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iOS 8.0.2 Review: iPhone 5

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A week ago, Apple pushed out its third iOS 8 update, an updated that it dubbed iOS 8.0.2. Over the past week, we’ve spent quality time with iOS 8.0.2 on iPhone 5 and today, we want to take a look at how Apple’s latest iOS 8 update is holding up on the company’s aging former flagship from 2012.

In mid-September, after a lengthy stint in testing, Apple released the iOS 8.0 update for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. As expected, the iOS 8 update delivered a number of big time changes including improvements to the Photos app, iMessage, battery usage, accessibility, and more. It also, however, delivered iOS 8 problems to owners of the iPhone and iPad.

We detailed many of these problems in the hours and days after the iOS 8 release date in our initial impressions and roundups and these issues ultimately forced Apple to release a couple of bug fix updates in iOS 8.0.1 and iOS 8.0.2.

The first update was iOS 8.0.1, an upgrade that rolled out on last Wednesday and one that immediately caused problems for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus users. Cellular connectivity died and Touch ID stopped working for thousands of users around the world. Apple claims that about 40,000 people were affected before it pulled the plug on the update about an hour after its arrival. We downloaded it on several devices and encountered a fairly smooth update.

A day later, Apple made good on its promise to fix those iOS 8.0.1 issues. Late last Thursday, Apple pushed out iOS 8.0.2, an update similar to iOS 8.0.1 but one that came with fixes for those iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus problems. And despite the arrival of Apple’s iOS 8.1 beta, iOS 8.0.2 remains the current iOS 8 update for iPhone and iPad users.

Now that iOS 8.0.2 has been out for about a week, we want to revisit Apple’s latest update and take a look at iOS 8.0.2 on iPhone 5. Our review will detail our experiences so that iPhone 5 users can make an informed decision about whether to upgrade from iOS 8.0 or below.

iOS 8.0.2 Performance

When it comes to the performance of iOS updates like iOS 8.0.2, I like to look at five different areas in particular. Those areas are: Applications and how they’re performing post update, battery life and whether there is abnormal drain, random bugs or hiccups, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth performance, and overall speed.

After spending a week with both the iOS 8.0.1 update (an update that was and is similar to iOS 8.0.2) and the iOS 8.0.2 update on iPhone 5, here’s what I’ve discovered. Keep in mind, mileage is going to vary depending on usage.

Apps

I’ve been using a ton of applications over the past week. To name a few, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google Chrome, Netflix, Spotify, Soundcloud, Google Maps, Google Hangouts, Pandora, The Weather Channel App, and YouTube. These are all integral pieces of my overall iPhone experience and issues with these apps typically drive me insane.

Over the past week, I’ve been faced with a few bouts of insanity though overall, my app experience has gone quite well. While Apple might be to thank, I think the biggest thanks goes to the engineers behind the bug fix updates that have steadily rolled out to the App Store.

iPhone 5

While I experienced some random crashes with Google Chrome and Spotify in iOS 8.0, I haven’t noticed any debilitating issues with iOS 8.0.2. All of my apps, not just the ones I mention above, are working fine with iOS 8.0.2. By fine I mean as normal. No crashes, no weird slowdown, no bugs that make them unusable.

App performance will vary from device to device so the only thing I can tell you iPhone 5 users experiencing trouble is, install the latest bug fix updates. I’ve seen a ton roll out over the past week and a half and they’ve done wonders for performance on my iPhone 5, iPhone 6 and my two iPads. If you’re still experiencing issues, report them to the developer.

iOS 8.0.2 Battery Life

I’ve been getting a ton of complaints about iOS 8.0.2 battery life on the iPhone 5. iPhone 5 users have been vocal about abnormal battery drain (well, what they perceive as abnormal battery drain) but I haven’t seen any on my iPhone. My battery life is about the same as it was in iOS 8.0.1, iOS 8.0 and iOS 7.1.2. For those that don’t know, I’ve used my iPhone 5 every day since it came out in 2012 so I feel like I have a pretty good read on what’s good battery life and what’s abnormal.

My experience doesn’t mean that other iPhone 5 users aren’t having issues though. If you are experiencing abnormal battery life after installing iOS 8.0.2, you’ll want to check out our iOS 8 battery life tips. These tips could help to alleviate iOS 8 battery life issues on your iPhone 5 going forward though, as is the case with any unofficial fixes, they might not solve them.

If nothing works, my advice is to perform a full on hard reset. In other words, wipe the phone clean after making a back up. This will often dramatically improve performance on older devices and let’s face it, two years old is ancient in smartphone years.

