The next major iOS upgrade - and it will be a hefty one - should propel the iDevice universe into iOS 5-land. Once iOS 5 is made available, subsequent software updates may be delivered to the iPhone over the air.
In this regard, however, Apple isn't ahead of the curve, it's actually playing catch-up. Given that a number of rival smartphones already offer over-the-air operating system updates, Apple will simply be striving to better compete with other handsets and technologies that, at present, are superior to Apple's iOS in some regards.
Quote:
Obviously, if this is a feature in iOS 5, it should conceivably make its way to iPad and iPod touches as well. That means iTunes may no longer be a needed conduit for updating iOS devices in the future. It would also mean that the iPad could finally be a stand alone device.
Of course, Apple would likely have to change to a considerable degree how frequently it delivers software updates - updates that will now have to come in much smaller download packages. After all, many of us had a chuckle at Engadget's jab at yesterday's release of iOS 4.3.3, which delivered a sizable 666.2 MB file to update iPhones to a version that only accomplishes the *quot;removal of things.*quot;
Source: 9to5Mac
