iOS 6

I’ve now upgraded my iPhone3GS from iOS 5.1.1 to iOS 6. I  put this upgrade on hold, mainly due to a freelance iOS App Testing project I was working on requiring me to keep iOS 5.1.1 but also partly due to waiting for some fix version releases, to address any initial problems (e.g. iOS 6.0.1)

One of my main hopes for the iOS 6 upgrade was that it would address some of the performance problems I’d experienced using iOS 5.1.1 where some of the Apps seemed to be working in slow motion. Some net reviews / blogs were encouraging reading on this point. Though of course, you never know until you upgrade your own device.

Upgrade

  • The upgrade process was fairly painless, though took a bit longer than expected.
  • I synced my iPhone3GS before the upgrade, so I had a recent backup. This meant I upgraded via iTunes, with the iPhone3GS in the cradle.
  • The device had 1.12 Gb free space on it, according to iTunes.
  • iTunes said iOS 6.0.1 was available for the upgrade
  • Took quite a while to download the actual upgrade file(s) – which proved to be 780 Mb
  • Once downloaded, I then installed it.
  • The whole process took just over 30 minutes
  • Once the upgrade was completed and the iPhone3GS had restarted, there were a couple of steps to go through before using it.
  • Step 1 – Select wifi network – this had my existing wifi network already chosen in the list and was as easy as just selecting it
  • Step 2 – Turn on Location Servcies
  • Step 3 – Signin with Apple ID – it says for iCloud, Messages and FaceTime

Initial Thoughts

  • Initial thoughts are that it looks a little bit different, but hardly noticable differences
  • After a couple of days usage, it does seem to be a smoother and faster experience, with fewer delays when using the built-in Apps. This was especially noticed (and appreciated) in the Notes and Calendar Apps.
  • However, some Apps are still slow – with the re-designed App Store still slow and painful to use.
  • One interesting point is that there’s now 2.4 Gb of free space on my iPhone3GS, so after the upgrade I’ve got an extra 1.2 Gb
  • Apps-wise, some big changes have made in the upgrade process – with Google’s Maps and YouTube apps no longer being included.
  • Apple’s own Maps app replaces the Google Maps app – much has been written of people’s disappointments with the Apple Maps app

The next blog post – Part 2 – will look at the New Features and Changes in iOS 6