That would be MUCH worse, since it allows the government potentially hack anyone's iPhone.

But when anyone brings up that if Apple were to do it they could make a version that doesn't have the possibility of hacking anyone's phone, people seem to think that isn't possible. Clearly it is.

Yes, and I totally trust the government wouldn't modify that version to have it work on everyone's iPhone. Because they'd never just remove that restriction by editing the program, that would be wrong!

That would be impossible. The code must be signed, so it cannot be tampered with. That's why they need Apple's help.

What's the guarantee that signed code won't be used on other iPhones?

Yes, it would be very much worse. And I'm not advocating that the gov't take this course of action. I'm just surprised that they didn't. Surely it would have been easier to subpoena a number from Apple than it is to get into a 1st Amendment battle over compelled speech.