Unlocking iPhones and adding third party applications can cause some major headaches. While ‘jail breaking’ your iPhone can free it from the AT&T network, Apple is doing everything it can to prevent it. Apple is refusing to service some users’ iPhones that have third party apps and even threatening to blacklist them from further service.
An upcoming iPhone software update may permanently disable modified iPhones.
In a statement Apple wrote:
Apple has discovered that many of the unauthorized iPhone unlocking programs available on the Internet cause irreparable damage to the iPhone’s software, which will likely result in the modified iPhone becoming permanently inoperable when a future Apple-supplied iPhone software update is installed. Apple plans to release the next iPhone software update, containing many new features including the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store (www.itunes.com), later this week. Apple strongly discourages users from installing unauthorized unlocking programs on their iPhones. Users who make unauthorized modifications to the software on their iPhone violate their iPhone software license agreement and void their warranty. The permanent inability to use an iPhone due to installing unlocking software is not covered under the iPhone’s warranty.
There’s going to be a lot of disappointed iPhone users out there.ÂÂÂ If you’ve already modified your iPhone, take a look at this TUAW guide and relock your iPhone before updating this week’s iPhone update.