Aral Balkan

Engadget is reporting that the iPhone and iPod touch v1.1.1 (the latest firmware update that bricked certain customer's phones) has been jailbroken and that homebrew apps have been ported and confirmed to run on it.

This is a wonderful development for any iPhone owner who wants to run homebrew apps on their device. (Apple, on the other hand, don't want you to run any software that's not made by them on their your iPhone.)

I completely understand that Apple have to protect their exclusive deal with AT&T and disable _unlocking_ exploits (and that's fair enough, although their decision to go with a single carrier in the first place is anything but commendable) but their stance towards 3rd party applications, nearly all of which are free or open source efforts of the development community, is baffling to me. Think different, indeed! Not even Microsoft would pull such a stunt (you can install whatever applications you want to on your Windows Mobile phones and the same goes for other phones like the ones that run Nokia's Symbian operating system). It is probably fair to say that Apple has created the most closed mobile phone in recent history with the iPhone and is making a colossal mistake by battling its own development community.

All this also brings up the debate over ownership. When you buy something, do you actually own it? If you own it, then shouldn't you be able to do anything you want with it? Although the answer appears to be commonsensical (of course you should), it's not always so.

The music and film industries, for example, have long settled that question by _licensing_ instead of selling you their products. When you buy a CD, music track or DVD, you do _not_ own it. You've merely licensed it for a very limited set of uses. When people talk about "my music", they couldn't be further from the mark. It's not your music, you're just renting it for very specific uses. Based on their current stance, and without wanting to give them any ideas, it sounds like Apple would ideally love to _license_ you the iPhone instead of selling it to you if they could.

All this to say, more power to the hackers! I wouldn't even have an iPhone right now in the UK if I hadn't been able to hack and unlock it to run on T-Mobile UK (which it does beautifully). With this latest hack, I'll be able to update to the latest firmware so that I can, among other things, give Apple more money by purchasing tracks from iTunes directly on my phone. Of course, I do have to spend time battling Apple's latest firmware (and possibly risk bricking my phone) in order to gain the right to give them more money in this manner.

Apple, I understand you're contractually obligated to AT&T to fix unlocking exploits but you should really stop battling your own development community and allow 3rd party applications on the iPhone.

Update: Just read an interesting interview with Apple's Greg Joswiak on Gearlog (emphasis mine):

I asked him about independent, native software development for the iPhone. He said Apple doesn't oppose native application development, which was new to me. Rather, Apple takes a neutral stance - they're not going to stop anyone from writing apps, and they're not going to maliciously design software updates to break the native apps, but they're not going to care if their software updates accidentally break the native apps either. He very carefully left the door open to a further change in this policy, too, saying that Apple is always re-examining its perspective on these sorts of things.

I pointed out that Apple delivers regular software updates to Macs, and that they don't break third-party software. He responded that Apple has a lot more experience with the Mac platform than they do with the iPhone platform. Also, the Mac platform being a PC, he said that consumer expectations absolutely demand third party software be available - though he looked a little wistful at that moment, as if wondering how peaceful the world would be if Apple actually controlled all the software on the Mac platform. Then he came back to reality.

Comments

• "Not even Microsoft would pull such a stunt"... seriously Apple are taking the piss. I hope those Mac evangelists out there aren't blind to these lame stunts.

  by Philip Bulley on 2007-10-09 07:37:45

• Actually Apple is readying for the deep dive. They have been doing numerous mistakes these last months, that one being an amazing entry protection. As with the iTunes Music Store, they achieved to protect the entry during the first months of product launch (iPod too). So Apple is no more the trend setter ;) nor their products. Not to spit on the iPhone, but I need something functionnal, friendly, and open. Being closed is something I swore to myself not to play with again. Regarding ownership, and the price paid for it, I find this totally Americanish to lock things down to entertainement, and phone calls ringing :P Let's take over the iPhone, make it dirty, and wild

  by Cedric on 2007-10-09 08:06:09

• Check out the Nokia N800, it smokes the panties off the iPhone when it comes to mobile devices. Flash 9 player too.

  by Clark Slater on 2007-10-09 08:20:53

• >It is probably fair to say that Apple has created the most closed mobile phone in recent history with the iPhone and is making a colossal mistake by battling its own development community. I really love that line, because it says it all. The iPhone is a great product, and I know a great number of people who really want one. Everybody is so enthusiastic about this phone, and then Apple pulls a stupid trick on us. Apple is growing fast these days. I don't think they gained so many customers in so little time, as they do now. They really should avoid bad reputation at this moment, to stay this popular. They are making great stuff, but as is now, the community is really left out in the dark, and it seems like Apple is just focusing on money. I can't even buy an iPhone since in Belgium it's not yet to be released(at all). Hope to see some changes in the near future.

