iPhone hackers are a step ahead of Apple

Two groups of hackers trying to keep the iPhone unlocked say they have obtained the beta of the iPhone firmware version 2.0, and have already cracked it.

With this, the upgrade will be able to be "jailbroken" as soon as it's released. This will allow users to run unsigned applications from third-party developers as well as those officially approved by Apple.

At the current time, only phones that were activated through a hack will work with the process, although the iPhone Dev Team expressed confidence that they will have a solution for AT&T customers soon.

A hacker that goes by the nickname "Zibri" has similarly reported that his unlocking tool called ZiPhone has been proven to work with the new firmware.

Since hackers will likely have both processes down to a science by the time the final versions of the firmware releases in June, it could be a matter of days --or even hours-- before those with hacked iPhones could update to the new software.

In the past, it could have been weeks after a firmware update before users could "safely" upgrade without experiencing problems. Either way, Apple's new openness is probably making the hacking process a whole lot easier.

Those who sign up for the development program will receive a beta of the firmware upgrade as well as preview versions of upcoming releases, meaning it will likely fall into hackers' hands before it releases to the public.