Apple late Monday warned iPhone users against attempts to unlock the phone from AT&T, saying “irreparable damage” could be done to the phone’s software.
The Mac maker said in a statement that many of the unauthorized iPhone unlocking programs circulating the Internet could make the phone inoperable if a future iPhone software update from Apple were installed.
Apple’s popular iPhone—more than 1 million have sold since launch—was first hacked last month by a New Jersey teenager, who modified the phone so that it could be unlocked from AT&T’s network
Apple said in the statement that it plans to this week update the iPhone software with new features including its iTunes Wi-FI Music Store. The company also said that users who make unauthorized modifications to the software risk voiding their warranty.
Shares of Apple surged earlier in the day on an analyst upgrade, jumping $4.13, or 2.9 percent, to $148.28