Recent events in America have changed the way people can use their smartphones. An exemption submitted to the DMCA requested that jailbreaking and unlocking be classed as legal on all smartphones, not just the iPhone. The move was partly successful because jailbreaking was declared as a legal process but only on iPhones, not on iPads.
As for unlocking, that has been ruled as illegal on any iPhone, smartphone, or other device unless you can satisfy a number of conditions:
• You must have bought your iPhone 5 before 26th January 2013
• Your contract must be finished or you have carrier permission
If you paid full price for your iPhone 5 then you may unlock it whenever you want.
Jailbreaking and unlocking are 2 different processes. If you are unsure of the difference, read on:
Jailbreaking the iPhone 5
IPhone 5 owners find jailbreaking more useful than unlocking. An iPhone 5 that has not been jailbroken is restricted by Apple’s limitations. You can only do what Apple lets you do. You must work with the interface Apple provides and get your apps from the official Apple app store.
Jailbreaking removes those restrictions and lets you change the way your iOS device looks, the way it works. You can add extra functionality to existing iOS apps, download video game emulators.. You can remove 3G limits, download limits, and find new ways of transferring and sharing files. And you can download from a number of themes and apps to change the way your iPhone 5 looks, including changing your icons and logos.
One other difference between official app store apps and those on Cydia is that Apple is restrictive in what it allows; Cydia isn’t. If Apple refuses it, the chances are it will end up in Cydia as a jailbreak app.
Jailbreaking is a fairly easy process to carry out, provided you follow the instructions. There are 2 types of jailbreak – tethered and untethered. You should make sure you know which software is suitable for your iPhone 5 before you jailbreak it and use a professional service – they are not expensive and offer full value for money.
Right now, unlocking an iPhone 5 is causing more controversy than the act of jailbreaking it. If you buy your iPhone 5 at a subsidized price it is locked to a specific carrier until it is unlocked.
Some carriers will unlock an iPhone 5 as soon as a contract is ended but more and more are refusing to do so. And, they don’t have to either. The law states that unlocking is illegal in the USA, although the carrier can give permission if they want to.
The act of unlocking simply lifts the restrictions that a specific carrier has placed on the iPhone 5. If you decide you want to unlock your iPhone 5, find a reputable and trusted vendor who will provide a professional unlock service at a competitive price. Do not attempt to unlock your iPhone 5 yourself.
Hopefully now you understand the difference between jailbreaking and unlocking. To clarify:
• Unlocking removes the restrictions a carrier places on your iPhone 5 so you can use it on any network.
• Jailbreaking opens up the iOS firmware and allows you to install other software, using Cydia, a third party app store. Cydia contains thousands of modification and theme apps for your jailbroken iOS device.
Contrary to popular belief, you no longer need to jailbreak your iPhone to unlock it. In fact, don’t jailbreak before you unlock – it will be a waste of time. Do it afterwards instead.
Unlocking will result in the iPhone 5 being reset so that it no longer registers the restrictions. This will wipe out your jailbreak and you will have to start over.
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