The iPhone dev team recently posted an update on their blog.
They’ve gotten a hold of a beta of the upcoming 2.2 firmware and the good news is that it is still vulnerable to jailbreaking on current iPhone hardware, so we can count on being able to install unoffical 3rd party apps once the new version is out.
On the subject of unlocking the iPhone 3G, they council patience, pointing out that it took a while to unlock the original iPhone.
Finally, they are trying a new tack on jailbreaking the second generation iPod Touch. I think its interesting that the Touch has prooven a tougher nut to crack. I hope they don’t use similar techniques for the next generation iPhone.
A recent update from the iPhone dev team on their blog details important progress towards a soft unlocking of the iPhone 3G. They have a modified version of the baseband firmware running successfully. The baseband firmware is the software that controls the core phone functions of the phone, so this is an important step, if only because it provides them with more opportunites to explore for weaknesses.
Let’s all wish them luck!
I’m a “little” behind on this news, but the iPhone dev team crew released updates to PwnageTool and QuickPwn for the 2.1 Firmware firmware. Both tools help you Jailbreak your iPhone to allow installation of 3rd party apps. They also jailbreak the first generation iPod touch.
While they can jailbreak both the original iPhone and the iPhone 3G, they can, at this point, only unlock the original iPhone for use with unofficial carriers.
QuickPwn is the easy to use version. PwnageTool is more powerful.
The news just broke, the UK iPhone franchise has gone to 02, which is owned by Telefonica of Spain. Sales will begin “shortly.” This strongly suggests a 3G iPhone will ship somewhere before the end of the year.
iPhone in UK goes to Telefonica’s 02 at European iPhone News
I’ve written a story for iPhone Unlocked about what Apple’s choice of European carrier will mean for iPhone users in the US. The bottom line:
- European iPhones are due within 6 months
- European iPhone will almost certainly be 3G
- European iPhone will not be tied to carriers due to laws about offering unlocking for a reasonable fee
Read the full article for more analysis.
On a related note, Crave UK considers which UK carrier has the best shot at the iPhone.
