[DrBloodsplatter]

I have an iPhone 4s running version 5.1.1. I quite like it the way it is. If I update it to 6.0.1 and decide I don't like it (as it seems to have had some bad press), would it be possible to restore it to how it is now?

I avoid iTunes as much as possible but will use it under protest, if necessary!

[chenks]

technically possible, but not easy, and once the previous version stopped being signed by apple then you wouldn't be able to without a jailbreak and a backup of some system files.

you would also need to have a copy of the 5.1.1 file stored locally as itunes wouldn't provide it to you, it only provides the current release version.

as you have a 4S, there really is no reason not to upgrade to 6.x

[IslandNiles]

Originally Posted by chenks

as you have a 4S, there really is no reason not to upgrade to 6.x

The loss of Google Maps is something worth pausing to think about. You don't get that much on a 4S with iOS 6 (shared photo streams, Facebook and Twitter from the notification centre, do not disturb, other minor improvements).

[whoever,hey]

You cant officially no. Apparently google maps will be out again soon though to replace the crap apple maps.

However, i wouldn't dare update myself again. I lost all my apps, friends lost all contacts.

[chenks]

Originally Posted by IslandNiles

The loss of Google Maps is something worth pausing to think about. You don't get that much on a 4S with iOS 6 (shared photo streams, Facebook and Twitter from the notification centre, do not disturb, other minor improvements).

it really depends on the individual user as to whether the loss of google maps is a travesty or not.

for me, it's not made that much of a difference.
the apple maps for my area are far more up to the date than google (google satellite maps are at least 10 years old for my area - apple satellite maps under 2 years old).

i've seen no issues with roads being wrong or location markers being in the wrong place. any locations that are wrong are also wrong on google maps.

the addition of the built-in sat nav is a plus, and i've used it a few times and hasn't caused any issues.

there have been a lot of loud shouters about google maps, but i sense the majority probably don't really care.

[chenks]

Originally Posted by whoever,hey

However, i wouldn't dare update myself again. I lost all my apps, friends lost all contacts.

something must have went wrong with your update then, i've never lost anything during an upgrade.

of course you backed up your phone before doing it anyway, so technically you wouldn't have lost anything.

[whoever,hey]

Originally Posted by chenks

something must have went wrong with your update then, i've never lost anything during an upgrade.

of course you backed up your phone before doing it anyway, so technically you wouldn't have lost anything.

Yeah i backed it up in iTunes, where you cant see what has actually backed up . It failed!

I am actually very religious about backups. When i had my iPhone i used to sync as much as possible to the Cloud, not crappy iCloud btw, but emails, contacts and calendar to Google! Unfortunately with iTunes its bloody useless for actually seeing what has backed up to verify its going to recover!

I'm so relieved i am now finally in an ecosystem where i can test my backups actually exist!

[whoever,hey]

Originally Posted by chenks

the addition of the built-in sat nav is a plus, and i've used it a few times and hasn't caused any issues.

Does the sat nav work on a 4S? It didn't on 4.

[IslandNiles]

Originally Posted by whoever,hey

Yeah i backed it up in iTunes, where you cant see what has actually backed up . It failed!

I am actually very religious about backups. When i had my iPhone i used to sync as much as possible to the Cloud, not crappy iCloud btw, but emails, contacts and calendar to Google! Unfortunately with iTunes its bloody useless for actually seeing what has backed up to verify its going to recover!

I'm so relieved i am now finally in an ecosystem where i can test my backups actually exist!

You say crappy iCloud, but what do you mean? With iCloud, your settings, app data, texts, photos etc are backed up automatically every day without you doing anything manually. What's wrong with it?

[chenks]

Originally Posted by whoever,hey

Yeah i backed it up in iTunes, where you cant see what has actually backed up . It failed!

I am actually very religious about backups. When i had my iPhone i used to sync as much as possible to the Cloud, not crappy iCloud btw, but emails, contacts and calendar to Google! Unfortunately with iTunes its bloody useless for actually seeing what has backed up to verify its going to recover!

I'm so relieved i am now finally in an ecosystem where i can test my backups actually exist!

you can easily see what backups exist in itunes - it even gives you the name of the iphone and the date

[chenks]

Originally Posted by whoever,hey

Does the sat nav work on a 4S? It didn't on 4.

yes, i have a 4S and have used the satnav a few times now

[chenks]

Originally Posted by IslandNiles

You say crappy iCloud, but what do you mean? With iCloud, your settings, app data, texts, photos etc are backed up automatically every day without you doing anything manually. What's wrong with it?

well only every day assuming the phone is connected to mains power and is on WIFI.
but yeah, other than that it's pretty flawless.

