makes the device can set the rules and so they have, I say, live with it and its your own fault if you broke your iPhone since you were warned in the first place.
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September 29th, 2007
Although I agree that complaining after hacking is a no no, Be a little more forward thinking before saying that about 3rd party applications. They are a vital part of what makes a device or an operating system viable for the long term. Apple didn’t put OS X on these devices just cause its pretty.
Also if Apple wants to stop this free for all battle, they should:
1. Pick a carrier for the iphone that doesn’t suck
2. create and distribute their own cool apps so we don’t have to rely solely on 3rd party developers to take advantage of the power of the OS
September 29th, 2007
“the company that makes the device can set the rules”, nope I paid for it I’ll do anything I want with it.
September 30th, 2007
I disagree…Why? Yes, perhaps the users should not have unlocked the phones, but so you should have not jay-walk. If a car ses you jay-walking and speeds up and slams you to kill and punishyou since you should not be jay-walking, is it OK?
I suspect, it is not OK. Right?
Disabling the unlocked or 3rd part apps is one thing, making the whole device unusable to punish the consumer is another thing.
I do not own iPhone and will not own one as it does not offer the capabilities of a BlackBerry. But I just purchased an iPod Touch and will return it back to practice my punitive action as a consumer since punishment is a favorite way of relationship between Apple and its customers nowadays. Apple’s action is consumer hostile and should be strongly reacted by all of us. Apple has no long term gain to brick phone. Apple should come up with another update to unbrick the phones but disable unlocking and 3rd party apps only. Even Microsoft has never done anything like this..Shame on Apple, shame on Steve Jobs..
September 30th, 2007
I would agree with the previous post. Even in someone has a hacked version of XP, microsoft will harass users with WGA, but not tell your computer to self destruct. Tsk Tsk. Apple seems to have taken the industry’s #1 bully spot. But I digress.
Third party apps are crucial for any OS! That is why Palm did so well, and still has many people using it. People made tons of things for the Palm. Also Windows. People have made countless apps for Windows. And when OS X rolled around people could “port” linux apps to run on it and Apple sold more computers. Apple needs to realize that. And its a never ending battle. Look at the PSP. You cannot win! Sony has released like 30 firmware updates for the PSP, and people still are using 3rd party apps.
September 30th, 2007
I just think the Ipod Touch is the same thing as the IPhone without being able to talk to people with it.
September 30th, 2007
LGeek: But you are free to do anything you want with your iPhone. You just can’t have the expectation that if you modify the firmware, an update won’t break something. You are free to not update. It is completely insane to expect Apple maintain backwards compatibility with hacks, when they haven’t even frozen the API. Nobody does that. The fact that you think they should just means you don’t know anything about software or programming.
“Why brick it”– Apple didn’t “brick” phones that merely had third party software installed, and they warned everyone that unlocked phones might be unusable after the update. To say that they “deliberately” bricked phones to “punish” consumers is just ignorant ranting.
You should all try going on a site where the posters know something about what is involved with writing and maintaining software. People so informed aren’t surprised in the least that a hacked and unlocked phone might break when updated, and are just kind of amused at the wild sense of entitlement that has everyone demanding that Apple somehow reverse engineer any and all hacks and make sure that their software updates treat them nicely.
FYI, the PSP has a locked API at this point, so Sony doesn’t have to worry about needing to change things in the future that might break third party stuff. The iPhone is still very much in flux, it would be crazy for Apple to lock the API at this point, which is the only way they could insure that updates would play nice with hacks.
Complain about the lack of an SDK if you wish, which is a legitimate gripe, but acting like Apple owes its customers a phone that can be hacked without repercussions is just dumb.