So while the evasi0n jailbreak has just been released for iOS 6.1, all too often we don’t hear enough about the men behind the exploits. However pod2g, one of those men (whose real name is Cyril and is French), gave an interesting interview to MacGeneration (image creative commons license), where he discussed evasi0n but also jailbreaking more generally. It provides a fascinating inside look into what’s it’s like as a jailbreaker.
I’ve translated some of the main questions/answers:
Why did you decide to jailbreak iOS 6 with two accomplices?
You have to realise that this isn’t a full time activity for us. However it happens that we can find some free time to work on this project. All three of us are independent. Nikias has a development company, and he works with international companies. @planetbeing also has his own company…
What was the key factor in jailbreaking iOS 6?
You have to view jailbreaking as a huge puzzle. We discovered things step by step, some of them for example come from September/October. At the time, we even tweeted the proof of an iPhone 5 jailbroken with Cydia. So we found stuff then, but not enough, we were blocked in other areas.
[…]
We talked, I suggested various different ideas. For several years, I’ve had an exploit that I couldn’t get to work, but that I finally could use. We then realised there was a very simple way to get out of the ‘sandbox’. The situation then unblocked itself fairly quickly, we had the elements and we just needed to figure out how to install them on the iPhone.
Why do you jailbreak?
Because it’s fun… Because there are lots of people who want it as well. Because I constantly get requests on Twitter from people who want the jailbreak.
Aren’t you tempted to commercialize it?
It’s true that there is the potential to become a millionaire overnight. But I think there’s an ethical aspect. As far as I’m concerned, selling exploits will never happen.
What’s next for the group?
We’ll continue to connect regularly on IRC, but nothing in particular will happen.
What are your thoughts on the future of iOS?
My impression is that Apple has its back against the wall. iOS 5 brought lots of new things compared to iOS 4. I wouldn’t say the same for iOS 6. We had Maps… developers got new APIs, security was improved, but there hasn’t been anything concrete for the user, I think.
Do you mean they’ll make lots of changes for iOS 7 and that it will open doors?
It means that everyone recognises there’s a lack of innovation at Apple recently regarding iOS. I think the tide is turning.
