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Upgrading from a 4 to a 5 - How To Transfer Stuff

spotco2

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I've had an iPhone 4 (Verizon) for several years and just picked up a iPhone 5 and would like to transfer everything over from the old phone to the new.

What is the easiest way to do this and transfer all of the existing pics, doc's, contacts, etc?

Can I do it in iTunes or is it as simple as swapping SIM cards like the old phones? I'm not as up on new phones as I used to be and would like to do this the easiest way possible.

The 5 is a Verizon phone from a private party that upgraded. It has been restored and does not have the icloud lock or password protected. I do have my itunes user name and password.
 
Backup your device via iTunes on your 4, and restore the backup on the 5. All non-DMCA/DRM/copywritten protected contents will be backed. Your music, movies (not camera videos), books, apps will have to be manually synced over as they will not be a part of your backup.
 
Forgive my ignorance, but I am assuming that you mean that contacts and photo's will move from one phone to the other via the backup and restore but not the rest.

I do know how to move apps and some other things using iTunes. Are copies of the books and ringtones (no movies) stored there? Don't really care much about having music on it. It's a work phone and use an iPod for music.

What if I want to change computers from my old office desktop to my new laptop? Can I just authorize iTunes on the new computer and back up there and move everything with it or since the old phone was always synched with the old desktop do I need to keep using it?

Just trying to avoid that "oh crap" moment when you realize something is missing.
 
I just discovered that the 4 that I have appears to have a Micro SIM card and the 5 will have a NANO SIM card.

Where can I get a new SIM card for the new phone? Can I just go by the local Verizon store? How is this going to impact changing over from one phone to the other?
 
I just discovered that the 4 that I have appears to have a Micro SIM card and the 5 will have a NANO SIM card. Where can I get a new SIM card for the new phone? Can I just go by the local Verizon store? How is this going to impact changing over from one phone to the other?
Just go to your cellular carrier and have the new SIM card installed in the phone, it won't affect switching phones at all.

scifan57; iPhone Forums Moderator
 
Follow up post.

The phone still had a SIM card, so that was no problem.

Backed up iPhone 4, started up iPhone 5 and restored it from the latest backup on the computer.

Called Verizon, gave them some info from the phone, restarted a couple of times and everything works perfect. Phone looks just like my 4 but MUCH faster! Contacts, pics and messages were all there. Did lose some messages from this morning but that was all.

Thanks everyone for the help. Super easy transfer. Now I just have to learn how to use a 5.
 
Follow up post.

The phone still had a SIM card, so that was no problem.

Backed up iPhone 4, started up iPhone 5 and restored it from the latest backup on the computer.

Called Verizon, gave them some info from the phone, restarted a couple of times and everything works perfect. Phone looks just like my 4 but MUCH faster! Contacts, pics and messages were all there. Did lose some messages from this morning but that was all.

Thanks everyone for the help. Super easy transfer. Now I just have to learn how to use a 5.

The 5 is just a slightly longer and (as you said) faster iPhone 4. You now have Siri which was not available on the iPhone 4, as well as panorama in camera (nice addition if you're into videos or photo taking). Outside of that, there's not really much that's different. What you can do on the 4, you can do faster on the 5. The slightly larger screen is a huge plus in my opinion.
 
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