Apple distributor warns iPhone hackers

Staff from the Middle East marketing arm and distributor of Apple Computer products Arab Business Machines (ABM) have warned users against buying imported iPhones and ‘unlocking' these using downloaded software.

ABM also confirmed today that iPhone launch plans have not yet been finalised for the UAE market.

Quoting Apple's corporate statement, ABM marketing manager Joe Sfeir said: "Apple has discovered that many of the unauthorised iPhone unlocking programs available on the internet cause irreparable damage to the iPhone's software, which will likely result in the modified iPhone becoming permanently inoperable when a future Apple-supplied iPhone software update is installed."

Sfeir added that Apple "strongly discourages users from installing unauthorised unlocking programs on their iPhones", as users who make such unauthorised modifications to the iPhone software violate their software license agreements and void their warranties.

Although not officially launched in the Middle East, imported iPhones have been available here for some time, through online auction sites such as souq.com.
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