iPhone Central’s Big Cheese, Dan Moren, recently reported on leaks of a purported 1.1.3 iPhone firmware update. These leaks are based on pictures and video showing off some alleged upcoming iPhone features. Personally, the evidence look kosher to me but if you want to doubt, be my guest.
I’m offering this lackadaisical invitation largely because I’d like to address this broader issue: Regardless of what the next iPhone update offers, is it worth your while to update? Let’s look at the pros and cons:
• Without the update it’s possible that you won’t be able to use whatever Apple-authorized applications are made available as the result of Apple releasing an iPhone SDK in February.
• Some of the alleged features look very cool. Under the listing of “supposedly,” you’ll be able to move icons around on the Home screen, add Safari bookmarks as icons on the Home screen, have more than one page on the Home screen, send SMS messages to multiple recipients, drag a pin to any location you like in the Maps application, access a hybrid map and satellite view in Maps, and kinda/sorta pinpoint your iPhone’s location in the Maps application through cell tower triangulation.
• If you’ve unlocked your iPhone to use with another carrier there’s the possibility that applying the update will kill your phone.
• If you’ve jailbroken your iPhone to use with third-party applications, there’s a very good chance that those third-party applications will disappear when you apply the update. Getting those third-party applications on your iPhone is possible thanks to a couple of security exploits that Apple is sure to close with the next update. A lot of very smart people will invest a lot of time trying to find a way to jailbreak an iPhone running the 1.1.3 firmware so that those third-party applications can be used, but no one knows how long it will take or, ultimately, if it will even be possible.
I’ve made no secret of my love for third-party applications running on my iPhone. And because I do love it to its jailbroken core (and find that I already have many of the alleged features mentioned as part of this similarly alleged update) I’m going to be in no rush to update my phone. You, of course, may feel differently.
Regardless of which side you come down on, history has taught us that it’s prudent to let others update their stuff before you do. Having a measure of patience allows you to learn from others’ mistakes and, if you choose to, avoid making them yourself.
Christopher,
While we're "supposing", I suppose it would be safe to assume that once the "Apple sanctioned open version" of the iPhone is released after the SDK is released, many of the good apps that you can access by Jailbreak will be available... legitimately. A couple of revisions ago, I used the jailbreak to play with a few apps, which were kinda fun. I am VERY anxious for the good stuff that is bound to follow the SDK release.
Jim
I plan to update immediately. I don't care about unsupported hacks. I didn't jailbreak my iPhone since 1.1.1; I won't do it in 1.1.2 because I don't like the way you have to downgrade first.
Who needs unsupported third-party hacks if there's an officially supported SDK with supported third-party applications? That's what I'm hoping for.
It's an interesting question as we have so few details other than that there will be an SDK. For example:
• If a developer wants it, will applications be offered for free?
I ask because it's possible this will work like the Made for iPod program where developers are required to pay Apple for the privilege to use the dock connector port and now the TV Out functionality. Will Apple likewise charge developers to produce applications for the iPhone? If so, why would I use the Apple approved version when I can (conceivably) jailbreak my phone and have the same thing (or maybe something better) for free?
• Will Apple allow ALL kinds of applications?
Currently you can put an instant messaging client on your jailbroken iPhone. Some developers are playing with VOIP functionality. Neither type of application is likely to make AT&T or Apple happy because they compete with pay-for services such as SMS and voice calling. How likely is it that Apple will open the door to such applications? And if it doesn't, it seems to me that a need remains for applications that can only be had via jailbreak.
Or, if you are one of us who haven't unlocked, jailbroke, or otherwise rendered your warranty null and void by breaking your agreement when purchasing the iPhone, let's look at the cons:
Oh, none.
>Oh, none.
