iPhone update: facts and fiction
By Paul Miller 
posted September 28th 2007 2:14PM
posted September 28th 2007 2:14PM
Most people with a jailbroken iPhone will end up with a "factory-fresh" iPhone after the 1.1.1 firmware update. Your mileage may vary, and isolated incidents of bricking have occurred, but most people are just going to have a 3rd party-free, AT&T-only iPhone in their pocket when the day is through, and bricking seems to be just as common for a virgin iPhones as for jailbroken ones. As for when we'll have full use of the iPhone again is unclear, but TUAW's Erica Sadun says "don't expect a jailbreak anytime soon," which doesn't seem promising. Apparently the security is going to be a whole lot harder to crack this time around.
As for unlocked iPhones, you should probably hold off for the time being. The most serious problems we're hearing so far relate to iPhone Dev Team's anySIM unlock, which has left some iPhones "bricked" with an "Incorrect SIM" error message (seen above). That's not to say a workaround won't be found in the future, but for now anySIM users should certainly stay away from 1.1.1. SuperSIM and TurboSIM users are also advised not to update, but we have less solid info about that. iPhoneSIMfree users seem to be in fine shape as long as they're rocking an AT&T SIM card -- though that does seem to defeat the purpose of an unlocked iPhone in the first place. Please let us know about your personal experience with the update on an unlocked phone so we can get a clearer picture of the exact damage, but it's probably best for you to restore your phone to to a factory state before 1.1.1 rather than risking it all for our benefit.Update: We've heard that iTunes 7.3.1.3 can restore a bricked phone with the 1.1.1 update. No confirmation yet, but feel free to let us know if it works for you in comments.
Still, there are still plenty of ways you can stick it to the man. For starters, don't upgrade to 1.1.1! There's no telling when the iPhone will be re-hacked at all, and if you're interested in running 3rd party apps or using a non-AT&T SIM then 1.0.2 is where it's at for the time being. If you do feel like sending your pre-1.1.1 iPhone back to a "virgin" 1.0.2 state, there are methods for doing so that will give you a fresh iPhone with all sorts of unlocking and jailbreaking potential, along with providing the "safest" state for your iPhone to be in before a 1.1.1 update if do you choose to perform one. If you are staying away from 1.1.1, naturally be careful to reject any of iTunes' friendly offers to update your phone, and it can't hurt to disable "Check for updates automatically" in iTunes preferences. Apple won't be "pushing" the update on you, so if you do run it and break something, it's your own dang warranty-voiding fault -- though jailbreaking doesn't actually modify anything beyond your software, so you shouldn't have much to worry about as long as Apple doesn't decide to get nasty.
However, should you happen to ignore all these dire warnings and brick your phone in the process, there are reports of Apple Geniuses unbricking iPhones at Apple Stores, despite warnings posted to the contrary, as long as that phone hasn't been unlocked. Even if you have unlocked, it can't hurt to ask, so keep your fingers crossed and hope for the best!
There are also still ways to add your own homebrew (read: free) ringtones to your 1.0.2 iPhone, even when running iTunes 7.4.2. Just pick your poison: iPhone RingToneMaker (Windows), Ringtonator Studio (Mac), or iToner (Mac). Sadly, iToner developer Ambrosia Software says that 1.1.1 breaks this hack, but they're working on a workaround.
Before we go, we'd be lying to you if we said there aren't some legitimate reasons to upgrade, so we'll run them by you real fast -- just in case you needed any more reasons to be conflicted about updating your iPhone.
- iTunes WiFi Music Store (the true promise of a WiFi DAP finally achieved)
- Louder speakerphone and receiver volume (it's about time, we only hope it's loud enough)
- Home Button double-click shortcut to phone favorites or music controls (just like the iPod touch)
- Space bar double-tap shortcut to intelligently insert period and space (BlackBerry-style)
- Mail attachments are viewable in portrait and landscape (another one struck off the "duh" list)
- Stocks and cities in Stock and Weather can be re-ordered (ditto)
- Apple Bluetooth Headset battery status in the Status Bar (but it's still a ripoff)
- Support for TV Out (and the joy of paying through the nose for new cables)
- Preference to turn off EDGE/GPRS when roaming internationally
- New Passcode lock time intervals
- Adjustable alert volume
This article liberally sourced the fine folks at Hackintosh, TUAW and the iPhone Dev Wiki. Header image is courtesy of Josh Bancroft, and the chart is courtesy of Wired's Gadget Lab and 9 to 5 Mac.
