Voiding warranties on modified products is not something AT&T and Apple invented. Change the software on your car's computer and see if you can get anyone to fix it under warranty. Most hackers modifying their iPhones realize they risk owning a $400 iBrick. Stop with the anti-Apple FUD and get back to talking about how AAPL is flirting with a new all-time high.

After you change the keys on the piano, after you pull apart the bridge on a guitar, after you remove the ice maker on a fridge and then put another model in, after you change the timer on a coffee pot ( well you get the point ) Let the geeks do what they want but don't expect the guys making and selling the equipment originally, to change the rules for you because you want to play detective and pull the item you just bought apart. How silly is that...to expect THEM TO MAKE AN EXCEPTION for YOU.
Bill

Yeah, screw Apple and AT&T. I am sure Zune phone will kill iPhone when it comes out. I have bought six XBoxes for modding and I messed up one of them. I returned it to Gamestop and they took it back. That's why MS is kicking Nintendo and Sony's butts. Don't listen to the fanboiz, Microsoft is the way to go with 95% marketshare. Vista is awesome too!

Software modification and physical alteration are two entirely different things. I've unlocked my iPhone so I can use T-Mobile, my carrier of choice. If I need service for a defective iPhone, I'll relock the iPhone software to exactly the way it was when I took it out of the box and expect Apple to fix the problem.

Locking down a GSM phone makes no sense. The reason GSM and SIM cards exist is so you can move your SIM card from phone to phone.

The US needs to move on and decouple handsets from carrier services. Apple and AT&T took a step backward for consumers and a step forward for themselves (greed, business savy, whatever you want to call it) when they entered into their agreement. I don't feel badly about unlocking my iPhone. I wanted an iPhone and I didn't want to break my contract with T-Mobile and start a new contract with AT&T, so I did what I had to do to use the iphone I purchased with my carrier of choice.

Is this whole story based on one reported incident?

Let's get real - the 1 incident mentioned ended with the customer returning the iPhone.

Let's wait until this is an issue before it's an issue.

I don't understand how any company can demand that you use thier service as a condition of purchasing thier product. When you purchase a car can a dealer tell you that you can only purchase gasoline from them or the warranty is void?

THIS HAS ALWAYS BEEN APPLE'S PROBLEM! EVERYTHING IS PROPRIETARY. WINDOW'S WELCOMES HACKERS, NERDS AND GEEKS [OBVIOUSLY - MICROSOFT WAS FOUNDED BY ONE]. THE POINT IS WINDOWS SAYS TO GEEKS "USE ME, EXPERIMENT WITH ME." SHAW FANNING OF NAPSTER USED WINDOWS TO INVENT FILE SHARING. APPLE ON THE OTHER HAND DISCOURAGES INVENTIVENESS BY NOT BEING OPEN. APPLE IS REALLY THE ANTI-CHRIST OF HACKER EFFICIANDADOS AND GATES/MICROSOFT IS THE MESSIAH.

What an outrageous turn of events. If you buy their phone, you should be able to use it however you want to. I know many people think Apple's customer service is top-notch, but I often find it sorely lacking.
http://www.blubet.com/bet/Should_modifying_your_iPhone_void_your_warranty

Modifying software on an electronic device is done on a daily basis without voiding warranties, the very device you likely are reading this message with is one such device.
Apple is working very hard to get their reputation down in the gutter with MS, and it would appear they are doing a very good job of it.
I used to recommend apple to people, now it looks like Apple has sold its hard earned reputation for a 5year deal with yet another nasty company AT&T (one of the biggest shadows hanging over net neutrality).
I hope they are forced to service every last iPhone, hacked or not.

quoting "MS4ever"
Yeah, screw Apple and AT&T. I am sure Zune phone will kill iPhone when it comes out.


Umm.. would this be like when the Zune killed the iPod? What a moron.

No state department of consumer affairs would permit the warranty to be voided if the problem is with the hardware instead (e.g. bad screen) - assuming Apple has a point of presence (e.g. Apple store in that state)

Now, if the software is messed up, the question remains: is it fixable?

If all that is required to fix a munged iPhone is a 5 minute reflash at the Genius bar, states can require that happen, and can regulate the price of that service (e.g. limit to $50)

States modify manufacturers' warranties all the time, which is why you always see boilerplate to that effect at the end of warranty descriptions.

Apple indirectly promoted the SIM unlocking program, anySim, that caused thousands of iPhones to not work after their new update and should be held responsible for replacing or reprogramming useless phones.

Apple.com promotes the use of third party applications at MacUpdate website:
http://www.apple.com/downloads/dashboard/news/macupdatewidget.html

MacUpdate.com offers the iPhone unlocking program AnySim 1.0 for download.
http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/25818

Since Apple.com refers it's customers to this other website that offers anySim, couldn't people hold Apple responsible for the bricking/disabling/renderingUseless, etc... of our iPhones?

Apple.com recommends MacUpate.com as a source of third party applications for it's products. Someone with more time than me needs to look into holding Apple accountable for the damage they caused to thousands of iPhones. This link between Apple and anySim should be more than enough...

(I have screen shots and links to Google's cache of these links if Apple tries to cover this up)