Hackers Smack Down Latest iPhone Firmware, Unlock New Phones

For as long as there have been iPhones, there’s been the requirement to sign up for AT&T service. And as long as that requirement has been around, there have been hackers who release downloads that unlock your phones and free them to access other services.

USA Today analyzes the phenomenon, not only from the perspective of burned consumers who want options when it comes to carrier providers, but that of AT&T, which subsidizes up to $300 per phone and thus deserves some payback.

Another facet of hacking is the software doesn’t always work, and can render your phone useless. The story quotes an analyst from our owner on the risky prospect of iPhone hacking:

“Consumers are craving greater control,” says Joel Kelsey, a public policy analyst with Consumers Union. So much, he says, that “they’re willing to risk turning their $300-plus investment into a brick.”

Of course, if you’re stuck in an infamous AT&T dead zone, your iPhone may a well be a brick anyway.

Some iPhone owners crave freedom to unlock from AT&T [USA Today]
(Photo: The Ninja Monkey)

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