Can't wait for Oct. 12th for iOS 5? Here's how to upgrade right now

Ricardo Trejo Oct 7, 2011 Follow Me Follow Me Follow Me Follow Me Follow Me Follow Me Follow Me Follow Us Apple, Applications, Downloads, Gadgets, Geek Culture, How to, News, iPad, iPhone, iPod

Not getting a new iPhone 4S? Well, that’s no biggie. You can still enjoy the many new features coming to Apple’s mobile products with iOS 5. And now you don’t even have to wait until October 12th when it officially launches to try it out. We’ve got links and a short tutorial to get you started with iCloud, Notifications Center, and iMessage.

You’re going to need the following:

iTunes 10.5 7 Beta (available otherwise only to developers)

7-Zip (Windows users)

iCloud Control Panel (Windows users)

iOS 5 files for iDevice of your choice:

• iPhone 4 (GSM)
• iPhone 4 (CDMA)
• iPhone 3GS
• iPad 2 (Wi-Fi only)
• iPad 2 (Wi-Fi + 3G GSM)
• iPad 2 (Wi-Fi + 3G CDMA)
• iPad 1 (Wi-Fi only)
• iPod touch (3G)
• iPod touch (4G)

After installing the latest beta of iTunes and downloading the appropriate files for the device you want to upgrade, you’re going to want to open up the .DMG file you downloaded with 7-Zip. From there you’re going to want to open the .HFS file, then copy over the IPSW recovery file (looks like a white Apple lego block to me) over to your desktop. 

Open iTunes, plug or dock your iDevice to your computer — at this point you’re going to want to back up your device for contacts, photos, songs, apps, and all that business, since once you the process is over it’s going to be wiped clean — select your iDevice, hold SHIFT and click “Restore” and browse for the IPSW recovery file on your desktop. Your device should then begin the extraction and software installation process and after about  5 - 10 minutes you’ll see the new iTunes-less iOS set up on your device.

(Thanks goes to GreenDude33 for supplying iTunes beta download.)