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firmware update

K

krssubbu

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Dec 12, 2012
17
0
Hi,

i am new to this forum. i have a phone 3gs running on ios 3.1.3 (very old !!!). i need to update it to 4.2 or 4.3 (not jail break). I have downloaded the ipsw files for 4.3 and 3.1.3 (just in case). how do i go about upgrading the firmware. is it straight forward or do i have to go to a shop to get this done. (i read saying that on tunes shift+click on restore iphone and choose the 4.3 ipsw file and its done. is this true ?)


I contacted Apple and they say to upgrade to ios 6 which i dont want to do because my phone is just a 3gs model and it will be sluggish.

Any help please ?

Thanks
 
JetBlack7

JetBlack7

macrumors 68030
May 14, 2011
2,543
787
Portugal
Plug your iPhone to your PC and open iTunes, click on your phone to view the specs and then click "Search for Updates" and when the update pops up, click install.
 
K

krssubbu

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Dec 12, 2012
17
0
the update is for ios 6.0 which i dont want to do. so any other way i can upgrade to ios 4.3 ?
 
K

krssubbu

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Dec 12, 2012
17
0
not really i had a few friends complaining about it. So any way i can grade to ios 4.3 or even 5.1
 
Beeplance

Beeplance

macrumors 68000
Jul 29, 2012
1,564
500
I genuinely thought Apple doesn't sign another other firmware for the 3GS except for iOS 4.1 and iOS 6.0.1 now? There isn't any way to update to any other versions.
 
I

itjw

macrumors 65816
Dec 20, 2011
1,088
6
Buy a 4. The 3GS scuffs and has "crackgate"

Otherwise update to 6. Can't pick and choose your firmware for 3GS (unless you lie and jailbreak lol)
 
SnowLeopard2008

SnowLeopard2008

macrumors 604
Jul 4, 2008
6,772
17
Silicon Valley
Not sluggish, my friend had a 3GS (he recently just upgraded to i5) for like 2+ years and upgraded to iOS 6 when it came out. No problems. He told me it was fine, definitely not as quick as i5 but no slowdowns either.
 
I

itjw

macrumors 65816
Dec 20, 2011
1,088
6
krssubbu said:
ok can i ask how to jail break then ?
Click to expand...

The most popular way is with a nail file hidden in a cake (at least from most movies I've seen).

It will only allow you to change firmwares if you HAD been jailbreaking and had your signature handshakes from Apple's servers saved somewhere. Without those you will NOT be able to restore a 3GS to anything but the current one that Apple is signing.

So had you been jailbreaking? If not, better head to 6.0 and live with it.

Or sell it. That 3GS was an abomination with the plastic back and scratchy showing bezel (just kidding, it was a great phone, but the OCD folks are silly when it comes to cosmetics on the 5 all of a sudden).

Then get a 4 (preferably a 5). FAR superior hardware.
 
K

krssubbu

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Dec 12, 2012
17
0
if i had the money i would have gone for a iphone 5 or samsung galaxy s3 !!

i had not been jail breaking and its running on a 3.1.2 ios. just wondering would i be able to jailbreak it now and upgrade to ios4.3 (i know my other option is to upgrade to ios6.0 but just keeping my options open). can someone tell me how to jailbreak as i have not done this before and would be very keen on learning to do this ?

Thanks
 
C

cperchard

macrumors 6502a
Jun 15, 2010
804
11
krssubbu said:
if i had the money i would have gone for a iphone 5 or samsung galaxy s3 !!

i had not been jail breaking and its running on a 3.1.2 ios. just wondering would i be able to jailbreak it now and upgrade to ios4.3 (i know my other option is to upgrade to ios6.0 but just keeping my options open). can someone tell me how to jailbreak as i have not done this before and would be very keen on learning to do this ?

Thanks
Click to expand...

Dear god, have you honestly never heard of google?
 
K

krssubbu

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Dec 12, 2012
17
0
@cperchard - ofcourse i have heard of google but if you had been using google you would have know that it gives 1000 pages of results and on reading just 1% of those links, i bet anyone would get confused.

if you would like to help, you can post the links (that would help and it is clear) on google !
 
I

itjw

macrumors 65816
Dec 20, 2011
1,088
6
krssubbu said:
if i had the money i would have gone for a iphone 5 or samsung galaxy s3 !!

i had not been jail breaking and its running on a 3.1.2 ios. just wondering would i be able to jailbreak it now and upgrade to ios4.3 (i know my other option is to upgrade to ios6.0 but just keeping my options open). can someone tell me how to jailbreak as i have not done this before and would be very keen on learning to do this ?

Thanks
Click to expand...

Sorry if I've been unclear, but: NO.

The 3GS requires every update to be signed by Apple. There is a way to "fake out" the system, but only if you had been saving those signatures (by jailbreaking).

Because you are on 3.1.2 without any of that information, your options are to stay at 3.1.2 (hoping that you never have to restore) and you CAN jailbreak if you want (just not to upgrade) or go to the current FW (6.0.1).

Frankly, given that you haven't collected the info you need, you should just upgrade at this point and move on. In the event that your phone freezes and forces you to update, you won't have a choice anyway and will HAVE to go to 6, so you may as well now.
 
I

itjw

macrumors 65816
Dec 20, 2011
1,088
6
Applejuiced said:
You are correct.
Only option is stay where he's at, or to 4.1 or 6.0.1
No other choices without shsh blobs.
Click to expand...


I wasn't aware of 4.1 still being signed. That is great news for the OP.

My mistake if that is the case. Forgot Apple was treating "legacy" devices slightly differently haha... good catch!
 
Applejuiced

Applejuiced

macrumors Westmere
Apr 16, 2008
40,672
6,533
At the iPhone hacks section.
itjw said:
I wasn't aware of 4.1 still being signed. That is great news for the OP.

My mistake if that is the case. Forgot Apple was treating "legacy" devices slightly differently haha... good catch!
Click to expand...

Yes, its very weird but since September 2010 Apple still releases the 4.1 firmware shsh blobs just for the 3GS.
I dont get why either:D
 
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