Connectivity

Nothing big to report back here. Wi-Fi, LTE and Bluetooth have all been performing extremely well with iOS 8.0.2. I’ve heard about Wi-Fi and cellular data issues with iOS 8.0.2 but I haven’t seen any myself. I’m still getting extremely fast connections after a week of use though again, I’m not disputing what other people are saying.

iphone-5-1

Wi-Fi issues have plagued iOS for years and I have no doubt that iOS 8 is causing some serious problems for some iPhone 5 users. If you are experiencing issues with Wi-Fi you will want to check out our potential fixes for those iOS 8 Wi-Fi issues. They aren’t a cure all but they have worked out well for iPhone owners in the past.

iOS 8.0.2 Bugs & Issues

When I first started using iOS 8.0.2 on iPhone 5, I didn’t run into any major issues. I still haven’t run into any game breaking issues but I have stumbled upon some minor annoyances.

My iPhone 5 now occasionally gets stuck in landscape. It’s a problem that I’ve seen iPhone 5s and iPhone 6 users complaining about and it’s one that has popped up occasionally on my iPhone 5. It’s annoying but it can be fixed with a simple press of the home button. My hope is that this is a bug that gets worked out in a future update.

iPhone-5S-Rumor-Roundup-002-575x365

Keyboard lag is also getting worse. Taps don’t register as fluidly as they used to. I did turn off predictive text and that seemed to improve things a bit though they’re still not back to the same level of performance that I got from iOS 7.1.2. It’s a bit of a drag because I use the iPhone 5’s keyboard a lot.

I still haven’t noticed anything crazy like random reboots but give it time. iOS software tends to get worse before it gets better and I’m guessing that I will stumble into a few more noticeable issues before iOS 8.0.2 gets replaced. At this point though, I’ve only come across a few annoyances.

Speed

Other than the keyboard, iOS 8.0.2 on iPhone 5 is performing beautifully. It’s still very crisp, fluid, fast, whatever you want to call it. Folders and apps open up quickly and I am able to transition from app to app, screen to screen with ease. If you are still lingering on iOS 6, the speed of iOS 8 alone is worth the upgrade. I’m serious.

Should You Install iOS 8.0.2?

Overall, I’ve had a very sold iOS 8.0.2 experience. Battery life is good, connections are stable, apps are working properly, and the iPhone 5 is still very fast. I’ve run into a few bugs but I think the fixes on board iOS 8.0.2 far outweigh the bugs that it has seemingly delivered to my iPhone. There are some fixes I am going to try though I assume that Apple will roll out new iOS 8 updates in the weeks ahead.

Right now, I recommend iOS 8.0.2 to those that are dealing with issues inside iOS 8.0 or iOS 8.0.1 and to those that are on something other than iOS 8. Again, if you’re on iOS 6, please make the switch. If you are having an insanely good experience with something other than iOS 8.0.2, it might be worth waiting a few weeks.

What’s Next for the iPhone 5

iOS 8.0.3 or iOS 8.1, that’s what. Apple is scheduled to roll out a new update sometime this month and with Apple Pay support said to be on board iOS 8.1 beta, it could be iOS 8.1 that lands next.

This is fantastic for iPhone 5 users because we’ve discovered a laundry list of fixes on board iOS 8.1 beta. In other words, it should be a much bigger bug fixer than iOS 8.0.2.

19 Comments

19 Comments

  1. Cole

    10/01/2014 at 6:13 pm

    I just updated my iPhone 5c to iOS 8.0.2 and I cant connect to the App Store and the only thing in Safari that works is Google switching to an android my next upgrade. I’d advise if you have the choice get any other type of phone.

  2. Chris

    10/02/2014 at 12:50 am

    Thanks Adam for a useful review

  3. Bob Black

    10/02/2014 at 4:11 am

    It seems as long as one user has no problems the others can GTH…. think I’ll pass

  4. Gary

    10/02/2014 at 5:58 am

    wished I had never upgraded to IOS 8 onto IPhone 5 battery drain is dramatic. I have switched off all notifications and location services but after 30 minutes usage 40% of battery gone and now closes down on 12% battery life not 2-3% as before. Back to Samsung for next mobile.

