iPhone 5 iOS 8.1.3 Update: 5 Things You Need to Know Now

Last week, Apple released its sixth iOS 8 update into the wild. The iOS 8.1.3 update is now available for all devices capable of running iOS 8, including the aging iPhone 5. Today, we want to take another look at the iPhone 5 iOS 8.1.3 update and tell you about five things we think all iPhone 5 users need to know, right now, about iOS 8.1.3 and the future.

In the months that have followed the iOS 8 update for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, Apple’s rolled out a series of new iOS 8 upgrades that have delivered new features but more importantly, have brought much needed bug fixes to iOS 8 users. iOS 8 brought tons of new features and enhancements to iPhone and iPad users but it also brought a number of iOS 8 problems along with it.

Apple’s attempted to fix those problems through its use of continual bug fix updates and through its use of the beta process. Last week’s iOS 8.1.3 update represents the company’s sixth attempt at solving some of these lingering iOS 8 problems. The iOS 8.1.3 is a rather large update and it brings some interesting fixes to the table.

Maybe the most interesting is a fix for the amount of storage needed to install iOS updates OTA. In the past, Apple required a significant chunk of internal storage to install updates without iTunes. With the arrival of iOS 8.1.3, it will require much less. That’s a big development ahead of the upcoming iOS 8.2 update and ahead of a probable iOS 9 release later this year.

We continue to get, and see, tons of questions about the iOS 8.1.3 update. iPhone 5 users have been particularly vocal. The iPhone 5 is now two years old and with performance starting to fade a bit, iPhone 5 users are paying close attention to iOS 8.1.3 and iOS 8.2.

With current and prospective iOS 8.1.3 users in mind, we want to take a look at what we think are the five most important things to know now about the iPhone 5 iOS 8.1.3 update.

iPhone 5 iOS 8.1.3 Update…Update

We’ve been extensively using the iPhone 5 iOS 8.1.3 for well over a week now and so far, the iPhone 5’s latest iOS 8 update is performing reasonably well. We haven’t run into any abnormal battery drain, a problem that seems to pop up time and time again for iPhone 5 users, and we haven’t run into any connectivity problems either. Wi-Fi, LTE and Bluetooth remain solid.

What’s also encouraging is that the all-around performance, the speed of the software, has improved dramatically with iOS 8.1.3 on board. It’s still not back to where it was after the iOS 7.1 update last year but Apple’s latest iOS 8 bug fixers have improved things somewhat. There’s still the occasional lag or stumble but it’s nowhere near as bad as it was after iOS 8.1.

It’s also worth mentioning that we haven’t found any major bugs on board the software. It appears to be very stable. Typically, after a week of hunting, we’re able to track down some of the more widespread, problematic issues. We haven’t run into any so far. And that’s a very good sign. This could be Apple’s most stable version of iPhone 5 iOS 8 software yet.

Now Is A Good Time to Get Off iOS 7

With that in mind, now is probably a very good time for those of you suffering on iOS 8.1.2 and below to make a move. We haven’t found anything wrong with the update and we’ve actually seen improvements with the software on board. Now is a great time to make a move up to an update that delivers bug fixes on top of the improved performance. There’s always going to be a little risk involved but if you prepare, you’ll probably come out unscathed.

If you’re on iOS 7, now is really the time to make the move. Not because iOS 8 brings a ton of new features to the iPhone 5 (It does.) And not because iOS 8.1.3 is stable on the iPhone 5 (It is, at least on our model.) No, you’ll want to make the move because a serious piece of malware poses a huge threat to your text messages, photos, start voice recording and more. And yes, it can affect you if you’re not jailbroken.

Here’s how it breaks down. If you are currently on iOS 7 and you click a link that asks you to install a new profile on the iPhone, you could wind up getting a virus on your iPhone 5.

On iOS 7, after a user follows through with this action, the app hides itself from view and can restart if you kill the process or restart the phone. On iOS 8 the icon shows up and the process cannot restart itself rendering it useless. We’ve outlined all of the details and you’d be wise to educate yourself on the subject if you’re still lingering on iOS 7.

iOS 8.1.3 Problems & Fixes

There are iOS 8.1.3 problems. Apple’s discussion forums are filling up with complaints about Apple’s new software and we’ve pointed out a number of different iOS 8.1.3 problems affecting owners of the iPhone 5 and other iOS 8.1.3 powered devices. There are a few things that you should take out of these recent developments.

First, note that iOS updates are never perfect. There’s always some risk involved with moving to a new piece of software. That’s why we recommend preparing ahead of the installation. That’s why we recommend staying patient.

The second thing iPhone 5 users should know is that there are fixes for some of the iOS 8.1.3 problems. We’ve put together a list of potential fixes for some of the more common issues and we suggest keeping an eye on Apple’s forums for other possible solutions. Most iOS problems have a solution but they are sometimes very difficult to find.

If you do run into problems on the iPhone 5, don’t panic. There are a ton of resources out there and there’s a very good chance that you, or someone else, will find a fix.

iOS 8.1.3 Jailbreak & Downgrading to iOS 8.1.2

If your iPhone 5 is jailbroken or if you’re planning to jailbreak any time soon, do not install iOS 8.1.3. We still haven’t seen an iOS 8.1.3 jailbreak emerge and given the update’s close proximity to iOS 8.2, we may never see one. If you’ve already made the move to iOS 8.1.3 and you have the urge to jailbreak, you still can.

As of right now, iPhone 5 users dealing with iOS 8.1.3 problems and iPhone 5 users looking to jailbreak can move back down to iOS 8.1.2. We’ve put together a step-by-step guide that will take you through the downgrade process.

This is only going to be available for a little while longer so if you do want to make a move back down to iOS 8.1.2 for these reasons, you probably want to get on the ball sooner rather than later.

iOS 8.2 Release Date

Finally, it’s worth knowing that the iPhone 5’s next iOS update will probably be iOS 8.2. iOS 8.2 is an Apple Watch compatibility update and it’s expected to be released sometime in March with reports pointing to the second week of the month. This is important to note because iOS 8.2 is expected to bring some bug fixes of its own. Something to keep in mind if you’re leery of the iPhone 5 iOS 8.1.3 update.