The iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad crowd got understandably excited with the word that the next version of iOS, iOS 5, will finally usher in over-the-air (OTA) updates for the platform. Android device owners have been enjoying OTA updates from the beginning, and finally Apple is cutting the cord for device updates. Folks are already using beta versions of iOS 5 even though it won't officially appear until later this year, and the early adopters discovered that the first iOS 5 beta update just released OTA will not work on jailbroken devices.

Android device owners are already familiar with the lack of OTA updates on rooted devices, the equivalent to the jailbroken iOS device. Rooting or jailbreaking is the process owners go through to allow unofficial software to be installed to serve functions the official OS doesn't support. It has long been understood that rooting an Android device ends OTA updating, and it is now clear the same will apply on the iOS front for jailbroken devices.

Those using beta iOS 5 report you can still apply Apple updates by connecting to a computer via USB cable, so all is not lost. Getting OS updates OTA is a much better alternative to cabling up a device, so those with jailbroken iPhones may need to rethink that once iOS 5 is officially released.