Apple iOS 8.2 fixes FREAK bug, but will it restore the iPhone and iPad’s stability?
Apple iOS 8.2 fixes FREAK bug, but will it restore the iPhone and iPad’s stability?
Apple has released iOS 8.2, a much-needed point revision that will hopefully address some of the unusually large amount of bugs iPhone and iPad owners have experienced over the past few months. The new OS update includes support for the Apple Watch and a significantly improved Health app. It also patches a number of security holes, including the horrific FREAK vulnerability that was recently discovered in HTTPS connections, which was essentially a deliberate weakening of cryptographic standards to allow for backdoors used by “good guys.”
At least, those are the headliners in terms of what Apple is highlighting. I’m going to steer clear of calling the Apple Watch app bloatware, as some other publications have, just because you can hide it in an app folder the way you can, say, Newsstand. Instead, it’s the so-called “increased stability and bug fixes” in iOS 8.2 are going to be where the real action is with this update — especially with regard to those with previous-generation iPhones and iPads.
Let’s break it down a bit further. Apple says iOS 8.2 will improve the stability of the Mail, Maps, and Music apps (particularly with iCloud playlist syncing), as well as improve VoiceOver reliability and Made for iPhone Hearing Aids. iOS 8.2 also fixes autocorrect for the last word in a quick-reply message, iCloud restoration issues involving duplicate iTunes purchased content, and several Bluetooth audio related issues, including how you couldn’t hear audio until the call is answered, and routing to car speakers when using Siri Eyes Free. There are also some fixes for Exchange support and Calendar.
I don’t see anything in Apple’s release notes about Wi-Fi connection drops, which is one of the biggest issues plaguing owners, as various posts across the Internet and in Apple Support Communities have indicated. This is something that’s also affecting OS X Yosemite, incidentally–both 10.10.1 and 10.10.2 have claimed to include Wi-Fi-related bug fixes, and it’s still not completely sorted out there, either.
What’s troubling about all of this is that Apple is usually known for its reliable OS performance. Starting with iOS 7 and going through iOS 8 and 8.1, that reputation has been somewhat damaged. It may be that the company has taken on too much at once, such as the merging of various iOS and OS X functions, and the ability to take calls on MacBooks, the integration (and subsequent bugginess) of Messenger. iCloud and iTunes Match performance has also been all over the board for me.
Either way, I don’t get the same sense of solidity that I used to have with iOS and OS X. It’s been improving on the Yosemite side, but I’m still steering clear of the Continuity features, and have as much of it turned off as possible. Until I feel reassured that iMessages will appear in both places consistently, for example, it’s useless to me. I didn’t see anything in the release notes about that, either, unfortunately.
Regardless, iOS 8.2 is available for download now, and should appear on your device automatically. If it doesn’t, hunt it down in Settings -> General -> Software Update. You should probably get it. The new OS works on and anything made after the iPhone 4S, the 5th-gen iPod touch, the iPad, and original iPad mini.
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