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Apple Cautions Against iPhone Unlocking

6:35 am on September 27, 2007 | Category: Business, Cell Phones, Mobile Devices, Telecom Services, Wireless

Apple Inc. did its best to discourage the practice of iPhone unlocking earlier this week, stating that programs available on the internet to make the iPhone work on wireless networks other than AT&T have the potential to irreparably damage the device.

Apple cautioned that these unlicensed applications “will likely result in the modified iPhone becoming permanently inoperable” when certain Apple-supplied software updates are installed on the phone.

The company’s worldwide head of product marketing, Phil Schiller, insisted that Apple is “not doing anything proactively to disable iPhones that have been hacked or unlocked,” but noted that at least two unlocking applications, iUnlock and Anysim, have been confirmed to cause serious damage.

Schiller also confirmed that any iPhone damaged by the installation of unlocking software will not be covered under warranty. In other words, users who attempt the much-hyped unlocking process are risking the $399 that they spent on the phone.

“My suspicion is this is contractual obligation,” commented Gartner analyst. “There is probably wording in their contracts (with AT&T) to the effect that they have to make best efforts to remedy software changes that unlock the phone or make it available to other networks.”

Apple has sold a total of over 1 million iPhone devices since the long-anticipated handset was launched in the U.S. on June 29. AT&T Wireless has an exclusive contract to serve American iPhone users.

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