Apple is currently testing the beta version for iOS 12.1 but in the mean time they released a small upgrade for the operating system, iOS 12.0.1
iOS 12 since it’s launch proved to be noticeably faster, allot more stable than iOS 11. But with all the goodies that it came, iOS 12 also had a few quite embarrassing flaws and with iOS 12.0.1 Apple hopes to address many of these issues.
iOS 12.0.1 can be installed on all iOS 11 compatible device, even if you did not made an upgrade to iOS 12 in the past. This means that you can run the latest iOS on the iPhone 5S and later, iPad mini 2 and later as well as on the 6’th generation of iPad.
If the device you have right now is compatible with the latest release you will get a prompt to upgrade automatically. If this does not happen you can do it manually as well by going to Settings->General->Software Update and you will find the update there. Every update varies in size so make sure you have enough space on your phone before doing it.
So you did the upgrade. Great! But keep in mind as there are early issues as with all first software updates launches. The main issue that iOS 12.0.1 addressed was the charging problem, but some users already report that the fix does not work, though a large number of users report that the fix works for them. Other issues like low WiFi performance, Bluetooth connectivity bugs like finding other devices or holding a connection for a long time are still being reported. On the bright side battery life seems to have improved which is great.
What’s the official statement of Apple regarding the update? Apple official release notes mentions:
- Fixes an issue where some iPhone XS devices did not immediately charge when connected to a Lightning cable
- Resolves an issue that could cause iPhone XS devices to rejoin a Wi-Fi network at 2.4GHz instead of 5GHz
- Restores the original position of the “.?123” key on the iPad keyboard
- Fixes an issue where subtitles may not appear in some video apps
- Addresses an issue where Bluetooth could become unavailable
From all of these fixes the charging problem was by far the biggest and it seems that Apple managed to address it properly. The same can be said about Bluetooth and WiFi but complains seem to keep going.
The repositioning of the “.?123” key on the iPad keyboard on the old iOS version was very unpopular and Apple took a note and addressed it as well. It is now back on the normal position, and it should remain as it. The shift back is more than welcome.
Apple seems to keep ignoring the iPhone X display issues with this release though, as well as the issues with speakers cutting out and the iMessage conversation merging problems.
Security is also improved with iOS 12.0.1 and the two main important fixes for QuickLook and VoiceOver have been released. This means that a hacker can no longer potentially view your photos and contacts and share them from the lockscreen.
So the big question: Should you upgrade?
Yes and no. If your iPhone is affected by the iOS 12 charging problem, or the new iPad keyboard is annoying the hell out of you then the answer is definetly yes. If not, I would recommend you to wait until more fixes are applied as this iOS release does not include any new features and there are already reports that there are already too many bugs to suggest waiting a little until these are addressed as well.
If you have no issues with your current Apple device, maybe you should wait until iOS 12.1 gets out, as it is already in beta and it should be available very soon for all of us.