hey guyz i got the full procedure of unlocking the iphone see here the trick http://tinyurl.com/2qe7xg
I need advice... i live in Belgium and we have a law that says you can't lock any phone for any period of time further more you cant have exclusive phones for any carrier so is unlikely that apple will sale the iPhone here anytime soon, but thanks to Ebay there are some (high priced) unlocked iPhones available in my city... now the suestion is.. would it be totally stupid to get an unlocked device nowthat the new update F**k's it up??? can i still manage teh device on iTunes without UPDATING it?? or should i just wait till the hackers come up with a solution??? its also an american iPhone wich i belive doesn't support other languages keyboards (correct me if i said anything wrong) and please give me some advice... thanks in advance
My advice: Wait until 1.1.1 is hacked. Might take a while, but you never know.
thanks.. but then again, if i got it and just don't update i'd be safe right???
*Patiently waits on (a)hackers to crack iPhone or Touch before spending several hundred hard-earned dollars on locked-down crippled tech (b)meizu to come up with cheaper, better no-cripple clone*
Anyone notice in the phone recents page, if you have called a person more than once, it will give you the times that you called in page behind the blue arrow to the far right? I hadn't seen that before.
Apple actually deserves every bit of negative press they get for this. I mean for the people who performed the jailbreak on their phones only to have the ability to run 3rd party applications taken away - what was their crime, that they wanted to have the ability to send AIM messages and not pay for SMS?
Yeah, it is true that iTunes 7.3.1.3 can restore a bricked iPhone, speaking from experience. I went to update my iPhone on my personal PC
how did you do it in itunes 7.3.1.3 in recovery mode when i hit restore it comes up "software for this iPhone is currently unavailable. make sure you have the latest version of itunes and try again" so now what????
I've got a "bricked" iPhone... no luck at the Genius Bar, wouldn't work with me because my IMEI had changed and "the only way that could happen is if you had unlocked your phone".
I'm not miffed at all that this happened, just miffed that there are no options. The "Genius" couldn't/wouldn't help. Offered no suggestions on what I could do. There was no option to pay to have it fixed. Nothing...
So now what?
Why ? would you update if you unlocked your phone. I do not get it. Shame on every one who unlocked the phone, then updated. You deserve a brick. My phone is unlocked, guess what......didn't update.......phone still works. Who'da thunk it.
when will apple finally start releasing unlocked phones for people not in UK/Germany/USA/France ? ... it seems people in Pakistan and places will never get to use the iPhone.. lame strategy apple. could be making so much more money right now.
Odd, sam said at 6:11 pm that Apple locking the iPhone was about greed but you seem to be saying that if Apple hadn't locked the iPhone they would have made more money.
I'll have to think how both could be possible...
What I would like to know is how I can get an iPhone (just $399) and use it with my existing AT&T account, which is a business account which doesn't allow the iPhone. i.e. I can't get the iPhone through my business account, and the iPhone plans are not available to me. So I want to buy the iPhone, activate it, and use it with my existing AT&T plan, sync with the computer, play videos and music, all with my existing AT&T sim card dropped into the iPhone.
Is that possible?
My iPhone is under a FAN account...or business account. You just don't get any discounts on service, or the phone. You can still get the iPhone tthough.
saintchuck:
what i said was Apple should be releasing UNLOCKED iPhones.
"Update: We've heard that iTunes 7.3.1.3 can restore a bricked phone with the 1.1.1 update. No confirmation yet, but feel free to let us know if it works for you in comments."
any more info on that? i've downgraded to 7.3.1.3 and attempted restores on my useless, formerly anysim-ed, 1.1.1 phone.
if you try to restore without the actual firmware (having itunes try to download it from the apple servers) it gives an error (update to newest itunes). if you download the firmware manually and stick it in the correct folder, (c/documents and settings/user/application data/apple computer/itunes/iphone software updates) you get the same error.
if you shift-click on update and point it to the downloaded firmware package, it unpacks it, then gives an error.
am i missing something here?
I just wanted to pass along my experience
I "bricked" my iphone with the recent update, it was stuck on "preparing iphone" - only showing yellow triangle. I then downloaded an older itunes version (suggestion I found) and tried to restore - IT WORKED. Restored to 1.02 then I tried to updated to 1.1.1 and that also WORKED.
All good to go. The older itunes version was 7.3.1 and it was able to restore me to 1.02.
