The day is getting closer when you don't need to plug your iPhone, iPad or iPod into your computer to update its operating system. There's a report that iOS 5 will be capable of over-the-air updates. According to 9to5 Mac's multiple sources, Apple has been negotiating with Verizon Wireless to provide the over-the-air updates.
For iOS updates to be delivered over-the-air, Apple will need to make fundamental changes in the way its updates work. For one thing, Apple will need to stop requiring a download of the entire operating system for a simple update.
Perhaps Apple will let these updates take place only over Wi-Fi connections, as it does for some large app downloads. Even if that's the case, just for the sake of efficiency it would be a good idea to send incremental updates, similar to the way Microsoft has been updating its operating systems for years, in small pieces as they become available.
This would be a long-awaited and welcome capability - a feature that's commonplace in the Android operating system. So how longer must we wait? According to a general consensus, iOS 5 will launch when the iPhone 5 ships, and now the latest iPhone rumor is that it won't be happening in June or July. The next iPhone is expected to ship in September.
For iOS updates to be delivered over-the-air, Apple will need to make fundamental changes in the way its updates work. For one thing, Apple will need to stop requiring a download of the entire operating system for a simple update.
Perhaps Apple will let these updates take place only over Wi-Fi connections, as it does for some large app downloads. Even if that's the case, just for the sake of efficiency it would be a good idea to send incremental updates, similar to the way Microsoft has been updating its operating systems for years, in small pieces as they become available.
This would be a long-awaited and welcome capability - a feature that's commonplace in the Android operating system. So how longer must we wait? According to a general consensus, iOS 5 will launch when the iPhone 5 ships, and now the latest iPhone rumor is that it won't be happening in June or July. The next iPhone is expected to ship in September.
