Apple iOS 9 Release Date; iOS 8.4 and 8.3 Jailbreak for iPhone and iPad Now Available

Jul 06, 2015 09:26 PM EDT

iOS 8.4 now has an unauthorized jailbreak, according to announcements by Chinese hacking commune TaiG. Developments are happening amidst rising speculation regarding the potential iOS 9 release date.

TaiG Releases iOS 8.4 Jailbreak

TaiG's jailbreak was confirmed on Twitter just hours after Apple began rolling out iOS 8.4. Since then, TaiG has released Jailbreak Tool Version 2.3.0. This latest update addresses a personal security flaw from the previous jailbreak tool. Jailbreak Tool Version 2.3.0 is designed for use with iOS 8.1.3 thru iOS 8.4 OS. That means handset owners can jailbreak iOS 8.3 as well.

However, users need to be cautious about where they download the newly-released jailbreak. TaiG also tweeted that another hacking group stole security exploits developed by the former. Jailbreak users should download their free copy of Jailbreak Tool Version 2.3.0 via TaiG's official website.

iOS 9 Release Date Rumors

At this time, Apple has not confirmed a release date for iOS 9 - which recently debuted at this year's WWDC conference. Even so, the general consensus amongst Apple watchers is that iOS 9 will be ready by Fall 2015.

Happily, diehard fans can trial the upcoming iOS firmware via a public beta that starts in July. However, interested parties will need to signup with Apple first before participating in the testing program. Beta testers will also get a chance to trial OS X El Capitan as well.

iOS 9 features improvements that include expanded Apple Pay, smarter Siri personal assistant, new Apple News apps, and updated Apple Maps.

Will iOS 9 Be Jailbroken?

Last month, hacking group Keen Team told Forbes that iOS 9 will receive a public jailbreak later this year. The group has no history of jailbreaking, but has cracked iPhones in the past. Forbes reports that Keen Team has actively been reaching out to Team Pangu, which has jailbroken iOS 7 and 8.

Earlier, a number of Apple watchers predicted that iOS 9 may spell the end of jailbreak. This assessment was based on the widely touted Rootless security feature. The apparatus apparently blocks access to certain protected files, regardless whether the user enjoys administrative-level clearance.

It is uncertain whether Keen Team and Team Pangu will collaborate on a potential iOS 9 jailbreak.

Notable iOS 8.4 Features

Apple is introducing its highly-anticipated Apple Music audio streaming service through iOS 8.4. Although the subscription costs $9.99 per month, new users will get the first three months free.  Alternatively, operators can still listen to Beats 1 for free.

Also, iOS 8.4 fixes many of the bugs associated with previous iOS releases. These include the so-called Effective Power bug, which crashes iPhones that receive a particular string of text.