What the iPhone lacks that makes you want to jailbreak?

homerb · Jul 28, 2010

I'm just curious to see what features you all are looking forward to enabling with a jailbreak. Why do you want to do it?

A jailbreak release right now would be nice, but I'll be honest, I'm not desperate like I was with my iPhone 3G back in the 2.0-3.0 firmware days.

The iPhone 4 already does most of the stuff I had originally jailbroke my 3G for. For instance, skype already works over 3G, and if you downloaded the HandyLight app, you got tethering.. Those are the two main features I jailbroke my 3G for. Oh, and you can also toggle the cellular data connection completely off with the current software, which previously you'd need something like BossPrefs to do.

I've got to admit, Apple has done a really good job reducing the need to jailbreak the phone. But I'll still do it eventually.

So, what features or apps are you looking for when you jailbreak your phone?

The faster performance and better battery life will really shine on a jailbroken OS.

Homer

Gregoris · Jul 29, 2010

Hello..

I agree with your post. i would always jailbreak every firmware i would be sitting at the computer Hoping they would hurry up, but now with the iphone 4 im not even going to bother with it since the 3g days like you..

though there are still many apps. winterboard (yes you can use background pics now but winterboard you can still customise more) and sbsettings, ssh to delete those apps like stocks. wtfrig do i want stocks for? it wastes space! also to upload ringtones and sms tones.. Terminal(to change the default ssh password mainly) from zodttd vlc player which will work nicely on iphone 4 i bet, also snes nes emulators which apple will never approve for the app store. i feel like i am forgetting something?

ah yes the ability to send files with bluetooth! though even the jb app for that sucks and does not really work properly.

hmmm im sure some one else will add to this list, but imo its too much hassle and while my iphone is sim free i upgrade firmware and dont care for waiting for jb or hassle or re installing all jb apps each time, there used to be the app to backup jb apps but that did not work properly... so even though its legal now its too much hassle and apple give us less reason as you said and i wont be doing it.. how about you?

homerb · Jul 29, 2010

I liked "veency". It was an app that emulated the iPhone screen in real time on your computer via 3G or wifi on a program called "Chicken of the VNC". You could also use "insomniac" on your phone, which kept the iPhone's radios active even when the screen was off, so you could keep the phone in your pocket, or plugged into a charger somewhere and be able to text people or check other apps with a laptop while you sat at your desk at work or in meetings or something without anyone being able to see you physically using your phone.

Since the iPhone's screen on the computer, you could then take a program like "Screen flow" and record step by step tutorials of things being done on the phone.

Haha, it's neat, I can control my computer with my phone, and my phone with my computer. We're such dorks.

mikeee2 · Jul 29, 2010

homerb said:
I'm just curious to see what features you all are looking forward to enabling with a jailbreak. Why do you want to do it?

A jailbreak release right now would be nice, but I'll be honest, I'm not desperate like I was with my iPhone 3G back in the 2.0-3.0 firmware days.

The iPhone 4 already does most of the stuff I had originally jailbroke my 3G for. For instance, skype already works over 3G, and if you downloaded the HandyLight app, you got tethering.. Those are the two main features I jailbroke my 3G for. Oh, and you can also toggle the cellular data connection completely off with the current software, which previously you'd need something like BossPrefs to do.

I've got to admit, Apple has done a really good job reducing the need to jailbreak the phone. But I'll still do it eventually.

So, what features or apps are you looking for when you jailbreak your phone?

The faster performance and better battery life will really shine on a jailbroken OS.

Homer

Handylite for tethering?

Here's what I would like to see
1) Notification bar on home screen (icons for missing sms, email, phone, etc)
2) Customize settings for vibration. I put it in silent mode and vibration is very weak. It vibrates once for calendar and I often miss it.
3) Calendar snooze option for reminders
4) Tether
5) Ability to sort Notes
6) File manager/browser
7) Ability to sync and do things without having itune.

