Before you go running out to download the ChevronWP7 Windows Phone 7 jailbreak utility you might want to take a peek at what Microsoft has to say about the whole situation. Sideloading application without paying the fee for the Windows Phone developer program is nice, but is it worth bricking your shiny new toy?
At the moment there is only one jailbreaking solution for Windows Phone 7 devices — ChevronWP7. This small utility simply allows users to “unlock” their device and sideload any application. The official (and legal) way to do this without jailbreaking is to join the Windows Phone developer program which has an annual fee of $99 (£63). The ChevronWP7 is not without risks.
First, Microsoft’s PVK system can detect and ban all devices unlocked with this method — effectively black listing the Device ID. Second, Microsoft has released an official statement regarding the jailbreak method,
“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.”
The inherit dangers of jailbreaking a Windows Phone 7 device combined with the microSD card difficulties are surely making WP7 the mobile OS not to toy with. At this point we can confirm that the ChevronWP7 method does in fact work, but if caught the consequences seem to outweigh the benefits. Personally I’d rather fork over the money to officially have access to sideloading of applications through the developer program and avoid the hoopla, but maybe that’s just me.
Let us know what you think about the latest Windows Phone 7 fiasco and whether or not you plan to use ChevronWP7 to jailbreak your device. Are the risks worth the rewards? Let us know!
via PocketNow
