Install iPhone OS 4.0 (iOS 4.0)

Do you want an early taste of what iOS 4.0 (the new name of Apple’s iPhone OS 4.0) has to offer?
Then follow these steps!
Be carefull, installing this version of iOS 4.0 is at your risk. This version is not yet the final version, but is a Gold Master Candidate, meaning that it is pretty near being the final version. This version is opened up for iPhone software developers, and can be installed without the need to register your UDID with Apple. Meaning, everyone can install it. Well, not everyone actually. To install iOS 4.0, you also need iTunes 9.2, and this is at this moment only available on Mac yet.

My findings
I’ve installed iOS 4.0 only a few hours ago, so I haven’t really had the time yet to fully test it. Besides that, although iOS 4.0 can also be installed on the older iPhone versions (2, 3G, 3GS), it may lack some features on some of those iPhones. One of the most interesting new features is Multitasking, which is not available on the iPhone 2G and 3G, same goes for the background picture on the springboard. What is available to all users, and is an incredible plus to my opinion, is folders on the homescreen. This means you can finally tidy up your iPhone’s homescreen, as you can see in the picture.

To install
Download and install iTunes 9.2 beta (links below). Once this is installed, and you have downloaded the new firmware (iOS 4.0) to your computer, connect your iPhone to your mac. For all safety, let it make a backup first! Once that is finished, select your iPhone in the left-hand bar in iTunes under devices, and go to the “summary” tab. Hold your “alt” key, and click on the “restore” button in iTunes. This will bring up a file select window, where you can point to the new firmware you’ve just downloaded (IPSW file). Now you’re iPhone will be restored with the new iOS 4.0. This process will take about 10-15 minutes.

The Links

iTunes 9.2 Beta, 69.62MB