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iOS 6.1 Bugs Still Plaguing iPhone Users

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Last week, Apple rolled out its iOS 6.1.2 update to owners of the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch in an effort to quell the Exchange issues that had been plaguing owners since the release of iOS 6.1. However, it’s now clear that the iOS 6.1.2 has left a number of bugs lingering on the iPhone including two security issues and evidently, Exchange issues as well.

Read: iOS 6.1.2 on iPhone 5 Review.

After the roll out of iOS 6.1, owners of the iPhone began complaining about a number of issues including battery drain and issues with 3G connectivity on the iPhone 4S. Apple moved quickly to soothe owners experiencing the issues and promised fixes in the near future.

The first, was the iOS 6.1.1 update for the iPhone 4S which was aimed at fixing the 3G connectivity issues that iOS 6.1 brought along with it. The second fix came in the form of the iOS 6.1.2 update which rolled out to all iDevice owners last week with the intention of killing an Exchange calendar bug that caused increased network activity which led to battery drain problems.

Surprisingly, the update did not tackle one of the lingering problems from iOS 6.1, namely, a security flaw that allows unwanted users to access a device running iOS 6.1 through the lock screen. And now, just a few days after the update rolled out, we’re hearing about other bugs, some new, some old, that are evidently impacting iPhone owners.

Security Flaws

In addition to the Exchange battery drain and connectivity issues, some intrepid iPhone owners discovered a security flaw in iOS 6.1 that allowed users to by pass the lock screen passcode simply by performing a few steps involving the power button and the Emergency Call button.

This vulnerability allows users to bypass the lock screen passcode and access the phones photos and contacts. It’s a serious issue and one that many assumed Apple would address in the iOS 6.1.2 update. Only, the iOS 6.1.2 update did not bring a fix for that security flaw, or it seems, another security bug that was discovered lurking in iOS 6.1.2 today.

The new bug was discovered by Benjamin Kunz Mejri, the founder and CEO of Vulnerability Lab, who, according to Kaspersky, detailed the flaw on the Full Disclosure Mailing list.

And while the new bug uses many of the same steps of the first flaw, the result is different. The new bug turns the iPhone screen black which allows users to plug the phone in using a USB cord and view photos and contact information in iTunes without having to bypass the lockscreen passcode.

Exchange issues are persisting in iOS 6.1.2 it seems.

Exchange issues are persisting in iOS 6.1.2 it seems.

Exchange Issues Remain, It Seems

iOS 6.1.2 also promised to fix issues with an Exchange bug though it appears that it may not have worked for everyone who installed the update. Gotta Be Mobile was contacted by an individual who claims that an iPhone 5 running iOS 6.1.2 contacted his company’s Microsoft Exchange 2003 server in the neighborhood of 50,000 times.

As expected, the battery life on the iPhone 5 took a significant hit. The Exchange log has been passed along to Apple and he is hopeful that the next release iOS 6.1.3, takes care of the issue.

Read: How to Fix Bad iOS 6.1 Battery Life in 10 Seconds.

For the most part, iOS 6.1.2 seems to have silenced the issues that most were having with Exchange after the iOS 6.1 update but it does appear that at least some users are still experiencing issues.

iOS 6.1.3

It appears that Apple has its work cut out for it. Already, the company has promised a fix for the first security flaw, but it’s unclear if the next update, iOS 6.1.3, will tackle the other issue as well.

In addition, it appears that at least some iPhone users are still experiencing issues with Exchange which places even more importance on the iOS 6.1.3 update.

The release date of iOS 6.1.3 remains unclear however. Apple does not give out release dates for incremental iOS updates and thus, the update could roll out unexpectedly at any time.

Hacker David Wang, known as @PlanetBeing, believes that it could be a month or more before Apple delivers iOS 6.1.3, an update that many iPhone owners are hoping take care of their lingering iOS 6.1. issues.

iOS 6.1.3 also looks like it will patch up some other bugs in iOS 6.1.3, namely, the bugs that hackers have used to provide the Evasi0n jailbreak tool to iPhone owners on iOS 6 and above.

10 Comments

10 Comments

  1. Jeff

    02/25/2013 at 5:05 pm

    Since 6.1.2 was released, my 4S has had no problems with Exchange, battery life, 3G, Wi-fi, or security. Oh wait… that’s because I’m still using 5.1.1. Works great!! No reason to update!!

  2. William

    02/27/2013 at 3:15 am

    My iphone 4 is updated to 6.1.2 but the sound does not work when i finished to update, how can i fix it?

    • Bill BOPF

      03/03/2013 at 3:07 pm

      Bill B ,
      I am also experiencing this same problem of the sound not working.

  3. Ethan

    03/04/2013 at 10:12 am

    I have an iPhone 4 and since the “upgrade” to 6.1 I have not been able to maintain a connection with any of the music streaming apps I use. Nothing has changed other than the operating system.

  4. Marie

    03/04/2013 at 1:13 pm

    My husband and I both have the iphone 4s and since the update we both have had issues with the speaker sound not working. My husbands phone will not ring, or play any sound unless he has the headphone jacks in. Weve shirt reset, reset and restored, the inly other thing left to do is restore back to brand new. Any fixes on this issue as it only started when we updated to the 6.1.2 ios.

    • another Marie

      03/04/2013 at 7:00 pm

      “Restore to new” does not work either. I cannot access wifi or bluetooth. AND I have a brand new car with bluetooth and cannot use it!!!

  5. Andrew Mitchell

    03/16/2013 at 10:16 am

    My iPhone 4 managed 15 days standby using 6.1.1. Now on 6.1.2 it’s only managed 1 day 1 hour from 100% to 8% with NO use at all. Good job as always Apple.

  6. Pushkar Raj Singh

    03/17/2013 at 6:35 am

    After updating my iphone 4 to 6.1.2 my front camera stopped working and getting stucked with a shutter screen. God Help Apple customers

  7. kay

    03/20/2013 at 11:12 am

    I upgrade my i phone 5 to 6.1.2 and i can get network connection so i went to apple store explain what happen after upgrade they gave me new i phone 5, but now 6.1.3 is out i don’t know i should upgrade. anybody help?

  8. dan

    03/20/2013 at 5:16 pm

    any fix for the sound problems after the update? I’m thinking flush iEverything and go samsung or sony. I am getting pretty tired of the iCrap. Every fix is just new problems.

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