Finding an iPhone 6S with iOS 9.3 or lower on it
 

Thinking about upgrading my iPhone 6 to a new 6S. BUT since there is no jailbreak for any current iOS 10 system, I want to find a new phone that has no higher than 9.3 (which, if my research is correct) is the last jailbreakable iOS.

I'm willing to extend my contract, and presume ordering one online via AT&T or Apple will give me an iOS 10x phone.

Any tips for what retailers/authorized AT&T sellers might have a new 9.3 or lower sitting in a dusty box somewhere? Or any other strategy I'd welcome.

(There are other threads to discuss why jailbreak, advantages/disadvantages, etc., etc. I'd like not go there on this one if we can avoid it :))

Out of curiosity, why do you need a jail broken phone?

You can find one on eBay probably. My cousin wanted a jailbreakable iPhone 5S and he found one that was on iOS 8.4 and already jailbroken, it was a bit more expensive than the ordinary 5S's available on eBay but obviously because it was on a lower OS version.

There is a jailbreak available for iOS 10.1 (or 10.2) on the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus. I believe it's called the Yalu jailbreak if I remember correctly. Not sure how reliable it is though, since it's still in Beta.

So if you can't find a 6S on 9.3, then 10.1 or 10.2 (not 10.2.1 or higher) would do fine as well.

This

BTW, in the past it was possible (at least in the past) to downgrade the OS if you had the file on your computer. Obviously you can only downgrade to the lowest version that runs on the phone.

That was really long ago. Apple doesn't sign IPSWs now, so you can't install anything older than 10.3.1 right now, because iTunes won't accept the file.

You can use SHSH blobs to downgrade if you have them, but it's been very hard to retrieve those and OP doesn't have a phone right now either, so his only choice would be to get a phone that's already on an old OS version.

Unless I'm misunderstanding the "jailbreak" option you are talking about, why not just buy an unlocked one from Apple? (Although Apple calls it "buy without a carrier). That's what I did since I use Tracfone for my carrier. Probably a bit more but worth it to not have a monthly bill.

Or, try looking for one on Swappa ... check it often & pose/ask the seller to confirm before purchase

jailbreak does not equal unlock.

Unlock means that the device can be used on any network.

Jailbreak is the ability to have more control over the system, install apps from other app stores.

Fdw

The last time (a couple of phones or so ago) I was in this situation, I was able to find a Radio Shack (back when they were an AT&T reseller) in a dying mall and the iPhone I was looking for they had, and, sure enough, it was the older iOS that I needed at that time.

I suppose I could try the same thing again, since there is a 30 day return policy, iirc.

I've sideload files onto my nonjaikbroken iPhine with Cydia Inpactor. What program do you need to run?

A whole bunch of them :)

Thanks for the clarification. Wasn't aware there was such a thing, but then I've only had my Iphone since late Feb.:)

I don't know if this helps, but apple IOS firmware links can be found here:

http://osxdaily.com/iphone-ipsw-firmware-downloads/

This list links are to Apple's site. There are similar lists on other sites on the Internet, if this list is inadequate or breaks in the future.

If any phone you get has the version you want, you may still need to have the ipsw file for a restore or other needs.

Thanks, but my understanding is that unless Apple is still "signing" a particular firmware, it is not possible to install it.

I'd agree, a native 9.3 in-the-box phone is best bet if you can find one.

I only upgraded from 9.3.5. 9 days ago on a 6S+. An older version (can't recall) of iTunes didn't recognize the 10.3.1 release, so iTunes had to be upgraded first (to 12.6.0), and this may have been due to the signing issue.

If you can't find a "9.3" iPhone in the box, an older version of the firmware and iTunes may be an option, no guarantees, to get around the signing issue.

A possible direct link to iTunes 11: http://appldnld.apple.com/iTunes11/0...nes64Setup.exe

There are Apple serial number decoders. If you find a non-refurbished 6S, running the serial number through a decoder may give you an idea of the Date of Manufacture, and from there, you'd know if it was boxed before IOS 10 was released, which seems to be reported as September 13, 2016. I've used everymac in the past: http://www.everymac.com/ultimate-mac-lookup/

If you seek a 6S, also check the serial number here: https://www.apple.com/support/iphone...ectedshutdown/ to ensure it's not one with a battery issue. If it was sent back, even if free service, I doubt it would come back with less than the current version of iOS.