Time bomb in my pocket
Ok great. When Apple start making statements, forshadowing some kind of iPhone Jonestown, I throw up in my mouth just a little bit.
The low-down is thus: when SIM-unlocked iPhones shake hands with soon-to-released iPhone firmware 1.1.1 (one sixth of the sign of the devil, you might add), it puts your sexy new friend into a state that Apple are terming “permanently inoperable.”
Of course the statement is written in such a way that it is not Apple’s update that is bricking the phones, but rather the way in which the SIM unlocks have already “caused irreparable damage” to the phone’s software.
Rubbish!
Tell me AT&T didn’t put the hard word on Apple to bend over and relax!
With the SIM unlock software being freeware, there was now no way for a desperate AT&T to grab back lost profits or follow through with legal action. A software update is the only opportunity that AT&T has to get back their iPhone exclusivity deal, and you can bet they’re pushing hard for it. So hard that they want Apple to go to drastic measures to get their point accross.
What on earth has to change in the new firmware that is so drastic that it will actually kill an unlocked phone? Not just re-lock it. Kill it.
It doesn’t seem to be adding up.
I suspect this is a considered move by Apple, and the media release is just grooming the public for the ‘I told you so’ effect.
Dan’s new toy arrived just this arvo after a lengthy flight, and fortunately he got onto the rumour sites before the unlocking ones. So, he’ll be keeping you posted on efforts to successfuly SIM unlock v1.1.1 and how that all pans out.
Fortunately the issues are rumoured to only affect SIM unlocked iPhones, and he can at least scroll like butter through his music in the meantime.
Being the manly man that I am, I will keep my SIM-free iPhone away from all USB ports until further notice, waiting wimpishly to see what happens when everyone else with hacked iPhones updates to the new firmware.
Surely all these (however many thousands) of unlocked iPhones can’t just go toi-toi?
September 25th, 2007 at 11:22 am
Seriously, anyone who thinks that software can’t damage hardware has never tried to set the vertical and horizontal sync rates of your monitor or video card back in the old days of XFree86. Fact of the matter is, sensational claims aside, software CAN and DOES damage hardware irreparably and may have done so in this case.
September 27th, 2007 at 12:30 pm
Good point.
Though sadly, Mum never let me set the vertical and horizontal sync rates on my XFree86, I can see your point about how software controls hardware, which could make commands that could be damaging.
I wonder though, with SIM unlocked iPhones still functioning pretty much at 100% after modifying the modem’s firmware – what is it about this new update that is suddenly going push everything over the limit?
I guess the only answer to this will be in less than 24 hours when 1.1.1 really goes out on the town!
August 11th, 2008 at 1:56 pm
hi, andar here, i just read your post. i like very much. agree to you, sir.