Tips for buying jailbreakable iPhones in today’s market

One of the things you might discover when trying to find a jailbreakable iPhone or iPad for your personal enjoyment is that if you haven’t preserved a device on the lowest possible firmware yourself, then coming across one can be somewhat of a challenge, especially in this day and age when the jailbreak community seems to be several firmware iterations behind Apple.

The primary reason for this challenge is that while those interested in jailbreaking recognize the value of a device that hasn’t had its firmware updated for the sake of jailbreakability, the average iPhone or iPad user generally installs software updates as Apple releases them in order to enjoy new features or to have the latest security patches. The latter is actually what hurts prospective jailbreakers.

Finding a jailbreakable iPhone in 2024… and on

As someone who frequently buys and sells older devices to stay within the realm of jailbreaking, there are a few useful tips that I can give you for finding a device you can jailbreak from the moment you get it, and I’m excited to share those tips with anyone who wants to get into the hobby as much as I am. So that’s what this post will be all about.

New devices, likely a no-go

If you’re in the market for an iPhone or iPad, and you also expect to jailbreak that same device, then chances are you probably won’t want to buy new. That’s because new devices purchased from major retail store chains are more likely to have a newer firmware pre-installed on them. This is more-so the case in stores that have higher inventory turnaround rates than others.

To make matters worse, Apple has a new system in their own retail stores code-named ‘Presto’ that can update the firmware on unopened iPhones right through the retail box. So it goes without saying that Apple and other stores that have access to this system probably aren’t the best places to shop for a new iPhone or iPad that you intend to jailbreak.

Instead, you’re going to want to turn to the used market. While this generally means finding a second-hand device (potentially with a previous owner’s wear and tear on it), you might even be able to score a new old sale (NOS) device, which is essentially a brand-new device still sealed in an original retail box that was never opened, and it may have an old version of iOS or iPadOS installed on it that can, in fact, be jailbroken.

While the above situation is indeed the best-case scenario, it’s also far less likely to happen. Most of the time, you will need to buy a second-hand device that you can turn on and see the firmware version for yourself. This can add time and complications to the buying process.

Determine your target device & firmware

The first thing you need to do is identify what device and firmware combination you need. At the time of this writing, the Dopamine v2 jailbreak is the latest public jailbreak for arm64e devices, and it can jailbreak up to version 16.5.1 on A12-A14 devices and up to version 16.5 on A15-A16 devices. That said, the best possible device and firmware combination you can jailbreak right now is an iPhone 14 Pro or Pro Max on iOS 16.5.

Older firmware, as well as older and less expensive devices, will also suffice, if you can find them and they better suit your budget. Many of those will be jailbreakable for life, as Apple has stopped offering firmware updates for some of the older devices.

If you know that you need a device on a certain firmware, a good place to start is researching what device launched when that firmware first released, just in case you can find a device that never had its firmware updated from the day it launched. For example, we know that iOS 16 launched in 2022, so you may have luck finding an iPhone 14 series device running that articular firmware, as it also launched in 2022.

In many cases, even older devices may have been updated to iOS 16, but then weren’t updated beyond that. One thing to note, however, is that the iPhone 15 series and newer can’t run iOS 16, so if you’re looking for an iOS 16 device to jailbreak, then you will want to skip iPhone 15 series and newer devices altogether when shopping.

Find your target device

Once you’ve identified the device and firmware combination you want, or the next best thing, you should immediately take to popular classifieds websites to see if you can find what you’re looking for. Some of the best places to look include the following:

• /r/JailbreakSwap – a Reddit page dedicated to buying & selling jailbreakable devices
• eBay – an online storefront where people can buy or sell new or used items
• Swappa – a smart device-centric online storefront people can buy or sell new or used devices
• Facebook Marketplace – a section of the Facebook app where people can buy, sell, and trade items

Many times, the aforementioned resources will have what you’re looking for. Check to see that the Settings → About page shows the firmware the device is running, and if it doesn’t, ask for pictures. If the seller doesn’t show this information, then don’t be afraid to ask for them to message you back with pictures of it so you know what you’re getting before you click the buy button.

If you can’t find what you’re looking for online, which I’m sure you will 90% of the time, you can also try searching by word of mouth. I’m not trying to harp on the elderly, but I’ve personally had good luck finding iPhones on outdated firmware when asking older folks than I have asking people in my own age group. So don’t be afraid to ask grandma or grandpa if they’re willing to part ways with their old and unused devices.

Things to understand

As I alluded to earlier, there can be complications during the buying process. Sellers online can lie about the firmware on their device before selling it to you, and while there’s often a “not as described” type of case to be opened when this happens on many online sales platforms, it’s best to avoid this scenario altogether if you can.

You will most likely be buying a second-hand device, which means it could have battle scars or wear and tear on it already. In almost every case that I’ve bought a second-hand device, the battery on it was good for about a year before it started dying quickly. That said, the device is likely to require maintenance when you get it, and keep in mind that many repair shops will update the firmware when they’re done. Find one that won’t do this or do the repair yourself.

Additionally, understand that there’s a competitive market for what you’re looking for. When you buy from places like /r/JailbreakSwap, like-minded individuals are buying and selling devices that are inherently more valuable there because you both understand why you’re buying and selling the device. On the contrary, you may pay less when buying from someone locally because they aren’t preserving the device on an older firmware for the same reasons as you, but rather clearing out some clutter that they no longer want.

Lastly, know that the market isn’t always ideal for the environment you’re in. When a new jailbreak comes out, markets dry up because lots of people anticipate jailbreaking. It’s best to be prepared and buy your devices ahead of time. In my case, I bought both an iPhone 12 and an iPhone 13– one running iOS 16.2 and the other running iOS 17.0, anticipating both the Dopamine v2 jailbreak and the TrollStore installation method for iOS 17.0.

I bought both of those devices before the jailbreak and the TrollStore installation method launched, and that’s why I was ready when they did. Don’t wait until it’s too late to buy because that’s when prices go up and inventory goes down.

To have a main device, or not…

Here’s something that you should probably consider before moving forward with buying a jailbreakable device: should it be your main device, or not?

Some people ask me if I jailbreak my main device or not, and the answer is no. I have a main device – an iPhone 16 Pro Max – running the latest firmware because I want to have the latest device and features when it comes out. I’ve always been that way. I do still jailbreak a device, but I jailbreak a secondary device, just for fun.

While I always did jailbreak my main device for several years, there came a time when firmware updates and device refreshes outpaced jailbreak development. When that happened, a certain threshold was crossed that compelled me to take this route. This lets me have fun with hacking and tinkering with my secondary device, but still have the best of both worlds because my main device has all the bells and whistles.

Whether you choose to stay on an outdated device and firmware combination or do what I do and have the best of both worlds is completely up to you. I just hope that my words of advice have helped you make the correct decision for yourself.

Wrapping up

Were you able to secure a jailbreakable device using the advice above? Let us know in the comments section down below.

Source link: https://www.idownloadblog.com/2024/12/04/how-to-find-a-jailbreakable-iphone/