Need to Know8 2 - 15 October 2019
What happened?
Appleunveiledandreleasedthe
latestversion of its mobile
operating system, iOS 13. But
alongside its newfeatures–
including fasterapp downloads,
expandedDarkMode and an
improved Photosapp –the new
version ofiOS has afewbugs.
First,the goodnews: the free
updateisexpansive,with
updates tomanyaspectsof the
operating system. It shouldrun
more efficientlyand quickly,
Applesaid, with fasterapp
launching and downloads.The
Photosapp has newediting
tools,Mapshas aGoogle-Street-
View-like ‘Look Around’ feature
andSiri has amore natural voice.
Applehas alsoadded intriguing privacy
features, including away tosign into
online serviceswith Applesoyou can
keepyour dataawayfromother
providers,betterpermissions for
Bluetooth use byapps, andsingle-use
email addressestosign upfor stuff
without givingawayyourrealidentity.
Unfortunately,alongside the wealth of
newfeatures, there’s adownside: bugs.
Hopefully,Applewill havealready
addressedthe flaws bythe timethis
issue ispublished but, currently,reports
ofproblemsabound, including losing
datainiCloud, difficultieswith the
accessibleversion for peoplewith
reduced visionandproblemssending
email fromthe Mail app.Users also
experienced apps crashing,batteries
drainingduringthe indexingprocess
and more.
Bugswerealsoreportedinthe new
iPhone11 and11 Pro handsets,which
comewith iOS 13preinstalled.Reports
suggestedthatthe mobile signal
suddenlydrops,photos haveincorrect
metadata, suchas dates,some apps
crash on opening andthe camera is
slow, amongothercomplaints.
There weresomany issuesthateven
the USDepartment ofDefence warned
staff toholdoff upgrading toiOS 13
untiliOS 13.1 arrived atthe endof
September. Thatmay be duetoa
securityvulnerabilityspotted byone
researcher, which could let ahacker slip
pastthe phone’s lockscreenand
password tosee contact information.
Apple planstofix the many bugswith
a quick follow-up release,iOS 13.1.This
was initially expected bythe end of
September, but may beissuedearly,
suggestingAppleistaking the various
flaws seriously.How will it affectyou?
Thankstothe timerequiredtoprint a
magazine and the speedwith which
updates tophonescan be pushedout,
it’s possiblethe bugswill bepatched
with iOS 13.1 beforeyou evenreadthis
story.If not, it’s worth waiting for iOS
13.1 toarrivebeforeupgrading froman
older phone.If you’vealreadyupgraded,or havepickedupan
iPhone11, make sureyou allow
the updatetorunsoyou get the
fixed version assoonaspossible.
Noneof the bugsshouldcause
any lasting harmto yourdevice
or present amajor securityrisk.
Peopleworking inthe US
government may worry about
someof the securityflaws but,
for mostofus, it’s not ahuge
problemif someonesnoops on
our contactslist. The DoDdidn’t
specify its concernsabout iOS 13,
sothere could befurthersecurity
risksthe restofusaren’t aware
of, but the organisation hasn’t
outrightbanned the update
either, sothe risks are likely
tobeminor.
Generallyspeaking,it’s becoming
clear thatbeing the firsttoinstall an
updated OSisn’t necessarily the best
move. Beit AppleorMicrosoft, which
has seenits own problems, operating
systemupdates oflatehavebeenhit by
bug after bug.Patienceisindeeda
virtue, soit’s alwaysworth waiting
beforeupgrading.What dowethink?
Applehas areputationfor perfection,
but it’s experienced bugsbefore,
including the infamous‘antenna-gate’,
whenthe iPhonedroppedcalls if you
heldit ina certain way.Still, it’s
surprisingtosee Appletripupsomany
wayswith thisrelease.Critics have
calledit “messy” and much worse,and
it’s a shametosee sucha lackofquality
control. Applerunslong, detailed beta
tests with advancedusers and
developers, soit’s hardtosee howthese
bugscould havebeenmissed.
The nextversion,which has patches
for some bugs, isbeing releaseda week
early.That’s a goodsign andshows
Appleisaware of its misstep.Hopefully,
iOS 13.1 andthe various versionsthat
followit will mark areturntoperfection,
ratherthanleaving bug testing inthe
hands ofcustomers.Apple unveils iOS 13, but it’s
riddled with bugs
iOS13 introduces a new look and lots of
new features- but also a raft of new bugs