  by Ronny on 2007-10-09 11:06:12

• Don't forget: this hack uses a security issue in the Safari browser. Probably Apple will release a software update to solve the problem, and then... Can we start all over again.

  by Ruben Cronie on 2007-10-09 11:29:21

• I'm excited to hear that the iPhone was finally hacked. I had to deal with a seemingly useless phone for a very long time >_

  by Baby Milo on 2007-10-09 16:40:23

• I'll admit I'm an Apple fan, but even I have to say their latest actions have me stumped: What the @%^&, Apple? Artificially crippling something rather than letting it thrive out in the wild? How did THAT sound like a good plan? Their excuse with the iPhone was their exclusive contract with AT&T (which frankly, I never heard AT&T whining about), but now they're doing the same thing with the iPod Touch -- a device with no corporate strings attached! It's basically a handheld computer, but we're not allowed to use it as such. I think they've been taking customer-service lessons from the RIAA lately, and now that they've tread beyond their cultish core following, I'm afraid they may have lost their way. It would be a shame, too, because frankly, OS X is the best thing to ever happen to me. I'd hate to see it become the next NextStep.

  by VeryVito on 2007-10-09 17:15:06

• I think I read somewhere that Apple get 40% of everything O2 (in the UK) makes off of user's phone bills... Which is very good intensive for them to stop the iPhone becoming the world's best Skype handset! I'd pay another £150 for an 'open' iPhone - and might not be alone!

  by Tom on 2007-10-09 18:31:48

• I think it would help if you got your facts straight. If you looked at what was said by the hackers, the majority of programs do NOT work anymore because of changes to the underlying frameworks. Apple created a 1.0 product, and wanted/needs the flexibility to change the underpinnings drastically between software revisions. They did not do anything to spite you or anyone else, they did what they did to make the best and most reliable phone THAT THEY PROMISED... You all need to calm down and come off your high horse about Apple sticking it to its customers. If at some point Apple stabilizes the OS, then they may release an SDK. In the meantime they gave developers a way to write applications that would not be impacted by changes in the underlying frameworks - AJAX. It would be nice if you and your readers got this straight.... And for the record, I have an iPhone and I did install 3rd party software on it and I am looking forward to all the new software being revised to work with the latest frameworks and I expect to go through this again numerous times. However, I am in no way blindly blaming Apple for being "out to get us" - Apple is simply making the best phone they can given the limitations they specified and therefore the ecosystem they are expecting - one of unmodified iPhones running their software...

  by Annoyed on 2007-10-09 19:04:57

• Its about money, it always was. Here in the states they clear $200 off every 2 year AT&T contract. Thats just pure profit, they don't have to manage that or provide support for it or anything. It doesn't matter if they sold three times the iPhones if they were more open, it still wouldn't hold a candle to the profit they are making from AT&T and especially the carriers in Europe now. They really bent O2 over a barrell with 40% of every contract. Here is what really sucks about the whole deal though: other phone makers were watching this release. You can bet they've been taking notes too. So the unfortunate conclusion they will reach after seeing Apple's success is that limiting consumer choice (in terms of networks) is FAR more profitable than not doing so.

  by Chris on 2007-10-09 19:10:59

• This is just like the PSP scene.

  by smalamas on 2007-10-09 20:33:21

• You wrote: "[Apple's] stance towards 3rd party applications, nearly all of which are free or open source efforts of the development community, is baffling to me." Really? Baffling? Not much imagination. There are probably many sensible reasons why. Here are four: Apple, in a rush to get the iPhone out on time, does not have as secure an OS as they want. For example, all apps run as root. And another: Apple has always intended to create a Framework but they haven't had time with iPhone/Leopard deadline constraints. Or, perhaps, they have a Framework that works with Leopard, hence unusable now, and they are waiting for a big moment (like Leopard's release) to announce it, to get a big bang and a stock increase. Or applications were collateral damage in the desire to close all avenues to unlocking the iPhone, something they are probably contracted (with AT&T) to do. This is fun. Can you think of more rational explanations beyond the typical "Apple sux"?

  by Bob Collins on 2007-10-09 20:50:21

• I echo Bob Collins' sentiments in his comment above, I think Apple may have rushed this out the door quickly and in due course they will release an official API / SDK for native apps. Although the openness of being able to install applications is a great thing it does also bring the risk of apps that are unstable. I'm a long time Symbian OS fan (primarily on Nokia devices) but you do encounter varying levels of quality in the apps that you get for it, and I have experienced some that crash your phone. If Apple has a goal to make sure that applications are of good quality then that's a good thing in my opinion. It would be nice however if Apple gave some kind of official indication regarding an SDK for native apps rather than leaving it all to conjecture.

