I just came across an interesting blog by Lysa Myers (for Intego) on jailbreaking: The Latest in Jailbreaking: Will Malware Follow?
Ironically, while there are rumours of an imminent untethered jailbreak for iOS 6.0.2, the most recent high-profile jailbreak is for Windows RT, approximately equivalent to a tethered jailbreak.
Intego's blog also points to a press release from Codeproof relating to jailbreaking data for iOS and Android devices. Curiously, while the highest proportion of jailbroken iGadgets are iPhones, the highest proportion of jailbroken Android devices are tablets. Myers has a convincing partial explanation for the first assertion:
"...jailbreaking iPhones allows you more choice of mobile phone providers, which is more enticing on a phone where ostensibly calling is the primary purpose of the device."
However, it's not clear to me why the reverse is asserted to be true in the Android market. Actually, the exact statistical basis for some of the figures quoted – that is, exactly how the percentages in each table interrelate – is also obscure: only the first table adds up to 100%. However, they are apparently based on mobile devices scanned with Codeproof's own security software (the press release actually says smartphones, which seems a little strange when some of the data relates to tablets and MP3 players). It would be interesting to see a more detailed version of the data. In fact, its essential before placing too much trust in them. They pose some interesting questions, though.