what does jailbroken iphone mean?

Question

Level 1

8 points

what does jailbroken iphone mean?

i would like you to tell me what exactly does jailbroken iphone mean pls.

ive been reading threads about it and they say something like this.

1.) there iphone is working 1st before
the connect to itunes appear.
2.) when they downloaded the 2.1 software or firmware, their simcard was burned. and itunes said "no sim" and something else about the sim.
3.) they tried the simcard to other phones and it didnt work.
4.) now their iphone doesnt work.

iphone 3g, Windows XP

Posted on Nov 15, 2008 12:54 PM

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Answer 1

tokatta

Level 3

869 points

Nov 15, 2008 2:04 PM in response to phebs1212

Let's get some terminology straight:

1. Jailbreak - the phone has some code put on it (via the USB connection) that allows you to install 3rd party apps outside of the apple store. You can also SSH into the phone and have access to the entire file system. This has NOTHING to do with your SIM or carrier. Jailbreaking is against the rules, but it will NOT brick your phone if all that is done is a jailbreak.

2. Unlock - the process of freeing the phone so that it can be used on a carrier that is not the one selling the phone. In the US AT&T is the carrier and there is NO unlock. In other countries the carrier will unlock the phone for you, so you can put in other SIMs. Finally some phones are sold unlocked and can be used with any SIM (Hong Kong iPHones).

With the original iPhone there was a software unlock is available and it does this by flashing the BaseBand. This CAN brick your phone, especially if it is tried on a 3G. THere is NO software unlock for the 3G iphone.

To your issue. In the Phillipines, your phone is sold by Globe and IT IS LOCKED to the carrier. IT CAN NOT be used with another carrier. The geveysim you are using is considered a SIM UNLOCK - this is a hardware unlock and the geveysim piggybacks the 3rd party sim. THIS IS NOT LEGAL or Reliable.

Your phone is made to be used only with Globe. End of story. If you are using an AT&T phone with a SIM Unlock, then at some point it will fail and you will have nothing. You should have bought your iPhone from Globe and then it would work fine with a Globe sim. If it is an AT&T iphone then you need an AT&T SIM card to activate it after the update.

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Answer 2

phebs1212 Author

Level 1

8 points

Nov 15, 2008 1:01 PM in response to Niel

so what you mean is that an iphone normally working, when updated with firmware 2.1 will be jailbroken? whose fault is it, is it the user's fault or apple fault?

what will happen to the phone now, can it be used again, or be repaired?

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Answer 3

DaVBMan

Level 6

9,292 points

Nov 15, 2008 1:07 PM in response to phebs1212

phebs1212 wrote:
so what you mean is that an iphone normally working, when updated with firmware 2.1 will be jailbroken? whose fault is it, is it the user's fault or apple fault?

No, it takes YOU to jailbreak the phone with certain software (or you bought it jailbroken). Firmware is the OFFICIAL software that can be on it, people that use other software to hack into and slightly alter it to remove restrictions CHANGE the official software. This is something you have to do your self using software from other people or as I said, bought it that way from a non official place.

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Answer 4

phebs1212 Author

Level 1

8 points

Nov 15, 2008 1:15 PM in response to DaVBMan

but what if you have reset the all contents and settings, and when the iphone turned on, it says connect to itunes. and the iphone doesnt return to normal. you connected it to your computer and restored it through itunes, firmware 2.1 was updated, then poof.. it said no sim. when you try the sim to other phones, it doesnt work anymore. you inserted another sim, the itunes read the iphone but the sim cant be read? is it jailbroken already?

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Answer 5

DaVBMan

Level 6

9,292 points

Nov 15, 2008 1:29 PM in response to phebs1212

There isn't any easy way to tell.

For most, they may find a program called Installer on it. But not all put that one. Some jailbroke and unlocked (to allow access to another network) then they resell....those phones if you ever update will relock the phone.

The AppleStore here tells you the only places you can buy the phone...go check if the place that phone was bought is listed?

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Answer 6

DaVBMan

Level 6

9,292 points

Nov 15, 2008 1:37 PM in response to phebs1212

No I didn't say that. Have no clue what you mean by gevey SIM. All I mean is we cannot tell you if it is jailbroken or unlocked. If it wasn't bought from an official source, good chance it is jailbroken or unlocked thus nobody can help you here or at Apple.

If the SIM doesn't work, go to your carrier, ask for a new one. If you are on an official carrier, then the new SIM should get you going again.

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Answer 7

phebs1212 Author

Level 1

8 points

Nov 15, 2008 1:45 PM in response to DaVBMan

well she said that it is an at&t iphone. BUT... it is sold here in the philippines. we only have globe iphones here. so there is a geveysim included with it. that gevey sim is used with the other simcard(any network), to make that network be accepted by the iphone.

now i know that her iphone probably is jailbroke already, and then she updated it and it relocked.

to make it short. IS JAILBREAKING DONE WHEN YOU USE A SOFTWARE OR NON-SOFTWARE TO USE THE IPHONE WITH OTHER NETWORKS?

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Answer 8

phebs1212 Author

Level 1

8 points

Nov 15, 2008 2:08 PM in response to tokatta

WOW. very well explained. thanks you so much much much.
we'll try to return the iphone to our seller and hopefully, we get our money back. and we'll buy a GLOBE iPhone. to make thngs legal. thank you.

is there any instance that the iphone will be saved? it is locked already right? the itunes said that only at&t can activate the iphone. does that mean that when at&t is used to the phone, it'l work again?

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Answer 9

tokatta

Level 3

869 points

Nov 15, 2008 2:29 PM in response to phebs1212

Yes, if you put in an activated AT&T SIM that works in an iPhone, you can plug the iPhone into iTunes and activate it.

iPhones are locked to carriers, so if you update the iPhone it has to be re-activated to the carrier that supplied it - in this case it needs the AT&T Sim to activate it.

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Answer 10

icebike

Level 3

740 points

Nov 15, 2008 5:05 PM in response to tokatta

THIS IS NOT LEGAL or Reliable.

For certain values of "legal"....

In the US, unlocking a phone is a right granted to you by the DMCA, and denied to you by Apple and ATT.

We would all be better off if carrier locking were illegal.

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Answer 11

Niel

Level 10

741,719 points

Nov 15, 2008 12:57 PM in response to phebs1212

That means that the full capabilities of the device have been unlocked and the restrictions placed in the iPhone's firmware and/or OS have been removed.

(37843)

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Answer 12

Niel

Level 10

741,719 points

Nov 15, 2008 1:06 PM in response to phebs1212

A jailbroken iPhone may become unusable if an attempt is made to update it. If the person who purchased it unlocked the iPhone, it's their fault, not Apple's.

(37845)

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Answer 13

DaVBMan

Level 6

9,292 points

Nov 15, 2008 1:18 PM in response to phebs1212

Only the SIM that came with the phone will work in an iPhone.
SIM cards can go bad, if that is the case, you can get a replacement from your carrier.

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Answer 14

roaminggnome

Level 10

106,401 points

Nov 15, 2008 1:21 PM in response to phebs1212

A jailbroken iphone has been hacked by someone.

A hacked iphone will void the warranty, could brick the iphone on update, will not get support from apple or this forum.

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Answer 15

phebs1212 Author

Level 1

8 points

Nov 15, 2008 1:23 PM in response to DaVBMan

but the sim that came with the iphone is the gevey sim. it says that u have to use the geveysim together with your simcard for better signal. is that legal?

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