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Will "Set up as new phone" erase data?

In a nutshell, "Does 'Set up as new phone' clear the data on the iPhone?"

Details:
A friend of mine has had a 3G iPhone for a few months. For various reasons he never got around to syncing it with a computer. Yes I know its strange and I don't understand either.

He's used the phone for a lot of email, photos, etc. He also has his contacts saved of course.

When I connect it to the computer (being the first time its ever been connected) it gives me the option to "Set up as new iPhone". I can't figure out if setting it up as a new iPhone will wipe the device or not.

I don't want to erase everything, as there is no way of backing it up until a relationship with iTunes is established. Its a catch 22, sort of. It seems to me that the restore process is what clears the device and setting up as new iphone is simply forming a link with iTunes. If thats the case, I'll be ok since I'm NOT restoring. But I don't know for sure. Help 🙂

MacBook Pro (First edition, baby!), iPhone OS 3.0

Posted on Jun 20, 2009 6:43 PM

Reply
5 replies

Jun 22, 2009 9:55 PM in response to Barry Porter1

Thanks for the response 🙂

I don't have the option to do anything else. All I can do is restore from a backup or set up as a new phone!

It sort of surprises if indeed it'll delete everything. Im sure lots of people fire up their iPhones when they leave the store and put in a few numbers on the drive home. Then plugging it erases it all? Hmm

I am hoping we're wrong, buddy.

Will "Set up as new phone" erase data?

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