Ohohoy!

Scofield wallpaper? The iPhone has never been gayer.

Yes, you may now call me Scofield.  I bit the bullet, I scratched the itch, I went over to the dark side.  And I’ve never been happier.  Or felt geekier for that matter.

Jailbreaking an iPhone, I realized, is a matter of knowing how to use mighty Google and having a 7 year old’s comprehension level.  It’s friggin’ easy man!  So easy I jailbroke 3 iPhones in one week alone.  But there’s no rest for the wicked: I was recently tasked by Mr. A — yep, the iPhone basher himself — to tinker with his wife’s freshly acquired iPhone 3G so he didn’t have to.  Such a sweet hubby, this Mr. A.

(Just an aside before we go into the wonderful world of jailbroken iPhones: Mr. A doesn’t know it but it’s just a matter of time before he finally shifts allegiance to satanic Steve Jobs. Apple products are so diabolical they only need to be tried by one family member and the rest will hypnotically follow suit.  Having THAT one family member as his wife practically seals Mr. A’s impending doo…I mean, switch to the fruit logo.)

In the iPhone context, “jailbreaking” means opening up the phone for installation of third-party applications not sanctioned by Apple.  It is often, but should not be, confused with “unlocking,” which is the process of opening up the phone for use with SIM cards not officially approved by Apple.  In the Philippines, for instance, the iPhone 3G - assuming it is sourced through official channels - is locked to Globe Telecom, leaving local competitors Smart Communications and Sun Cellular at the mercy of “us bad guys” to give their subscribers a taste of mobile heaven.  Unlocking charges range from Php10,000.00 (for the most gullible customer) to free (for my luckiest friends), but I digress.

A jailbroken iPhone, simply put, has access to these third-party apps that happen to resolve the issues I raised in my previous article, and much more.  My MMS issue, for starters, has been resolved by SwirlyMMS. Then there’s biteSMS that enables text and contacts forwarding from an iPhone.  Lesser-known CopierciN now makes it a possibility to copy and paste text between messages, emails, notes, contacts and files. Snapture has empowered the iPhone camera with more advanced features like digital zoom, greyscale and auto-rotation, while Cycorder has given it the capability to record videos.  Lastly, with proper guidance and just the right amount of testicular fortitude, you can tether a jailbroken iPhone to a laptop for more convenient surfing using your iPhone’s internet connection.

Okay, a jailbroken iPhone’s Bluetooth connectivity is still practically useless, and it would take another definition of “jailbreaking” to make the iPhone’s battery removable (and good luck to the brave soul who would attempt it).  But these current limitations are somehow compensated for by the high degree of flexibility the iPhone acquires once unleashed. You want a complete makeover, with customized icons, bigger keyboard, cool slider and the like?  Done.  A SpringBoard theme based on “Dexter” will make your day?  Check.  And it’s not all aesthetics, mind you.  There are apps to help you perform tasks more rapidly, apps to clean up your SpringBoard clutter, and apps to open your phone up for further customization. The possibilities are…well, you know the cliché.

So there you have it, folks: the one thing you need to do to unleash the power of your iPhone. A warning is appropriate though: jailbreaking will void your iPhone’s warranty! If you get caught, that is. And by caught, I mean being dim enough to bring a jailbroken iPhone to an Apple Store for repair. For sure those Mac Geniuses will not entertain you under such condition, so you need to restore your iPhone to its original settings (a.k.a. “unjailbreaking”) before you avail of your phone’s warranty.

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