The summer of 2007 was marked by Apple’s release of the iPhone, causing mixed reactions. In Canada, the iPhone was not initially available, but hope came through the iPhone Dev Team, aiming to enable the device to run with any carrier using software alone. The Dev Team provided updates on their progress via their blog, with milestones ranging from breaking DMG passwords to enabling third-party applications. They achieved full read/write access to the system, and automated activation and write access with the “INdependence” desktop application. By July 19, 2007, they had a binutils toolchain to run their authored programs on the device, with special recognition to Nightwatch for their contributions. Controversially, the Dev Team found a way to bypass Apple’s activation process using a simple replay trick, showcasing their ingenuity.
https://fabiensanglard.net/iSummer/