The internet is abuzz with the news that Apple intends to break iPhones containing third party applications. Unlocked phones are also likely to be victims of the next software update. While community reaction is generally negative, one blogger suggests sending an even stronger message to Apple by boycotting Apple on October 1. If you're running the Installer application, you may want to hold off on any iPhone firmware updates.
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Member since:2005-07-06
We can all agree that Apple will be bricking unlocked iPhones, and that bricking is by design.
We can? How about some proof. Cause I don't agree.
Anyone with the slightest understanding of technology knows that Apple can make a phone that has a replaceable SIM card.
It's great that we can agree on that, cause they did release a phone with a replaceable SIM card.
However they can design the system to withstand an upgrade and be unlocked at the same time.
And this is where you tell us how to do so. Cause I've worked on embedded systems in general and cell phones in particular and, in the lab, I've bricked hardware because of a bad firmware upgrade. So, since you are obviously embedded systems developer par excellence, you can tell us all how such a system would work. Correctly. 100% of the time. Cause ya know, if you miss even one corner case and it bricks a device because of a firmware upgrade, then you're back to where Apple is right now where they just can't promise it'll work.
You can design the firmware and the sim stuff to be done in a way that when it's previously unlocked and then flashed with official firmware it pukes on you.
We're all waiting patiently for your design. I'm sure it'll be excellent.
Member since:2005-07-06
Member since:2005-07-06
Member since:2005-07-06
Member since:
2005-07-08
This is the problem: we assume that new techonology is somehow like microwaves, toasters and other "appliances."
But toasters don't connect to a global information network and download software that updates themselves. The toaster mfg. doesn't send you a new timer for your toaster every few months.
What we have here is something totally new, something we can't quite compare to anything before us. So let's stop making comparisons and poor analogies and try to understand that we have to better define what these devices are.
It doesn't matter though whether a software update that causes a bricked iPhone due to tampering is legel, or ethical (frankly if you don't use a product the way it was designed, you're asking for trouble, even if it was designed to work one way and shipped another).
We can all agree that Apple will be bricking unlocked iPhones, and that bricking is by design. Anyone with the slightest understanding of technology knows that Apple can make a phone that has a replaceable SIM card. We also know that they can lock that sim card in place and keep users from changing carriers without some hackery, which they've done. However they can design the system to withstand an upgrade and be unlocked at the same time. They can also design that system to Die Horribly if it's been unlocked and an upgrade is still attempted.
Frankly, I think Apple just did the latter long before the iPhone was released. This was entirely planned out. Is it intentional? Yes. Is the updater looking at the system and saying, "is it unlocked? yeah? OK, brick yourself." No, I doubt it very much. You can design the firmware and the sim stuff to be done in a way that when it's previously unlocked and then flashed with official firmware it pukes on you.