The iOS 4.2.1 has been in the beta stages for a while but you still had to tether it to a computer if you needed to reboot the device. Well, the good folks at Greenpois0n have released a full untethered jailbreak for iOS 4.2.1 now.
You can find it by going to the Greenpois0n website to get the iOS 4.2.1 untethered jailbreak but reports suggest that it only works with Macs right now, despite what the site says. The kinks seem to be worked out too, so you can get the latest features of Apple’s software while still having a jailbroken device.
So, why would you want the iOS 4.2.1 untethered jailbreak? Well, the best reason I can think of is to have your iPhone work as a data connection for other devices without having to pay AT&T’s rates.
Additionally, the iOS 4.2.1 allows you to create a mobile hotspot with your iPhone, which is currently impossible unless you have a Verizon iPhone. The official mobile hotspot also comes with an additional fee and should be coming to the AT&T version eventually, but the jailbroken version can be used without paying a monthly fee.
The iOS 4.2.1 untether jailbreak sounds wonderful in that scenario but it’s not without its risks. If you use this, you risk voiding your warranty and there’s no guarantee that it will work (early reports suggest it’s working fine, though). Additionally, if the carrier catches on to your mobile hotspot usage, it can take some actions which could affect your contracts. As a reminder, IntoMobile is not telling you what to do with your phone, we’re just trying to give you the information that’s out there.
So, how many of you are going to give this a go? It used to be that jailbreaking was the only way you could get things like multitasking on an iPhone but new software updates have eliminated the need for many.
[Via Chronic Dev Blog]