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iOS 8.0.2 on iPhone 6 Plus Review

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After using iOS 8.0.2 on the iPhone 6 Plus for a week it’s clear that while this update fixes some issues it is not close to delivering a bug-free iPhone 6 Plus experience.

Apple rushed iOS 8.0.2 out after a botched iOS 8.0.1 release broke cell phone service on my iPhone 6 Plus and on 40,000 other iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus devices.

Users expect things to just work on a new iPhone, while users of older devices like the iPhone 4S and iPhone 5 may expect some issues. Unfortunately this is not the case. The iPhone 6 Plus iOS 8.0.2 update fixes some issues, but leaves the largest iPhone yet with some glaring problems that you shouldn’t expect on a $300 smartphone two weeks after release.

Learn how iOS 8.0.2 performs on the iPhone 6 Plus and what bugs remain.

Learn how iOS 8.0.2 performs on the iPhone 6 Plus and what bugs remain.

After using iOS 8.0.2 for a week there are still some clear issues for the iPhone 6 Plus, that iOS 8.0.1 and now iOS 8.0.2 can not fix. There is hope that the iOS 8.1 release date will bring fixes later this month, but that doesn’t help with the continual app crashes, landscape issues and general bugginess of iOS 8.0.2.

Normally bugs in a small update like this would warrant a do not install warning, but many of these problems carry over from iOS 8, which shipped with the iPhone 6 Plus so simply waiting for the iOS 8.1 release won’t save you from these iOS 8.0.2 problems.

Here’s a closer look at our iOS 8.0.2 iPhone 6 Plus review outlining what this software fixes and what Apple still needs to work on for the next iPhone 6 Plus update.

iOS 8.0.2 Performance

We look at five key areas after installing a small bug fix update like iOS 8.0.2. This short list includes the most important areas of iPhone use from battery life and connectivity to new bugs, how apps perform and the overall speed of the device. Although the iOS 8.0.2 update for the iPhone 6 Plus did not knock out cell service like the previous one, there are still several annoying bugs that users should be aware of. Overall it may be a blessing in disguise that many users are still waiting for delivery of their iPhone 6 Plus.

Here's a closer look at iOS 8.0.2 performance on the large iPhone 6 Plus.

Here’s a closer look at iOS 8.0.2 performance on the large iPhone 6 Plus.

Apps

While I have not run into any apps that won’t work at all on the iPhone 6 Plus there are still odd freezes that stop applications from responding until I am able to use the multi-tasking menu and close an app. The frequency and apps affected vary greatly and it doesn’t often happen in the same app, so it seems more like an issue with iOS 8.0.2 than with the apps themselves.

One upside since the initial iOS 8.0.2 iPhone 6 Plus impressions is that more apps are updated to look nice on the bigger screen. Although this doesn’t change the actual performance, apps look much better which improves the experience of using the iPhone 6 Plus.

iOS 8.0.2 Battery Life

The iPhone 6 Plus battery life on iOS 8.0.2 remains very solid, easily lasting a day and a half of heavy use and on days of lighter use it approaches the two-day mark. It’s clear there is no battery draining bug in iOS 8.0.2 and the iPhone 6 Plus features a huge battery.

Connectivity

After losing cell service for almost tow days with iOS 8.0.1 it was great to see AT&T LTE still listed after the iOS 8.0.2 update installed. WiFi is working well for the most part, but there are still times where it seems to lag before loading a video or app content.

This may be related to iOS 8.0.2 or simply the curse of using Time Warner Cable for Internet access where speeds can shift from 30Mbps down to below dial up speeds in a matter of seconds. Bluetooth is working wonderfully on iOS 8.0.2, though some users are experiencing issues connecting to in-car systems this is not something that impacted my iPhone 6 Plus.

iOS 8.0.2 Bugs & Fixes

The most annoying iPhone 6 Plus iOS 8.0.2 problem is when the phone gets stuck in landscape mode and will not return to portrait without accessing the multitasking menu and closing some app. Sometimes I even need to restart the phone. This issue is worse than in iOS 8 and as bad as early iOS 8 betas on the iPhone 5s.

This is doubly annoying because in portrait it is possible to knock out a fast text message with one hand, but there is no possible way to use the iPhone 6 Plus in landscape with one hand. Even switching from portrait to landscape is best done with two hands.

Sometimes the iPhone 6 Plus is stuck in landscape mode on iOS 8.0.2.

Sometimes the iPhone 6 Plus is stuck in landscape mode on iOS 8.0.2.

This also happens when taking photos or videos, which can leave you with a video shot in portrait mode even though you held the iPhone 6 Plus in landscape the entire time. This is a seriously annoying iOS 8.0.2 problem.

Speed

The overall speed and performance of the iPhone 6 Plus with iOS 8.0.2 is the same or similar to iOS 8 that shipped on the smartphone in the middle of September. This is fine as there are no real slowdowns on the iPhone 6 Plus as is, only bugs that make the device appear to slow on WiFi and occasionally freeze in apps.

Should You Install iOS 8.0.2

There’s no need to install iOS 8.0.2 unless you want to use the current version of the iOS 8 Health app and need fixes for an annoying third-party keyboard bug. Yes there are other fixes and these are nice additions, but iOS 8.0.2 is just as buggy, if not more so than the iOS 8 software that shipped on the iPhone 6 Plus.

With faster updates rumored and a major iOS 8.1 bug fix possible in weeks there is no pressing need to install iOS 8.0.2 as it may make any orientation issues worse and doesn’t deliver any fix for freezing apps.

What’s Next for the iPhone 6 Plus

It looks like Apple is planning an iOS 8.1 release in the next few weeks to add Apple Pay and a host of new bug fixes to the iPhone 6 Plus. This update cannot come fast enough. Even an iOS 8.0.3 update for the iPhone 6 Plus that fixes app crashes and orientation issues would be a welcome arrival.

The next iOS 8 update for the iPhone 6 Plus needs to arrive fast, and with real fixes to real iOS 8 and iOS 8.0.2 problems not just to turn on Apple Pay.

What’s New in iOS 8

iOS 8 vs iOS 7 Walkthrough - Home Screen

iOS 8 vs iOS 7 Walkthrough - Home Screen

We start our iOS 8 vs iOS 7 walkthrough with the iPhone home screen, which is where you'll start your iOS 8 experience after an update this fall. 

These screens are incredibly important as you see them anytime you turn on the iPhone or need to choose an app to launch. There is no way around using them, so Apple needs to make sure they work just right. 

As you can see in the iOS 8 vs iOS 7 comparison above, there is no change between the home screen in the new iPhone software. Apple changed the status bar and some other small visual changes in iOS 7, but there are no updates for iOS 8.  

We could see Apple change the home screen slightly for iOS 8 for the iPhone 6. The new iPhone will feature a larger 4.7-inch display with a higher resolution. This is something Apple may use to add more icons to the screen. Or they could stick with the current layout, it's tough to tell.  

1 Comment

1 Comment

  1. larry

    10/03/2014 at 8:47 am

    This is why in staying put on 8.0 ios on my iPhone plus I ONLY update if it’s new features or looks like worth while!!! I’m not them who have to update everything I might do 1 or 2 updates a year I left my 5s on ios 7.0.1 and never had an issue so seeing all the 801 and 802 I’ll stay put on 8.0 and works fine!! Like they say don’t mess with something that works right??

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