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Apple says it is working to come up with a replacement iOS 8 update “in the next few days” to remedy a flawed update, iOS 8.0.1, that was briefly available on Sept. 24, but which caused serious device problems for many users of the company’s latest iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus smartphones.
New iPhone 6 devices that got the errant update lost the ability to make cellular calls and also lost their Touch ID functions, making life difficult for their owners. The update was quickly pulled back and removed from Apple’s available downloads.
In the meantime, until a properly working update is soon released, Apple has unveiled a fix for devices that were disabled by the errant update by advising users to take several manual steps to undo the update’s effects.
“We have a workaround for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus users who lost cellular service and Touch ID functionality today after updating to iOS 8.0.1,” an Apple spokesman told eWEEK via email, in response to an inquiry about the ongoing issues. “Affected users can reinstall iOS 8 through iTunes. We apologize for the great inconvenience experienced by users, and are working around the clock to prepare iOS 8.0.2 with a fix for the issue, and will release it as soon as it is ready in the next few days.”
The workaround, issued through Apple support, tells iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus users that they can repair the loss of cellular service and the inability to log in to their devices through Touch ID by reverting back to the original, week-old version of iOS 8. First, users must connect their iPhone to a computer that is running the latest version of Apple iTunes, then back the phone’s contents up to iTunes on a PC or Mac. Users should note that iCloud backups won’t restore to earlier versions, including iOS 8.0, according to Apple.
Users must then download the proper file for iOS 8 onto their iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus devices. Next, users must select the file they just downloaded by pressing the Option key and clicking Check for Update on a Mac, or by pressing the Shift key and clicking Check for Update on Windows, according to Apple.
Users can then press Update to install iOS 8 on their iPhone, according to the instructions.
“The Health app won’t work in iOS 8 after these steps,” the Apple support team noted in the instructions. “It will be fixed in our upcoming iOS 8.0.2 software update.”
Apple released its iOS 8 operating system on Sept. 17, with a full array of new capabilities and features, according to an earlier eWEEK report, including improvements related to photos, messaging, file sharing and device interconnections, according to the company. Among the enhancements are easier ways to find and edit photos, as well as the ability to add a user’s voice into a text message, the company said.
Apple, Facing iOS 8 Update Issues, Tells Users New Fix Is Coming Soon
It’s been a rough week for Apple, right on the heels of the Sept. 19 launch of its new, larger and highly-sought-after iPhone 6 smartphones.
Earlier this week, some iPhone 6 owners around the world reported that their thinner iPhone 6 phones are bending when keeping them in a pants pocket.
The bending issues have been widely circulated online along with graphic photographs that purport to show iPhone 6 phones with mild or more severe bending. An accurate count of such bending incidents is not yet known. Images of bent devices are appearing on Twitter, Facebook and other social media sites, as well as other Websites.
Apple has not responded to an email inquiry from eWEEK seeking comments about the reports of iPhone bending issues.
The reported phone bending problem is not the first time that a potential problem has cropped up with new iPhones. In July 2010, Apple dealt with antenna issues surrounding its then new iPhone 4 that were inspired by consumer complaints of poor call quality when they held their phones. Called “Antennagate” by the late Apple CEO Steve Jobs at the time, the problem was the location of the antenna inside the devices, which was solved with an add-on thin rubber case.
The bending issues come on the heels of Apple’s all-time record-setting first-weekend sales numbers for new iPhones since the first devices hit the market back in June of 2007.
The new iPhone 6 models went on sale on Sept. 19 to customers in the United States, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Puerto Rico, Singapore and the United Kingdom. Buyers in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Isle of Man, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey and United Arab Emirates will be able to buy the new smartphones starting Sept. 26, according to Apple. The new iPhones will be available in 115 countries by the end of the year.
Preorders for the new iPhones had reached huge levels, with more than 4 million devices preordered within 24 hours of the process opening on Sept. 12, just seven days before the official device launch date, according to an earlier eWEEK report. That high demand quickly led the company to advise customers that many devices won’t be delivered until October due to short initial supplies.
The new iPhones include the iPhone 6 with its 4.7-inch Retina HD display and an even larger iPhone 6 Plus with its 5.5-inch Retina HD screen, according to a recent eWEEK report. The new devices—which come in 16GB, 64GB and 128GB storage capacities—also come with many other new features and capabilities, making them popular before they ever hit store shelves. The new phones include an Apple-designed A8 chip with second-generation 64-bit desktop-class architecture, enhanced iSight and FaceTime HD cameras, and iOS 8. A new, built-in Apple Pay secure payments system will be added to iOS 8 as an update in October, according to the company.
Both the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are available in gold, silver and space gray. The iPhone 6 retails for $199.99 for a 16GB version, $299.99 for a 64GB version and $399 for a 128GB version with a two-year contract. The iPhone 6 Plus retails for $299.99 for a 16GB model, $399.99 for a 64GB model and $499.99 for a 128GB model with a two-year contract, according to Apple.