...I am sure there are other things I can think of...

Gregoris · Jul 29, 2010

homerb said:
I liked "veency". It was an app that emulated the iPhone screen in real time on your computer via 3G or wifi on a program called "Chicken of the VNC". You could also use "insomniac" on your phone, which kept the iPhone's radios active even when the screen was off, so you could keep the phone in your pocket, or plugged into a charger somewhere and be able to text people or check other apps with a laptop while you sat at your desk at work or in meetings or something without anyone being able to see you physically using your phone.

Since the iPhone's screen on the computer, you could then take a program like "Screen flow" and record step by step tutorials of things being done on the phone.

Haha, it's neat, I can control my computer with my phone, and my phone with my computer. We're such dorks.

that would be good to be able to get screen flow on there, i never knew you could

homerb · Jul 29, 2010

Handy Light is an app that was released in the Apple app store about a week or so ago. It was a basic app that let you choose from a pallette of 5 "designer" colors. But it had a hidden Easter egg that secretly enabled tethering. Once the secret got out, apple yanked it from the store, but it still works for those who were able to get it before it was pulled. For 99 cents, it was a bargain for those who want to tether without jailbreaking.

Screenflow wasn't on the iPhone, but since you could remotely access the iPhone on your computer, you could record it with screen flow if you wanted. I liked Veency for checking my text messages and do stuff on my phone without my boss seeing me hold my phone under the desk.

mikeee2 · Jul 29, 2010

homerb said:
Handy Light is an app that was released in the Apple app store about a week or so ago. It was a basic app that let you choose from a pallette of 5 "designer" colors. But it had a hidden Easter egg that secretly enabled tethering. Once the secret got out, apple yanked it from the store, but it still works for those who were able to get it before it was pulled. For 99 cents, it was a bargain for those who want to tether without jailbreaking.

Screenflow wasn't on the iPhone, but since you could remotely access the iPhone on your computer, you could record it with screen flow if you wanted. I liked Veency for checking my text messages and do stuff on my phone without my boss seeing me hold my phone under the desk.

Ohhhhhhhhhh...I missed out on that app then. *SIGHHHHHHHHHHH*

Gregoris · Jul 29, 2010

oh i see...

i saw the tether app in there but did not want to pay the 99 cents for something id never use

mikeee2 · Jul 29, 2010

paliometoxo said:
oh i see...

i saw the tether app in there but did not want to pay the 99 cents for something id never use

I would of snatch it for 99 cents.

homerb · Jul 29, 2010

paliometoxo said:
Hello..

I agree with your post. i would always jailbreak every firmware i would be sitting at the computer Hoping they would hurry up, but now with the iphone 4 im not even going to bother with it since the 3g days like you..

though there are still many apps. winterboard (yes you can use background pics now but winterboard you can still customise more) and sbsettings, ssh to delete those apps like stocks. wtfrig do i want stocks for? it wastes space! also to upload ringtones and sms tones.. Terminal(to change the default ssh password mainly) from zodttd vlc player which will work nicely on iphone 4 i bet, also snes nes emulators which apple will never approve for the app store. i feel like i am forgetting something?

ah yes the ability to send files with bluetooth! though even the jb app for that sucks and does not really work properly.

hmmm im sure some one else will add to this list, but imo its too much hassle and while my iphone is sim free i upgrade firmware and dont care for waiting for jb or hassle or re installing all jb apps each time, there used to be the app to backup jb apps but that did not work properly... so even though its legal now its too much hassle and apple give us less reason as you said and i wont be doing it.. how about you?

True, I almost forgot that we had to jailbreak just to get something as simple as a background image. Hah.

The NES emulators are the coolest thing since sliced bread. The Game Boy emulators are cool too.

Oh, there is one other thing that's still very useful when jailbreaking, and that's the ability to better control the video output. In non-jailbroken configuration, the video out only works with certain videos, if I'm not mistaken. It doesn't actually display the whole screen. Jailbreaking will allow you to display the screen, screen icons, or even extend the desktop onto a second screen with the video output.

