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Breaking the Law? The Pros and Cons of Jailbreaking

Cory Bohon — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 18:35:47 -0500

There’s an underground app store on the iPhone and it’s only available to "jailbreakers." People that decide to hack their iPhones do it for a variety of reasons, but being able to run applications in the background on their phone is one of the main ones.

With recent talk about jailbreaking the iPhone 3GS, some people might still be wondering what it is and how it could benefit them. To help those new to the iPhone and for those iPhone owners without a super-nerd friend to pummel with questions about the Pwnage tools and the iPhone-Dev Team, we answer a few basic questions about jailbreaking the greatest device ever.

What is Jailbreaking?

The first jailbreak was released two weeks after the iPhone's initial release in June of 2007 and allowed users to customize their ringtones. A few months later, jailbreak users could install third-party applications on the iPhone. Jailbreaking is not the same as unlocking, which allows you to place a different SIM card in your iPhone to use on other GSM carriers.

The basic ideas of jailbreaking remains the same. The jailbreaking process involves tweaking the Apple firmware and opening doors to third-party, non-Apple approved applications and tweaking the user interface (i.e. adding themes, changing icons, colors, etc.). Once the jailbreaking software on your Mac has altered the iPhone firmware, it will install the custom firmware onto your device.

This process is called jailbreaking, because you're freeing your iPhone/iPod touch from the bonds of Apple, which picks and chooses what its users can do with their devices. Also it sounds kinda cool. Like you're a low-level criminal.

Some Pros/Cons of Jailbreaking

Background Processes

If you want the ability to run an app that isn't the current app in the foreground on your iPhone, jailbreaking can do that for you. For example, if you want to run a chat application in the background and still receive IMs even though you're checking the weather in another application. This is possible with background processes and without push notifications. Another example is GPS apps. They have to be running in the foreground to work on your regular non-hacked iPhone. If they're running in the background on a hacked iPhone, you can check your email, take a call, or switch up your music playlist and the GPS app will continue to track your path.

The downside to applications running in the background is that you will find that your battery drains much quicker and the iPhone will slow down once you have a few processes running along side that of the currently open application.

Apple Updates

A major con that comes to mind with the jailbreaking process is that when Apple updates the iPhone/iPod touch firmware/OS, the new iPhone software overrides the hacked software you have on your iPhone. After each Apple software update, you usually have to wait until the iPhone Dev Team releases an updated jailbreaking tool to update to the latest and greatest features implemented by Apple. This wait can be anywhere from a few hours to a few weeks depending on the update from Apple.

This means you'll be constantly jailbreaking your iPhone in order to keep the features you covet on your device.

Pushed Away

Push Notifications, the little messages you might get on a non-jailbroken iPhone when you get an IM in Beejive or AIM, don't always work on jailbroken devices for some people. The fact that you can run apps in the background makes this con easier to swallow.

Breaking the Law?

The legal issues surrounding jailbreaking is also a big deal. Since you are hacking around with Apple’s software, it's a bit of a "gray area" surrounding the DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act), which tries to keep people from, among other things, reverse engineering copyrighted software.

Jailbreaking does allow you to have some pretty nifty and free options added to your iPhone/iPod touch, but Apple is definitely adamant about fighting jailbreakers. For instance, if you take your iPhone in for repair at an Apple Store or through AppleCare, it would probably be in your best interest to restore your device. Apple has been known to refuse service to iPhone/iPod touch owners who have jailbroken their devices.

The Jailbreaking Process

The ability to jailbreak your iPhone is made possible by groups like the iPhone Dev Team. They create the tools needed to unlock your iPhone.

The tools utilize the Apple approved firmware as a base to create a custom firmware based upon what you want your iPhone to do. The resulting .IPSW file is then loaded onto your iPhone via iTunes.

There are a few different pieces of software that allow you to do this, most notably the iPhone Dev Team’s PwnageTool that runs on the Mac and allows you to compile firmware for iPhone, iPhone 3G/3GS, and iPod touch 1st/2nd gen. There’s also an application that runs on Mac, Windows, and Linux called "redsn0w" that is made by the iPhone Dev Team and the Chronic Dev Team.

Getting Applications for your Jailbroken Device

The App Store allows you install applications on your iPhone/iPod touch with relative ease. If you plan on jailbreaking your iPhone but you're concerned you'll lose the App Store. Don't worry, the App Store works fine with jailbroken iPhones. In fact, with a jailbroken iPhone, you'll be opening yourself up to a world of new apps that don't jive with Apple's rules and regulations.

