Why Did Apple Require iTunes Connection to Set Up iPhones in the Past?

Many people were skeptical about over-the-air setups back then and felt that connecting to iTunes was a safer bet. iPhones basically evolved from iPods, which required a PC for everything. It's interesting how that influenced the early user experience!

Let's be real; Apple had a vested interest in getting iTunes on as many computers as possible. Since their mobile service was initially tied to AT&T, which wasn't great, having a computer connection gave users some assurance that setups would be reliable.

Initially, iTunes was crucial because it started with the iPod, which integrated music with iTunes. It made sense to build the iPhone setup process around that existing infrastructure. Plus, back then, Wi-Fi wasn’t reliable everywhere, and mobile data was expensive, so using a computer was a more stable option for updates and app installations.

At launch, cellular speeds were super slow, making it tough to download updates directly on the iPhone. iTunes ensured a smoother, safer setup process. They leveraged the existing iTunes user base since most iPhone buyers already had computers.

iTunes offered a convenient way to manage music, books, and apps. Since many users were already using iTunes for their iPods, it streamlined the iPhone setup by letting you sync everything easily. For businesses managing multiple devices, it was much quicker to restore several iPhones in one go rather than downloading updates repeatedly.