iPhone 6 Plus iOS 8.1.2 Review

Apple continues to offer fast updates to iOS 8, delivering the iOS 8.1.2 release in early December with a number of bug fixes and a solution to missing ringtones. We’ll help you decide if you should install iOS 8.1.2 on your iPhone 6 Plus or wait for another update.

Apple is still working on iOS 8.2 for 2015 and is allowing developers to test it now, but this small update is free and available for all users. Small bug fix updates like this can create a variety of problems, but overall the iOS 8.1.2 iPhone 6 Plus update is stable.

This is the latest of many updates for the iPhone 6 Plus as Apple struggled to fix a variety of problems that shipped with iOS 8. After a major iOS 8.1 update last month this is the second smaller bug fix to arrive for the iPhone and iPad.

Should you install iOS 8.1.2 now? Read our iPhone 6 Plus iOS 8.1.2 review.

While this is a small update, it is an important one with a variety of bug fixes. Apple focused on the missing ringtones in the release notes, but there are also other fixes in this small update.

After using the iOS 8.1.2 update for the roughly a week, this is what we know about the overall performance of the iOS 8.1.2 iPhone 6 Plus update. Not every iPhone reacts the same to an update, but this is a general guide to how the iPhone 6 Plus iOS 8.1.2 update handles and it will help you answer the question, “Should I update to iOS 8.1.2?”, specifically for the iPhone 6 Plus.

iPhone 6 Plus iOS 8.1.2 Review

The iPhone 6 Plus iOS 8.1.2 update is a solid performing collection of bug fixes. I carry a variety of devices including the Note 4 and iPhone 6, but for the past week I’ve been using the iPhone 6 Plus more so that I can test this update. Initially I experienced some problems with AirDrop, but those appear to be back to pre-update reliability and the update is performing well overall.

This is a general guide to the iOS 8.1.2 update on the iPhone 6 Plus. We all use different apps and the performance and bugs can vary from one device to the next. Keep this in mind as you decide if you should update to the iOS 8.1.2 update on your iPhone 6 Plus.

iPhone 6 Plus Apps on iOS 8.1.2

All of my favorite iPhone 6 Plus apps are working perfectly on the iOS 8.1.2 update. This includes those on my list of the best iPhone 6 Plus apps like Netflix, ESPN Fantasy Football, Amazon, Facebook, Google Hangouts, Alien Blue, HDE OTP and many others.

There is no app freezing like I experienced during the first month of using the iPhone 6 Plus. The iOS 8.1.1 update fixed my landscape issues that locked the iPhone 6 Plus into landscape mode in some apps. This was not a problem for iOS 8.1.1 and it is not an issue for iOS 8.1.2. If you still experienced this in iOS 8.1.1 like I did on my iPhone 6, this update appears to finally fix that problem.

The first thing to do if you run into problems with apps crashing or not behaving correctly is to update them in the app store. Many times a small app update will fix these problems.

See how iOS 8.1.2 performs on the iPhone 6 Plus.

iOS 8.1.2 Battery Life

The iPhone 6 Plus iOS 8.1.2 battery life remains solid. This is one of the few devices I can use heavily every day, without worrying about running out of power in the evening. iPhone 6 Plus battery life is as good now as it was three months ago. If you experience any iOS 8.1.2 battery life problems, look for apps that are misbehaving or try reseting network settings.

WiFi, Cellular Data & Bluetooth

Connectivity is one of the most important parts of the iPhone 6 Plus. Without WiFi, LTE and Bluetooth this device is essentially useless to me. With the iOS 8.0.1 update earlier this year I lost cellular connectivity for a day, but since then Apple has been able to keep my iPhone 6 Plus connected and iOS 8.1.2 is no different.

I use the AT&T iPhone 6 Plus and it connected to 4G and 4G LTE networks throughout my city without any problems.

The iPhone 6 Plus continues to function fine as a personal hotspot and the Instant Hotspot feature is now more reliable. The iPhone connects to any WiFi network I test and maintains the connection. Bluetooth is also working fine with Bluetooth headphones and with a Bluetooth keyboard without any problems.

Bugs & Issues

This is our iOS 8.1.2 review on the iPhone 6 Plus.

AirDrop seems to be back tot he normal level of reliability, which is to say it works 75% of the time. It would be great if Apple could make this work all the time, but that may take an OS X Yosemite update.

I am not also able to reliably answer calls on the iPhone 6 Plus that come in to my iPhone 6, a problem that struck on the first day of using iOS 8.1.2.

You can read this list of iOS 8.1.2 problems for more information on what you might encounter.

Speed

The iPhone 6 Plus is a fast smartphone and it has been since I started using it in September. The iOS 8.1.2 update does not make the iPhone 6 Plus faster, but it does not slow it down either. The iPhone 6 Plus is quick and there are not any hang ups or freezes like we occasionally saw on earlier releases.

Should You Install iOS iOS 8.1.2?

Installing iOS 8.1.2 on the iPhone 6 Plus is something most owners should do. The experience is very positive and this is a new device that continues to function well with the latest software.

If you are on the fence and there are no issues with your iPhone 6 Plus, and you don’t need to recover your ringtones, you can wait for another update, but it is unlikely that there will be one until next year.