Dear 1.1.1 Early Adopters: We Feel For You

Dear iPhone 1.1.1 Updaters,

We know the feeling – we want the latest software too.  Apple says, “update your iPhone, trust us, it is better for you, we’ve given you a new way to buy DRM’ed music from us, louder speakerphone AND a new way to write a period!  Not enough??  How about landscaped email attachments, new passcode lock time intervals and adjustable alert volume! Are you kidding me, how could you not want that?  You know you want all of this stuff – how can you possibly resist?”  Dowit!

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And despite our pleas to the contrary, you did it.  You are now part of the 1.1.1 club.  It is a one-way street.  All of your ringtones are gone.  Your cool apps aren’t there any more.  No more native instant messaging.  No more GPS.  No more voice notes or emails.  YOUR 1000’s OF NES GAMES?!?! And those of you on other carriers?  Welcome to a $1200 AT&T plan.  There is no going back (as of now and it isn’t looking too good for the future).  If you’ve bricked your phone – take it to an Applestore, they’ll flash the firmware and give you a 1.1.1 iPhone back.  Maybe you can sell it?  Or wait to November and activate it on O2.co.uk or Tmobile.de?  Or December on Orange.fr?  Who knows?  I mean now you can turn off EDGE roaming so your bills will be in the hundred$ and not thousand$ for roaming without data, which is nice, right?

Then, on the other side of the ravine, there are the iPhoners who didn’t upgrade and are still using the 1.0.2hax.  We are on our own right now.  Our software may never work with the official Apple version again.  Should we run to the stores and buy up all of the 1.0.2 iPhones left on the shelves (we’re tempted!)?  These might be worth something when only 1.1.1 exist.  Perhaps in a month, there will be a premium on these little guys because the ones on the shelves will be shipping locked with 1.1.1.  

Will the 1.0.2 development continue?  Yep – this is a strong hacking community and the fruits of their labor far outweigh anything Apple will have this year and probably well into next when new iPhone hardware is released.  Will Apple catch up?  Perhaps, but probably not.  For instance, remember Apple gets a cut of your $M$ cheddar so there isn’t really a motivation to get a mobile iChat out the door.  GPS?  There has to be a reason to buy a new iPhone in February right?  Voice notes?  Maybe.  What about all of the L33T toys?  Apple knows what is best for you, son, and they are not feeling that crazy haxor candy.

The iPhoneOS has now officially forked.