iPhone 3GS Jailbreak Delayed by Dev Team

We got all excited when redsn0w was released to jailbreak the iPhone and iPhone 3G on firmware 3.0. Plus, with ultrasn0w to unlock 3G, that was even better. When news broke that the iPhone 3GS jailbreak was imminent, users around the world cheered.

The iPhone Dev Team can jailbreak the iPhone 3GS. However, they are going to hold off releasing the jailbreak until later. Why? Well, if the Dev Team releases the 3GS jailbreak now, it will only benefit the early adopters plus once the 3.0.1 update is out, it’ll be back to square one. So to prevent this, the Dev Team is going to wait until the next update is released (which should be coming soon) to unveil the iPhone 3GS jailbreak.

Some more details by the Dev Team:

If you already have a 3GS phone and have already done a full USB dump or captured your img3’s signed with your ECID, then you’re in great shape. You will always be able to jailbreak. But many people who plan on getting a 3GS do not yet have one. For instance, many people are waiting for their existing contracts to mature to the point where they get a price break on the 3GS. Many people are trying to sell their 3G before they can buy the 3GS. There are parts of the globe where you can’t even buy a 3GS yet! The reasons are varied, but they are many.

The nature of the 3GS hardware allows Apple to stop IPSWs from being usable unless you’ve already gotten the signed chunks they send to you based on your ECID (a unique chip ID). You cannot get these signed chunks without knowing your ECID, and you don’t know your ECID until you’ve bought your 3GS.

The jailbreak requires at least one signed iBoot-family img3 for your device. And that iBoot needs to have an exploitable bug. It’s an all-or-nothing deal…you either have your signed exploitable iBoot ready to use, for now and forever — always jailbreakable — or you have nothing.

Here’s the critical point, the reason why we’re delaying our version of the jailbreak: Once the jailbreak is out, Apple will fix the iBoot-family bug we use to accomplish it. They will simply stop signing the old iBoots and only sign the fixed ones. If you bought your phone after Apple has done this, there’s nothing you can do…the jailbreak isn’t going to work for you.

It is possible that Apple will find the bug we use without our handing it to them on a silver platter (via a public jailbreak). In that case, we will have delayed our jailbreak for “nothing”. But we’d rather be safe than sorry!

Apple is surely coming out with a 3.0.1 firmware release shortly. They need to fix ultrasn0w. They need to fix some UI issues. 3.0 is buggy and 3.0.1 is coming. We’re going to wait and see what 3.0.1 brings before figuring out the release date for our version of the jailbreak.

While I strongly applaud the iPhone Dev Team, this endless game of cat and mouse is starting to favor the cat more than the mouse. Apple is quickly closing down the jailbreaking doors, which could mean bad news for people who have been enjoying Cydia for so long. However, I wouldn’t count out the iPhone Dev Team at all, as time and time again they have displayed their uncanny ability to crack the Apple code.

iPhone 3GS owners looking to jailbreak need to perform a USB dump to ensure they can jailbreak in the future. Click here to check out the guides from iClarified!

Do you think jailbreaking will be around forever?