Torrent sites list the availability of a 3GS build of the software

Apr 11, 2010 10:13 GMT  ·  By

One of Apple's registered developers has seemingly leaked the iPhone OS 4.0 IPSW restoration file to torrent web sites, making it freely available for download to anyone interested in trying out the beta software on a new-generation iPhone or iPod touch.

Note: First off, readers should note that Softpedia does not condone these practices – leaking pre-release software to the public. Our web site posts these pieces of news solely for informational purposes and doesn't encourage owners of an Apple handset to download pre-release software and install it on their devices.

By doing a routine search on a popular torrent-search engine, Softpedia found that a certain “iPhone2,1_4.0_8A230m_Restore(3gs)” is being made available for download, free of charge. While the respective software will be made officially available to the public for free, this summer, the 4.0 version of the iPhone OS is currently in beta, thus a pre-release build that should only be used by registered Apple developers. One such developer has seemingly uploaded the file on the Internet, breaking their NDA with Apple. The person in question, however, hasn't been identified.

One reason why iPhone owners shouldn't actually download and install “iPhone2,1_4.0_8A230m_Restore(3gs)” (besides common sense) is because the software needs to be activated. Various scammers will attempt to sell an unlock / activation method to you in exchange for a few dollars, most of which will not make good on their promise. These people advertise their offerings in the comments section for the respective torrent download.

In related news, a member of the infamous iPhone Dev Team has successfully hijacked the beta software, paving the way for a future jailbreak. Those who enjoy the benefits of a hacked device should be happy to know that the Dev Team will have a PwnageTool update supporting iPhone OS 4.0 in summer, should Apple fail to identify the vulnerability used to crack it. As with pre-release software downloads, Softpedia does not condone jailbreaking.