For locked devices (PIN/password), the 749 uses a variable time-based attack. For older Android phones (pre-Android 9), this can take minutes. For modern iOS (iPhone 6s–X), it uses the "gray key" brute force, which can take 90-120 hours but eventually cracks a 4-digit PIN.
Understanding the hardware of the UFED 749 explains its durability and price point (historically $15,000–$25,000 USD). ufed 749
In recent years, defense attorneys have challenged Cellebrite tools following a 2021 report from the German cybersecurity firm (the "Cellebrite report" that revealed parsing errors). Specifically, the UFED 749's reader could mislabel JSON timestamps. However, prosecutors have successfully argued that raw extraction is reliable; the error was in a third-party parsing plugin . For locked devices (PIN/password), the 749 uses a