How very uncool. This is what happens when there is a lack of strong laws to protect consumers.

I first read about this over on Jon Lech Johansen’s blog earlier today.

I was expecting that the iPhone firmware update would simply relock unlocked iPhones so that they could only be used with AT&T. I was wrong. As you may know by now, after an unlocked iPhone has been upgraded with the 1.1.1 firmware it will refuse to activate with any SIM. The technical evidence so far indicates that this was intentional by Apple. Although the iPhone is still alive, it’s completely useless. It’s essentially a brick.

And then this afternoon I saw this piece over on the BBC:

Thousands of iPhone owners hacked their expensive gadget in order to unlock it for use with other mobile carriers and to run a host of unsupported programs.

There are also reports of the update causing issues with unaltered iPhones.

On Monday Apple issued a statement in which it said many of the unauthorised iPhone unlocking programs caused “irreparable damage” to the device’s software.

Apple, wtf? This is not acceptable behaviour from any vendor. The sad part is that this will most likely be tolerated by the consumer base. Now, if Microsoft pulled this type of thing all hell would break loose. Now, before you even think of breathing a word, no, I am most certainly not an acolyte of the Redmond Order.

There is a fix for those of you affected by the bricking (via So Sue Me)

Article Link

Tags: Bricked iPhones, Apple Disabled iPhones, Hacked iPhones Bricked, iPhone Hacks