The Difference Between Jailbreaking and Unlocking
The Big Difference
Between Jailbreak and Unlock
There is a lot of misunderstanding
among newbies about jailbreaking and unlocking. One of our readers recently
asked for a clear “non geeky” definition of both method/terms.
If you previously
know the difference between jailbreaking and unlocking, this article might not
be very helpful to you but you may still be able to give us some insights or
maybe add your comments and suggestions. If you don’t know what jailbreaking or
unlocking means, then read on because you’re just about to get a crash course
on iPhone hacking…
What is
Jailbreaking?
Definition of
Jailbreaking
Jailbreaking is the
process by which an iPhone firmware is modified to allow unsigned code to be
run to gain access to files that Apple wouldn’t normally let you access.
Jailbreaking adds unofficial application installers to your iPhone such as
Cydia or Icy (I personally only use Cydia), which let you download many
3rd-party applications previously unavailable through the App Store.
Is
Jailbreaking Legal?
Yes and no. The
legality of jailbreaking is very unclear. Most iPhone owners including myself
think that since we own the iPhone, we should be able to do whatever we want
with it.
Apple’s lawyers
think differently as they consider jailbreaking to be a violation of copyright.
I had a phone conversation with Apple’s copyright attorney about a year ago and
he admitted to me that they are not capable of going after every jailbreaker
out there… To these days, I don’t think anyone has had legal issues with Apple
due to jailbreaking.
Why
Jailbreak Your iPhone?
Jailbreaking lets
you install applications that are not approved by Apple. Many of these
applications can be very helpful but they will unfortunately never make it to
the App Store due to Apple’s restrictions. There are many reasons why you would
want to jailbreak your iPhone:
install 3rd party
applications rejected by Apple for various reasons (ie. nudity)
video recording
(now available on the iPhone 3GS)
changing the look
and feel by installing custom graphics and themes
free tethering
get access to
cracked App Store apps for free (not endorsed by me, but still worth noting)
be able to unlock
your iPhone
Why Not
Jailbreak Your iPhone?
I can only think of
one reason why you wouldn’t want to jailbreak. Jailbreaking your iPhone
automatically voids the warranty. This is not really a problem as you can
always restore your iPhone in iTunes, putting it back to its factory settings.
This will make it impossible for Apple to see you jailbroke your iPhone, thus
not voiding your warranty.
In the past, some
jailbreak methods were not very stable and sometimes turned your iPhone into an
iBrick aka an expensive paper weight. Jailbreak methods are now very stable and
I have yet to hear about someone bricking his iPhone while jailbreaking. In
other words, jailbreaking is safe!
How Do
I Jailbreak My iPhone?
I wrote many
tutorials on how to jailbreak your iPhone, depending on what iPhone and what
firmware you have. Check them out, follow the instructions, and have fun. You
don’t need to have a PhD in computer science to jailbreak your iPhone. It’s
very simple and straightforward. If you can download 2 files and click “next”
when prompted, then you can jailbreak your iPhone.
What If Something Goes Wrong?
It’s very unlikely
that something will go wrong… If you have a problem, simply plug your iPhone to
your computer, launch iTunes, and click “restore”. As I mentioned above, it
will restore your iPhone to factory settings.
Why Are
You Still Reading This?
What? You’re still
aren’t sure about this whole jailbreak thing? You’re missing out big time. An
unjailbroken iPhone is a plain boring iPhone! Jailbreaking is the best thing
that has happened to my iPhone and I seriously can’t live without it.
What Is
Unlocking?
Definition of
Unlocking
Unlocking is the
removal of SIM restrictions on the modem, allowing the use of the iPhone on any
carrier. There are 2 types of iPhone unlocks:
software unlock:
the iPhone is unlocked by a software
hardware unlock:
modification have to be made to the actual hardware to unlock the phone
Software unlocks
are safer because they do not modify your device and can easily be reverted
back. Soft unlocks are mostly developed for free by the Dev Team, an
international group of iPhone hackers. Hardware unlocks are a little tricky and
usually cost money. In clear, if you want to unlock your iPhone, you can do it
for free by with a safe software unlock.
Is
Unlocking Legal?
According to
Wikipedia, “unlocking a phone without the permission or unlocking code from the
provider is usually in breach of the agreement with the provider, though most
countries do not make specific laws prohibiting the removal of SIM locks. In
the United States the DMCA formerly was claimed to criminalize unlocking.
However, an exemption that took effect 27 November 2006 specifically permits
it.”
Why
Unlock Your iPhone?
The main reason to
unlock your iPhone is if you want to use it with a different service provider
(ie T-Mobile). An unlocked iPhone also has a better resell value.
Why Not
Unlock Your iPhone?
If you’re good with
your phone carrier and will not use your iPhone internationally, there is
absolutely no reason for you to unlock your iPhone.
How Do
I Unlock My iPhone?
Before unlocking
your iPhone, you will have to jailbreak it. The unlock can either be done from
a computer, or directly from the iPhone. Check out my iPhone unlock tutorials
for step by step instructions.
What If
Something Goes Wrong?
Although unlocks
can sometimes mess up your settings a little bit, they are constantly improved
to fix errors and bugs. If something goes wrong, you can always restore your
iPhone to factory settings.
In Short…
I case you’re still
not really sure you understand the difference between jailbreaking and
unlocking, let me put it in very simple words. Jailbreaking an iPhone means
that 3rd party applications can be installed on it (ie. apps from other
developers than Apple). Unlocking an iPhone means that any SIM card can be used
on it.
If you have
questions or anything you want to say, feel free to leave a comment below or
start a new conversation in the forum.
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