How do I upgrade my iPod or iPhone firmware?
Upgrades to the Apple iPhone and iPod seem to come faster and faster as technology moves from the 3G smart phone system into the 3Gs and soon, the 4G. Keeping the two Apple smart devices on pace with technology is more driven by the manufacturer than the device owner. Apple drives both the iPhone and iPod through the latest version of iTunes. New firmware versions are pushed onto the devices with little control over when the upgrade occurs once the unit is attached to the base computer and iTunes is open.
While this makes it easy to upgrade firmware on the Apple devices, it can also cause inconveniences if the upgrade occurs while the user is on the phone or in the middle of an activity on the Internet.
Ensure the latest version of iTunes is installed on the base computer. Verify by selecting the “Help” menu and clicking on “About iTunes.” Make a note of the version number at the top of the scrolling list of copyrights and credits. The scroll can be stopped by clicking on the scrolling text. Then from the Help menu again, select “Check for Updates.” If there is an update available, iTunes will ask if downloading and installing is desired.
Updating the firmware is automatic. iTunes checks for firmware updates each week and pushes the updated firmware to the iPhone or iPod if new programming is ready for download. In iTunes, on the “Device” page under the “Summary” tab there is also a button to “Check for Updates.” A manual check is possible simply by connecting the device and clicking this button.
