MX iTunes, App Store, iBookstore, and Mac App Store

Should you Jailbreak Your iPhone? The Process, The Risks, and The Benefits

By Vladimir Serrels


As of a 2010 ruling in the United States, owners of the iPhone (made by Apple) possess complete rights to use jailbreak software on their phones and, thus, unlock them to use them on 3rd party carriers other than the default, ATT. When you use this type of software to hack your phone, you are removing restrictions that Apple has put on the device, and are also able to use it with third party apps.

Although this offers enhanced features, it also involves some risks.

Some of the really cool things that you can do with a jailbroken phone include connecting to a PC over Wi-Fi, customizing the OS with "skins", and altering the default homescreen apps. Additionally, you can also use it as a free Wi-Fi hotspot.

Other Benefits of Jailbreaking:

Unlocking your phone with unlock software is simple and automated. One of the biggest benefits, as stated before, is that you can utilize other mobile networks. Apple tries to lock you into ATT, however, many users are jailbreaking their phones for the sole purpose of going to T-Mobile. Also, some people have been jailbreaking their older iPhones before they buy new ones, and then getting a better price on eBay because of their being jailbroken.

In addition the iPhone screen can be easily customized with new themes, display settings, logos or colors to give it a new and impressive look. Another benefit of this software is that any application or games can be run for free thus avoiding high costs involved in purchasing them from any Apple store.

Possible Reasons Not to Jailbreak:

The Apple company takes the stance that jailbreaking is illegal, despite any legal decree to the contrary from the US government. As we speak, they are developing software patches that will make jailbreaking more difficult on future IOS releases. The company specifically states that if you jailbreak your phone, you will lose your warranty. They can do this, since when you purchase a phone, you are entering into a binding agreement not to hack or alter the device. So my recommendation is to not let them find out!

Finally, the Apple company has said that they reserve the right to sue anyone who jailbreaks phones for profit. This has never happened to date, but it's something to keep in mind. In conclusion - I highly recommend jailbreaking. Just do it with care, use your head, and you'll be fine.




About the Author:



0 comments: