While iOS 12.1 left a gaping security hole in the lockscreen, it was otherwise a very solid update which eliminated some pretty fundamental (and also ridiculous) flaws from previous releases.
Here’s everything you need to know…
December 8 Update - there's now a potential deal-breaking problem. Details here.
Who Is It For?
iOS 12.1.1 is compatible with all iOS 11 compatible devices. This means the iPhone 5S or later, iPad mini 2 or later and 6th generation iPod touch or later.
Compatible devices will be automatically prompted to upgrade but, if that doesn’t happen, you can manually trigger it by going to Settings > General > Software Update. Beta testers, you may need to unroll your device for iOS 12.1.1 to appear.
The new update weighs in at up to 350MB. I say “up to” because different devices get different updates, so the update will be smaller on older models of iPhone and iPad.
The Deal Breakers
First, the prerequisite warning to Jailbreakers: iOS 12.1.1 has not been cracked (neither have many releases prior to it) so stay away until your jailbreaking software of choice catches up. I suspect you’re in for a long wait.
What about iOS 12.1.1 early issues? So far, there are a lot less than normal.
The headliner is users are reporting issues using Shortcuts, but this is actually believed to be a server-side error which isn’t dependent on an iOS update to fix it. So don’t panic about this one.
As for bugs clearly centred on iOS 12.1.1, the dominant one is mobile data errors with broken 4G being reported along with network failures (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9). This was something reported in the beta which doesn’t appear to have been fixed. Only a minority of users appear to be affected, but if you are it’s bad. This aside, I’m also seeing some reports of poor battery life but far less than usual and, remember, upgrading can impact battery life for a few days while your device re-indexes.
I’ll follow up the carrier problems but, this aside, iOS 12.1.1 has a relatively clean bill of health.
So What Do You Get?
Apple’s official release notes describe iOS 12.1.1 as follows:
iOS 12.1.1 adds features and fixes bugs for your iPhone and iPad. Features and improvements include:
- Notification preview using haptic touch on iPhone XR
- Dual SIM with eSIM for additional carriers on iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max
- One tap to flip between the rear and front-facing camera during a FaceTime call
- Live Photo capture during one-to-one FaceTime calls
- The option to hide the sidebar in News on iPad in landscape orientation
The eSIM carrier update has accelerated AT&T and Verizon support (which was previously delayed) and it will now launch with T-Mobile in December.
In Apple’s full release notes (only the summary above is listed on your iPhones and iPads), you’ll also find support for Real-Time Text (RTT) when using Wi-Fi calling on iPads and iPod touch and stability improvements for dictation.
In terms of security, Apple’s official security page lists multiple fixes including one for the aforementioned lockscreen vulnerability and directly credits finder videosdebarraquito, which is good to see. In addition, Apple has plugged 16 further security holes of which five are in the iOS Kernel and six in Safari and its WebKit core.
Apple iOS 12.1.1 Verdict: Upgrade (Cautiously)
Credit to Apple as iOS 12.1.1 looks like a solid release. My one concern is the mobile data issue. Only a minority seem to be affected, but since it’s a very serious problem cautious owners may want to hold off. That said, there is no reason for owners of iPads without cellular and iPod touch not to jump on this now.
As always, I will keep this article updated so be sure to check back before you upgrade. As more devices update, new problems tend to be discovered.
The Road Ahead - Apple iOS 12.1.1
Surprisingly, Apple does not currently have a new version of iOS in beta. For some time now Apple has overlapped releases but, for now, neither iOS 12.1.2 nor iOS 12.2 are anywhere to be seen. Should the carrier issues continue, I’d expect an iOS 12.1.2 hotfix.
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