iPhone 4: Now with added jailbreaky fun

Windows Phone too

By Bill Ray, 5th April 2011

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iPhone 4 and Windows Phone 7 owners can now jailbreak their handsets.

Users of Windows Phone unhappy to find themselves at the end of Microsoft's phased rollout of its latest update can now hack themselves a fix, and upgrade when they want to, rather than when Microsoft tells them to.

Meanwhile, Apple customers who have jumped to iOS 4.3.1 can also bypass their platform provider in jailbreaking their devices to install any software they like, as long as they don't have an iPad 2.

The two hacks come from respected developer camps, PwnageTool and RedSn0w from the iPhone Dev Team, who have so effectively broken the security on previous iOS devices, while the Chevron updater comes from the chaps who previously created a jailbreaking tool for Windows Phone 7 devices.

That tool was withdrawn at Microsoft's request, which came accompanied by a promise to work with the Chevron chaps to create a legitimate homebrew option for Windows Phone users (a promise that has yet to yield fruit). Those with a Windows Phone 7 handset still can't install software that lacks Microsoft's seal of approval, but at least they can install the latest OS version without waiting for Redmond.

The iOS jailbreak is the first to allow rebooting without having to unlock the device again; but it won't work on the iPad 2 which, according to CNET, seems to be better secured than previous hardware, showing that Apple hasn't given up the fight for simplification through control.

That fight will certainly continue, though it is not just a technical battle as Apple and Microsoft work to make jailbreaking (and unlocking) less desirable as well as more difficult. Security is never impenetrable, but it can be designed to be more effort than it's worth. ®

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COMMENTS

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Highly Rated

Posted Tuesday 5th April 2011 11:24 GMT

Arctic fox

With regard to WP 7

I think that you will find that it is not MS (spelt with or without dollar-sign - up to you) who are preventing punters from getting their up-grade, at least not in the direct sense. When you have used this tool to enable your phone, where are you getting the up-grade? From MS obviously. This whole business effects customers who have bought their phones on contract via a carrier. The agreement between the carriers and MS is that they can delay one upgrade cycle in order to ensure that they do not fuck up the update when they pass it on to their customers. As far as I can see the carriers are exploiting this for all it is worth (in the same way they do with the Android os). If you have bought your phone sim-free you will get your update as soon as it is released by MS. This is a perennial problem for all owners of either WP7 phones or (as in my case, a largely happy Desire Z owner) Android phones. The carriers take the piss out of their customers big time. That is one very good reason why I personally prefer to (terribly old fashioned of me) save up and buy my phones outright. I have not bought a mob via a carrier for at least ten years and I have no intention of changing that!

Posted Tuesday 5th April 2011 13:09 GMT

Anonymous Coward

Which networks?

I curious about all this. I got the NoDo update for my Omnia 7 (on Three) on Saturday morning. A week after the MS site listed it as under evaluation by Three. So it didn't take too long to arrive.

So, is the "delay" being blown out of all proportion or are some networks genuinely holding the update back? From my experience Three aren't, is anyone out there on any other network and not getting the update?

I'd be interested in knowing which networks are being muppets, I can think of one in particular that might be...

I agree though, in Future I'd just by an unlocked one from Expansys.

Posted Tuesday 5th April 2011 12:22 GMT

Anonymous Coward