• On MovieTome: The 10 worst movies of 2009 so far!
October 29, 2007 10:16 AM PDT

iPhone jailbreak for the masses released

by Tom Krazit
  • Font size
  • Print
  • 14 comments
Share

Third-party applications for the iPhone won't be released until early next year, but there's an easy-to-install new jailbreaking application out this week if you can't wait.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog, source of much of the details behind The Great iPhone Hack 2007, brings news of the release of the AppSnapp installer, which bypasses Apple's OS X 1.1.1 update in order to let iPhone and iPod Touch users put third-party applications on their devices. This appears to be one of the simplest jailbreak applications yet released for the 1.1.1 update; the others involved lots of complicated steps or additional scripts to open up the iPhone.

A new iPhone jailbreaking application has been released that's relatively simple to install.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

The iPhone hacking saga lost a little steam last month when Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced that the company would release a software developer's kit for the iPhone in February of next year. Uncertainty around Apple's plans for third-party applications on the iPhone spurred numerous projects to open up the iPhone, which also allows iPhone users to unlock their phones from AT&T's network.

In fact, the AppSnapp folks claim their software activates iPhones that have another carrier's SIM card installed. Last week, Apple estimated that 250,000 iPhones were purchased with the intention of unlocking them from AT&T's network. The company struck back in early September with the 1.1.1 update, and was able to make unlocking really difficult as well as deter future unlocking attempts by "bricking" unlocked iPhones that installed the software update.

With four months between now and the expected release of the SDK, it's very likely that Apple will have at least one more software update for the iPhone that could very well wipe out these jailbreaking efforts, and perhaps once again brick the phones. If you go ahead and install AppSnapp, understand that you probably won't be able to get service for your iPhone if you walk into the store with AppSnapp installed and a problem for the Geniuses. You might be able to do a factory restore to get AppSnapp off the phone and just install it after you're done with the service, but be forewarned.

Tom Krazit writes about the ever-expanding world of Internet search, including Google, Yahoo, online advertising, and portals, as well as the evolution of mobile computing. He has written about traditional PC companies, chip manufacturers, and mobile computers, spending the last three years covering Apple. E-mail Tom.
Recent posts from Apple
Apple grabs top U.S. retail sales spots in October
Apple updates Mac Pro with 3.33GHz chip option
Time shows off tablet-size version of Sports Illustrated
Psystar said to have deal with Apple
Report: Apple accused of NAND price manipulation
What if: Apple Newton vs. Apple iPhone
Apple App Store collector's items: 10 rarities
iPhone officially lands in South Korea
Add a Comment (Log in or register) (14 Comments)
  • prev
  • 1
  • next
'Jailbreak' uses webpage
by J.G. October 29, 2007 10:54 AM PDT
... to install. It will likely be the first of much malware targeted to iPhone users foolish enough to install an application from the Internet on a device in which every app runs as root. Perhaps Tom Krazit will next advise people to perform their own rhinoplasties and point them to a webpage that describes how.
Reply to this comment
Missing information.
by monkphin October 29, 2007 11:41 AM PDT
What the article misses is that the same software that runs to
hack the phone also patches the exact same exploit it uses,
rendering the possibility that the TIFF exploit can be used as
being nil. (I may be wrong in regards to the mention of the
patch, since I skimmed this, having read it elsewhere.)

Its also worth noting, that the patch is available separately from
the installer.app, for those of us who used the older, longer
methods.
View reply
I thought it was running Mac OS X....
by cary1 October 29, 2007 11:54 AM PDT
... which doesn't have any viruses, trojans and spyware
View all 2 replies
You might be able to do a factory restore?
by eastmanweb October 29, 2007 3:36 PM PDT
"You might be able to do a factory restore to get AppSnapp off the phone..."

Has anyone confirmed that this can be done?

I wouldn't do any hacks to my phone until I knew I could restore it to factory defaults if I wanted to.
Reply to this comment
Third party apps
by monkphin October 29, 2007 5:20 PM PDT
A factory restore essentially re-writes the entire system
partition. Looking at the iPod Touch, it has a 300MB partition for
the system volume, I suspect the phone is the same. When you
do a software update/restore, it essentially overwrites this
partition with the OS - I've recovered some of my work-mates
iPods thanks to this (Mostly because they installed an
Application that forced OS X into a never ending crash/reboot
loop. Just power the unit off, then hold down both the sleep
button and the home button when you power it up, it will force
it into restore mode..

Not a clue how this bears on the sim unlock however.
never go bust
by rorybaust October 29, 2007 7:20 PM PDT
My hope is that Apple never go Ibust or else we will have a lot of people that will be deprived of a life.

Gadgets are just that, gadgets and it does not matter who makes them I hate Apple and won't use them and instead use Microsoft and other products it's what works for me, however I do find it really strange that a company that gets so much loyatity treats it's customers so bad and still the customers legitimise Apples behavior as being ok. These people love Apple yet Apple see them as a threat, its sounds arrogant to me.

oh and by the way The Iphone does not run on gas.

Oh and just because I have voiced a belief that does not agree with Apple or its followers it does not mean that I am wrong accept of course if I am.
Reply to this comment
Does it let me use the Iphone on my Verizon contract
by frz1 October 30, 2007 11:20 AM PDT
That's all I care about. until then, I can't even think of buying an Iphone but, I have hopes.
Reply to this comment
No.
by aduzik October 30, 2007 12:00 PM PDT
Verizon and AT&T use different network technologies. AT&T uses GSM and Verizon uses CDMA. Even if the iPhone is unlocked, it will never work on Verizon or Sprint because both networks use CDMA technology and the iPhone is a GSM phone. Your only alternative to AT&T in the US is T-Mobile.
iphone will not be on verizon or any CDMA carrier
by cassio1 November 2, 2007 9:33 PM PDT
It's a GSM phone, and will only work with GSM carriers even if
unlocked. The national carriers that support GSM are AT&T, and T-
Mobile. There may also be regional or local GSM carriers in your
area. If you are in europe, any of the european carriers should
work. youtube and visual voicemail will not easily work when the
phone is unlocked.
Reply to this comment
(14 Comments)
  • prev
  • 1
  • next
advertisement
Click Here

The yogurt makers of tech: Gadgets to avoid

Don't buy these one-trick ponies--unless you like gizmos that gather dust.

Google wants to unclog Net's DNS plumbing

The Net giant, ever eager for a faster Internet, debuts its Google Public DNS service. With it, Google could become even more central to the Net.

About Apple

At the start of the 21st century, there's no tech outfit more influential than Apple. CNET News' Erica Ogg and other reporters will attempt to make sense of the rumors, hype, products, and people that will shape the future of the company. But Apple's not the only game in town, as the established cell phone companies and others strike back against the iPhone. E-mail Erica at erica.ogg@cnet.com.

Add this feed to your online news reader

Apple topics

advertisement
advertisement

Inside CNET News

Scroll Left Scroll Right