iPhone 3G migration & best practices

July 6, 2008 1:29 PM

Migrating from iPod Touch to iPhone?

So, if everything goes well this Friday I'll be getting a new, 16GB 3G iPhone from O2 here in London. I already have and use a 16GB Touch iPod that has the January software update installed.

There are two parts to this question: first, migration from the iPod Touch. I'm using it for contacts, photos, videos, calender and eight email accounts (four IMAP). Music I synch manually, and realise that I'll have to do this on the new device, but If I just plug the new device will iTunes on my Mac automatically recognise that I'd like to have the remaining data transferred to the iPhone? Or do I have to manually setup some things e.g., the email accounts or wireless access points?

Second, best practices for using the iPhone? I've currently got about 2.75GB free - is this enough? How much memory do you keep free on your current iPhones? I realise that very few people have actually gotten their hands on a 3G iPhone at present, but what are you folks doing now?

posted by Mutant to grab bag (5 comments total)

Email accounts and WiFi settings will not be transfered. Calendar and Contacts will.
posted by blue_beetle at 2:13 PM on July 6, 2008

However, when you first set up your iPhone, it will want to import your email accounts and bookmarks from Apple Mail and Safari.
posted by birdherder at 2:20 PM on July 6, 2008

Here is some information from Apple about backing up an iPhone or an iPod touch, and then upgrading -- the second link is largely focused on going iPhone > iPhone 3G, but restoring from your iPod touch backup to the 3G would conceivably be the same procedure, if it is supported.
posted by churl at 4:59 PM on July 6, 2008

As for your second question (which I overlooked at first, sorry); I haven't heard any hard-and-fast rules about free space, but here is a discussion with some potentially useful (although entirely anecdotal) information.
posted by churl at 5:06 PM on July 6, 2008

Ok, just to close this thread down: when I got my iPhone I did one last snyc to iTunes, and backed the device up.

Upon connecting my iPhone I was given an option to restore from backups, and it listed my iTouch (and other iPods - curious) in the drop down list to select from.

Selected my iTouch and let it rip.

Maybe five minutes later I disconnected. Contacts / Calendar came across fine. WiFi networks used regularly (we've got two at home) were fine, infrequently used didn't show up at all. Email accounts were recreated, including mail however - and this is significant - were inoperable. Upon inspection I found that although user ids / passwords and entire IMAP structures were brought across, passwords and some other minor details were not.

I was loathe to delete / recreate the setup (probably the best option), but gradually found the password, STMP servers and IMAP / device associations for several mailboxes were NOT restored onto the device.

So I'd grade Apple a B on this one. Complete except for the mail, which was sort of a problem.
posted by Mutant at 2:15 AM on July 29, 2008