Apple tightly controls certain aspects of the iPhone. According to Jonathan Zittrain, the emergence of closed devices like the iPhone have made computing more proprietary than early versions of Microsoft Windows.The hacker community has found many workarounds, most of which are disallowed by Apple and threaten to void the device's warranty. "Jailbreaking" allows users to install apps not available on the App Store or modify basic functionality. SIM unlocking allows the iPhone to be used on a different carrier's network.
Activation
The iPhone normally prevents access to its media player and web features unless it has also been activated as a phone with an authorized carrier. On July 3, 2007, Jon Lech Johansen reported on his blog that he had successfully bypassed this requirement and unlocked the iPhone's other features with a combination of custom software and modification of the iTunes binary. He published the software and offsets for others to use.
Unlike the original, the iPhone 3G must be activated in the store in most countries.This makes the iPhone 3G more difficult, but not impossible, to hack. The need for in-store activation, as well as the huge number of first-generation iPhone and iPod Touch users upgrading to iPhone OS 2.0, caused a worldwide overload of Apple's servers on July 11, 2008, the day on which both the iPhone 3G and iPhone OS 2.0 updates as well as MobileMe were released. After the update, devices were required to connect to Apple's servers to authenticate the update, causing many devices to be temporarily unusable.A year later, Apple released the 3.0 software two days before the iPhone 3GS to avoid such issues.
Users on the O2 network in the United Kingdom, however, can buy the phone online and activate it via iTunes as with the previous model.Even where not required, vendors usually offer activation for the buyer's convenience. In the U.S., Apple has begun to offer free shipping on both the iPhone 3G and the iPhone 3GS (when available), reversing the in-store activation requirement. Best Buy and Wal-Mart will also sell the iPhone.
Unapproved third-party software and jailbreaking
The iPhone's operating system is designed to only run software that has an Apple-approved cryptographic signature. This restriction can be overcome by "jailbreaking" the phone,which involves replacing the iPhone's firmware with a slightly modified version that does not enforce the signature check. Doing so may be a circumvention of Apple's technical protection measures. Apple, in a statement to the United States Copyright Office in response to EFF lobbying for a DMCA exception for this kind of hacking, claimed that jailbreaking the iPhone would be copyright infringement due to the necessary modification of system software.However in 2010 Jailbreaking was declared officially legal in the United States by the DMCA.Jailbroken iPhones may be susceptible to computer viruses, but few such incidents have been reported.
iOS and Android 2.3.3 'Gingerbread' may be set up to dual boot on a jailbroken iPhone with the help of OpeniBoot or iDroid.
iOS and Android 2.3.3 'Gingerbread' may be set up to dual boot on a jailbroken iPhone with the help of OpeniBoot or iDroid.
SIM unlocking
United States
Most iPhones were and are still sold with a SIM lock, which restricts the use of the phone to one particular carrier, a common practice with subsidized GSM phones. Unlike most GSM phones however, the phone cannot be officially unlocked by entering a code. The locked/unlocked state is maintained on Apple's servers per IMEI and is set when the iPhone is activated.
While the iPhone was initially sold in the US only on the AT&T network with a SIM lock in place, various hackers have found methods to "unlock" the phone from a specific network.Although AT&T, Sprint and Verizon are the only authorized iPhone carriers in the United States, unlocked iPhones can be used with other carriers after unlocking.For example, an unlocked iPhone may be used on the T-Mobile network in the U.S. but, while an unlocked iPhone is compatible with T-Mobile's voice network, it may not be able to make use of 3G functionality (i.e., no mobile web or e-mail, etc).More than a quarter of the original iPhones sold in the United States were not registered with AT&T. Apple speculates that they were likely shipped overseas and unlocked, a lucrative market before the iPhone 3G's worldwide release. iPhones are unlocked by users who wish to use networks other than AT&T or Verizon's.
While the iPhone was initially sold in the US only on the AT&T network with a SIM lock in place, various hackers have found methods to "unlock" the phone from a specific network.Although AT&T, Sprint and Verizon are the only authorized iPhone carriers in the United States, unlocked iPhones can be used with other carriers after unlocking.For example, an unlocked iPhone may be used on the T-Mobile network in the U.S. but, while an unlocked iPhone is compatible with T-Mobile's voice network, it may not be able to make use of 3G functionality (i.e., no mobile web or e-mail, etc).More than a quarter of the original iPhones sold in the United States were not registered with AT&T. Apple speculates that they were likely shipped overseas and unlocked, a lucrative market before the iPhone 3G's worldwide release. iPhones are unlocked by users who wish to use networks other than AT&T or Verizon's.
AT&T has stated that the "iPhone cannot be unlocked, even if you are out of contract".On March 26, 2009, AT&T in the United States began selling the iPhone without a contract, though still SIM-locked to their network.The up-front purchase price of such iPhone units is often twice as expensive as those bundled with contracts.Outside of the United States, policies differ, especially in US territories and insular areas like Guam, where GTA TeleGuam is the exclusive carrier for the iPhone, since neither AT&T nor Verizon has a presence in the area.
Other countries
In the United Kingdom, carriers O2, Orange, 3, Vodafone, T-Mobile, as well as MVNO Tesco Mobile sell the device under subsidised contracts, or for use on pay as you go. They are locked to network initially, though are usually able to be unlocked either after a certain period of contract length has passed, or for a small fee. The iPhone 4 in the UK is also currently sold unlocked without a contract for full retail price for use on any network the user chooses, but only when bought directly from Apple (either online or in their physical shops).
In the United Kingdom, carriers O2, Orange, 3, Vodafone, T-Mobile, as well as MVNO Tesco Mobile sell the device under subsidised contracts, or for use on pay as you go. They are locked to network initially, though are usually able to be unlocked either after a certain period of contract length has passed, or for a small fee. The iPhone 4 in the UK is also currently sold unlocked without a contract for full retail price for use on any network the user chooses, but only when bought directly from Apple (either online or in their physical shops).
Five major carriers in Australia, (Three, Optus, Telstra, Virgin Mobile, and Vodafone),offer legitimate unlocking, now at no cost for all iPhone devices, both current and prior models. The iPhone 3GS and the iPhone 4 can also be bought unlocked from a Apple Retail Store, or the Apple Online Store.
All new mobile phones sold by carriers in Canada are locked, and none of the major carriers (Rogers Wireless, Telus, Bell Mobility) unlock iPhones, even after service contracts have come to an end. Legislation has been introduced that would compel carriers to unlock mobile phones (including iPhones) outside of contract, upon customer request. iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S can be bought unlocked from Apple Retail stores or from Apple Online Store.
Internationally, policies vary, but many carriers sell the iPhone unlocked for full retail price.
iPhone 4S entered Indian market with Aircel and Airtel starting pre orders on 18 Nov 2011. The phones will be available in stores from 25 Nov 2011 with a price tag of Rs. 44,500 for the 16GB version and Rs. 50,900 for the 32GB version. Its still not clear if the 64GB version will come to India any time soon.
No comments:
Post a Comment