With 960 x 540, this will look pretty nice on a big screen TV with the RGB composite plug. (the one with 5 RCA plugs, 3 for video, rather than the one with 3 RCA plugs with a yellow video plug).

I wish they came out with an HDMI dongle, or an HDMI dock. I'd like to dock it right in the armrest of my couch to be able to output video to my TV mounted on the wall.

Homer

Alude904 · Jul 29, 2010

As all can see by the previous replies, there is PLENTY of reasons to jailbreak. Heres a list of my favorites:

#1. Free apps! Of course thats at the top.
2. Sb settings
3. 3g unrestrictor
4. Safari download manager
5. Sb rotator
6. Winterboard
7. Free tethering
8. Soon to be factime on 3g
9. Smartscreen/lockinfo/cydget
10. Emulators such as gba
11. Quickreply sms

An of course many more

homerb · Jul 29, 2010

Alude904 said:
As all can see by the previous replies, there is PLENTY of reasons to jailbreak. Heres a list of my favorites:

#1. Free apps! Of course thats at the top.
2. Sb settings
3. 3g unrestrictor
4. Safari download manager
5. Sb rotator
6. Winterboard
7. Free tethering
8. Soon to be factime on 3g
9. Smartscreen/lockinfo/cydget
10. Emulators such as gba
11. Quickreply sms

An of course many more

Yes. FaceTime over 3G. That makes me start to think. Even though apple has done a good job giving us features that would have required a jailbreak in the past, they have also teased more features that could be even better with a jailbreak... such as FaceTime over 3G, or other types of video chat, or with other devices.

I wonder, with "3G unlocker", you would just enable the "phone" app to enable FaceTime over 3G. Or if it will have to be done another way.

Homer

mikeee2 · Jul 29, 2010

homerb said:
Alude904 said:

As all can see by the previous replies, there is PLENTY of reasons to jailbreak. Heres a list of my favorites:

#1. Free apps! Of course thats at the top.
2. Sb settings
3. 3g unrestrictor
4. Safari download manager
5. Sb rotator
6. Winterboard
7. Free tethering
8. Soon to be factime on 3g
9. Smartscreen/lockinfo/cydget
10. Emulators such as gba
11. Quickreply sms

An of course many more

Click to expand...

Yes. FaceTime over 3G. That makes me start to think. Even though apple has done a good job giving us features that would have required a jailbreak in the past, they have also teased more features that could be even better with a jailbreak... such as FaceTime over 3G, or other types of video chat, or with other devices.

I wonder, with "3G unlocker", you would just enable the "phone" app to enable FaceTime over 3G. Or if it will have to be done another way.

Homer

Wouldn't Fring be the same as Facetime? It runs over 3g I think.

zjbednorz · Jul 30, 2010

I really miss biteSMS. Even though the multitasking on ios4 helps with replying to text messages it was nice being able to quick reply on the lock screen as well as during movies and games without losing your spot.

The other thing I'm going to jailbreak for is the free apps. Yes, it's illegal and doesn't support the developers but I'm tired of not being able to test applications before I buy them. Especially the ones that cost upwards of $10 and don't have a free lite version.

SBSettings was nice for quick transitions into wifi, 3G, and brightness adjustments.

The 5 icon dock was useful too.

3G unrestrictor was useful to watch high quality YouTube videos and hopefully will allow FaceTime over 3G.

Tethering is always useful during school when the wifi blocks Facebook and social sites and YouTube.

Those are the the main perks I enjoy. But I can't wait to see them run with the faster processor and new operating system. I bet we'll see some pretty cool stuff this upcoming year.

And I know this post wasn't meant to question the jailbreak itself. But when people ask me why I just reply: "why not?" If you know what you are doing it's risk free and if you gain at least one thing from the jailbreak, it's worth it