Installer applications come with your newly jailbroken device. These applications are Cydia, Icy, and the old and rarely used, Installer.app. This means that you can have the best of both worlds: the Apple controlled App Store, and the open, free applications of the app installers.

Many applications that have disappeared from the App Store for content violations have reappeared in Cydia or Icy. Most notably, many Google Voice applications pulled from the App Store you can now download from Cydia or Icy. Since Apple doesn't control the content in this store, it’s an "anything goes" model of application development, which many open-source fans like.

Of course that lack of control does mean that you could download an app that could crash your iPhone or not work at all. Patience can be key when trying to find a app that accomplishes a task or adds a feature. We found ourselves downloading three to four apps that promised to do the same thing then uninstalling the two to three that just crashed upon launch or froze the iPhone.

Jailbreaking your iPhone can be a fun exercise or way to enhance your favorite piece of technology. We definitely wouldn't recommend jailbreaking to our less techie friends who just want a working device without the hassle. We would have to recommend that you not jailbreak your main device since you can occasionally run into devastating problems during the installation or regular operation unless your comfortable with that possibility. But, if you're an early adopter with more than one iPhone or iPod touch on hand, jailbreaking might be an intriguing project.

Good luck.

Independence From AT&T -- Unlocking Your iPhone 2G

Roberto Baldwin — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 21:29:00 -0500

It's been two years since the original iPhone's launch. And if you've stuck with the OG iPhone, and you're sick of AT&T, it's time for some unlocking.

There are two ways to unlock an iPhone. The call AT&T and hope that they give you the device code to unlock the iPhone way. One of our writers actually scored the unlock code from an AT&T rep, so it's a viable option. There's also the jailbreak and unlock the iPhone way. That's what we are going to teach you today.

If you're worried about AT&T or Apple getting on your case about the unlock, don't be. You are within your rights to unlock your iPhone, especially now that you've fulfilled your service agreement with AT&T.

If you're interested in unlocking your 3G iPhone, take note. T-Mobile doesn't support 3G on the iPhone.

Besides allowing you to choose a carrier, an unlocked iPhone is a great backup phone. Throw a pre-paid SIM card in there and you have a powerful backup and international traveling phone.

DISCLAIMER: Mac|Life takes absolutely no responsibility if you brick your iPhone while unlocking, jailbreaking, or replacing the original SIM card. Unlocking your iPhone via Redsn0w, or similar applications, will possibly void your warranty and is not sanctioned by Apple. It's a hack, treat it as so.

Difficulty Level:
Medium

WHAT YOU NEED:
> Original iPhone 2G
> Redsn0W (free, http://blog.iphone-dev.org/)
> 3.9 and 4.6 baseband bootloader (free, iPhoneFreakz.com)

1. Before you start unlocking your iPhone, update it to iPhone OS 3.0. Whats the point of an unlock if you can't send emails in landscape mode.

2. Download redSn0w from the Dev-Team blog

Read the Dev-Team's posting carefully. When you are sure you're ready to go for it, be sure to use the official torrent. You never know what some jerk out there will release under the name of Redsn0w. Quit iTunes, unzip and launch Redsn0w.

3. Redsn0w will ask you to find the .ipsw file on your Mac. iTunes seems to delete the .ipsw file after updating your iPhone. So you'll have to download one from Apple.

Check Save File.

You can download the .ipsw for the 2G iPhone directly from Apple's servers here. If you are using Safari, be sure not to auto unzip the downloaded file. Make sure you're using the file named:

iPhone1,1_3.0_7A341_Restore.ipsw

This file is for the original iPhone only. If you're unlocking a 3G or 3GS, you'll need to download the appropriate files from Apple's servers. You can do a Google search for the URLs.

Once you select the .ipsw you downloaded, Redsn0w will determine that it's legit. Press next and the app will begin creating a custom .ipsw.

4. You will be presented with options to Unlock and install Cydia and Icy. Since all we care about is unlocking, we unchecked Cydia and checked Unlock. If you're interested in the jailbreaking community and its app, you can leave Cydia checked. Click next.

5. in order to unlock your iPhone you will need to search for and download the following baseband bootloaders:

3.9 baseband bootloader
4.6 baseband bootloader

We took the liberty to find the basebands for you. You can find both baseband bootloaders on iPhoneFreakz.com.

