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08/16 Update below. This article was originally published on August 13
Apple iOS 13.6.1 is here and finally confirms a serious and long-standing iPhone issue. So, for those who want to upgrade, can the new update match the benchmark set by iOS 13.6? It looks good.
Tip: bookmark this page as I will keep it updated if / when new issues are found. I will deliver my final verdict in a week.
Apple iOS 13
Who is it for?
iOS 13.6.1 has been released for all iOS 13 compatible devices. This means iPhone 6S and newer and 7th generation iPod touch. If you are not prompted to upgrade automatically, you can verify manually by going to Settings> General> Software update. Beta testers, if you are using iOS 14 (more on this in the “ The Road Ahead ” section at the end) you need to unregister your iPhone, otherwise iOS 13.6.1 will not show.
IPad owners, Apple has moved you to iPadOS. This is not an iPadOS-focused guide, but I’ll cover the relevant issues in these guides.
Update 08/15: While complaints about iOS 13.6.1 remain low, there have been Additional reports of charging problems for a small number of iPhone owners after the upgrade. Affected users find that their iPhones refuse to charge, charge extremely slowly, or require multiple connection attempts before their phones start to charge. Right now this seems to only impact wired charging and only a handful of users have reported it so far. That said, I will be keeping an eye on that to see if the number increases as more users install the update. Watch this place.
Update 08/16: Again, a small number of iPhone owners report charging issues after upgrading to iOS 13.6.1. It seems like a niche issue (so your chances of being affected afterwards are extremely low), but it’s clearly something that has surfaced with this update nonetheless. That said, the Bluetooth and WiFi performance issues, which have surfaced several times since the release of iOS 13 – especially with regard to CarPlay, seem to be finally resolved as I couldn’t find a single report of issues on iOS 13.6.1. Therefore, unless something spectacular happens in the next few days, it looks like Apple has done a very solid job with this update.
The Deal Breakers
While the Checkra1n jailbreak still works on iOS 13.6.1 for iPhone X and earlier versions, newer iPhones will find that Apple’s latest update will break your jailbreak. Unc0ver will be on the case, but it’s been behind schedule recently with no jailbreak newer than iOS 13.5.
For everyone else the first 24 hours have been very positive. I have spotted isolated reports of camera problems, a bug with SMS notifications and one charging problem But that’s about all. Even Reddit seems happy, which is miraculous.
So what do you get?
Apple’s official release notes for iOS 13.6.1 lists the following three fixes:
- Fixes an issue where unnecessary system data files may not be automatically deleted when available storage is low
- Fixes a thermal management issue that caused some screens to have a green tint
- Fixes an issue where exposure notifications could be disabled for some users
All three are clearly important, although this is Apple’s first official confirmation of the green tint bug that will make tongues tremble. First reported in June, Apple tech support approved some screen replacements for this issue, but others were turned down and one even said he was notified by a store manager Apple said it was a “phone trait”. Therefore, although it is late, it is great news that Apple has finally confirmed this problem and found a fix with software.
Regarding security fixes, Apple’s official security page confirms that there are none in iOS 13.6.1. This is not unusual for a “ minor ” release, especially after the fixes prevalent in iOS 13.6.
Apple iOS 13.6.1 Verdict: A Cautious Boost
While I still advise cautious upgrades to wait a week for potential issues to appear, the initial response to iOS 13.6.1 seems very positive if you want to update now. Apple has a history of delivering stable releases towards the end of each iOS generation and iOS 13.6.1 looks set to continue that. Apple has come a long way since launching the iOS 13 Dumpster Fire.
I will continue to monitor the reports as the number of iOS 13.6.1 upgrades increases and I will deliver my final verdict within a week.
The road ahead
Apple iOS 14 is now in its fourth beta and it already looks a lot more polished than iOS 13 has ever been. It’s also Apple’s most ambitious upgrade in years, bringing home screen widgets, an app drawer (aka “ App Library ”), call notifications and compact Siri, picture-in-picture video, redesign of messages, cycle routes to Apple Maps, advanced language translation features and more.
Many of these upgrades fill in the gaps iOS had over Android, but iOS 14 also highlights where Apple has a significant lead over its rival: support. As Android phone makers start offering up to three years of support, iOS 14 will once again support all iOS 13 compatible iPhones. Yes, that means the 2015 iPhone 6S will continue to receive updates from features and security until 2021. This is exceptional.
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