iOS 8.1.1 on iPhone 6 Review: Is It Worth Installing Now?

Its been two weeks since Apple released its latest iOS 8 update in the form of iOS 8.1.1. With iOS 8.1.1 problems continuing to swirl, we want to revisit Apple’s iOS 8.1.1 iPhone 6 update and take a look at how the software is performing after two weeks on Apple’s latest iPhone. This is our iOS 8.1.1 review for iPhone 6, two weeks later.

In September, Apple rolled out its brand new update for iPhone and iPad, an operating system that it dubbed iOS 8.0. The new iOS 8 doesn’t deliver the massive overhaul that arrived with last year’s iOS 7 update but it still brings some important new features to the table including improved notifications, Apple Pay, changes to iMessage and the Camera app, a new keyboard, and more.

Like any software update, the iOS 8 update delivered bugs and problems to owners of the iPhone and iPad. Over the past two months, Apple’s worked to iron out those kinks with a series of incremental iOS 8 updates. First, the company pushed out iOS 8.0.1. Next, it was iOS 8.0.2, an update that delivered fixes for iOS 8.0.1 bugs. After that, Apple rolled out iOS 8.1, a much larger update that spent time in its beta program. Earlier this month, after a short stint in beta, Apple pushed out iOS 8.1.1.

Apple’s latest iOS 8 update has been out for two weeks now. And while we’ve heard lots of good things from iPhone users, we’ve also heard some bad things as well. iOS 8.1.1 problems continue to plague iPhone users, something that’s caused many iPhone 6 users to ask questions about the performance of Apple’s latest piece of software.

We’ve taken a deep dive into this incremental update and today, we return to the iOS 8.1.1 update for iPhone 6, a key update for Apple’s latest and greatest iPhone model. Today, we take a look at the update at the two week mark in an effort to spark discussion and get proper feedback to those of you still lingering on iOS 8.1 or below.

iOS 8.1.1 Review: iPhone 6

In the last two weeks, I’ve spent a ton of time with iOS 8.1.1 on iPhone 6. The iPhone 6, after all, is my daily driver. Before getting into this detailed review and my impressions over an extended period of time, I should note that mileage is going to vary from device to device, person to person. That is to say, I probably don’t have the same applications installed and there’s a chance that I use Google Chrome, play more games, and use my home screen more than you do. So, consider this a general guide as you try to decide whether iOS 8.1.1 is worth installing on your iPhone 6.

Apps

I have over 50 applications on my phone and on any given day, I’ll use a little less than half of them. Over the past two weeks, I’ve made an effort to use all of them on a frequent basis so that I can provide feedback to iPhone 6 users and developers of these applications. Fortunately, I’ve got nothing but positive feedback.

Applications have been working fine with iOS 8.1.1 on board. I’ve had the occasional Google Chrome crash but that’s happened on every single version of iOS 8, not just iOS 8.1.1. Spotify’s also crashed once or twice but it hasn’t become a regular thing. All of my other applications which include popular apps like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, are all working out nicely.

At this point, if you’re on iOS 8.1.1 or below and you’re seeing crashes, you’ll want to think about updating your applications to the latest version. Developers have been very active on the App Store and I’ve seen virtually all of my key apps get updated with iOS 8 support. In other words, if you update your applications, there’s a good chance that you’ll squash problems that you’ve been having.

If you’ve updated and you’re still encountering issues on iOS 8.1.1 or below, you might want to think about passing along some feedback to the developer so that it can get the problems resolved in a timely manner.

iOS 8.1.1 Battery Life

iOS 8.1.1 battery life has been extremely solid on my iPhone 6. I’m still able to get more than a full day of use out of the device when I’m using a combination of Wi-Fi and LTE. I haven’t encountered any abnormal battery drain, it still charges very fast, and standby is still holding an excellent charge. No complaints in the battery life department, at least not yet.

If you are noticing abnormalities after the upgrade, my guess is that an app is behaving badly or you’re not managing your device properly. I highly suggest taking a look at some of our iOS 8.1.1 battery life fixes so that you can get better battery life on your iPhone 6. Those fixes and tips apply to Apple’s iOS 8.1 update and below as well.

Connectivity

Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and cellular data remain a problem for many iPhone 6 users though I haven’t noticed any issues after two weeks with iOS 8.1.1 on board. Wi-Fi is still holding up strong on both public and private connections. Bluetooth connects to both speakers and inside a Toyota Prius, and AT&T’s LTE network has delivered strong speeds over the course of two weeks without any weird drops.

If you do run into these issues in iOS 8.1.1 or something else, be sure to check out our list of possible fixes before throwing the device against the wall. You also might want to consider upgrading your router if you’re consistently having problems with Wi-Fi. Newer devices and new iOS updates have been known to present difficulties for those with older routers.

Bugs & Issues

After spending two weeks with the iOS 8.1.1 on iPhone 6, I can say, with confidence, that this is the most stable version of iOS 8 I’ve used on the iPhone 6. It’s better than iOS 8.1 for a few reasons.

One, I haven’t gotten stuck in landscape mode. That was a huge issue in iOS 8.1 and below but it seems to have dissipated after getting Apple’s new iOS 8.1.1 update on board. iMessages also are coming through in a timely manner. In iOS 8.1, I would often see a delay on LTE, Wi-Fi, whatever. I saw occasional issues with iOS 8.0.2 and iOS 8.0 as well. Those are gone with iOS 8.1.1 on board.

Maybe most important, I’ve yet to encounter a single head-scratching bug. Have I used every single possible service associated with the iPhone 6? No, but I’ve used a ton of them. I’ve yet to discover a memorable bug with anything.

Are there bugs on board? Most definitely. But they’re so isolated, so small, that I’ve yet to encounter them. This comes from me, someone who uses the iPhone 6 from the moment I get up from the moment I go to sleep. If the update contained any massive, earth shaking bugs, I would have noticed by now.

Now, as I’ve pointed out, iOS bugs have a habit of showing up late so it’s possible that I’ll run into something in the weeks ahead of the iOS 8.2 update. For the moment though, iOS 8.1.1 appears to be a very stable update and that’s exactly what you want from an incremental iOS update. If you’re dealing with iOS 8 problems, or if you upgrade and run into issues, have a look at our potential fixes.

Speed

In a word, iOS 8.1.1 is fast. Animations and transitions are fluid and the device feels as fast as it did on the day that it arrived on my doorstep. That’s a big deal because the iPhone 6 has seen a number of iOS 8 updates in the weeks since its arrival. I haven’t seen any weird sluggishness and I haven’t seen any abnormal slow down on the home screen or while in folders. It’s fast, quick and efficient.

Is iOS 8.1.1 Worth Installing on iPhone 6?

Yes, especially if you’re having issues with iOS 8.1 or below. After two weeks, I haven’t encountered any major bugs and the software is performing well in key areas like battery life, connectivity and speed. We also just saw the release of a jailbreak for iOS 8.1.1 which means that if you were holding back to get that, you can now make your move.

If you own an iPhone 6, and you haven’t installed Apple’s latest iOS 8 update, now is the time to update. Major issues and problems typically reveal themselves in the days and weeks after a release and iOS 8.1.1 is a solid performer at the two week mark.