[IslandNiles]

Originally Posted by chenks

well only every day assuming the phone is connected to mains power and is on WIFI.
but yeah, other than that it's pretty flawless.

Well yeah but most people charge their phones every day. You've just got to leave wifi on.

When I got my new phone, I restored from an iCloud backup. It restored all my apps in the correct folders, my wallpapers, ringtones, app data (game scores etc), texts, contacts, all that stuff. When I opened calculator it even had the number on the screen from the last time I'd used it on my old phone. Incredible.

[chenks]

Originally Posted by IslandNiles

Well yeah but most people charge their phones every day. You've just got to leave wifi on.

mine usually charges whilst in the car, so i have to usually initiate a manual icloud backup.

Originally Posted by IslandNiles

When I got my new phone, I restored from an iCloud backup. It restored all my apps in the correct folders, my wallpapers, ringtones, app data (game scores etc), texts, contacts, all that stuff. When I opened calculator it even had the number on the screen from the last time I'd used it on my old phone. Incredible.

yeah exactly, after a backup restore (via icloud or itunes) will make a replacement iphone or a restored phone look exactly like the previous phone.

[whoever,hey]

Originally Posted by chenks

you can easily see what backups exist in itunes - it even gives you the name of the iphone and the date

Lol, that is not what i call "see what has backed up"!

I did a manual backup before upgrading. It just lied or was just the biggest load of crap buggy backup software i've ever used .

[chenks]

Originally Posted by whoever,hey

Lol, that is not what i call "see what has backed up"!

what, you want it to list each and every file it has backed up?
how would that benefit you? it's a full backup, not a selective one.

Originally Posted by whoever,hey

I did a manual backup before upgrading. It just lied or was just the biggest load of crap buggy backup software i've ever used .

did you backup over iCloud and iTunes? if you did you would have had 2 backups.

and with contacts, you still wouldn't have lost them as you would still have your contacts on your local address book surely (be it via google or icloud or whatever).

[DrBloodsplatter]

Thanks for the replies, folks - think I'll keep it as it is for the moment, the process doesn't seem too reliable and too many unexpected results from what I've read.

[IslandNiles]

^^^
Yeah, even if you don't restore, you will get your contacts, calendars etc as long as you have them set to sync (not necessarily backup) with iCloud. I set my iPad up as a new device (didn't want all the same apps etc on it) and all my contacts etc just appeared on it automatically.

[chenks]

Originally Posted by DrBloodsplatter

Thanks for the replies, folks - think I'll keep it as it is for the moment, the process doesn't seem too reliable and too many unexpected results from what I've read.

the process is simple and you can't take 1 persons problem here as a gauge to say unreliable etc!

you can do the update OTA or via iTunes, both kick off a backup before doing anything.

[whoever,hey]

Originally Posted by chenks

what, you want it to list each and every file it has backed up?
how would that benefit you? it's a full backup, not a selective one.

I could have seen the backup wouldn't have worked! Its not that complicated is it? With all decent backup solutions you can see WHAT has backed up! Its called a sanity check.

Obviously iTunes doesn't need it because it just "works"! But it DOESN'T.

[chenks]

Originally Posted by whoever,hey

I could have seen the backup wouldn't have worked! Its not that complicated is it? With all decent backup solutions you can see WHAT has backed up! Its called a sanity check.

Obviously iTunes doesn't need it because it just "works"! But it DOESN'T.

so what happened to your icloud backup then?

[whoever,hey]

Originally Posted by chenks

so what happened to your icloud backup then?

I dont understand what you are asking here?

[chenks]

Originally Posted by whoever,hey

I dont understand what you are asking here?

well the iphone can backup to 2 places.

1) manually to itunes via USB cable or wifi sync to your itunes library on pc/mac

2) OTA via WIFI to your iCloud account in the cloud.
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4859

surely you know about iCloud backup.

[whoever,hey]

Originally Posted by chenks

well the iphone can backup to 2 places.

1) manually to itunes via USB cable or wifi sync to your itunes library on pc/mac

2) OTA via WIFI to your iCloud account in the cloud.
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4859

surely you know about iCloud backup.

You cant upload your texts or apps with layout to iCloud .

[chenks]

Originally Posted by whoever,hey

You cant upload your texts or apps with layout to iCloud .

yes it does.
i used icloud backup restore many times and it's the exact same backup as you do with itunes, it's just stored in the cloud rather than locally.

it restores your phone complete with photos, texts, contacts everything.