Get to Know Your iPhone Hacking Terms

If you have kept up with the iPhone industry at all during the last few months, then you have heard all about iPhone hacking and iPhone bricking. As such, you have probably seen a lot of different terms thrown around. The lay person probably looks at this iPhone language and thinks it looks like Chinese. I’ll do my best to explain some of the more common terms in this blog.

Firmware – This is the term that is given to describe the inner programming of the iPhone. If you have ever heard about “iPhone updates”, then you should know that this is the part of the iPhone that is updated. Recent updated releases to this programming code helped cause the current uprising about bricking iPhones. Illegal modification of this aspect of the iPhone is dicey, especially given the conditions applied to customers today.

Hack – There are a number of iPhone modifications that fall under this name. They can be text commands or even more advanced forms of hacking, but the general premise remains the same. The most common kinds of hacks are ones that allow users to change the mobile network settings. Because the iPhone is restricted solely to the AT&T network, hacks (such as iPhoneSimFree or AnySIM) are required in order to unlock the phone and use it on another network.

Jailbreak – This is the worst type of hack in the eyes of Apple and their cohorts. When users get their hands on a jailbreak hack, they can gain access into portions of the iPhone that would normally be off limits. Most commonly, a jailbreak is used in order to install cool, unauthorized programs, or it is used to unlock the phone for use on another mobile network.

Activation – Activation is what gives the iPhone its legs. If you just had the phone without activation, you would only be able to do very limited things like make an emergency call. With activation, the phone works like an iPhone is supposed to work. The most common way to activate the phone is through signing up with the partner carrier of AT&T. Users have found other ways to get around this, though, opening up the reality of people breaking the much needed iPhone rules.

Unlocking – In order to understanding unlocking, you have to first understand locking. Most phones come with the ability to operate on any mobile carrier. The iPhone, however, is equipped with fancy, expensive lock systems that prevent users from doing this. For a while, there were a number of different rogue unlocking programs that helped people get away from AT&T. When Apple released its 1.1.1. firmware update, all of this stopped, though. The iPhones that had been unlocked were suddenly rendered useless, making many people angry.

Brick – This is one of the most popular terms that seems to have been in vogue during the last couple of months. By definition, “bricked” hardware is inoperable. In the case of the iPhone, it deals with phones that have been modified without authorization. An iBrick isn’t the typical bricked piece of hardware, though. In many cases, bricked phones will turn on and act like fully useable phones. Though you can get the phone to turn on, you will probably have a great deal of difficulty trying to figure out how to make an important phone call.

If you happen to follow the ever changing iPhone world on a regular basis, then you will run across these terms. They all have significant meaning to those people who run into software troubles with Apple and AT&T in recent months.