This was not an unlocked phone, but it was mildly hacked.
Were you able to install the actual update? I don't think my update was actually installed and that is why this trick worked, it was "bricked" during the setup process, perhaps a mild distinction, but the relevant difference for this to work?
Well I walked in tonight and Flashed my Pro Care card at the Genius Bar and told them what was up. I had a bricked iPhone. I said I do have an AT&T SIM iPhone account but had unlocked the device (for other reasons). The Genius said that if he puts my SIM card in another iPhone ( a replacement one ) and iTunes activates it, he can swap it out for a new one for me. So if You have Pro Care and have an AT&T account, you may be in luck. Good Luck all! I am keeping this new one at 1.0.2 until a new 1.1.1 hack comes out :D
And yes it did activate it and he swapped it out for me
Did you get a replacement SIM and a replacement iPhone, or could you use your existing SIM in the replacement iPhone?
Nope, they just gave me a new phone and put my existing AT&T SIM in the phone.
@TK - thanks.
I unlocked my iPhone with iUnlock Reloaded and accepted that I might have to lay down more $$$ if it got bricked, which it will do with the current 1.1.1 update.
What I do not want to have to do is sign up for another AT&T account. Knowing that the SIM is still functional is good info to know.
Yes it is alright. I tested it in an unlocked Motorola z3 RIZR. I am sticking with 1.0.2 on the new iPhone until the have at least a jailbreak and activate for 1.1.1. You can always go in and play dub too. I do wish you luck if you are bricked. The Dev team, I think, will eventually break 1.1.1
Correct and you said Apple could be making so much more money if they did unlock the iPhone.
While sam says the reason Apple didn't was because they are greedy which would indicate he thinks that not unlocking makes Apple more money.
So which is it. Does locking or unlocking make Apple more money?
I really want to have sympathy but,
Why are there more than 5 people here with bricked phones? If you read this site, then you KNOW you read Apple's warning. And Engadget's, and Giz's, and TUAW's, etc.
WARNING: Update + Unlocked iPhone = iBrick
The update arrives... "well MY unlocked iPhone is special, the Steve would never brick... DAMN YOU STEVE!!!!"
Really it does suck, but hell. Next time, just run over it with your car if your that intent on bricking the damn thing.
Ok I got an idea for anyone who has the wrong IMEI number.
Start to restore your iphone with the AT and T sim card OUT. Then restore it yada yada, and when its restores it should have your normal IMEI number, and insert the sim card.
It will say incorrect sim, but will have the normal IMEI so they will fix it for you. (I hope)
Everyone loves to blast Microsoft because their operating systems are so vulnerable to viruses from hackers. Apple hasn't had much of a problem before because they had such a small market share, it wasn't worth the hackers time to build viruses for the apple platform. Now the hackers are building "applications" for the iPhone. Those apps may not bring down the network, but they sure could do some serious damage to your bank account if a hacker decided to capture your credit card info. With the whole world moving toward internet based applications, why would you want to let a hacker do what they want to your machine? Maybe Steve Jobs actually has a better idea this time. :-)
Ah, yes - because closed systems like Windows and OSX have prevented the spread of viruses and malware so well, while open-source systems like Linux are rife with disease :/...
Whatever happened to Caveat Emptor? I've gone years without a virus on my PC - because I am not an idiot that will install just anything and I have good and updated virus software. The marketplace is very good at determining what is dangerous and what is not, and putting your trust in Steve Jobs' development guys isn't a smart move. After all, they released one of the most important products in their company history with an exploit that allowed the machine to be cracked in less than a month. Why do you think they will be more successful the second time?
The fact is, they have maybe 100-200 programmers working on this, if that many. Compare this to the thousands of people working to crack it from every direction, and you'll realize that (like all copy and modification protection schemes) Apple doesn't have a chance of preventing the behavior. Were they to open things up & provide developers with resources to make their own apps, while covering their ass by saying "if your Iphone has a problem, we will not service it until it is restored to a factory-specific sw config", then Apple wouldn't be getting all this bad PR and losing out on sales. The phone would also be more attractive to people like me that have needs that the standard iPhone suite can't handle.
Apple released the iPhone, stock price goes up. Apple cuts iPhone price - boosts sales - stock price goes up. Apple protects income by bricking unlocked iPhone - stock price goes up.
Apple's stock has risen from $90 to $150 in six months. You only need to hold about 8 shares over that period to offset the cost of replacing a warranty-voided bricked iPhone.
