To Jailbreak or Not to Jailbreak, That Is The Question
7 min read
Your average 2010 consumer can get a cell phone and spend the first year discovering “new” built in features. But, there is a percentage of users that have wised up to the fact that we no longer carry phones in our pockets. This is the age of the truly portable computer. Yes, your iPhone, Droid and Windows Mobile devices are little computers. We are now able to stuff better technology into a 5x4x0.5 inch box than most of the 20lb desktop computers of 2002.
The term hacking is normally the wrong term when you are talking about installing an operating system (OS). However, cell phone carriers and some hardware and software manufacturers (yes Apple, I’m talking about you) would like to limit and control how you use the hardware that you have purchased. Legally they can’t, but they do their best to have you sign away your warranty and support if you use the hardware that you have purchased from them in a way that doesn’t serve that company’s financial interest.
That might be enough to get you to stop wondering about hacking. But if you have tech balls and like to do what you damn well please, read on. Most cell phone hacking these days involves installing a modified operating system that opens up features and sometimes improves on bad programing and planning from the software company that built your phone’s platform. Translation: You can get more bells and whistles out of your cell phone with a hacked version and sometimes more stability, better battery life and just a faster and better working device.
A hacked or modified OS is just what it sounds like. Some kid, or group of hackers, gets their hands on an OS and starts figuring out how to improve it for themselves and their peers. That’s you! We all benefit from the work these hackers do. The Apples, Googles, and Microsofts of the community do too, as evidenced by features that are added to official releases after these hackers have figured them out and run them for months prior. So if you do get into this, find your favorite developer and start donating to keep him improving your device.
What are you looking for, and where can you find it?
ROMs are an old term that is still used for the upgraded software that you will want on most devices. A ROM is basically your phone’s operating system, with all the software and functionality built in. Installing a ROM can be tricky business. There are plenty of guides out there, and XDA forums are one of the best resources for multiple platforms. That should be your first stop regardless what type of phone you have. There are excellent guides and write ups on how to go about acquiring and installing a ROM. iPhone users your main funnel of info is at the “iPhone Dev-Team” blog. You are looking to “jailbreak” your iPhone. This basically modifies the installed OS (IOS4) and allows for modifications and a whole new world of functionality. The term “unlocking” also gets thrown around, and usually incorrectly. That term is specific to enabling your device to go to another carrier. For example an unlocked AT&T iPhone can be used on T-Moblie.
Save $30 a month!
What you get with a modified ROM or jailbroken OS varies. But for starters, most phones these days have the ability to tether (use your phones data connection to surf the Internet on your laptop) and a paid plan that goes along with it. These average about $30 a month. With a custom ROM the ability to tether for free becomes a reality. Now this activity is strictly forbidden in your contract, but users who are doing this are not being billed, and it might not be possible or legal for the carriers to tell if you are indeed tethering. But why shouldn’t we? If you are paying for an “unlimited” data plan, why should you pay again to use your “unlimited” data in a different way?
Share your friends games and apps!
OK, I’ll admit that this one is a little less easy to argue legality. But if you can date yourselves back to the cassette and library days, who didn’t record a song from the radio, or their friends cassette deck? Who didn’t go to the library and copy the relevant Cliff’s notes pages to pass that exam? I’m not saying this is a legal activity, but I will say that once we buy it we should have the right to decide who we share it with. If the technology exists to make a copy for a friend and you’re not profiting from it then I don’t see you as a villain here. Does a shareholder lose money from loss of sales? Yes. Does it hurt the economy? Probably. But the only differences between the cassette and photocopy days and now is accessibility, relationship and impact. Our motives and desire to share are the same. I don’t really view all the file sharers as criminals. They are, by definition, but to me when grandma is doing it and doesn’t see the problem, neither should we. We shouldn’t all be labeled criminals. This is just the way things work these days, and I don’t see us as a more sinister people from engaging in file sharing. So long story short, if you have a hacked phone, it’s real easy to never pay for software ever again. But like I say, support your developers and the programmers that give you the software you like. If they can’t make a living, you might not have that app next year.
Use the peripherals that you want
If you have a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse for your home computer or XBOX, and have Bluetooth on your cell phone, then why can’t you use them together? Well, you can! Or at least on some devices. The Bluetooth technology is a varied one. In addition to drivers (the things that make the software control the hardware) there are “stacks”. A Bluetooth stack contains different functionality. It can be the control for that keyboard and mouse. The audio that streams to your headset in mono OR stereo, it can be the control to advance or pause a song, and it can enable file transfers or a number of other functions. For whatever reason (development time?) Bluetooth functionality is usually limited. Hackers help us out by getting their hands dirty and figuring out how unlock the entire Bluetooth stack. This means that you CAN use a Bluetooth mouse and keyboard on your phone once it’s hacked.
Additionally some phones now come with HDMI (video+audio) outputs to your TV. Most of these will just let you watch a video that you have on your storage device. An unlocked HDMI will allow for anything on your phone to display on the big screen. Some people have even modified the hardware (the case backing and battery) to allow for inductive charging. This allows you to just place your phone on a charging pad without plugging it in. Cool stuff.
Know what you’re doing and don’t be afraid
Warranties are always tricky. Some exclude water damage (it rains everywhere, right?), some exclude dropping the phone (everyone has done that), and most (all?) are voided by modifying your phone’s software. The good news is that if you know what you are doing, you can almost always restore your software back to a state that will keep you in warranty, no matter what you did with it up to that point. So don’t sweat that.
“Bricking” is probably the most misused fear factor word in phone hacking. The fear is, while you are installing a new ROM, there might be a problem and the phone will be unusable. This is called “bricking” your phone, as at that point your phone is as good as a paperweight, i.e. a brick. But today’s operating systems are much more difficult to brick. There is almost always a way to get you back to your default state. But I will admit, you are doing something that the manufacturer, software companies and carriers do not want you to do for financial reasons. And that is a very real motivator for them to make it difficult to hack your phone. However they aren’t out to make their customers miserable, even the hacker customers. Everyone is still paying that same hefty monthly service fee. The lesson in this section is to simply do your homework. The Internet is a huge place. Do your research before attempting what can be a slow methodical process.
The list goes on and on
I’ll end by saying it’s your device. You paid for it. It might be subsidised by a contract but you are NOT renting your phone. It’s yours after that 30 day grace period. Own it. If you want to have your camera flash act as a flashlight to find your car keys in the dark, or read a book at a lower light level, then find the hack. If you wish your phone could do something within the realm of reasonable imagination, chances are a guy or gal smarter than you has figured out how to program it and released it into the wild world of underground hacking.
by Ryan Ackerman
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