How to update iPhone firmware?

Manufacturers of Apple products are constantly trying to bring improvements to the operating systems of iPhone and iPod devices. New functions are introduced, the service life of the battery is increased, the speed of the devices is increasing. These ideas are embodied in the form of periodically released new firmware. The main disadvantage is that it will not be possible to update the iPhone firmware with the help of small separate files, since releases are released only as one-piece new operating systems. The size of the OS varies from 220 to 250 MB.

How to update the firmware of the iPhone: you can download it either from links to specialized Internet resources, or through iTunes.

There are only four generations of iPhones (in the fall of this year, fifth-generation devices will go on sale), and, accordingly, each of them has its own firmware. If you have a 2G model, then it's impossible to install an OS suitable for 3G. Therefore, before you update the firmware on the iPhone, you must carefully check the name of the downloaded file.

For example, the file reads as follows:

IPhone2,1_4. 0_8A293_Restore.ipsw

How to decipher it?

The first digits of 2.1 are the phone model. Then comes the firmware version - 4.0 and the build number - 8A293.

There are two ways to update the iPhone firmware:

1. Full update;
2. Restore.

What is the difference between these ways? With a full update, all settings and data are stored as they were, and when restoring all the old information is completely erased, and a new one is written in its place.

At first glance, a complete update will seem the best option, if not for one "but": all the problems that have accumulated in the previous firmware will also remain. And this is unlikely to have a positive impact on system performance. Therefore, it is better to create a backup copy in iTunes, then to do a restocking of the firmware before updating the iPhone firmware, and then restore all your settings and information from the saved copy.

On unofficial iPhones update firmware is quite dangerous. Before you update the iPhone firmware, it is almost impossible to know if the phone's modem will update or not. If this happens, then the functionality of the phone will be broken seriously and for a long time. Because of these problems, a notion such as custom firmware (from the word custom - customized by the user) arose. The original firmware in this case is processed using the Pwnage Tool, which allows you to get any additional features:

• Dangerous for unofficial versions of the update of the modem is cut out of the firmware yourself or you can use pre-installed firmware without updating the baseband;
• Adds the code for automatic activation - also useful for unofficial iPhones;
• Jailbreak (which gives access to the file system of the phone and allows you to install a lot of additional software) can be done even before reinstalling the firmware. That is, Cydia and / or Icy will appear in the iPhone after the first restart. During a normal flashing, jailbreak is automatically deleted, and it will have to be reinstalled. Independent jailbreak is fraught with problems with WiFi, black screen, iTunes refusal to refresh the phone to restore the system;
• On the computer, you can immediately select and fill in the firmware of all the necessary Cydia programs;
• If you do not like the standard apple when you turn on the phone, then you can easily replace it with any other picture.

As a result of Pwnage Tools, a file with the same .ipsw resolution is obtained, which is installed in the phone using iTunes.

In general, custom firmware has many advantages, and owners of unofficial iPhones without it simply can not do.

We tried to give you a general idea of how to update the iPhone firmware. And more detailed instructions along with the firmware files can be found on many Internet resources without problems.