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iOS 8.1.1 for iPhone & iPad: What Not to Expect Now

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Apple’s new iOS 8.1.1 might be a couple of weeks old but that doesn’t mean that it’s no longer relevant. With iOS 8.1.1 problems continuing to swirl and iPhone and iPad users wondering about their future, we want to take a look into our crystal ball and make some bold predictions about the future for those currently on iOS 8.1.1 and below.

Several months ago, Apple pushed out its brand new update for iPhone and iPad, an operating system that it dubbed iOS 8.0. 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, new keyboard options, and a whole lot more.

The iOS 8 update also 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.

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Apple’s latest iOS 8 update, like the iOS 8 updates before it, delivers bug fixes for iOS 8 problems. It also comes with self-proclaimed performance enhancements for the iPhone 4s and the iPad 2. While there are benefits, the iOS 8.1.1 update also delivered a number of problems for iPhone and iPad users around the world.

Those experiencing issues are wondering about their future. Some of the more prominent questions we get from iOS 8.1.1 users are about bug fixers and iOS 8.2. While we don’t have all of the answers, Apple does a great job of shrouding its iOS updates in secrecy, we do have years of experience and a long history of updates to draw from. And today, we want to put that to good use.

Today, we want to help set the expectations of iOS 8.1.1 users going forward as we make some bold predictions regarding the future of Apple’s iOS 8 operating system. Here’s what you should not expect from Apple moving forward.

No Way to Go Back to iOS 8.1

Do not expect Apple to offer another way to get from iOS 8.1.1 back to down to iOS 8.1. Until today, Apple was signing off on the iOS 8.1 update which means that up until today, iPhone and iPad users that weren’t satisfied with iOS 8.1.1 were able to move back down to iOS 8.1 provided they followed a few easy instructions.

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Today, Apple stopped signing off on the iOS 8.1 update which means that there is no longer a way to downgrade from iOS 8.1.1 to iOS 8.1. We don’t expect Apple to open up any other routes to get back to iOS 8.1. This isn’t that big of a blow given that developers recently released an iOS 8.1.1 jailbreak but it’s a blow to those that are still concerned about iOS 8.1.1 problems.

As we’ve pointed out, iOS 8.1.1 is a stable update on most iPhones and iPads though there’s a chance that you’ll encounter some of the problems that iPhone and iPad users have been complaining about in the last two weeks. All you can do is prepare for the update and hope that you come out unscathed.

iOS 8.2 Release in 2014

Those of you that already made the jump to iOS 8.1.1 should not expect an imminent release of iOS 8.2, the update that comes with Apple Watch support for developers and an update that currently sits in Apple’s beta program.

Apple could release an update before iOS 8.2, perhaps iOS 8.1.2, but we do not expect to see another iOS 8 update this year. We haven’t seen one show up in our analytics and with the holidays coming up, you have to imagine that even the most dedicated Apple engineers will be taking some time off from the testing process to spend time with family and friends. Unless a major iOS 8.1.1 problem is discovered, we would not expect an update between now and the end of the year.

As for iOS 8.2, there’s no rush. It’s an update that’s aimed at Apple’s upcoming Apple Watch and there’s little incentive for Apple to get it out to the iPhone and iPad. We expect to see at least one more beta before the public release and would not be surprised if that beta arrived for developers sometime during the month of December.

So what’s the point of all this? The point is, get used to iOS 8.1.1 and don’t expect anything new in the near future.

iOS 8.2 to Fix Every iOS 8.1 Problem

We don’t expect iOS 8.2 to be a massive bug fix update. Apple’s already tackled a ton of iOS 8 issues and delivered performance enhancements. We have a feeling it’s going to center around the Apple Watch which is expected sometime this spring. In other words, we don’t expect iOS 8.2 to be the cure-all update that many iOS 8.1.1 users are after.

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iOS 8.2 will likely solve some issues but don’t expect it to come with a laundry list of bugs on board. It might help some of you but it won’t help every single iPhone or iPad user dealing with problems. In fact, we don’t expect iOS 8.2 to be perfect. We would not be surprised if the iOS 8.2 update delivered some problems of its own. iOS 8.1.1 problems will linger after whatever comes next, be it iOS 8.1.2 or iOS 8.2.

No Way to Fix iOS 8.1.1 Problems

That doesn’t mean that there won’t be a way to fix these issues though. Don’t expect imminent fixes from Apple but don’t expect us, or the Apple community, to just sit back and watch. We, like many others, have been proactive about iOS 8.1.1 problems. And as new iOS 8.1.1 problems emerge, and we expect that they will, don’t expect us or others to hold back fixes.

We’ve already outlined a number of potential fixes for iOS 8.1.1 problems, problems that you could potentially see pop up in the future. Apple’s Discussion forums will almost certainly continue to fill up with temporary and permanent fixes that will help quell iOS 8.1.1 issues in Apple’s absence. Just because the iOS 8.1.1 is old doesn’t mean that people are going to give up or forget.

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Don’t expect third-party support for the iOS 8.1.1 update to fall off between now and Apple’s next update.

Apple Not to Patch iOS 8.1.1 Jailbreak

Do not expect Apple to allow for the iOS 8.1.1 jailbreak to continue past the iOS 8.2 update or whatever is next. The Chinese developers behind the latest update burned the exploits extremely early which means that Apple has ample time to isolate them and patch them up. Whether that happens in iOS 8.2 or something else remains to be seen but we would expect whatever is next to tackle the exploits used by the latest iOS 8 jailbreak. If you want to jailbreak, move to iOS 8.1.1 now.

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