Apple to disable hacked iPhones?

If you follow the iPhone hacking community at all, you'll know that ever since the device's release, hackers have used the iPhone's hardware capabilities to create a number of innovative applications. Thanks to the hackers, you can easily unlock your iPhone for use on other carriers, run third party applications natively, install a custom dock for the management of your new apps and customize your phone's appearance. Heck, you can even play Nintendo on your iPhone. So, it should come as no surprise that more than a few folks have chosen to "jailbreak" their iPhones for the sake of additional functionality--especially since Apple publicly announced that it would take a "neutral" stance on the issue of iPhone hacking.

Unfortunately for iPhone enthusiasts, it looks like Apple has had a change of heart. In a press release, the company announced that it "strongly discourages users from installing unauthorized unlocking programs," as the "permanent inability to use an iPhone due to installing unlocking software is not covered under the iPhone's warranty." What exactly does that mean? Well, first off, it means that installing unauthorized software on your Phone voids the warranty--which in turn means that if you take your iPhone into an Apple Store with a problem, they won't help you. More importantly, however, it means that the version 1.1 firmware update--due later this week--"will likely result in the modified iPhone becoming permanently inoperable."

While it remains to be seen whether the new firmware update will disable all modified iPhones, just SIM unlocked iPhones or no iPhones at all, it's clear that Apple is looking to take an active stance against hacking enthusiasts. If you've modified your iPhone, you'll probably want to hold off on updating your firmware to the latest version this week--at least until the dust settles and it becomes clear exactly what's going on here.

For more on the announcement:
- see this press release