Apple Blocking Push Notifications on Unlocked iPhones?

[MacRumors]

In a blog post over the weekend and a press release issued today, Czech iPhone developer PoweryBase notes that Apple appears to be blocking Push Notifications on iPhones that have been unlocked for use on non-official wireless carriers. PoweryBase is the developer behind NotifyMe [App Store Links: Paid ($3.99), Free], a popular application that utilizes push notifications to offer reminders and to-do alerts to users on the go.

According to PoweryBase, push-enabled iPhone applications contact Apple's servers to request a unique ID to establish a link for Push Notifications, but Apple's servers fail to respond to such requests when coming from unlocked iPhones.

"When the Push based application such as NotifyMe requests an ID from APNS, the server responds within a second and identifies the device with the unique token. From that point, the connection between APNS and user's device is successfully established," said Pavel Serbajlo, PoweryBase's lead developer. "However, on a unofficially activated device, APNS keeps the application wait forever and does not provide any respond at all, keeping user wait infinitely or time out the connection, if the target application is capable of timing out."

PoweryBase reports that it has received an overwhelming proportion of its support requests since the application's release last week from users on unlocked iPhones who are unable to utilize the push service, and the company has no ability to address the issue since it is strictly under Apple's control. While PoweryBase is recommending that users on unlocked iPhones not purchase NotifyMe or other push-based applications, it is attempting to provide information to those users, directing them to the company's support pages for additional information if a user's application is unable to establish a connection with Apple's push servers after 20 seconds.

Article Link: Apple Blocking Push Notifications on Unlocked iPhones?

 

[Grimace]

Tough cookies, folks. Complaining to Apple isn't going to do much good. Let's hope that these exclusivity deals stop soon and all carriers provide the iPhone.

 

[iBookG4user]

That's one way to cut down on the amount of unlocked iPhones.

 

[snowleopard2009]

why?

Why are people unlocking iPhones still anyway?

Just to run on T*mobile? You lose half your features then, right? No visual VM.

And you would have to buy a full-priced iPhone to do it. I don't get it.

 

[macfan881]

Why are people unlocking iPhones still anyway?

Just to run on T*mobile? You lose half your features then, right? No visual VM.

And you would have to buy a full-priced iPhone to do it. I don't get it.

i agree and Tmobile i hear is horrilbe if your not in a big city area if i would want to unlock my phone and if i could id go to verizon but since verizon is on CDMA thats not possilbe but heres hoping the iphone goes to veriozn in 2011

 

[bbplayer5]

That was probably pressure from the carriers.

 

[8CoreWhore]

They're paying Apple for hardware - not services... too bad. (in many cases, not even paying for the hardware - as they may have bought the phone used)

 

[Sky Blue]

That's what you get.

 

[geoffreak]

Bad move Apple. Very bad move.

 

[redkamel]

oh, iphone features aren't working on an unsupported network? Big surprise.

I'm not a big fan of carrier exclusivity. But when you know what the playing field is, don't be amazed when the rules get applied.

 

[hitekalex]

That was probably pressure from the carriers.

That made no sense whatsoever. What do "carriers" have to do with this?

 

[fletch33]

Why are people unlocking iPhones still anyway?

Just to run on T*mobile? You lose half your features then, right? No visual VM.

And you would have to buy a full-priced iPhone to do it. I don't get it.

im on ATT myself and my bill along with my wifes no data plan phone is $205/month. my buddy has 2 unlocked iPhones one for him and one for his wife and they run on our local Bell provider with unlimited everything for $125/month.

$80/month or more savings may be why some people choose to unlock.

he doesnt care about visual voicemail and although his internet is much slower all of his apps work and he is able to use MMS with no problems.

 

[Phycoduck]

i wonder if that is the same for officially unlocked phones?

 

[Hattig]

Tough cookies, folks. Complaining to Apple isn't going to do much good. Let's hope that these exclusivity deals stop soon and all carriers provide the iPhone.

Agreed.

I wouldn't be surprised if the push notifications require carrier-specific support, i.e., Apple servers for push distribution in AT&T's network centres.

