9to5Mac is reporting that Apple is in talks with Verizon to help bring over-the-air iOS updates to the iPhone via iOS 5. The report notes that the iOS 5 update will not be delivered over-the-air but each successive minor point update will.
Credit where credit is due- Android is already doing this. That is, OS updates are delivered directly to the device, without the need to sync with software on a PC. These updates can be pipped to the device either by 3G service, or by WiFi.
So why the negotiating with Verizon? Well, these updates are normally fairly large, and require a lot of bandwidth. Over a 3G connection of course, the burden is with the carrier. This is something Apple might want to check in with carrier partners before implementing. I suspect it will be a similar situation as with iOS 3 and tethering- each carrier will be able to decide if they want to offer the feature.
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