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There has been much deliberation for owners of the iPhone 4 as to whether or not jailbreaking is needed. With the new iOS 4 and the recent update, many “jailbreak like” modifications have been made to stock iPhone 4′s. So today we will look at the pro’s and con’s and what I am currently loading up on my iPhone 4 after jailbreaking.

I think that it is obvious that you will need to have a jailbroken iPhone in order to experience these modifications. If you are looking to use an unlock for the iPhone 4, ultrasn0w is rumored to be releasing some time today. For those who are wanting to unlock either a 3G/3GS, you will just pick up at step 6 of this guide.

Now that we have that out of the way, lets debate!

Pro’s:

Having worked with jailbroken devices for awhile, I have become rather dependent on several of the applications that can be installed. For me one of the biggest advantages to jailbreaking is the use of LockInfo. This has allowed me to see all my messages right from my lock screen and not having to unlock the iPhone every time I want to see my email.

Another huge advantage when jailbreaking has to be SBSettings. I have found this small modification to be one of the most valuable assets to my jailbroken iPhone. I like being able to swipe my finger at the top of my screen and open up a menu that allows me to turn my wifi or bluetooth on or off. It is much simpler than having to go into settings every time.

So what about the gaming side of the iPhone 4? Really this is what the iPhone is all about, right? Sure the apps that are available via iTunes gives users some great choices for gaming, but what about nostalgic games? There is a way to get those SNES games on your iPhone! The snes4iphone repo allows jailbreaker’s the ability to load up all those beloved games from when they were kids.

Finally, there is multitasking, or Apple’s version of multitasking. It is nice to see that Apple addressed this needed feature, but I feel that they missed out on true multitasking. With the use of Proswitcher, users will have a window pop up on their screen allowing for swiping through the open applications. If you want to close a particular program, you can either swipe up or “X” the app closed. This will be a huge program for me, when it finally becomes available, which leads me into…

CON’S:

One of my biggest complaints at the moment is trying to find those applications that I have grown to love and place them on my new iPhone 4. The problem is that not a lot of programs are compatible as of yet to the new iOS 4.0.1. If I load one on my iPhone that is not compatible, it will cause constant crashing and I have to remove immediately so I can use it properly. Of the above mentioned apps, Proswitcher is the only one not working with the new OS.

Another disadvantage to jailbreaking has been the past issues with battery life. This is something that I will be keeping a close eye on as jailbreaking the iPhone 4 just became available yesterday. I am really hoping that this will not be an issue seeing that Apple beefed up their battery and inserted an A4 processor to help us jailbreakers run smoother.

Finally one big disadvantage would have to be security. There have been issues in the past with keeping not only your information secure, but preventing a hacker from getting into your iPhone remotely. Sure, this is a valid issue and one that should not be taken lightly, but as long as you pay attention to what you are doing and educate yourself, you can prevent most if not all possibilities of a security breach.

TOP 5 PROGRAMS

Now that we have laid out the good and bad of jailbreaking, I would like to give you my top 5 programs for my jailbroken iPhone 4.

5) Winterboard – I am truly excited to see how this will allow me to have high definition themes placed on my iPhone now that it has a high resolution screen. We could possibly see some very nice themes over the next year for jailbreakers everywhere.

4) Proswitcher – As I mentioned earlier, once this app is available for use, this will become my native multitasking program.

3) SBSettings – Also mentioned above, this application will allow users quick and easy access to switches for 3G, wifi, bluetooth, power, respring, brightness and processes.

2) Cerebro - This is a very little known application that I have found to be quite useful. This will allow you to keep an eye on your iPhone after it is lost or maybe stolen. You create the account in the program, log in on your computer and your done. This will allow you to truly track your iPhone when it is missing. I am also waiting for this app to become available for the iOS 4.

1) LockInfo – For me, this application gives me the most bang for my buck. I am the type of person who wants the information as quickly as possible without out having to go 3 or 4 steps to get to it. Being able to peak in on my email when it comes in by looking at the lock screen gives me the ability to be quick and cause as little distraction as possible.

Now that we have debated and I have given you my top 5 jailbroken apps, will you jailbreak? What are your favorite applications for your jailbroken iPhone? More importantly, what did I miss? Let me know in the comments below.

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Follow me on Twitter: @TodaysiPhoneBob
Do you have a TiP? Email me at bobniffen@todaysiphone.com

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This article is presented for informational purposes only. Jailbreaking can void Apple’s iPhone/iPod Touch warranty. Any efforts or attempts at jailbreaking is done at the sole discretion of the user. Today’s iPhone assumes no liability or responsibility for any resulting user actions, software or hardware glitches or revocation of warranties. Proceed at your own risk.