You may recall that a jailbreak solution was released recently for users still on iOS 10.2.1. However, the solution did not include an IPA file for the average users to sideload. Basically, it was only possible for developers to jailbreak devices on iOS 10.2.1. Now we got the update we have been waiting for! That’s right; the Saigon iOS 10.2.1 jailbreak has an IPA file that can be sideloaded!
If you’re not a jailbreaking fan then this isn’t exciting news. In fact, I’m surprised you even read this far. For those who have been patiently sitting at iOS 10.2.1 this is huge news. The developer crowd has already likely jailbroken their devices but that was little help for the average jailbreaker who relies on the hard work and effort of developers to make jailbreaking possible.
Keeping up with new versions of iOS is not always easy for jailbreakers. Every time Apple releases a new version of iOS there is the internal battle for iOS users about whether they should update their device to enjoy the latest features or wait for a new jailbreak solution. Back in the good old days of jailbreaking you could jailbreak the latest version of iOS and have the best of both worlds. These days, things are a little more difficult for jailbreakers. Some of the best hackers in the community have taken jobs at security firms or sell exploits for big money on the open market rather than releasing exploits to the public for free.
The Saigon iOS 10.2.1 jailbreak was truly a community effort with work from Luca Todesco, Adam Donenfeld, Ian Beers, Tim Michaud, and more. Their effort to make this IPA file available means users who don’t have developer-level knowledge (like myself) can use check out their GitHub page.
There is one thing to note… Originally, it was said that Saigon would work with all 64-bit iOS devices. However, they iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone SE, iPhone 6S, and iPad Air 2 with WiFi. I’m not sure if that’s a mistake or if testing just hasn’t been done on other devices. Anyway, if your device is not listed then you may want to wait and stay on the safe side of things until there is some more clarification.
This should be great news for jailbreaking fans. This new jailbreak has been an ongoing community effort and it shows what can be accomplished when some great minds work together. It would be very nice to see some recent versions of iOS get jailbroken. We did see a video with an iOS 11 beta jailbreak but we haven’t seen much since. Perhaps something big is on the horizon? Perhaps there’s nothing coming of that video? I guess we can just wait and see.
What do you think of jailbreaking? Is it even worth the effort any more? Should we just update to the latest version of iOS and enjoy the newest features? Or, is jailbreaking still essential to make the best use of your iOS device? Let me know your thoughts below!
