When Apple discovers a problem on your iPhone's operating system or a new feature is created, a new release of the iPhone software is released.
That new release is installed on your iPhone via iTunes. When you connect your iPhone to a computer, iTunes starts up and checks to see if your software is up to date. If not, it advises you of a newer release of software that is available for download and upgrade to your iPhone.
Here are some thing to consider when upgrading the software on your iPhone:
- Stay up to date. It can be more problematic to upgrade from an older release of software to the current release. Periodic sync'ing with iTunes will ensure that you have the most current release of software loaded on your iPhone.
- Make sure your iPhone is backed up. Most upgrades will erase your iPhone data (calendar, contacts, applications, etc.), before the upgrade occurs. The upgrade process should backup and restore all your data but we have seen this process fail. Your backup will be your safety net if the restoration fails from the upgrade process.
Need help sync'ing your iPhone with iTunes, here is an article from Apple on the process http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1386.
If you have any further problems, please feel free to contact High Tech House Calls at 404.229.0839 or carlthorne@hthcatlanta.com.