iPhone and iPad users are angry after the iOS 8 update is apparently draining batteries and hampering Wi-Fi connectivity.
According to a discussion on the Apple support forums, the iPad Air, iPad mini with retina display, iPhone 5 and 5s, and the newly released iPhone 6 and 6 Plus devices are all affected.
Complaints around Wi-Fi range from significant latency on devices that previously had fast connections, speeds dropping despite a strong Wi-Fi signal, or losing the connection all together.
“My iPad [Air] is just about useless now after upgrading,” one user complained.
“It will work OK for a few minutes then the little wheel will just sit there and spin. The Wi-Fi connection to the router is there and strong, but the connectivity to the internet fails to move any data,” they added.
Loading videos, whether on websites or streaming, appears to be a particular problem.
“Wi-Fi and video playback, specifically websites loading for first time and Netflix playback, is DEAD! I can wait minutes to load Google front page and videos on Netflix are staggered,” another user said.
“[I’m] so angry at Apple. Just to meet their release commitment they release this untested crap,” the user added, saying their iPad 4 with Retina display is “now a doorstop”.
In addition to connectivity problems, some users are also reporting their devices’ batteries are draining more quickly since moving to iOS 8.
“My battery drains very fast (100% to zero in about four hours with minimal usage), started happening right after I upgraded to iOS 8,” said one user, claiming both their iPhone 5S and iPad Air are affected.
“My [iPhone 5] was 100% charged at 8:00 this morning and it’s now 13:45 and I’m at 29% and dropping fast. No heavy usage and no phone calls,” another user said.
While some users suggested turning off new features, particularly Handoff, many of those affected said it had no effect.
Apple had not responded to a request for comment at the time of publication. However, PC Pro has been unable to verify the alleged problems, and our devices running iOS 8 aren’t having the same issues.
OS adoption
Despite these issues, uptake of iOS 8 hit 46% within the first five days since its launch, according to Apple.
This puts the new mobile OS within striking distance of its predecessor, iOS 7, which has dropped from 90% distribution to 49%.
However, it will have to have grown by a further six points within the past two days in order to hit iOS 7’s record of 52% adoption within one week.
The company hasn’t revealed which devices in particular have been responsible for the rapid growth, although it did report yesterday that iPhone 6 sales, which come pre-loaded with iOS 8, hit 10 million in the first three days after release.
i0S 8 is also compatible with all iPhones from the 4S upwards and all but the first iPad. The installation requires 6.9GB of space, leaving many with other devices deleting apps and files to make room. If faced with the same problem, here’s how to install iOS 8 without deleting anything.
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