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Who Wants to Jailbreak Their Iphone?

By Tristan Clark


Here's the word: jailbreaking an Iphone refers to hacking it, using automated software, in order to set it loose from Apple's restrictions on the device.

Because the iPhone is far from flawless as Apple created it, thousands of iPhone users have flocked to Jailbreak in search of iPhone changes and improvements. iPhone has been held back by limited customizability, text message privacy issues, and a lack of multitasking capabilities. But Jailbreak can solve all of these problems with apps and fixes available in Cydia and Installer.

Cydia and Installer are the unofficial "App Stores" of the Jailbreak world. Developers create apps and tweaks and different utilities and upload them to these package managers, which organize everything into categories. The differences between Cydia and the App Store are the lack of an app approval process, and the lack of access limits on the iPhone software - i.e. you can do things Apple did not design the iPhone software to do.

Why Jailbreak iPhone?

First, to do what we've already talked about. Remove the restrictions on your device. Have you ever wanted to install custom wallpaper on the main screen? Custom icons? 3G tethering? Use "Facetime" over 3G? The only way to do any of these things is by jailbreaking.

Another reason is to join an exclusive club. Let's be honest. Jailbreaking has a little bit of a counterculture reputation. People with jailbroken iphones like to hang out in certain places online. It's a movement. You can be a part of that.

To do an unlock on your phone. What, you thought that just because your phone was jailbroken it was also unlocked? Not quite. Jailbreaking only gives you the ability to install 3rd party apps. Once you jailbreak, you then have the option to unlock as well, which goes a step further and allows you to use your phone on any wireless carrier that you desire.

Why NOT Jailbreak iPhone?

The folks at Apple know what they are doing. They have not enabled multasking - the ability for apps to run in the background, simultaneously - most likely because it is a huge battery drain. By controlling the user experience, Apple ensures that your iPhone "just works," and you don't have to worry about managing battery life or any other technical details.

There is also the slim possibility that your phone could end up bricked. This means that it's absolutely wortheless and doesn't function at all. You can repair it by restoring it to factory defaults using iTunes, but it's a pain in the keister.

Jailbreaking could lead to an increased risk of getting viruses on your phone or otherwise having it compromised.

One final thing to note is that when you jailbreak, you void your warranty. So if anything happens to your phone, you are stuck paying out of pocket. On the whole, I heartily recommend jailbreaking. Just be aware of the drawbacks, and make an informed decision.




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