  by Rick Curran on 2007-10-10 08:41:41

• Though I don't own an Iphone and I'm not an Apple user in any way I agree with all what you say Aral! Meanwhile, whoa, whats that Nokia N800? Looks slick! Flash 9 WOOT!

  by sascha/hdrs on 2007-10-11 06:00:33

• Btw why should I as a user care about Apple's problems with balancing money/development schedules etc? All I'm interested in is the product that I want to use and how user friendly it is and Aral is right there. Apple's development/release schedules are not my problem but a closed down cellphone certainly is!

  by sascha/hdrs on 2007-10-11 06:17:22

• HACK THE PLANET! Sorry, that's a little juvenile, but true ;-) So, how are you getting on with the phone, Aral? Wasn't it a bit of a risk buying such an expensive phone that might have ended up as a doorstop?

  by Lee McColl Sylvester on 2007-10-11 07:11:27

• @Bob: If you read through my post, I think you'll be hard-pressed to find any section in which I state "Apple sux!" In fact, my main point is that they have a wonderful product with the iPhone but are making a mistake by keeping it closed to third-party developers. Developing applications for the iPhone via AJAX is, quite frankly, a joke of a solution. It's the modern version of The Emperor New Clothes. If it is a viable solution, why aren't we seeing Apple eat its own dog food and release its own applications written in HTML and JavaScript? It's wonderful to see a vibrant open source development community create such amazing applications for the iPhone. The Installer.app is simply great -- it should have shipped with the iPhone. As a user, I don't care about the intricacies of Apple's profit motive but I do care quite a bit about being able to run any software I like on hardware that I've purchased. I'd hate to live in a world where we licensed our phones and computers like we license music today and have corporations like Apple and Microsoft dictate what we can and what we can't run on them. @Lee: There's always a risk when you hack something that you'll brick it :) In this case, though, my iPhone is running happily on T-Mobile UK with lots of yummy homebrew applications. I actually don't feel the need to upgrade to the latest firmware (even though its been hacked) as I don't really use it as an iPod and the iTunes music store app doesn't hold much interest for me. I might even wait this one upgrade out as the phone's working well for me as-is.

  by Aral on 2007-10-11 08:55:29

• @Bob: you should go to a brain doctor because you have got damage hehe :)

  by micheal on 2007-10-11 09:28:10

• The bottom line here is that we all know what this phone can and can't right now. If you want a phone that easily runs custom apps then don't buy the iPhone. Simple. Itead buy a phone that has the features you want. Everyone knows what they were getting into with this device and if you don't like Apple's stance (which I agree sucks and is partly to blame on AT&T) then the best thing to do is to not give them your money. And you are right, MS would never get away with something like this and I fail to understand why we allow Apple to do it. Stop buying iPhones and things will quickly change.

  by Stefan on 2007-10-11 10:20:14

• Third Party Applications on the iPhone Let me just say it: We want native third party applications on the iPhone, and we plan to have an SDK in developers' hands in February. We are excited about creating a vibrant third party developer community around the iPhone and enabling hundreds of new applications for our users. With our revolutionary multi-touch interface, powerful hardware and advanced software architecture, we believe we have created the best mobile platform ever for developers. It will take until February to release an SDK because we're trying to do two diametrically opposed things at once — provide an advanced and open platform to developers while at the same time protect iPhone users from viruses, malware, privacy attacks, etc. This is no easy task. Some claim that viruses and malware are not a problem on mobile phones — this is simply not true. There have been serious viruses on other mobile phones already, including some that silently spread from phone to phone over the cell network. As our phones become more powerful, these malicious programs will become more dangerous. And since the iPhone is the most advanced phone ever, it will be a highly visible target. Some companies are already taking action. Nokia, for example, is not allowing any applications to be loaded onto some of their newest phones unless they have a digital signature that can be traced back to a known developer. While this makes such a phone less than "totally open," we believe it is a step in the right direction. We are working on an advanced system which will offer developers broad access to natively program the iPhone's amazing software platform while at the same time protecting users from malicious programs. We think a few months of patience now will be rewarded by many years of great third party applications running on safe and reliable iPhones. Steve P.S.: The SDK will also allow developers to create applications for iPod touch.

  by Apple on 2007-12-15 21:25:23

• Every time i come here I am not dissapointed, nice post

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