Displaying what you could call a change of heart, Apple has abandoned its "maybe we will, maybe we won't" attitude towards fighting iPhone software hackers. Instead, the company has adopted a hard line against them.
In a strongly-worded press announcement released Monday afternoon, Apple tells us that we can expect an update to the iPhone's firmware later this week. The company also curiously suggests that the update will render unlocked iPhones unusable:
If you're one of the intrepid few who performed a software unlock on your iPhone using anySIM (or some other means), be sure to keep your phone away from iTunes until the first test reports on the new firmware upgrade come in.
If you'd rather play it safe, check out Erica Sadun's re-locking guide at TUAW. Like the early unlocking procedures, it's rather complicated and not for the faint of heart, so we'll let you know as soon as a GUI version or some sort of easier method arises.
Monday's announcement paints a very different picture than the laisez faire attitude Apple adopted during the iPhone's "early days" when the hacks first started appearing. We then heard hints of this hard line policy at last week's press event announcing the iPhone's launch in Europe. Apple CEO Steve Jobs said it was his company's job to make sure people don't hack the iPhone.
We will of course be anxiously awaiting the release of the new firmware patch this week. We'll let you know if you'll end up with an iBrick or not after the first test reports come in.
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