Recently an array of software has been released to free the iPhone from its AT&T woes. Apple has now made it clear that a future software update will result in unlocked iPhones "becoming permanently inoperable," and then noted that warranties will be void if such software is installed. Apple said that the hacks have "caused damage to the iPhone software," although many debate the claim...
We have reviewed the source code of a number of these applications and to the best of our knowledge any changes made to the software can easily be reversed," McLaughlin said in an e-mail. "After unlocking the iPhone, minimal effort is required to get it in to its previously locked state." Apple's move may be illegal according to legal experts. The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act forbids manufacturers from voiding the warranty of a product unless they can prove that the user damaged the product. Whether Apple's moves are legal depends on whether they can prove in court (as they likely will) that the unlocking software caused irreversible damage to the iPhone's software or hardware. 
