Microsoft responds to ChevronWP7
Microsoft has officially responded to the release of Chevron WP7. Suffice to say, it’s warning of dire consequences for anyone choosing to install the jailbreaking tool.
Do you want to side-load apps onto your Windows Phone 7 device as if you were a developer? Then you can, thanks to ChevronWP7, a new jailbreaking tool for Windows Phone 7 handsets. But be warned, as Microsoft is fully aware of the jailbreak and isn’t about to sit back and do nothing about it.
ChevronWP7 from well-known developers Chris Walsh, Long Zheng, and Rafael Rivera, is a small executable file that unlocks any Windows Phone 7 handset connected to your PC (as long as it’s running XP SP2 or higher). Users can then side-load applications without the need to go through the official Microsoft channels by paying $99 to join the developer program.
Microsoft has now responded to the WP7 jailbreaking tool with a severe-sounding statement:
We anticipated that people would attempt to unlock the phones and explore the underlying operating system. We encourage people to use their Windows Phone as supplied by the manufacturer to ensure the best possible user experience. Attempting to unlock a device could void the warranty, disable phone functionality, interrupt access to Windows Phone 7 services or render the phone permanently unusable.
This is a two-pronged warning. Not only can installing unofficial and unapproved software potentially cause problems, but Microsoft could, if it wanted to, brick the devices. This is because the built-in PVK (Private Key System) would enable Microsoft to detect which handsets have been unlocked and then blacklist them.
I’m not sure it’s worth the hassle to save $99. Surely only the most miserly amateur developer would consider doing this. Microsoft is one of those companies that will do all in its power to prevent the abuse of its systems, and I can’t see Windows Phone 7 being any different.
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November 28th, 2010
“We anticipated that people would attempt to unlock the phones”, so Microsoft installed self-destruct mechanisms to deliberately destroy your phone that you paid for, just because you tried to escape from the Windows Phone 7 Walled Garden.
Your phone self-destructs just because you tried to install some software that didn’t come from Microsoft’s own store.
Android doesn’t do this. Android allows you to do what you want with your own phone.
November 28th, 2010
It is worth the hassle not to pay Microsoft $99 if I just want to write my own applications. Apple doesn’t use it’s remote control to brick jailbroken iPhones, Google doesn’t brick rooted Android. It is only Microsoft with it’s usual bullying that is threatening customers of bricking the phone they own. jailbreaking of smartphones is legitimate.
November 28th, 2010
I don’t think Microsoft is saying that they will brick your phone if they detect that you’ve unlocked it. In fact, I don’t even think they will limit any type of access to the jailbroken phones. I would interpret their response as follows: once you remove the lock, you’re no longer protected from any rogue apps that might do whatever it feels like doing to your phone – all the way from blocking access to certain services to bricking your phone. I’ve played around with the diagnosis tools built into the Focus. Apparently, you can cause a lot more damage to your phone by simply typing in some codes than running any app or even ChevronWP7, which looks like it’s changing some setting that may already be available by typing in the right command code on the Diagnosis tool.