Apple Issues Warning on iPhone Unlocking

what about bbupdater?

arn said:

A restore doesn't reverse the unlock. The unlock changes the modem firmware I believe... but regardless, it is restore resistant.

arn

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From what I understand the baseband is being flashed. Couldn't you theoretically use bbupdater to reflash the baseband with the unpatched firmware and be as good as new?

dukebound85 said:

ok but couldnt you get the original firmware and change it back?

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The Phone must contain a boot loader some place. Is it in flash memory or an EEPROM? I'd assume that latter and I'd asume the SIM stuff is there too. Perhaps the warning means the new bootloader will start checksumming the EEPROM and refuse to work if the checksum fails.

Daremo said:

That's hacking, not unlocking. It's a HUGE difference.

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Sorry, I thought they were both talking about the same thing.

Good thing I didn't pop across the border last weekend and get mine. I'm in Canada and thought I had a plan! Guess not. Damn.

Welcome to the fringe

AJ Muni said:

Exactly. As the days pass, the dev team and hackers are learning more and more about the interior of the iphone. I"m 100% confident they'll notice the differences in the updates, and inform us. If your smart enough, you obviously don't install these updates if you have an unlocked iphone. You just wait for gizmodo and/or engadget to do the dirty work.

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A counterculture will rise forming a parallel world of equal magnitude. No doubt, fixes for reverting and/or upgrading functionality will be immediate.

dukebound85 said:

ok but couldnt you get the original firmware and change it back?

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The "firmware" Apple provides via iTunes is more like a software update. It may or may not contain actual firmware changes to iPhone components. The unlocking software currently available makes changes to the iPhone's internal modem firmware. Therefore, making the unlock restore proof. These are entirely different issues.

It would be like if you updated (flashed) the firmware of your graphics card. Reinstalling Mac OS would not restore your graphic card's firmware to its original state.

You can get back the iPhone to "virgin" state. just need to flash the baseband and than restore. I did it once. But its not that easy. You need to extract files from original software and than type in terminal, and trust me typing terminal on iphone keybord aint fun
Than the unlock is gone and phone requires activation from the scratch

Its going to get interesting later this week when the update comes out to see if apple is going to brick all the hacked iphones. Good luck to all you who hacked them, but i think i'll play it safe and stickl with AT and T

Consider youselves warned.

Now, don't go crying back to Apple then again on forums like this because your iPhone has been bricked because you choose to hack it.

Apple's wink to unlockers

This type of advance warning on the issue is interesting - it's also a little bit of a wink to all the people who have unlocked their phones to not apply the update if you don't want a brick. Apple may have realized that a lot have unlocked and wanted to avoid dealing with them in droves - most of them will get this info and not apply to update until a hack that solves it comes out. Less people in the store/online/phone complaining of dead phones.

Apple says what they need to say to keep at&t happy.

Software update? tell me one thing that apple can add that has not already been hacked or WILL be hacked within say.... a months time (which is forever in hacking the iphone, things move at the speed of light).

Apple has seen hackers put out every program that they planned on releasing for the phone through time to keep people hanging on and following apples release line up so they'd stay excited about it.

Apple gave us nothing, and the hacks gave us everything. Apple's next update could not possibly include anything even remotely close to what the hackers have done so far, short of an itunes store which simply generates more money for apple - not really in the users common interest. We have Itunes, we have a sync cable, we have the option to not update.

Apple's statement is pure propaganda to keep at&t happy and try to discourage users from advancing their units past apples releases.

geez... if you didnt like the offer that was going.. dont get the iPhone.

why buy it then unlock/hack it... and then complain when Apple release updates to protect their best interests. End of the day, they want to make money.

iHate the iPhone.

F that thing......

sick of it...sick of how iCan't get one, and now I can't even unlock one...

weak...

Unlocking your iPhone is not illegal. In fact, I believe US Law allows anyone to unlock their phones should they wish (hence why most carriers will provide an unlock code).

If apple is bricking phones because they're unlocked (which is legal), I smell a class action lawsuit a-brewing.

here's the new iPhone theme song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MSPCrZ0FMs

bluedevil97 said:

This type of advance warning on the issue is interesting - it's also a little bit of a wink to all the people who have unlocked their phones to not apply the update if you don't want a brick. Apple may have realized that a lot have unlocked and wanted to avoid dealing with them in droves - most of them will get this info and not apply to update until a hack that solves it comes out. Less people in the store/online/phone complaining of dead phones.