Which would explain why push notification isn't working without AT&T. However does push work over wifi - i.e., if you don't have a carrier signal, but you do have wireless? I don't see why that wouldn't work.

 

[Krafty]

im on ATT myself and my bill along with my wifes no data plan phone is $205/month. my buddy has 2 unlocked iPhones one for him and one for his wife and they run on our local Bell provider with unlimited everything for $125/month.

$80/month or more savings may be why some people choose to unlock.

he doesnt care about visual voicemail and although his internet is much slower all of his apps work and he is able to use MMS with no problems.

Exactly. I can like with my unlocked 2G with no MMS, Data, or Push.

 

[smearedblue]

Why are people unlocking iPhones still anyway?

Just to run on T*mobile? You lose half your features then, right? No visual VM.

And you would have to buy a full-priced iPhone to do it. I don't get it.

perhaps you should count the features on your iphone, all i've lost was slightly faster internet, and visual voicemail. i could list all the things that still work perfectly.. but.. i think you get the picture. the iphone does A LOT of stuff.

not to mention I have unlimited internet (albeit edge), and unlimited PICTURE & text messages... for only 60$ a month, and I take comfort in not giving at&t another cent.. they are ripping off every iphone customer.. unlock ftw.

 

[APG]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 3_0 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/528.18 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile/7A341 Safari/528.16)

I have a payg 3gs on o2 here in the UK. That should still be okay right?

 

[yg17]

Agreed.

I wouldn't be surprised if the push notifications require carrier-specific support, i.e., Apple servers for push distribution in AT&T's network centres.

Which would explain why push notification isn't working without AT&T. However does push work over wifi - i.e., if you don't have a carrier signal, but you do have wireless? I don't see why that wouldn't work.

If push notifications required carrier specific support, then why do they work on iPod Touches?

Push notifications require no carrier support at all. It's using the same type of connection MobileMe uses to push email, calendar events, etc, to your phone, and it's carrier independent.

 

[iBookG4user]

Why are people unlocking iPhones still anyway?

Just to run on T*mobile? You lose half your features then, right? No visual VM.

And you would have to buy a full-priced iPhone to do it. I don't get it.

Well, last I checked the US hadn't taken over the whole world, yet. So people might be unlocking it in different countries...

 

[joshysquashy]

The article mentions both unlocked and unofficially activated phones. My iPhone is officially activated with an O2 sim, but I have unlocked it for occasional use with other sims.

Will my iPhone accept push notifications or not?

 

[maclancer]

That's why apple is never going to get more market share, they have a tough nonsense controlled environment. It is crazy.

 

[iPhonePhan]

I can confirm that this is true. I noticed it on my best friend's unlocked iPhone 2G and just assumed that it was blocked because it was unlocked. Kinda stupid on Apple's part (makes them look mean and spiteful) but it is their service and so you just have to accept it.

Waiting for someone to come up with a Push Notification hack vis-a-vis Cydia

 

[iVoid]

Why are people unlocking iPhones still anyway?

Just to run on T*mobile? You lose half your features then, right? No visual VM.

And you would have to buy a full-priced iPhone to do it. I don't get it.

You do realize there is more to the world than just the USA, right?

In fact, the developer is Czech so it makes sense that they have a lot of non-US customers.


I do have to wonder how they are identifying these people. If it's just by carrier, then what about roaming users?

 

[Mac 13]

Why are people unlocking iPhones still anyway?

Just to run on T*mobile? You lose half your features then, right? No visual VM.

And you would have to buy a full-priced iPhone to do it. I don't get it.

Paying like 60 % less then you only $45 for 1000 min. and free nites and weekends what part you don't get. You probably pay what at least $100. With the extra money I saved I'll put it in the buy a new mac account Not to mention ATT is having problems with visual voice mail and people getting late text messages

 

[MarkMS]

Ouch! Do you think this is really because Apple doesn't want people to Jailbreak or could it be that they are being cautious in case a Jailbreak app tries to abuse the system?