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iOS 8.0.2 on iPhone 6 Review: Two Weeks Later

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Just about two weeks ago, Apple released its iOS 8.0.2 update for iPhone and iPad to alleviate iOS 8 problems. With two weeks of use under our belt, we want to offer an updated iOS 8.0.2 on iPhone 6 review, a review that will help you decide if iOS 8.0.2 is worth installing ahead of Apple’s upcoming iOS 8.1 update for iPhone 6.

On September 17th, after a brief stint in Apple’s beta program, the company released the iOS 8.0 update for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. As expected, Apple’s brand new iOS 8 update delivered a number of big time changes including improvements to the Photos app, iMessage, battery usage, accessibility, and more. In addition to these features though, it also delivered a number of iOS 8 problems to iPhone and iPad users.

We detailed many of these problems in the hours and days after the iOS 8.0 release date in our initial impressions and roundups. Ultimately, some of these issues forced Apple to release a couple of bug fix updates in iOS 8.0.1 and iOS 8.0.2.

iOS 8.0.2 is Apple’s current update and an update that we’ve dug into extensively over the past couple of weeks. We’ve been using the update on the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 5, iPad Air, iPad mini with Retina Display, and iPad 3 and we’ve encountered a mix bag of results. While performance is solid on some devices, other devices have experienced an array of problems that have put a damper on the whole experience.

With that in mind, we want to revisit the iOS 8.0.2 update at the two week mark and offer some feedback ahead of Apple’s now confirmed October 16th launch event that could very well serve as the launch pad for its iOS 8.1 update. This iOS 8.0.2 on iPhone 6 review will help you decide whether you should install right now or wait for Apple’s launch event and its presumed iOS 8.1 bug fixer.

iOS 8.0.2 Performance on iPhone 6

Over the past two weeks, I’ve spent a ton of time with iOS 8.0.2 on iPhone 6. Before getting into it, 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 apps installed and there’s a chance that I use LTE or Google Chrome or my home screen more than you do. Consider this a general guide.

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. Here’s how those stack up after a fortnight of use.

iOS 8.0.2 Apps

As I noted in my initial impressions and my review after a week, I’ve been experiencing some problems with apps on my iPhone 6. Facebook and Google Chrome had been problematic for me in the first week after installing iOS 8.0.2 though I had experienced issues with both inside iOS 8.0 as well. So this isn’t so much an Apple thing as its a Google and Facebook thing.

Earlier this week, Google finally updated Chrome with support for the iPhone 6 and surprise, the experience has improved dramatically. It’s crisp, it’s fast, and it’s far less buggy. And hey, I can finally scroll down and ready entire articles without encountering a weird blank white space. It still crashes on occasion but I’ll take that over the instability that plagued the app in the days after iOS 8.0.2. Facebook still hangs up on occasion so I’m hopeful that one of its upcoming bug fixes squashes that issue.

Speck CandyShell iPhone 6 Review - 2-X3

Twitter, Instagram, Netflix, Spotify, Soundcloud, Google Maps, Google Hangouts, Pandora, The Weather Channel App, and YouTube are all working fine on my iPhone 6. No problems with any of these.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, if you’re having issues with apps, update them. If they don’t have iOS 8 compatibility yet, remain patient because there’s a good chance that an upcoming iOS 8 compatibility update will solve most issues. Pester your favorite developers about these bug fix updates but don’t be annoying about it.

iOS 8.0.2 Battery Life

I’m still hearing complaints about bad iOS 8.0.2 battery life on the iPhone 6 and on other iPhones and iPads. I just haven’t seen it myself. I am still able to get a full day of use out of my iPhone 6 with a mixture of LTE and Wi-Fi. That’s what I got when using iOS 8.0 and that’s what I expect when I update to whatever is next.

The iPhone 6’s battery life is still much better than the battery life found on my iPhone 5 and I’ve yet to encounter any abnormal drain. Chrome continues to suck the most battery life out of my phone with Twitter, FaceTime, and my Home and Lock Screen taking second, third and fourth place. Oddly enough, Facebook isn’t munching on my battery as much as it used to.

If you are experiencing problems, have a look at our fixes for common iOS 8 problems. These tricks might help you get more battery life out of your iPhone 6 and perhaps your other devices as well.

iOS 8.0.2 Wi-Fi, Cellular Data & Bluetooth

I’m still getting fantastic Wi-Fi connections all around. Uploads and downloads are fast and I’m able to connect to Wi-Fi without any difficulties. Our list of common iOS 8 problems and fixes offers some possible solutions if you’re not getting the same great experience I am.

Speck CandyShell iPhone 6 Review - 3-X3

AT&T’s 4G LTE continues to work fine after two weeks of use and so does Bluetooth. I know there are a ton of complaints about Bluetooth, and specifically on the iPhone 6, but I simply haven’t encountered any issues. I’ve tested it inside a Toyota Prius though I can’t speak for any other models. It’s clear that there’s a major issue here though and our fixes might be able to help.

Assorted iOS 8.0.2 Bugs & Issues

I still occasionally get stuck in landscape mode on the iPhone 6. It’s happening on my iPhone 5 as well and I’ve heard that it’s a common problem amongst iOS 8 users. It’s an annoying bug though it’s one that comes with some simple fixes. My hope is that iOS 8.1 or whatever is next squashes this extremely annoying issue. I’ve yet to experience it when using the camera app but if I do, like some people have, I might go temporarily insane.