Mmmmaybe. Leaving your iPhone at 1.1.2 provides the *option* to jailbreak it should you discover that the SDK doesn't provide all that and a bag of chips.
about the im client 4 the jailbroken phone. I use a web app 4 iming (I kno, its slow, but fully sanctioned by apple), and I found it on the apple site. Now, I kno its not as good as a native app, but, if apple sanctions the web app, why not the native app? if I'm wrong, pls tell me. Its entirely possible that I'm missing something obvious...
As I said in an earlier reply, we don't really know anything about what Apple will and won't sanction in regard to the SDK. Clearly, there's little Apple can do about any web apps designed for the phone -- these apps aren't using any proprietary Apple technology so Apple doesn't hold a key that can bar a developer from writing any web app they like.
As far as promoting that web app, it's likely that Apple's fairly agnostic about those apps it links to. It wants iPhone users to be comfortable and happy with web apps. As you say, web-based IM clients aren't terribly speedy and, in my experience, a little clunky. Apple may not see them as a threat where a faster a more efficient native app might be of greater concern.
My hope is that Apple really doesn't care what you put on your iPhone and that it will welcome all comers when the SDK becomes reality.
But, as I hinted to Walt, I'm going to hedge my bet by leaving my iPhone jailbroken.
Will the SDK mean the end of freeware apps. if Apple makes developers pay a a portion of sales to Apple?
My current iPhone is 1.1.2 and unbroken and I'm debating whether to just wait or jailbreak. Last one before a hardware problem, which Apple replaced, was jailbroken.
I really like the installer app. and would probably prefer it than using iTunes to install new apps.
I don't want to be tethered to iTunes unless it can do OTA, maybe.
I wish Apple would come out with an update that would fix some of the glaring omissions of the core app. (Calendar, Mail and Notes). We're six months in with the iPhone and nothing really in the way of meaningful updates!
I was thinking the other day where we would be now with the iPhone, if the first gen. of the Newton Messagepad had taken off then like the iPhone now?
Waiting patiently for Macworld and February...
All I have to say is iFuntastic is the way to go if you have 1.1.2 already on your phone and want to jailbreak it. All you have to do is sit and wait while it does all the work for you. When the 1.1.3 comes out, you can factory restore if you want to upgrade.
How can there be cons to an update?
People who jail break their phones? The name itself implies warranty voided. An unlocked phone to use with another carrier. I guess I can see this violation of your purchase aggreement also if ATT is not available in your area. (shouldn't have bought the phone) To those who complain about ATT, my ATT service has been great.
If you dont like the iPhone the way it is go buy a Blackberry
Dan, just give us anything! We are going into a
new year and all we have have is a pretty good IPod
that makes phone calls and hold's pictures, "if" you
don't get them e-mail from a friend!
We are driving down the road trying to look down and
touch buttons to make a phone call and watch the road at the same time, when our friends over at Verizon are just saying call mother home and "their" phone calls mother !
Come on Dan. KeithC.
IMO "jailbreaking" an iPhone is just stupid for the average user. Unless you are a cracker yourself then this is just not the kind of thing you want to play around with. I think the crackers who are encouraging users to use this software are being irresponsible and we saw the kind of problems that could occur when the last iPhone update was released.
Therefore, no conundrum.
Gary and Fletcher: Important clarification:
Jailbreaking is not the same as unlocking. Jailbreaking is performed to switch on Unix functions that already exist on the phone. No magic involved, simply enabling features that Apple has disabled.
Jailbreaking has never, ever been responsible for bricking a phone. Unlocking has.
You will not go to hell for jailbreaking your phone.
I still haven't jailbroken my iPhone. Don't know if I will. The 3rd party appls are tempting but not enough yet for me to take the plunge.
One little thing that I think you just mistyped, is the Satellite View is available now in Maps (not hybrid, but satellite). Did you mean Terrain?
1.1.3 damn well better have a password manager for Safari. I practically live in a secure web site when mobile, and I am sick and tired of having to re-enter my username and password.
Your Apple iPhone could be infected with potentially malicious Trojan software because of a fake upgrade download, computer security officials with US-CERT warned Wednesday.
