Protect Yourself, Tech Stuff - posted on March 5, 2014 by

Forced iPhone hardware upgrade…?

iphone-broken

(If you don’t know about the context of this post, go here for some background – note that Apple has NOT released an update to iOS 6 to close this hole, which is a glaring and interesting omission )

So this last update to Apple’s iOS was ONLY for iOS 7, and they have not put one out for iOS 6, tho presumably the one or 2 lines of code would be simple and easy enough to put into iOS 6.

So why not do that?

And why was that gaping hole left there in the first place….? It’s kinda super obvious and any cursory exam of the iOS before sending it out should have caught it… but Apple didn’t catch it…was it FOR the NSA to snoop with? As in Apple says basically, “you (NSA) pay us to put this hole in, and we’ll just wait till someone finds it and then we’ll jump to fix and everyone will think we’re really on the ball… etc….and we look good and you get your software hole in our phones….”.

Yeh, probably no, but could be I guess, clearly these companies aren’t looking out for US the consumer.

Bruce Schneier has some questions as well. (tech security expert)

But I don’t think so….I think it might MORE go like this – *IF* they did it on purpose, what about the idea of putting into the iOS a very big security hole, and then when it’s found, put out a patch for ONLY iOS 7, and NOT for iOS 6, SPECIFICALLY because iOS 6 is working GREAT on older iPhones, in particular the 4 and the 4s. iOS 7 runs pretty poorly on the 4s, and downright shitty on the 4 as it is, but in truth there’s really no overwhelmingly crucial reason to upgrade to iOS 7 on these phones, they work well on iOS 6 and and unless you need the better camera etc on a 5, there’s really no compelling reason to go to either iOS 7, OR the iphone 5 hardware, your phone is pretty good and gets the job done.

Until NOW.

This security hole and lack of a patch for iOS 6 FORCES the owners of the 4 and the 4s to either accept the shitty performance of the iOS 7 on 4.x phones, or keep their phone and iOS 6 with a giant hole in it, or to do what I think might be the REAL point here, upgrade to a new iphone 5.x.

Then it’s simply selling hardware.

By now you’ve figured out that’s what I think is happening.

“I am having the same problem – to the point of it taking up to 30 seconds for my phone to unlock after the code is entered. Have an appointment at the Genius Bar this afternoon to see if they can help. Have to wonder if it is Apple’s way of pushing the new phones. Would love to go back to previous IOS! Apple support fix worked for 24 hours, then phone is back to lagging.”

I’m just pointing out something that seems obvious but I haven’t heard anyone mention, and it seems worth talking about. In fact, it’s really fricking weird no one is talking about it.

Comments

Wade Biery

Here’s what I sent to Apple in response to this.

“You have given me a reason to consider moving to another platform. What you have done with this forced hardware via non-support of a VERY current iOS 6 is unacceptable as well as likely a duplicitous bait and switch.

If you can fix that simple code in one OS, you can do the same in another without forcing your users to buy another piece of hardware to avoid a gaping hole in the iOS YOU supplied to us. As such it ‘s incumbent upon YOU to FIX YOUR PRODUCT, NOT to use it as an opportunity to force your users to buy yet ANOTHER phone.

I find this kind of cheap crap tactic to be infuriating and a very good reason to leave you and your products behind.

Furious at your duplicity and falseness and corrupt treatment of some VERY loyal and long time users.”

I hope others will do the same, this is unacceptable.

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