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Do iPhone customers still have an incentive to jailbreak?
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PC World is bringing up an interesting question when it comes to the iPhone. Does jailbreaking the device matter anymore?
Two years ago when Apple and AT&T first introduced the device, a bevy of iPhone hackers came out of the woodwork. They found ways to bypass software locks and upload unapproved applications onto the device.
Today, the iPhone 3GS also is vulnerable to hacking, according to the hack gurus at iPhone Dev Team, but the motivation to do so may be significantly less. PC World's David Murphy points out that the device's expanded feature set--such as video capture, cut, copy and paste and eventually tethering (if AT&T ever announces that official tethering app)--reduces many reasons to jailbreak the device.
But consumers are becoming keenly aware of the applications they can and cannot have, thanks in part to organizations like Free Press. For instance, the group made a stink earlier this month because AT&T is allowing Major League Baseball fans to stream live games onto their iPhones via 3G while restricting other video streaming services such as SlingMedia, which is only enabled via a WiFi connection.
And it seems like every day we are hearing about another application Apple has rejected. The most recent was its removal of the Hottest Girls app just hours after it appeared in the App Store. Apple claims the app's topless images were added after Apple accepted it.
The main complaint among app developers has been that Apple's App Store approval policy is a mystery. It seems to accept one application yet reject others that do the same thing. Last week, Apple rejected an application from Manomio that emulates classic video games available via the Commodore 64 home computer system, complete with a virtual joystick and keyboard, portrait and landscape gaming along with a fully-licensed C64 emulator code. Apple rejected the submission, citing an SDK clause prohibiting interpreted or executable code. But the company pointed out that the App Store includes a number of applications that essentially use those same types of codes.
With the iPhone high on the agenda of groups like Free Press and application developers making a stink about their rejected apps, consumers are continually reminded that they can't access everything they want on their iPhones. Who wants to be told no? --Lynnette
Comments
Posted by jebus | June 29, 2009 - 11:57am
Apple needs the jailbreak community to exist because it fosters innovation on the platform. It's like having an R&D group for free. In the jailbreak world, developers can push the iPhone to its limits and implement creative ideas. If people like it, Apple steals it. No harm, no foul.
Posted by Stefan | June 29, 2009 - 2:25pm
You do not need an app to tether, Tethering has native support in OS 3.0. You just need to enable it and in an iphone you do this with a custom carrier configuration file. You apply it via browsing from the phone or via Itunes.
I guess you still need to jailbreak to use Skype over 3G and to get a decent media player that plays the content out there and not just proprietary Apple formats. However Skype is not very useful on the Iphone as the Iphone still does not multitask, if you leave the Skype screen it closes which is not ideal for a phone and presence app to say the least.
Why is it that the US carriers block so much of the good stuff in terminals from any vendor under any OS and you have to spend hours to restore basic features in Iphone and Windows mobile? What are they afraid of? Lynette, that would be a very interesting article in my mind
Stefan
Posted by Anonymous | June 30, 2009 - 5:40am
Emm ... Nice points about app approval, etc., but I thought jailbreaking was mainly about wanting to use your iPhone on another GSM/W-CDMA network than the monopoly holder.
Posted by Gerard | June 30, 2009 - 7:18am
What about a Adobe Flash player for iPhone.
When will Apple allow such an application?
Kindly,
Gerardo
Posted by Anonymous | June 30, 2009 - 10:36am
Flash is said to be coming to the IPhone in October.
Posted by Jon | June 30, 2009 - 6:43pm
Anon: Jailbreaking isn't about flashing the phone to another carrier (i.e. T-Mob), that would be unlocking. The purpose of jailbreaking is to allow installation and customization beyond what AT&T and Apple have decided to offer and to install apps that Apple has declined access to via the App Store.
Stefan: Jailbreaking also allows you to install Backgrounder so you could run Skype in the background... ;)
Anon: Source on Flash coming in October? It's all been rumors so far AFAIK. If Apple were going to allow Flash I doubt they would have bothered getting Google (YouTube) to start streaming in h.264.
Posted by guestِِ | July 2, 2009 - 12:38am
i think that people want to jailbreak because Apple gives them limited choices..
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