My reason for unlocking the iPhone is business. When I am abroad using a new unlocked iPhone, it is more impressive to my customers than using last years unlocked anything. Making gifts of unlocked iPhones doubly so.
Business is business, Steve knows that, so do I. No sympathy required.
Dear Mr. Jobs,
In short, Shame On YOU! For years I have been a passionate follower of Apple and its products. One of my most prized possessions is, and continues to be my vintage Mac SE which I boot up for nostalgia's sake from time to time. And while I've not always agreed on Apple's stance on closing it's computing platform for the sake of consistency and maintaining a high quality user experience, I've always taken solace in the fact that Apple would, eventually, adopt those applications and technologies that in the end, would benefit it's customers and satisfy their needs. My confidence in that thought has now, however, been shaken.
When the iPhone came out, I was one of the those who stood in line to get one the first day. Rushing home, excited with the adrenaline of owning what could very possibly be the link to convergent mobile technology in my hand, I eagerly tore open the packaging and activated your vision of the future. And while the iPhone did everything that you promised so many months earlier and had been hinting about for years, I couldn't help but feel that I was somehow caught in a scene from "Devil and Daniel Webster" . "Oh, I didn't mention that this $600 marvel doesn't support MMS? Hmmm... must have slipped my mind." " 'Chat?' Why would you think that 'Chat' would be supported?!?" "'Video'? Why on earth would you WANT video, voice notes, GPS, ringtones or any of those other pedantic features supported by mere PHONES?! THIS, is the iPHONE! Maps and uTube should be enough to keep you lot happy!"
It was almost as if you laughed at the assumptions that your fans, customers, converts, and the public as a whole, had made about the basic functionality of a mobile phone and the way we use them.
But the Apple community chose to give you the benefit of the doubt, Mr. Jobs, and instead of holding these basic, if not obvious flaws against you, we did as we have always done. We CREATED the tools that we needed, hoping that you'd do as you've always done and and adopt these innovations, bringing them into the fold, and sharing the wealth (surely you remember the days when CoverFlow as but a mere shareware application and not a part of iTunes or your Leopard OS).
This time, however, the Apple community was not greeted with the usual welcoming arms of Apple, which never before begrudged those more insightful that its own engineers, and simply integrated new and useful tools into it's platform. No. Instead we were given the ultimate slap in the face. With iPhone update 1.1.1, Apple has quite clearly and simply stated "You will take what WE give you and you will LIKE IT! What's more is, we are giving you more ways to fill our coffers and keep AT&T happy, PERIOD! Thanks for the six-hundred bucks. Good day, sir!"
I'm certain that if it were not for the inclusion of AT&T in the business strategy and launch of the Apple iPhone, I would not be writing this letter today. But the simple fact is, Mr. Jobs, that you have betrayed your fans, your customers and our loyalists, in partnering with AT&T. The reason for the absence of chat functionality on the iPhone is clear. AT&T couldn't collect their pennies per SMS if you had included it. Video messaging on the iPhone? Not so long as AT&T can't bill for it! And we can forget about any "real" mobility across continents, VOIP, or any other solid innovations that would actually make future customers WANT to buy this potentially amazing little device, so long as it doesn't come along with a way for our pockets to be summarily picked.
I am, in no way, saying that you and Apple are not due your money, Mr. Jobs. For your insight, your creativity and your ingenuity, you surely should be rewarded. That is for certain. I happily accepted, but in no way felt that you owed my a $100 rebate for purchasing my iPhone early. But now it has come clear to me that in the days in which Apple listened to it's customers, and developed products that they not only wanted, but had dreamed about, has passed. We have moved on into a new era. One in which Apple now serves a new master, who will stifle creativity, protect it's revenue and attempt to destroy those that get in it's way in pursuit of a dollar. Mr. Jobs, I would like to introduce you to Mr. Bill Gates. I'm sure you'll be fast friends, if you're not already.
Sincerely,
A very disappointed iphone owner
(who by the way, will NOT update his firmware until the real potential of his iPhone is allowed to flourish and grow)
Buying anything Apple makes is like buying a car with the hood welded shut. I am a former apple computer owner (Imac) who sold it cheap for that very reason. I do own an ipod, but I knew what I was buying into. Apple products are for those without the time, or the inclination, to learn about or fix their devices. If you can't deal with it, don't buy apple. Let Jobs revel in his single digit marketshare (computers). I think Apples business model sucks.
