An update to iOS would normally send the jail breaking community back to the drawing boards as members continue their almost evangelical mission to keep their devices as open and accessible as possible. That’s not the case with yesterday’s update to iOS 8. In an unusual move, Apple’s update closes no loopholes, no code exploits, or any other vulnerability.
But it does ensure that Apple can continue to earn money on ringtones.
The small update to iOS focuses on one issue in iOS 8, namely the ability to restore ringtones purchased from the iTunes store. Given the extensive list of bugs and issues that continue to be documented around Apple’s latest OS, this is a curious bug to address, asForbes’ Gordon Kelly detailed yesterday on the release of the update:
As such iOS 8.1.2 isn’t the major fix users still plagued by ongoing iOS 8 problems wevve been hoping for. iOS 8.1.1 released in November fixed bugs for many users, but swathes of users remain affected by issues ranging from crippled WiFi (a main support thread for this is now over 93 pages long),Bluetooth bugs stopping connection to headsets and car kits and chronic battery drain. In this context Apple’s decision to address a ringtones bug first will no doubt cause anger, regardless of whether it is low hanging fruit.
iOS 8.1.2 Update (image: Gordon Kelly / Forbes)
iOS 8.1.2 can be jailbroken using the existing 8.1.1 exploits (for example the untethered approach from the TaiG team, which remains valid after this update to the OS). The normal practice in dealing with jailbreaks has been to close the exploits down at the next update. Jailbreak methods come and go as Cupertino’s mobile operating system keeps bumping up the version numbers.
This build of the operating system has not been seeded to developers for advance testing, instead appearing directly on Apple’s servers for over-the-air updating. Developers currently have iOS 8.2 seeded with them, which includes hooks for the Apple Watch ecosystem. There’s no word when this version of iOS will be released, but the expectation of a quarterly cycle would mean a mid to late February released of 8.2. feels about right.
Apple iPhone 6 (image: Ewan Spence)
There’s also no word if iOS 8.2 will address issues such as high power drain, wi-fi connectivity issues, bluetooth compatibility, or many of the other issues that are having a direct impact on the day to day life of iOS users. Given the OS update issues that have affected some users, especially on handsets with lower storage specifications, pushing out another update to fix the purchased ringtones issue questions where Tim Cook’s Apple has its focus.
Would it be cynical to think that if Apple could monetize the outcome of the former issues, that they too would get their own iOS bugfix update just as the latter issue of ringtone issue has done?
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