Just scroll down to "Boot loaders"

Like the .ipsw file before, be sure to download the files without unzipping them.

Return to redsn0w and navigate to the .bin files you just downloaded.

To learn more about baseband bootloaders check out this forum posting on the Hackint0sh site.

6. Turn off your iPhone. If your iPhone isn't plugged into your Mac, plug it in first, then turn it off. Once your iPhone is off and plugged in, you can continue.

Hold down both as instructed by Redsn0w

Before you press next, prepare yourself. Redsn0w will ask you to place your iPhone in DFU mode. To ready yourself, grab your iPhone and place your fingers above the Top and Home button.

Press next.

Just follow the Redsn0w directions to put your iPhone in DFU mode and you'll be fine.

7. Once the iPhone boots into DFU mode, redsn0w will do its magic. You'll see a series of screens that inform you that Redsn0w is Uploading ramdisk, Uploading kernal, Rebooting and finally done.

While this is all happening, your iPhone will reboot a few times and run the BootNueter app. Do not interrupt this process.

Your iPhone will finally boot up normally and will be ready for a new SIM.

Unsure how to replace the SIM on your iPhone? Check out our how-to.

That's it. You are now the proud owner of an unlocked iPhone 2G. In order to keep your precious iPhone unlocked, check with the Dev-Team blog before updating the iPhone OS in the future. Some updates are fine, while others will restore your iPhone to it's locked status.

Pre-Paid T-Mobile

There are two major GSM carriers in the US, AT&T and T-Mobile. If you unlocked your iPhone to get away from AT&T, the choice is pretty simple.

We went to the mall and purchased a pre-paid T-Mobile SIM. You can sign up with a proper monthly based T-Mobile account with data and enjoy most of your iPhones features including an unlimited text and data plan for $19.95 per month. T-Mobile is surprisingly iPhone friendly here in the United States even though they don't offer the iPhone. A quick search on T-Mobile's site will show you how to set up internet and email on your iPhone.

Here are T-Mobile's settings for mobile internet on the iPhone:

    1.    On your iPhone navigate to Settings > General > Network > Cellular Data Network
    2.    Select the APN field, and enter internet2.voicestream.com.
    3.    Tap return.
    4.    In the Username field enter (this may be intentionally blank)
    5.    Tap return.
    6.    In the Password field enter (this may be intentionally blank)

If you plan on traveling, you can purchase pre-paid SIM cards from carriers all over the world. Suddenly, you're a just a little bit more international.

Our T-Mobile iPhone wasn't without issues. Check out what worked and what didn't.

What works -

iTunes syncing and installing apps - All of our apps still worked and iTunes recognized our unlocked iPhone without any problems.

Voicemail - When you receive a voicemail, you'll receive a red dot, not a number. But it works.

SMS - As long as you don't want to add Emoji or images, you're cool.

Find My iPhone -Locate your iPhone via the MobileMe feature.

What doesn't -

MMS - This has to do with Apple not placing adding MMS to the 2G iPhone version of iPhone OS 3.0.

Visual Voicemail - Even though T-Mobile is the official iPhone carrier in other parts of the world, don't expect Visual Voicemail to work here.

Emoji - You can't send or receive Emoji images via text message.

iPhone Unlocking App Demoed

Arvind Srinivasan — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 15:09:28 -0500

If someone walked up to you and told you that yellowsn0w just became ultrasn0w, you would likely look at them funny, and walk away, disgusted. However, for the iPhone jailbreak community, the fact that Yellowsn0w just became Ultrasn0w might be the greatest thing that ever happened.

The (in)famous iPhone dev team, who was responsible for the original jailbreak as well as keeping up with Apple's constant stream of software updates, and jailbreaking those as well, has released a video that shows the ultrasn0w software unlocking an iPhone to work on any GSM carrier. This hack should work with any iPhone available.

Due to the fact that the firmware leaked earlier than the official release date, the dev team was able to finish their hack by the time 3.0 was released today. Of course, Apple has proven that they frown upon all iPhone hacking, most likely due to their GINORMOUSLY lucrative deal with AT&T, so they will probably patch this one soon enough.

However, for the time being, we suppose it must be exciting to both copy and paste AND use T-Mobile on an iPhone. The hack is set to release Friday, so if you are into that sort of thing, you can probably find it in time for the 3G S release. Meanwhile, they are still testing new versios of QuickPwn and the PwnageTool, so the official jailbreak (which will let you use unapproved software on your iPhone) should be imminent as well.