Early this week, Apple officially announced that iOS 7 is coming next Wednesday, September 18th. If you’ve got an existing iPhone and you’re concerned about what you need to do to prepare for the next iOS version, the good news is that despite the major user interface changes, the actual updating process is pretty straightforward, and won’t be any different from other recent iOS updates. Apple will likely make it available as an “over-the-air” (OTA) update, meaning you should be able to download it over your Wi-Fi connection and update without even connecting to your computer.
That said, it’s always a really good idea to ensure that you have a current backup to either iTunes or iCloud, and in fact it really doesn’t hurt to do both before attempting an update. While most iOS updates install “in-place” without any problems, making a backup is always a sensible precaution just in case. Even if you’re normally backing up to iCloud, you can easily make a manual backup in iTunes any time you like; simply select your device in iTunes 11 and click the “Back Up Now” button that appears on the summary screen and iTunes will immediately make an on-demand backup of your device. You can also check the date and time of the last backup to each service from the same page.
Be sure to check back next week for our comprehensive guides to what’s new in iOS 7 along with what to look for in the updating process and how to smoothly transition to the new iOS 7 user interface.