Should iOS Hackers Release the Untethered Jailbreak for iOS 5.1; Wait for iOS 6?

[Anthony Bouchard]

There’s an untethered jailbreak for iOS 5.0.1 and iOS 5.0, but there is not yet one for iOS 5.1. A5 iOS device users can't jailbreak iOS 5.1 at all. The only jailbreak available for iOS 5.1 is a tethered jailbreak for A4 devices and an untethered jailbreak for older bootrom iPhone 3GS models. However, that’s not to say an untethered jailbreak for iOS 5.1 isn’t coming. iOS hacker pod2g is considering it very thoroughly.

While the iOS 5.1 firmware is widely distributed on newer iOS devices being sold in stores, large quantities of people are comfortably jailbroken in the untethered manner, running iOS 5.0.1. Users with older iOS devices such as those of the A4 breed can easily restore their iOS devices back to iOS 5.0.1 after an iOS 5.1 upgrade, assuming their APTickets and SHSH blobs are saved (if you don’t have them, you’re out of luck) – this gives them the incentive to re-jailbreak at their leisure. Unfortunately, A5 device owners do not have the ability to downgrade firmware due to the lack of a bootrom exploit. Because of this, some people are now stuck on iOS 5.1 after upgrading.

If you take a moment and head over to pod2g’s blog, a poll post will welcome you. The poll wants to know if you think pod2g and the rest of the Dream Team should spend their time finding a way to create an untethered jailbreak for iOS 5.1 (wasting exploits as they go), or if they should wait until the release of iOS 6 to start building a new untethered jailbreak.

Illustrating the jailbreak community, the majority of people seem to be voting toward the iOS 5.1 untethered jailbreak (currently around 55% of votes want it), however waiting for iOS 6 is followed closely behind (currently around 41% of voters would prefer it). Do you think pod2g should wait for iOS 6? – or should he get started with iOS 5.1?

Sources: pod2g's Blog

[plumoso]

5.1 jailbreak because we never know what iOS 6 could bring us

[KuRuPtIoN]

He should just wait.

[xNEOxGENESISx]

I really want to see of what %of the people who've voted owns which device and current iOS.
I'm quite sure that majority of those who voted to wait for iOS6.0 are those who already have a jailbroken device with 5.01, on the other hand those waiting for JB for iOS 5.1 are those who have accidentally upgraded their firmware to 5.1 or have bought the New iPad.

I own the New iPad and it would be great to able to have JB as soon as possible.

Plus, if there's already been three methods of JB for the New iPad... it must be not too far to make a publicly releasable JB.
With that said, I'm just going to patiently wait and respect their skills and decisions.

[NakedFaerie]

Then what happens when IOS 6 comes out? Will they just wait for 6.01 then wait for 6.1 then oh lets just wait for IOS7.
waiting is stupid. What happens if IOS6 doesn't have the exploit needed for the jailbreak then they would've just wasted that time waiting for nothing as they will have to find a new exploit then anyway.
I say release it and make a lot of people happy or dont release it and just keep those people frustrated waiting for nothing as IOS6 might not me exploitable so they waited for nothing.
From past history they will jailbreak anything Apple releases so why wait?

BTW, my and my brother are waiting for a jailbreak before we buy the new iPad so it would be nice to get one soon.

[sziklassy]

I guess it depends on what vulnerabilities are being used to begin with. It's entirely possible that the same vulnerabilities wouldn't be there in iOS6 regardless of when a jailbreak becomes available. No way for me to be able to judge properly with a complete lack of information.

Bottom line? I think the dev team knows what they have. If they release it now, great. If not, they obviously had their reasons and I am sure they were valid.

[teej1410]

I have an A4 device on 5.0.1 so I might be a little bias but I think as long as there is a semi-tethered jailbreak for all devices, wait till iOS 6.

[cockyjeremy]

My 4S had 5.1 when i purchased it. I've been waiting long enough, give us a 5.1 JB, please.

[Orby]

Then what happens when IOS 6 comes out? Will they just wait for 6.01 then wait for 6.1 then oh lets just wait for IOS7.
waiting is stupid. What happens if IOS6 doesn't have the exploit needed for the jailbreak then they would've just wasted that time waiting for nothing as they will have to find a new exploit then anyway.
I say release it and make a lot of people happy or dont release it and just keep those people frustrated waiting for nothing as IOS6 might not me exploitable so they waited for nothing.
From past history they will jailbreak anything Apple releases so why wait?

