It’s officially iPhone 3G Launch Day Eve, and the iPhone 3G is basically going to dominate the blogosphere even more so than it has over the past few months, or even this past week. And, to make sure all you iPhone 3G hopefuls have something to do while you wait for the doors of your local Apple or AT&T store to fly open, Apple has posted the highly-anticipated iPhone 2.0 OS firmware.
This link will get you downloading and on your way to iPhone 2.0 OS-bliss. But, be warned, you’ll need to backup all your data before you install the new firmware.
According to Apple, all your data will be wiped clean:
“Normally if you choose to update, the iPhone or iPod touch software is updated but your settings and media are not affected. If your device currently has a software version prior to 2.0 (1.x) and you are updating to software version 2.0 or later, all data on your device will be erased in order to perform install the new software. In this case, iTunes will offer to create a one-time media backup of your device depending on what content is on your device and what content is stored in the iTunes Library you are connected to. You should ensure that you have enough free space on your Mac or PC to accommodate a backup that matches the capacity of your iPhone or iPod touch (4 GB, 8 GB, 16 GB, or 32 GB) if you proceed with the this backup.”
To install the new firmware, download the .ipsw file here. Then connect your iPhone to your computer and fire up iTunes. Under the iPhone tab, Option+Click (on a Mac) or Ctrl+Click (on a PC) on the “Update” button. You’ll want to choose the firmware file that you just downloaded, and wait for iPhone 2.0 OS to install on your iPhone.
You’ll need the new firmware to surf the newly opened Apple AppStore on your iPhone. Or, you can just update your iTunes to v7.7 and get jiggy with the AppStore on your desktop.
Update at your own risk. This particular instance of the iPhone 2.0 OS isn’t official (even though it’s from Apple). So, again, proceed at your own risk.
Update:
Reports are coming in that some users are experiencing lagging problems with the new iPhone 2.0 OS. Having been hosted on Apple’s own site, we would have thought that this firmware would be just as good as an official release. But, as is par for the course with Apple, they haven’t been forthcoming with any information regarding the iPhone 2.0 OS.
We’re also hearing that the direct-download link fetches the iPhone 2.0 OS designed for the iPhone 3G specifically. Do what you will, and remember, it’s at your own risk.