Apple customers warned not to unlock iPhones

Cupertino (CA) – Apple today released for the first time an official statement addressing iPhone unlocking software.

The company said in a press release that it has discovered that "many of the unauthorized iPhone unlocking programs available on the Internet cause irreparable damage to the iPhone’s software. In fact, the damage may be so serious that "the modified phone" could become "permanently inoperable when a future Apple-supplied iPhone software update is installed."

Several iPhone unlocking products - free and fee-based - are available on the Internet today. Our experience here, which we do not consider as representative, did not reveal an unlocking strategy that worked completely without hiccups. Our modified iPhone, after the unlocking procedure equipped with a ringtone maker and application installation interface, quit its service a few days ago.

Eventually, we were able to restore the iPhone to its original state through the iTunes restore option and pass by the AT&T activation by syncing the phone. However, anyone who is trying to unlock an iPhone is typically limited to certain versions of the iTunes firmware ; most unlocking manuals we came across also warn iPhone users that an upgrade of the iPhone software may lock the phone again and cause irreparable damage to the devices software.

In its press release today, Apple stated that iPhone software updates could render a modified phone useless. The company wrote that it "strongly discourages users from installing unauthorized unlocking programs."

While the company cannot stop iPhone owners from trying out whether they can unlock their iPhone, the company warned "users who make unauthorized modifications to the software on their iPhone" will "violate their iPhone software license agreement and void their warranty." The statement continued : "The permanent inability to use an iPhone due to installing unlocking software is not covered under the iPhone’s warranty."