Don't be silly.

There's roughly a three-month drought between the first beta of a major iteration of iOS (e.g., iOS 6 beta 1) and its final public release. If one of the exploits in the current 5.1-ready jailbreak has been patched in that beta, it would require minimal effort to prepare and release a 5.1 jailbreak posthaste, allowing the community several months of jailbreaking glory (at that point). Releasing a jailbreak in the immediate future would ensure that Apple would seal all those holes with the first beta of iOS 6, if not an iOS 5.1.1.

That being said, however; there exist some compelling reasons to offer a jailbreak with this '.1' version: the fact that a public firmware downgrading method doesn't exist for A5 devices, the fact that there is no tethered jailbreak for A5 devices, and the fact that a major iOS product (iPad third gen) has zero jailbreak options.

For the record, I own an iPad 3G and a 4 S that is on 5.1. I still would prefer to see a jailbreak for iOS 6 instead of one for 5.1 tomorrow, if at all possible.

PS: In regards to "everything Apple has released has been jailbroken thus far," the past cannot be used to predict the future. Sure, there are several gifted hackers who have released jailbreaking tools in the past and no computer system is truly impregnable, especially with physical control over the system. However, as many, if not all of the hackers can attest, Apple has stepped their game up in terms of OS security over the years. Between potential loss of personnel and increased security, no future jailbreak can be guaranteed.

[jamriman]

I hate waiting.

[James Hall]

Release the 5.1 untethered who knows when the new os will be out

[gdogg08]

People are just selfish, if you upgraded thats your problem, if you bought the device late i understand but it still doesnt change the fact, if they have an exploit let them keep it. Apple 99% of the time wont look for exploits they wait for us to inject them, then they will patch it. 5.1 is a joke anyhow, why jailbreak and waste an exploit. No new features, its just 5.0.1 just fixes the battery problem and add a stupid sliding camera button on the lock screen.
Its not work it, 6.0 will be work it, since its a whole ios upgrade, you always get alot of new features with them types of upgrades.

DON'T WASTE, WHAT COULD BE ARE ONLY EXPLOIT TO JAILBREAK IOS6 RIGHT FROM THE START.

[celeron]

I say they wait till iOS 6

[budsalinger]

On one hand I have an untethered jailbroken 4S on 5.0.1 so I say wait. On the other hand what happens a month from now when something goes wrong and I have to reinstall firmware? I'll be boned and praying for a jailbreak. I ultimately say - whatever. I love my iPhone. I love it more with a jailbreak, but it's not a dealbreaker for me and I don't need an unlock. A wise man once told me, "There are no dumb questions only dumb people.".

[Jato_BZ]

I think wait for iOS 6...it's getting harder and we are waiting longer for these Jailbreaks...

[mexchorizo]

I have been using the iPhone since it first came out back in 2007. To me, an iPhone is not a "complete" iPhone if it's not jailbroken. I would not own one if that was the case. I currently own the 4S running on 5.0.1. I decided not to upgrade to the "5.1" because it did not bring any new features. Instead of wasting time and effort on jail breaking the "5.1", wait until the 6.0... I am sure it will be well worth the wait....

[dazdaman80]

5.1 is rubbish !. if your on a stable untether with 5.0.1 then i see no reason to want to upgrade to 5.1. I can only assume the people asking for a release now of a new untether have only just bought an iphone/pad/pod with 5.1 already installed or have accidently updated, either way, too bad !. if saving these exploits helps to create an untether for a future major ios release packed with awesomeness, then i say wait.

[STM127]

How do they know the current exploit will work on iOS6?

[unison999]

They should work on jailbreak but do not release it, this way there is a head start to jailbreak the 6.0.
After 6.0 is released then release 5.1 untethered jailbreak and work on adapting it to work on 6.0, if it is not possible to quickly adapt to 6.0 at least people can upgrade to 5.1 or what ever iOS before 6.0.

[oneduality]

5.1 jailbreak because we never know what iOS 6 could bring us

This is my exact fear.. there's no guarantee that any of these exploits will even work in ios6... ios6 could be a major revamp ( which if you ask me, ios is due for one ) ..

If they are rolling it in with the new iphone 5 then I don't expect it to stay exactly the same as it is now.. may as well just do it ..