iPhone Experts: Stay Away From Firmware 2.2

Reports suggest that iPhone firmware 2.2 will become available to users of the iPhone beginning Friday, Nov. 21. The iPhone Dev Team cautions that iPhone users who've jailbroken their phones skip it for the time being.The iPhone Dev Team is responsible for unlocking many of the iPhone's secrets since it was first released. The team of coding geniuses has enabled iPhone users to download an easy-to-use piece of software, unlock, and "Pwn" their iPhones. Since iPhone firmware 2.2 has been available to developers for some time, they already are working to crack it open.

Until it does, the iPhone Dev Team is recommending that jailbreakers steer clear of the update, lest things go very badly for their iPhones.

Ars Technica's Erica Sadun writes, "The team, which has been working on the 3G unlock since it launched, suggests that 2.2 may bring with it more than just the usual re-jailbreaking challenge, although the team members do not provide details as to what that additional roadblock might be. At this time, you can jailbreak your iPhone 3G, but you cannot software-unlock it."

Some of the new features that may tempt you are over-the-air podcast updates; line-in sound access for developers; and walking directions, public transport info, location sharing, and Street Views within Google Maps. A lot of these features are attached to Google's Maps for Mobile product on the iPhone and will greatly improve the user experience and functionality of the software. These have all been verified in the current beta version of 2.2.

The iPhone Dev Team did not suggest when it would be able to crack open firmware 2.2, nor when it would be safe for unlockers to upgrade.