'Absinthe A5' Brings First Untethered Jailbreak for iPhone 4S and iPad 2
Noted iOS jailbreak author pod2g has teamed up with the Chronic Dev Team to release "Absinthe A5", an enhancement to the popular Greenpois0n jailbreaking tool which adds the ability to perform an untethered jailbreak of the iPhone 4S and iPad 2 for the first time.
A related effort from the iPhone Dev Team will include a command-line tool for more control over the jailbreaking process and to assist with diagnosis and repair. Absinthe is currently available only for Mac OS X, although versions for Windows and Linux are set to follow shortly.
Jailbreaking is the process by which users can open up their iOS device systems to load third-party software and hacks not authorized by Apple. Procedures for jailbreaking iOS devices are typically divided into two categories: "tethered" tools that required the device to be connected to a computer each time it is booted, and "untethered" tools that allow the device to be booted independently.
Untethered jailbreaks are obviously the more highly desired of the two forms, and Absinthe represents the first of these untethered jailbreaking tools for iOS devices such as the iPhone 4S and iPad 2 that run Apple's A5 system-on-a-chip.
Device and iOS version combinations that can be jailbroken using Absinthe include the iPhone 4S running iOS 5.0 (9A334) and 5.0.1 (9A405 and 9A406) and all models of the iPad 2 running iOS 5.0.1 (9A405).
Apple warns that jailbreaking can void a device's warranty, and users should be aware of the potential implications of jailbreaking their devices, but most issues can be resolved using common jailbreak tools and devices can be reverted to their non-jailbroken states if necessary.
Update: The Greenpois0n site is currently seeing intermittent availability issues undoubtedly related to high traffic coming from the new release.
Popular Stories
Apple's online store is going down for a few hours on a rolling country-by-country basis right now, but do not get your hopes up for new products.
Apple takes its online store down for a few hours ahead of Black Friday every year to tease/prepare for its annual gift card offer with the purchase of select products. The store already went down and came back online in Australia and New Zealand, ...
Apple's first foldable iPhone is expected to launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models in fall 2026, and it's shaping up to include three standout features that could set it apart from the competition.
The book-style foldable will reportedly feature an industry-first 24-megapixel under-display camera built into the inner display, according to a recent JP Morgan equity research report. That...
Apple recently teamed up with Japanese fashion brand ISSEY MIYAKE to create the iPhone Pocket, a limited-edition knitted accessory designed to carry an iPhone. However, it is now completely sold out in all countries where it was released.
iPhone Pocket became available to order on Apple's online store starting Friday, November 14, in the United States, France, China, Italy, Japan, Singapore, ...
We've been focusing on deals on physical products over the past few weeks, but Black Friday is also a great time of year to purchase a streaming membership. Some of the biggest services have great discounts for new and select returning members this week, including Disney+, Hulu, Paramount+, Peacock, and more.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a...
We've been focusing on deals on physical products over the past few weeks, but Black Friday is also a great time of year to purchase a streaming membership. Some of the biggest services have great discounts for new and select returning members this week, including Apple TV, Disney+, Hulu, Paramount+, Peacock, and more.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When...
Black Friday is here, and as always this is the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which...
Singapore has ordered Apple to block or filter messages on iMessage that impersonate government agencies, requiring the company to implement new anti-spoofing protections by December as part of efforts to curb rising online scams, the Straits Times reports.
Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said that it had issued an Implementation Directive to Apple under the Online Criminal Harms...
Apple's disappointing iPhone Air sales are causing major Chinese mobile vendors to scrap or freeze their own ultra-thin phone projects, according to reports coming out of Asia.
Since the iPhone Air launched in September, there have been reports of poor sales and manufacturing cuts, while Apple's supply chain has scaled back shipments and production.
Apple supplier Foxconn has...
