iOS Upgrading/backgrading ios test devices

[1458279]

I want to upgrade my device to iOS 6, but I'd like the option to backgrade it to iOS 4 or 5 later when I do final testing.

The problem is that iTunes doesn't allow you to backgrade a device.

I see that tinyumbrella http://thefirmwareumbrella.blogspot.com/
but it looks like it involves jailbreaking the device, but I'm not sure.

It involves saving the shsh file (I guess a key signature file).

Q. Does anyone know of a way to backgrade a test device?

Does the backgrade involve jailbreaking?

Is there any way to save an image of iOS from the device?

I really don't want to spend the money on buying used devices just for running test. I see that Xcode 4.5 only goes back as far as iOS 4.3 and there are millions of these old devices out there (don't have a clue how many still use iOS 4.3, but if supporting these older devices means more sales, I want to keep that option open).

 

[samdev]

I want to upgrade my device to iOS 6, but I'd like the option to backgrade it to iOS 4 or 5 later when I do final testing.

The problem is that iTunes doesn't allow you to backgrade a device.

I see that tinyumbrella http://thefirmwareumbrella.blogspot.com/
but it looks like it involves jailbreaking the device, but I'm not sure.

It involves saving the shsh file (I guess a key signature file).

Q. Does anyone know of a way to backgrade a test device?

Does the backgrade involve jailbreaking?

Is there any way to save an image of iOS from the device?

I really don't want to spend the money on buying used devices just for running test. I see that Xcode 4.5 only goes back as far as iOS 4.3 and there are millions of these old devices out there (don't have a clue how many still use iOS 4.3, but if supporting these older devices means more sales, I want to keep that option open).

Backgrade? You mean downgrade?

TinyUmbrella doesn't require a jailbroken device to use. It just tries to download shsh blobs for all
known versions of your device. If it doesn't download them, then you can't downgrade to them.

And, I don't think you can backup your current iOS, and then later restore it, if you
change iOS versions. So, you're out of luck in both cases. Only thing left is to jailbreak it.

 

[ArtOfWarfare]

Downgrading is easily the most frustrating thing I've ever done in the name of "developing."

It's not worth your time or effort to support iOS 4:

http://insights.chitika.com/2012/ios-6-adoption-one-month/

When that article was released, 9% of users were on iOS 4. It's been two months. I predict the number has dropped to between 5 and 7 percent, and it'll drop further still before your app is released.

I also suspect that people still running iOS 4 aren't the kind of people likely to find your app on the App Store, or to pay for it if they do.

If you're going to insist on supporting iOS 4, I would say test it with the simulator only. It'll be worlds easier than downgrading a physical device.