"This Trojan claims to be a tool used to prepare the device for an upgrade to firmware version 1.1.3," the US-CERT advisory said. "When a user installs the Trojan, other application components are altered. If the Trojan is uninstalled, the affected applications may also be removed."
The Trojan appears to be timed to exploit rumors that began in early December about new features in an upcoming iPhone firmware upgrade. Various online news sites and blogs cited a report published by CNET France that claimed an imminent iPhone update would feature a disk mode, for using the iPhone as a portable flash drive, and a voice recording mode.
Malware authors now regularly craft attacks that play off current news and events. The Storm worm, for example, initially spread through an e-mail message that made reference to what was in January 2007 a recent storm. With the Consumer Electronics Show this week and the Macworld Conference & Expo next week, malware masquerading as an iPhone upgrade will likely dupe more people than it would otherwise.
On Monday, Symantec identified the malicious software as "iPhone firmware 1.1.3 prep."
In a blog post, Symantec security researcher Orla Cox observes that installing the software doesn't appear to have much of an effect on the iPhone, but warned that uninstalling it could overwrite other iPhone applications.
"This is technically the first Trojan horse seen for the iPhone, however it does appear to be more of a prank than an actual threat," said Cox. "The impact of uninstalling the 'Trojan' would appear to be an unintended side effect. The risk to users is minimal as they would have to choose to install the bogus package and the site which was hosting it has now been taken offline. Nevertheless, iPhone users should exercise caution regarding the packages they choose to install on their phones."
This s from Yahoo!
Warning on upgrade. I just upgraded 1.1.3 and now I have only one bar of service and in most cases I get no service at all. I have two iPhones and I did not upgrade the other that is in the same exact location as the updated version and it get's full bars. In short I now have an upgraded iPhone with no service. I have been on the phone with ATT for an hour now and I am still awaiting the issue. I have not installed any third party software for the phone, the only updates I have ever made to the phone is through iTunes. I think a storm is heading towards ATT and Apple.
I second that jailbreaking your iPhone will NOT brick your phone. I've jailbroken my phone ever since 1.0 and never had a problem with it.
Then again, I'm using it the the carrier that it's supposed to be used with currently, AT&T. Like someone else mentioned above, the iPhone SDK being released sounds tempting but if they aren't allowing OTA downloads of the 3rd party apps, of we we have to pay for some of the stuff then I'd rather use the Installer.app
Richard
I just upgraded to 1.1.3 and didn't realize I could JAILBREAK it!!! F-word to that! I wish I could turn back the hands of time and jailbreak it. I don't care if it "bricks" my phone or not. I will drop another 4bills in a second if that is the case. However I don't think that it would happen. I am ready to jailbreak but now I can't or can I? what can I do now that I have installed 1.1.3??? Is anyones else out there in the same boat?
Alias
Alias I am in the same boat. Though I was on 1.1.2 the other night and could not complete the downgrade to 1.1.1 properly. I tried 3 times before completely locking my phone up. I had to eventually retore which brought it to 1.1.3 and man I wish I could jailbreak it.
Eagerly awaiting the SDK and 1.1.3 to get broken.
Its no big surprise that apple has sent the 1.1.3. monster to go and collect either your iPhone's soul or compel you to join att. Its rumored that apple has like 30 million in lost revenue due to the mass amounts of "unlocked"(not jailbroken) iPhones being used on other carriers. My thoughts are that apple has more beef with the Dev team at anysim rather than the Dev team who first created the Jailbreaking process. Even though, technically you have to jailbreak first then "unlock" using anysim. Either way I don't plan on even bringing my iPhone near iTunes 7.6 or Firmware 1.1.3 Week 31 and Jailbroken to the CORE!!!!!!
I jail broke and have a working iPhone 1.1.3 in under 20 minutes using the method posted here.
http://blog.fourfridays.com/2008/01/27/jailbreaking-iphone-113/