I’m also still experiencing issues with iMessage. For whatever reason, some messages don’t register as read when I first open them up. So when I look in the top left, or on the home screen, it looks like I have tons of new messages when I actually don’t. To get them to register, I must reenter the conversation and they go away.

iOS 8.0.2 Speed

No complaints here. iOS 8.0.2 is fast, fluid and functional on the iPhone 6. A few of my colleagues have experienced random lock ups and freezes but I’ve yet to encounter any oddities when it comes to speed.

Is It Worth Installing iOS 8.0.2 on iPhone 6?

iOS 8.0.2 on iPhone 6 is stable for the most part. Most apps work great, battery life is solid, connectivity is fast and effective on my iPhone 6, and I’ve only encountered two annoying issues. That said, the only reason you should install it, in my opinion, is if you’re having issues inside iOS 8.0. If you’re not having issues, you should hold out because it looks like Apple’s poised to deliver a big time iOS 8.1 update later on this month.

iPhone-6-pair

From the beta, we know that it’s going to be filled with big fixes for iOS 8 problems. In other words, it could be far more stable than iOS 8.0.2 is right now. That’s not a given but unless you need iOS 8.0.2’s bug fixes right now, it’s probably worth taking a wait and see approach. iOS 8.0.2 might be working decently on my device but it appears to be very buggy for others.

10 Comments

10 Comments

  1. lesley shepard

    10/09/2014 at 3:12 am

    When trying to open my inbox on my exchange calendar for work when I touch the inbox icon it just sends me back to home page. I am not able to download my inbox to my calendar. Please help.
    Lesley

  2. Jordan Baker

    10/09/2014 at 4:55 am

    Great article Adam, I couldn’t agree more, I personally haven’t upgraded to IOS 8.0.2

  3. Sheila MacLeod

    10/09/2014 at 11:39 am

    I installed the IOS 8.0.2 last week onto my old iPad. I have had nothing but trouble ever since. Mobile banking is effected, my keypad is slow to respond, all sorts of issues. HELP

  4. Randy

    10/09/2014 at 8:01 pm

    Is anyone having sound issues with 8.0.2. I can’t use the speaker phone on my new iPhone 6 and can barely hear the ringer and alerts when set on high. Help

  5. Wuzzfee

    10/10/2014 at 5:51 am

    I have updated my iPhone 6 plus last night with the IOS 8.0.2 and I have been experiencing weird things happening to my iPhone.

    First of all the mail application, for some reason it sometimes just shuts down while I’m using it, also it marks the read messages as unread after I close the mail application.

    Second the iPhone 6 plus froze last night at the landscape mode and was working but it wouldn’t switch back to portrait mode no matter how many times I tilted the phone so I had to switch off and back on again.

    Third I tried to wake it up and the back light was very low even though I haven’t set it to be that low and it only started to work properly after I readjust the brightness Level.

    Finally safari froze the entire phone for about 5 seconds before the phone started working properly again.

    I have had all those problems in less than 24 hours of usage after updating to IOS 8.0.2.

    Please can anyone let me know if they are experiencing the same problems or is it just me.

  6. Frankinho

    10/10/2014 at 7:43 am

    I been having trouble with my iPhone seens day one
    It has turn off on me twis
    Freezes on web and typing as well
    iMessage tells me I have alot of messages when I just read them
    FB is slow even when I connect to wifi
    Wifi is slow aswell
    Kicks me out when I’m on safari
    When I was typing here it froze and kick me out
    My calls are drooping from long distance
    my mother is in Texas im from Cali, every time I call my mother are dropping on me
    Calls just droops and makes weird sound
    On app that I just upgraded to pro on my 5s…now and my 6 is telling me to buy them againg!I was mad.
    All my apps are telling to upgrade to pro when I upgraded on my 5s.
    I like iPhone a lot but with this issues is getting annoying.
    Apple team got a lot of work todo!!!!!!

  7. Choc Donut

    10/10/2014 at 8:11 pm

    yeah, ok china. go back home. WE use APple, not Commiesung

  8. Mary K. Nugent

    10/13/2014 at 5:54 am

    I just got my new IPhone 6 on Sat. 10/11/14 I started configuring it to my liking and downloading my apps and such.(this is my first IPhone by the way, always been an Android user….then I noticed I couldn’t hear the keyboard clicks while typing texts or doing any typing anywhere …called tech support and they told me to do a back up and restore through Itunes which I did ..still no fix did install the update of 8.02 software …no sound on clicks and volume control changes on its own…can barely hear callers have to turn up volume manually during call everytime…SMH…heading back to Apple store this morning…to much money to pay for a device that does not work like it is supposed to. Thinking of trying a hard reset…but I’ll let them decide that at the store…wish me luck!

  9. Sit

    10/15/2014 at 2:18 am

    iOS 8.0.2 is the worst thing in the world. I cannot use facebook at all it is f*ck*n slow to download stuffs via the Internet. My life has changed . I think it’s time to say goodbye apple products.

  10. Joel

    10/16/2014 at 9:52 pm

    When I’m on YouTube watching a video in landscape and get a text msg the screen his back to vertical when before in landscape the Notification bar would just scroll down with a msg in landscape. I hope this bug is fixed on iOS 8.1

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