Apple disables data tethering with iPhone 3.1 update

Tethering, for those who don't know, is the ability to connect your phone to your laptop and use the phone's data service to use the internet on your laptop.

It seems that with the latest iPhone update, Apple is intentionally disabled this ability on all phones operating on networks which are not official Apple partners (i.e. AT&T). This includes factory unlocked phones which people paid full price for.

In other words, if you had any plans on taking your iPhone to another country and using it to get online with your laptop, you can probably forget it. If you haven't yet updated, I would wait until you understand the implications of this, or until Apple realizes how much they just completely sh*t on their customers and changes their mind.

More info:

http://mobile.slashdot.org/story/09/09/ ... -Tethering
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jsp ... 0&tstart=0

As an IT guy, it's hard to imagine a more clear example of why I don't like Apple and have never purchased one of their products. (Which is not to say that I love Microsoft.)

(Cross-posted on Thorntree.)