Updating iOS5 Tips

Problems updating to iOS 5? Here's what you need to know

iPhone and iPod users have reported a variety of problems when trying to upgrade to iOS5 (Photo: Apple)

The latest version of Apple's iOS left many iPod and iPhone users shaking their heads when they tried to upgrade. Problems ranged from lengthy downloads of the new iOS from iTunes, to some users who had been left with bricked phones and erased contacts after the update. Others complained that their paid apps had been wiped from their phones, and not restored when they did get iOS up and running.

On a personal level, about 50-percent of my iPhone-using friends experienced severe problems, the most common of which was a bricked phone. Those that did get the update still experienced issues with paid apps not showing up ready for download in iTunes. Those with bricked phones were forced to do a factory reset, and lost all of their contacts, saved notes, photos and videos.

The first signs of trouble began popping up on Twitter and in forums about an hour after the release of iOS 5.

Here's a quick rundown of the most common problems users are reporting, and a fix, if one exists.

"Internal Error 3200"

This is an error message that pops up during the iOS 5 upgrade process that indicates Apple's authentication servers aren't responding.

The fix: This problem has mostly fixed itself. The problem originated from the entire world trying to download the new iOS right as it had launched. Apple has opened up new server space, and the demand is dying off slowly due to reports of problems.

"Error -34"

If you get this error, it's iTunes reporting to the Apple server that you are out of disk space. As some of you have figured out, this may not be the case.

The fix: There isn't one just yet, but it was discovered that the problem originates mostly with users who compress their files to 128Kbps so that they can fit more music on their iPod. When upgrading, it seems that the file size is being reverted to the uncompressed form. Apple is aware of the issue.

"Error 1603"

Although the cause of this error is unknown, it's supposed to put your device into recovery mode shortly after you see it. It's not doing that in all cases with this new update. This is what most users refer to as a "bricked" iPhone or iPod touch.

The fix: You'll have to put your phone into forced recovery mode. You stand a good chance of losing stored data as your phone recovers. This is why it's always a good idea to make a backup of your data before doing a new iOS install.

Putting your iPhone or iPod Touch into forced recover mode

Disconnect the USB cable from the device, but leave the other end connected to the USB port on your computer.

Turn off the device by holding down the Sleep/Wake button. A red slider will appear next. Slide the slider and then wait as the device shuts off. If holding the power button doesn't turn off the device, press the Sleep/Wake button and the home button at the same time until the device powers down. Don't release the Sleep/Wake button or the home button until the device is off.

Press and hold the Home button while reconnecting the USB cable to the iPhone. Once the device is connected, it should begin to power on. Don't release the Home button.

Continue to hold the Home button until the "Connect to iTunes" screen appears. Release the button.

If iTunes doesn't open automatically, open it manually. You should see the "recovery alert" pop up.

Follow the prompts and allow iTunes to restore the iPhone or iPod touch.

Apple's new iPhone 4S

No iPhone 5 folks, but say hello to Apple's new iPhone 4S

7

Apple's new CEO Tim Cook has taken the wraps off the company's new iPhone - the 4S

In his first product launch since becoming CEO, Apple's Tim Cook has announced a new version of the iPhone at Apple HQ in Cupertino, California. The iPhone 4S retains the ground-breaking Retina display technology and glass back of its predecessor, but has undergone something of an internal overhaul. Apple's new smartphone gets a brand new dual-core processor, an 8 megapixel camera capable of also shooting full high definition video, and a new personal assistant application that uses voice recognition. The 4S also promises up to double the previous download speeds and will be available on over 100 carriers worldwide.

• 
• 
• 
• 

Announced in the very same room as 2001's original iPod, Apple's new iPhone 4S runs on the new iOS 5 platform and is powered by the company's new dual-core A5 chip, that's said to be twice as fast as its predecessor. Mobile gamers will no doubt be pleased to hear that the included dual-core graphics are up to seven times faster than before. The new smartphone's battery life is claimed to offer either eight hours of 3G talk time, six hours of browsing, nine hours on Wi-Fi, ten hours of video playback, or 40 hours of music.

As the rumor-mill predicted, the 4S features a new 8 megapixel camera sensor (in actuality a 3264 x 2448 pixel resolution, backside illuminated CMOS sensor). There's a hybrid IR filter for more accurate colors and a five element f/2.4 aperture lens for 30 percent sharper images. The sensor also caters for full 1080p high definition video recording with image stabilization and noise reduction. Users can line up a shot using optional onscreen grid lines, and the new Photo app allows for simple in-device editing - such as crop, rotate, enhance and red-eye removal.

Access to the camera has been simplified - users just need to double-tap on the home screen to activate the new camera app, and use the volume up button as a shutter release. A new Apple-designed Image Signal Processor caters for face detection, improved white balance, and it sees the camera ready for its first shot in just 1.1 seconds (in only 0.5 seconds, the next one can be captured).

Improved call quality and voice control

Apple says that intelligent switching between the transmit and receive antennas results in much improved call quality, and users are no longer asked to choose between GSM or CDMA networks, as the 4S supports both. Theoretical data download capabilities have been doubled to up to 14.4 Mbps with HSDPA, with uplink remaining the same as the iPhone 4 at 5.8 Mbps. The 4S has also been treated to AirPlay Mirroring, which allows gamers to throw the device's image onto the big screen - wired or wireless.

As previously mentioned, perhaps most impressive of all the new features is an Intelligent Assistant named Siri, which uses sophisticated voice recognition technology to do your bidding. Press down the onscreen icon and speak to Siri via the phone's microphone, then everything from the local real-time weather to checking stocks and shares to setting appointments, alarms and reminders to searching online for information, is made available via vocal commands.

Apple has also included a beta version Dictation feature that currently supports U.S., UK and Australian flavors of English, along with French and German, with more languages to follow in the near future.

Pricing and availability

Pre-orders for the new iPhone 4S will start on October 7, with U.S., Canada, Australia, UK, France, Germany, and Japan getting first bite on October 14. Verizon, AT&T and Sprint have all been confirmed as U.S. carriers and both black and white versions will cost US$199 for the 16GB model, US$299 for the 32GB version and US$399 for the 64GB flavor (with a 2-year contract).

Another 22 countries (including Mexico, Singapore and most of the rest of Europe) will take delivery from October 28, and the 4S will be available in 70 countries by the year's end.

In other news...

The Apple team also highlighted a few of the 200 plus new features in the new iOS 5 platform - including an interruption-free, swipe down Notification Center, a new iMessage service for sending and receiving text messages, photos and videos between iOS device users, location-aware Reminders, the Newsstand feature with background downloading of latest subscribed issues, and wireless, PC-free updates. There's also an update to the Safari browser that brings tabbed browsing to the iPad and new reader functionality with device sync. iOS 5 will be available from October 12.

Apple is also launching its iCloud services on October 12, including Find My Friends, where you can view the locations of friends who've opted to share - useful for guiding lost guests to your new house. iTunes in the Cloud comes with iTunes Match, that scans your own music library, upgrades matched songs to 256kbps AAC file format, and places the matched files into iTunes - all for US$24.99 per year (available in the U.S. from the end of this month). iCloud comes with 5GB of online storage free for iOS/OS X Lion users, with more available at a price.

By Paul Ridden