Have any of you tried Phone Activition Server with 1.1.1 ???
I'm just wondering what amazing software the world isn't getting to see because of all the smart people wasting their time trying to do with an iPhone what you've been able to do with a PocketPC phone for over 5 years. If you want an expandable, versatile platform, use the only system designed as such - otherwise, you're carrying a paperweight even if your iPhone does manage to turn on.
I am not exactly sure why Apple created a locked phone in the first place. But I am guessing that Apple isn't interested in directly supporting users for every imaginable network in the world and the associated problems. As well as designing a phone that had to account for the limitations and quirkiness of these networks.
But since they have decided to go the locked route, they had to agree to certain restrictions with the network partner. And I am guessing that one of these restictions is to stop the phone from being used on other networks to the best of their ability.
So Apple had two choices with respect to unlocked phones: don't relock the iphone and get involved in a big lawsuit with AT&T over their contract or relock the phone and piss off the people that broke the original and well understood terms of usage. In other words, they are in a no-win situation.
On another note, as part of the unlock process, the hackers took advantage of bugs in the iphone O/S to create the jailbreak operation. I am guessing that in order to stop future unlocking of the iphone, Apple had to fix the bug that made jailbreak/unlocking possible. Thus, 3rd party apps were secondarily affected by this unlock fix.
So people that had/want 3rd party apps on their iphone shouldn't be angry with Apple, they should be angry with unlock hackers. They are probably the ones that MADE Apple close the jailbreak loophole.
hey i just wanna know if you buy a new iphone at apple will it come with the version 1.02 or 1.1.1
Apple's doing a great job this time, keep up the good work. If you want 3rd party apps so much, go get a wm5/6 or symbian. I'm sick of people saying that they need to run 3rd party apps in NDS so they bought a R4, same for those unlockers here.
Shill much?
Apple obviously locked the phone for financial reasons. What I don't understand is....in the past, most phone companies sell the phone unlocked...but can purchase the phone through a carrier at a discount if you agree to a long term plan. So in other words, why didn't Apple offer the phone for $600-700 to purchase outright or purchase it for $399 if you buy it at an AT&T store. That makes more sense to me.
Thats their big mistake.....if they did it that way, they could have rolled out the product globally by now.
Now that they have created this mess, they should try to look after customers that unlocked their phones. In other words, don't encourage unlocking the phone but at the same time don't attack these customers that still paid good money to buy the product - people who were prepared to forgoe their warranty under the "trust" that you wouldn't go after them.
Legally speaking, Apple is covered. But its not a question of legalities....its a question of maintaining the brand equity of Apple which has been significantly tarnished by blatantly scr*wing some of its most enthusiastic customers.
I want to install the new iPhone update, but I really love the program iToner! Is there any reason to believe that Apple will actually make my phone stop functioning because I want to buy a program from a company who has as much right to make profit as Apple and AT&T are doing? And, if so, is it legal? Especially given that I paid for this phone with my hard earned money and should have the right to use iToner if I choose. It appears the Apple corporation is creating an unjust environment for the consumer much like their rival company Microsoft. This feels like monopolistic corporate extortion and I am uncomfortable that they are able to convince Americans that they truly have such powers. Where is the protection for the consumer in this deal? How can smaller companies break through in the hi-tech market? Is this liberty? What ethical ideal is Steve Jobs company reaching for? I thought Mac was above all this, it is why I buy their more expensive products. This is as silly as not allowing Verizon and other wireless companies to sell this product to their customers. Or charging me $200 more than newer iPhone customers because I bought it during the period of sensationalization. Am I alone in this sentiment?
Hi,
I wonder if you guys know , how to activate the Iphone again? because I bought an unlocked Iphone, but accidentaly when I plugged it in I updated the new firmware 1.1.1 and now it says "INCORRECT SIM insert an unlocked and valid SIM to activate Iphone" and everytime I plug it in and I Open Itunes, I have a similar message in Itunes, so I can´t do anything, I´ve already tried to downgrade the firmware, but I can´t do anything, so do you guys know what should I do¿?
By the way the SIM CARD that is inside the Iphone is the Original AT&T SIM CARD.
i have a proble with the mail app, it crashes everytime i click to open it, what ca i do?
My phone keeps going into emergency mode, can anyone help me?
Isn't it possible, if you have a 1.0.2 firmware unlocked iPhone, to upte to 1.1.1 and once its locked, unlock it again?