If you have updated to iOS 5 on your iPad, iPhone or iPod touch, or if you’ve picked up a shiny new iPhone 4S, then congratulations. There is no doubt that iOS 5 brings lots of goodies to the functionality of all iOS devices. If you’re one of the jailbreaking community, maybe you held off on the iOS 5 update? Currently, with the exception of the iPhone 4S, iOS devices running iOS 5 can be jailbroken with a tethered solution, but those wanting the additional flexibility of an untethered jailbreak, the wait continues.
What is the difference between a tethered and untethered jailbreak? To put it in the simplest terms, it’s the difference of having to connect your iOS device to your computer each time your device reboots, whether it’s an intentional reboot or an accidental one (i.e., your device crashes or freezes and required a reboot). With a tethered jailbreak, you risk having a dead device while away from your computer in the event of a reboot, with the only way of restoring functionality by plugging in to your computer to jailbreak again. The highly-anticipated untethered solution requires no plugging in — you can reboot your iOS device into a jailbroken state.
Why am I holding off on iOS 5 for an untethered jailbreak? It’s definitely a personal decision, but I will settle for no less than an untethered jailbreak and iOS 5, with all of its extra features, does not give me everything I require and enjoy on my iPhone 4 and iPad 2. Namely, I use a few jailbreak apps that I consider invaluable for my iOS devices — MyWi for creating a mobile “WiFi” hotspot, My3G to dupe my device into thinking it’s on a WiFi network for purposes of downloading apps and using FaceTime on a 3G network, and LockInfo for giving me a quick look at all the necessary information from my unlock screen. To keep informed about the status of the iOS 5 untethered jailbreak, check back here or check out the Dev-Team Blog.
