New-generation handsets require additional download to perform system update

Nov 3, 2012 11:25 GMT  ·  By

iPhone 5 owners updating to the new iOS 6.0.1 are greeted by an additional update screen that doesn’t pop up for older-generation iPhones, iPads and iPod touch players. It presents them with an iOS Updater application that facilitates over-the-air (OTA) updates on the new smartphone.

Before iOS 6.0.1 is presented, iPhone 5 handsets request the iOS Updater from Apple’s servers to fix “a bug that prevents iPhone 5 from installing software updates wirelessly over the air.”

“Download and install the updater and it will automatically prepare this iPhone to install the iOS software update.”

As the screenshots show, iOS Updater is a standalone application that installs itself on the Home screen like a regular program from the App Store.

When tapped, the customer is presented with iOS 6.0.1, the actual system update for all iPhones, iPads and iPod touch players. Here, everything goes back to normal.

Customers can tap Learn More and the change-log will appear. After reviewing the release notes, users can go back to the previous screen and tap Download and Install to have iOS 6.0.1 applied to their iPhone 5.

During the process of updating the phone’s software, the iOS Updater icon remains on the user’s Home screen. However, as the software update process ends, iOS Updater deletes itself from the iPhone.

It is unclear whether the iOS Installer is a one-time affair for owners of iPhone 5 handsets. There’s a good chance it will not pop up with future releases, as the purpose of iOS Installer is stated clearly by Apple - to fix the bug related to OTA updates on the iPhone 5.

For those who haven’t yet installed Apple’s iOS 6.0.1, the update fixes a reported bug where horizontal lines may be displayed across the virtual keyboard when typing text, a problem with the camera flash not going off in some circumstances, Wi-Fi and cellular connection tweaks, a Passcode lock bug, and an issue affecting Exchange meetings. A couple of security-related bugs are also patched.

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Apple states the purpose of iOS Updater for iPhone 5
Users told to "download and install" updater utility
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