Downloadable programs on the internet geared toward opening the Apple iPhone to mobile service providers other than AT&T's Cingular could harm the gadget beyond repair. That's a warning issued by Phil Schiller, Apple's head of worldwide product marking.

In a report by Reuters, Schiller says that their iPhone was designed exclusively to work with the AT&T service, and hacking the mobile device opens up a lot of risks.

"We are not doing anything proactively to disable iPhones that have been hacked or unlocked," he tells the press, as he implied that applications created by unofficial sources could be doing the real damage.

The iPhone is one of the world's fastest-selling electronic devices with 270,000 units flogging in the first two months alone. The Cupertino, California company expects a million of the devices to fly off shelves by the end of the year.

"Apple strongly discourages users from installing unauthorized unlocking programs on their iPhones," concludes Schiller. A new software update for the iPhone is in the pipeline but details are yet to be revealed.