Over-The-Air (OTA) updates may be coming to the Apple iPhone with iOS 5. A report by 9to5Mac.com which cites multiple anonymous sources indicates that the feature will be included in the first release of iOS 5. Subsequent point releases would then use the feature rather than having users connect their iPhones to iTunes to perform the update.
The feature may not be available to all users though as it will require the support of carriers. Apple and Verizon are apparently already in discussions but it’s not clear if Apple is also already negotiating with other carriers.
With current updates topping out over 600MB, it is likely that a move to OTA will also see Apple move from full OS downloads to incremental updates. Today, iTunes also provides a backup in case of a failed update. This could become a cloud-based service with iOS 5.
It is possible that OTA updates will also be coming to the Apple iPad and iPod touch.
Apple is expected to unveil iOS 5 at WWDC in June.