iOS 8 Users Gripe About BugsiOS 8 Users Gripe About Bugs

iOS 8 Enterprise Features: True Or False

Many of the millions of iPhone and iPad users who updated to iOS 8 are wishing they hadn't. Apple made iOS 8 available to iPhones, iPads, and iPods Touch on September 17. It wasn't long before early adopters began to experience bugs and other problems on their smartphones and tablets. You can be sure Apple is already working on a fix, but until its release you may want to shy away from updating if you haven't already. Here's why.

As of Monday, nearly half of active iOS devices are running iOS 8. According to Apple's App Store developer page, 46% of iPhones and iPads that access the App Store have installed iOS 8. About 49% of devices are still using iOS 7, while about 5% are using some older version of iOS. (Earlier this month, Apple claimed that 92% of iOS devices were using iOS 7, with 7% using iOS 6 and 1% using an earlier version.) If you're part of that 49% still using iOS 7, be thankful.

[Get the scoop on Apple's latest. See Apple iPhone 6 Plus: My First Weekend.]

Shortly after iOS 8's release, Apple forums started filling up with complaints. For starters, users reported dramatically reduced WiFi speeds. One user experienced problems on his iPad Air, iPad Mini with Retina Display, and iPhone 5s after upgrading. "Typical results from OOKLA Speedtest before upgrade: Ping 17 ms, Upload 21 Mbps, Download 4.4 Mbps. Typical results after upgrade: Ping 39 ms, Download 2.9 Mbps, Upload 0.47 Mbps," wrote one user. His thread grew rapidly with others complaining of similar problems. One responded by saying, "Have kept at it, testing with two WiFi APs. The iOS 8 dog keeps losing the WiFi passwords and the connection. This is an Apple [screw up] of mega proportions."

Some managed to rectify the speed problems, at least temporarily, by adjusting the WiFi settings on their iOS devices.

Others complain of rapid battery drain. "My battery drains very fast (100% to zero in about 4 hours with minimal usage), started happening right after I upgraded to iOS 8. Issue started happening both on my iPhone 5s and on my iPad Air after iOS 8 upgrade," reported another user. Those responding to the battery drain issue offer mixed opinions on possible fixes, but few seem to work.

App crashes are the other big problem. According to Crittercism, apps crash 78% more frequently in iOS 8 when compared to iOS 7. Crittercism's data reveals the average crash rate across all devices running iOS 8 stands at 3.56%. Older devices are much more prone to crashing than new devices. For example, the iPhone 4, 4S, 5, and 5s have an average crash rate of 3.57%, but the iPhone 6 has a crash rate of 2.63% and the 6 Plus a crash rate of 2.11%. Devices running iOS 7 have a crash rate of just 2%.

Apple has yet to officially respond to any of the issues mentioned above. The company generally prepares a minor patch after the general release of full operating system update. It may arrive in as soon as two weeks or as many as four. Apple usually gives the public a chance to gripe about all the bugs before figuring out which ones to address first.

Bottom line, if you're already running iOS 8 and have some bugs, you're going to have to wait a while before you see them resolved. Those still running iOS 7 may want to wait for the 8.0.1 update before making the leap.

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