Apple announced today in a press release that the act of “improving functionality” of your $600 (or $400 after price drop) device could cause your iPhone to become a really good looking paperweight, should you choose to upgrade to the next firmware version. They also officially stated – clearing up a lot of confusion but not in a way anybody wanted – that said-modifications absolutely do void your warranty.
So Apple releases this great phone, sells a million-plus of them in 74 days, and then they rest on their laurels with no further functionality, no provision for third party apps which might fill in the gap, and now they are punishing the huge modding community behind the Jesus phone that stepped up to fill the void that Apple left. Anyone here besides me think this is BS?
Mr. Lam over at Giz seems to think the upcoming iPhone firmware was finalised before this new wave of firmware hacks allowing for the unlocking of the device, and that Apple isn’t necessarily punishing the unlockers but that the whole bricking thing was just a side effect of the firmware, not an intended punishment. I will give him and Apple that, that might be the case with the unlocking, and I kind of understand that. What I don’t understand is why Apple is voiding the warranty of iPhones with other modifications build into them, modifications that don’t affect the firmware; namely third party apps that add considerable functionality to the device.
It would be one thing if people were just using the 3rd party apps to get out of paying for them, I could understand Apple’s methods. However they aren’t, they are using them to fill a hole that Apple isn’t; no one is making malicious third party apps to bring down the iPhone, they are making them to improve the device they all love. So Apple, either step up or get out of the way of those that have, that’s my opinion.
Apple Says Unlocked iPhones Will Brick After Software Update – What Does It Mean? [via gizmodo]
So, if we’ve installed Installer.app, is this our cue to restore or will this upgrade only affect those who have used hacks to switch carriers?
Don’t be silly. People who purchase automobiles, and new ones at that, and modify them violate the manufacturer’s warranty. Those who choose to purchase a product, purchase it “as is.” If it doesn’t suit them, they shouldn’t buy it.
Those who modify their phones into toasters, Margarita mixers, or adobe brickes, do so knowing full well what they are doing. Apple was extremely clear that they were not opening the phone up to developers.
It seems simple to me:
You modify your phone
1. you void your warranty
2. you should not update your phone with Apple’s newest software.
If the software you want isn’t on the phone, sell it to someone who wants it, use it as a boat anchor, but don’t make the manufacturer the enemy when its your own expectations that are at fault.
– Mikie
Like Mikie said, this is not unexpected or outlandish. If you mod your XBOX, Wii or PS3, you expect the same response just like when you Mod your car. I can mod a new ford truck to run on french fries, but I’m not dumb enough to think Ford will still warranty repair it. Almost every consumer electronic on the market today has a sticker that says if you even open the case, the warranty is void.
Anyone with a clear concept of right and wrong doesn’t have to struggle so hard with this issue.
well, you can actually perform some modifications to your car and keep it under warranty. most of them are appearance modifications, but you can still modify it. you can even modify some consumer electronics. lets think of this as a computer, because, well, it is. so you go buy a new HP PC, these days it comes with Vista pre-installed, if you installed XP and wiped the Vista installation, you’d be pretty pissed if they told you it was no longer covered by the warranty. thats an entire OS change though, lets compare apples to apples, if you went and bought a MacBook and installed an application on it that wasn’t from Apple, and they voided your warranty, blacklisted your MacBook, and told you the next software upgrade was likely to turn your device into a giant brick, you’d be REALLY pissed
What’s BS is people thinking it is their right to change the operation of the phone at their will in ways unintended by the manufacturer without it affecting the warranty.
You (along with every single one of us) knew what we were buying WHEN WE BOUGHT IT. You don’t like AT&T? Don’t buy an iPhone. Period.
@Allan Brady:
This is not like installing non-Apple progams on your Macbook in that the Macbook is designed for end users to install third party apps. The iPhone is not (at least not yet).
I would love to be able to install third party apps natively, but it’s not officially sanctioned-yet. If it were a deal-breaker I would have stuck with my Blackjack or other WinMo phone. It’s not, so I accept the device I purchased.
I disagree with James’s MacBook example. The MacBook allows and supports legitimate software to be installed on it, thus doing so won’t void your warranty. However, in the iPhone case, Apple intentionally NEVER really allow any App to be installed, except for web app. iBrickr, Installer.app, etc are all hack apps(though they are great apps!) that Apple never said the iPhone will support, so I don’t think it is that difficult to understand why Apple is making these claims today.
Just restore your phone before you take it to repair.
Guys. Don’t be stupid. Gizmodo can be as yellow-journalism ridden as they like to get dugg, but even they aren’t misguiding people. Apple hasn’t said ANYTHING about modders/3rd party apps. Engadget even says that statements are “just short of” [referring to 35d party apps]. Most of the commenters got DUPED by your poorly researched article unfortunately. Saying that the changed UNLOCKING make to your iPhone, may cause it to become inoperable, is VERY DIFFERENT than saying simply having Installer.app and custom software on your phone will do the same. VERY DIFFERENT. For one, unlocks survive restore. Kind of suspicious, no? Moreover, if you read over at TUAW how to “re-lock” phones, people are finding a number of problems with the process that prevent them from doing so. –Even the iPhone Dev team can’t seem to release anything quickly that restores the phone to original condition… so why should Apple support such changes?
Paranoia. Not for everyone.
It appears to me that the point is being thoroughly missed. Apple does have the right to stop supporting those who have “illegally” modified their iphone ( all right and wrong arguments aside), it does not however have the right to maliciously harm their customers. They could for instance deny an upgrade if evidence is found that there has been tampering and future features can be provided only to those who stood by the letter of their contract. Similarly they do have the right not to repair any damage that has been inflicted by a non approved application. They most certainly DO NOT have the right to deliberately cause damage to a product owned by a third party.
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