The world of jailbreaking originated in the dark and dirty depths of hacking geekery and is now a term ushered by people the world over. ‘Is your iPhone jailbroken?’ and ‘how do I jailbreak my iPhone?’ are commonly asked by both the average Sunday Club footballer and the basement-dwelling World of Warcraft enthusiast alike. Really though, whether or not to jailbreak in the first place is a matter of preference. In this article, we’re going to cover the considerations that should be pondered when deciding whether or not you’re going to enter the world of jailbreaking.
Is a Jailbreak the Same As an Unlock?
The short answer is no. An unlock will free up your iPhone to enable use of all network’s SIM cards without encumbrance. A jailbreak is something quite different and it essentially means dissolving all of the barriers and limitations put in place by Apple at a software level.
Is a Jailbreak the Same As an Unlock?
The short answer is no. An unlock will free up your iPhone to enable use of all network’s SIM cards without encumbrance. A jailbreak is something quite different and it essentially means dissolving all of the barriers and limitations put in place by Apple at a software level.
What’s the Difference between a Tethered and Untethered Jailbreak?
You’ll find two different types of jailbreaks and they are tethered and untethered. Typically speaking, tethered jailbreaks are those in the early stage of development and it means that every time you restart the iPhone, you will have to reapply the jailbreak. This is clearly not an ideal scenario as, if you run out of battery for example, you’re going to need to jailbreak again. For the majority of people, it’s best to wait for the release of the tethered jailbreak for the latest iOS iteration so you can jailbreak your iPhone once and then get on with your life.
Of What Other Maintenance Factors Should I be Aware?
At the time of writing, iOS 6.1 is the latest release. The iPhone Dev Team (largely responsible for creating the jailbreaks) is still working on the untethered jailbreak for iOS 6.0. Notice that a jailbreak version is typically one step behind the software. This is important to remember as whenever the new version is released, you’ll want to avoid downloading it until such a time as the new jailbreak is released. Realistically, the incremental updates provided by Apple afford the end-user minimal new benefits. The majority of jailbreakers will do a jailbreak and then stick that version until such a time when an urgent or otherwise unmissable update is released.
Are There Risks Associated with Jail Breaking iPhones?
Jailbreaking is essentially hacking and, yes, you do so at your own risk. That said however, I myself have been jailbreaking iPhones for many years and have never once had a problem. Generally speaking, jailbreaks are very robust and, as long as you follow the guide provided by the iPhone Dev Team, statistically at least, you should be fine.
Will a Jailbreak Void My Warranty?
Technically, yes. If you take your iPhone to an Apple Store after having experienced problems with jailbreaking, they will tell you that your warranty does not cover this scenario. That said however, if you do have issues with your iPhone and you apply a system reset (achieved very simply in the ‘Settings’ menu) to the default settings then nobody will ever know that it was jailbroken in the first place.
Okay I Understand All of the Above; What Are the Benefits?
The below list of points should give you an example of the kind of awesome nerdiness which is regularly enjoyed by those with jailbroken iPhones. If you’re happy with all of the above then here is a list of example benefits that can be enjoyed.
- Full customisation of the appearance of your IOS system
- Customised layout such as fitting more app icons on the same page
- Hundreds of operating system modifications such as fast access to settings including turning on Wi-Fi, 3G and data, brightness adjustment and aeroplane mode
- Downloading emulators for classic consoles such as the Super Nintendo and Sega MegaDrive
- Access to Apple-disapproved applications such as the Wikileaks app
- The option to finally drag-and-drop files onto your iPhone from your PC
These are just a few examples of the kind of things available on a jailbroken iPhone and are representative of the world of options that will open up. It’s also worth noting that some controversy has been caused over the fact that you can download cracked applications (I.E, there is an App store but everything is free). While this is true, it’s essentially copyright theft and piracy and so we do not advocate doing so.
About the Author
Steven Page is a tech journalist and enthusiast who also works for rootgalaxys.com, a service which helps people to root Samsung phones.