  5. Erica Brenner

    10/02/2014 at 6:57 am

    I bought the iPhone 6…very unhappy. The phone works fine…but first time it dropped less than a foot, screen shattered into tiny shards of glass…now, I have paid my deductible to get a new one…but guess what, I’m unable to get it because it’s backordered. In the meantime, I have slivers of glass in my fingers and have no choice but to wait. I’ve paid almost $1000 for a phone in the last 10 days…I should have just stuck with the 5c as I have dropped it multiple times and never a crack but I was assured that the glass quality in the 6 was higher and more durable…SMH disappointed to say the very least. Frustrated as Asurion and Sprint will not help me, all I can do is wait. I have my screen protector taped to the front of my phone while I wait for a phone to “become available”…so much for a priority customer…never again Apple or sprint.

  6. erikstenson

    10/02/2014 at 9:55 am

    i wish i would have kept ios6 – new ios is hideously ugly

  7. Voice of Reason

    10/02/2014 at 4:09 pm

    Anyone who pays $1000 for an iphone, even if that includes the deductible to replace the broken phone, deserves to have shards of glass stuck in their fingers.

  8. Saket

    10/02/2014 at 8:45 pm

    The “reminders” section is glitchy in the Notification Center,you generally always miss the bullets.

    The phone gets stuck in landscape mode.

    Hotspot works intermittently .

    Keyboards are so slow.lots of lag.
    Also when you’re typing in the messages app some 3rd party keyboards go all the way to the top so you cannot drag them back down(when you’ve types a long message)

    No 3G toggle.ftw. I like in India.***k apple pay even Apple maps is useless to us.

  9. Rohit

    10/03/2014 at 4:33 am

    No choice to switch over to 2g… Great… now my battery life is 4 hrs…. Which was 8- 9 hrs in ios7

  10. Bhoopendra

    10/03/2014 at 4:34 am

    I have upgraded to iOS 8.0.2 and I feel that 3G internet become slow. Earlier it was very fast when i had iOS 7. I am very disappoint with this ugradation.

  11. Joe Moses

    10/05/2014 at 2:34 am

    I was a very happy Apple iPhone 5 customer till 4 days back, I upgraded my smartphone to IOS 8.0.2 and converted it to a dumb phone because I now keep data completely switched off else I need to charge the battery 4 times a day !!! The biggest mistake, removal of the option of 2G mode. This is India and 4G is not available yet and 3G is till new hence not uniformly available everywhere. I need the 2G option so willing to downgrade to older IOS, unless the next upgrade has one, else I’m shifting back to Android !!! Apple, pls help else you lost one loyal customer.

  12. Harmankaranjit Singh

    10/05/2014 at 3:21 am

    Thank god I didn’t even upgraded to iOS 8.0.2………by seeing the replies I was just safe,after a while I was thinking to update but now I will never update my iPhone 5 now I have iOS 7.1.2.now very much happy…😘😘

  13. bnabled

    10/06/2014 at 4:06 am

    Sorry, I find this article a bit vague. And to be honest: If there is a lag with typing I don’t see why you would recommend upgrading from 7 yet. I’ll rather wait till the bugs on essential functions are fixed.

  14. Holly

    10/06/2014 at 9:25 am

    I updated to the IOS 8 and then the 8.0.2 and I have to recharge my phone every 2 hours! Not only that but my phone randomly freezes, I have the I phone 5c, and then there’s the time issue… It never knows the time or day which affect many apps that use that information! And my camera won’t display pics that I have taken, take the shot and go to view it.. It’s not there!! Biggest mistake downloading this update ! My phone feels completely useless

  15. vintagegoodsbooth

    10/06/2014 at 10:53 am

    wanted to delete some apps but when I touch the app…it shakes like it always did but there is no small icon to tap to delete that app. Help!

  16. Devendrasinh

    10/07/2014 at 11:09 am

    after upgraded to iOS 8.0.2,I am not able to Directl download of apps to my iPhone from the store. Pc become necessary for me

  17. Sridhar Dondeti

    10/09/2014 at 5:58 pm

    Sorry to say its not so genuine review .. I have upgraded my iphone 5 to 8.0.2 after I read this couple of weeks back.I am not here to list out all the complaints but the most annoying once are the performance / batter drain when I am on cellular / lagging when compose messages.I tried to restore to factory settings and apply backup , i tried to reset setting but no luck.
    Please let me know if I have any alternative to go back to 8.0.

  18. nico

    10/20/2014 at 12:17 pm

    How is ios 8.1?

  19. Tony

    10/28/2014 at 8:17 pm

    I updated to 8.02 and it has killed my 5S phone. Siri no longer works and maps are down. I’ve had to power down three times this week as phone seems to lock down often. My phone contracts expires in five weeks so I’ll give Apple till then to come up with a fix.

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