With iOS 12.4 or later, you can now perform a local iPhone data migration when setting up your new iPhone.
As part of Quick Start, you can now Transfer Your Data directly, without requiring the use iCloud or an iTunes backup. The iPhone defaults to using local WiFi, but you can transfer wired using the USB3 Camera Adapter and a Lightning cable.
To use the new iPhone set up option, both the new factory-reset iPhone and your existing iPhone must be running iOS 12.4 or later.
If you do have two compatible iPhones, perform a new iPhone set up wirelessly by holding your current iPhone near the new device to begin the Quick Start process. Confirm the Apple ID is correct and then follow the steps.
MacDailyNews Take: Easy, simple, and doesn’t invoke the specter of full iCloud storage! You can bet that Apple Retail Store staff are loving this feature as the iCloud storage issue was often a PITA stumbling block for them in helping customers move to new iPhones!
Thank God!
The iCloud restore option was a good thing overall, but it could be flaky, slow, and confusing. Especially so when it seemed like it was done, but then you noticed things hadn’t synced down yet.
Hmmm…..64GB on wireless transfer. Better be prepered to take a nap or two while waiting.
Hmmm… there’s also a wired option, but the trondud didn’t think of that. What a dud.
Apple probably doesn’t transfer your apps from one phone to the other, since the slimmed packages might be different depending on screen size (think migrating from a Plus phone to an SE). So probably you’d just be moving your data, not the apps themselves. This would be much smaller. If the alternative is to transfer wired twice (from your old phone to your iTunes backup and from iTunes backup to the new phone), it might not be that much slower.