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Actually it's a warning that Apple is going to update the modem firmware significantly and they won't feel obliged to fix it for you if you've hacked it.

Something I agree with.

Unlocking your iPhone is not illegal. In fact, I believe US Law allows anyone to unlock their phones should they wish (hence why most carriers will provide an unlock code).

If apple is bricking phones because they're unlocked (which is legal), I smell a class action lawsuit a-brewing.

Edit:

Here's the link:
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20061124-8280.html

5) cell phone firmware that ties a phone to a specific wireless network;

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Yep, it's in the DMCA.

Edit #2:
I just wanted to add that the apple fanboy-ism that some people spewing out here is rather disgusting.

An App for that

Mydel said:

You can get back the iPhone to "virgin" state. just need to flash the baseband and than restore. I did it once. But its not that easy. You need to extract files from original software and than type in terminal, and trust me typing terminal on iphone keybord aint fun
Than the unlock is gone and phone requires activation from the scratch

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would be extremely welcome!

Well, I guess this is in line with the "deal" we all knew when we signed-up for when purchasing the iPhone: two year contract with AT&T, scumbags that they are...

The news does suck of course. I'd love to use the iPhone when traveling abroad but will not pay AT&T's criminal roaming charges. (I am ok--not happy, but ok--with using AT&T here in the US.)

I guess the bigger issue nowadays is the fundamental lack of competition in too many industries. Travel, banking, communications, health, etc. you name it. All of the options suck and none of the companies feel compelled to serve their customers well.

Well, I guess I am happy that I didn't try unlocking my iPhone. And the fact that the update is coming this week is great news. Should be tons of fun to see what Apple did...

/sits back and waits for the "omg teh haxxor unlock bricked mai phone" floodgates to open.../

I want to unlock mine just a bad as anyone else, especially since I'm going out of the country in a couple months ......... but I think I'll wait and see how all of this unfolds.

Asar said:

thats crazy, can we get our updates now?

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I think update tomorrow.

And I think I might have been right after all. Unlocks were holding up the update. People told me no because it was too easy to reverse the unlocks and just relock. But they were figuring out a way to brick them which probably took more time.

Be nice if they released a safe relock restore tonight for people who will go legit. But then again bricking unlocked updaters will fairly kill future unlocking.

I know unlockers will be livid, but give Apple this: at least they warned you. You're feature frozen as of tomorrow but at least the thing will still work. They could have just bricked you and laughed.

DMann said:

would be extremely welcome!

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Yeah, I would love that too. But writing one is waaay betond me. Im MD not IT

Apple is obligated.

Surely Apple is obligated with their contract with AT&T to foil attempts to use the iPhone on other networks, and I assume that they must make a good faith attempt to stop it. I imagine it's similar to Apple's obligation to record labels to repair FairPlay when it's breeched.

iMikeT said:

Consider youselves warned.

Now, don't go crying back to Apple then again on forums like this because your iPhone has been bricked because you choose to hack it.

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Freakin hater. Go pay $2 for your ringtone.

sanford said:

I think update tomorrow.

And I think I might have been right after all. Unlocks were holding up the update. People told me no because it was too easy to reverse the unlocks and just relock. But they were figuring out a way to brick them which probably took more time.

Be nice if they released a safe relock restore tonight for people who will go legit. But then again bricking unlocked updaters will fairly kill future unlocking.

I know unlockers will be livid, but give Apple this: at least they warned you. You're feature frozen as of tomorrow but at least the thing will still work. They could have just bricked you and laughed.

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Who is this person and why does he get a kick out of this?

sanford said:

I think update tomorrow.

Be nice if they released a safe relock restore tonight for people who will go legit. But then again bricking unlocked updaters will fairly kill future unlocking.

I know unlockers will be livid, but give Apple this: at least they warned you. You're feature frozen as of tomorrow but at least the thing will still work. They could have just bricked you and laughed.

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Hahaha Legit?? Why my unlocked phone is not legit to you?? I payed the same money as you did. And trust me its not gonna change anything. Even if some phones will die after that update its not gonna stop neither me nor anyone I know from unlocking their phones.