With bugs frustrating users, Apple’s first iOS 5 update is an important one

With the release of the iPhone 4S then imminent, Apple released its new iOS 5 software update for its mobile and TV devices two days prior to the launch of its updated handset on October 14, bringing with it over 200 new features and tweaks.

Whilst the new update has generally been well received, iOS 5 has presented its fair share of bugs and frustrations. New and old device owners alike have begun experiencing issues since they connected their device to iTunes (for what could have been the last time with WiFi syncing and wireless updates) and upgraded devices from iOS 4.3.5 and lower.

Perhaps the biggest issue of all is battery life. Customers buying the new iPhone 4S have experienced less than ideal battery life with their new devices, seeing less than a days charge – with many reporting a drastic difference to the iPhone 4. Whilst Apple was quick to point out that its new handset would be capable of a full 100 hours less Standby Time than its iPhone 4 counterpart, it appears a software bug may be causing rapid battery consumption, not only on the iPhone 4S but other devices running iOS 5.

Temporary ‘fixes’ have sprung up; iDownloadBlog believes that one such issue could be how iOS 5 interprets location data to automatically update the time on a user’s device depending on where in the world they are. Toggling the automatic location setting has said to improve issues but has produced less than consistent results with those that have tried it.

Other issues that have been experienced by iDevice owners include:

• When charging the battery, the device hits 98% and indicates it is fully charged.
• Increased application crashes (as much of a developer issue as a possible Apple bug).
• Call issues.
• Keyboard refusing to pop-under, staying present on the homescreen.
• Complaints of missing notifications (again could be a developer issue).
• Data issues on Sprint networks – something that Apple is said to be actively investigating.

Both the data and location issues are reportedly under investigation by Apple, with the company contacting iPhone users to help reproduce the battery issue and send diagnostics back to the Cupertino-based company to help them patch the bugs that other users seem to be experiencing.

Contacting customers is not a new thing; Apple has regularly followed up forum posts on its Apple Support Community forums, asking users to install monitoring profiles to catch issues and alert the company as to what might be causing device issues.

In the past, Apple has been quick to patch problems in its software and has issued updates via its iTunes desktop software. However, with the introduction of iOS 5, users will now be able to update directly on their device, as long as they have a stable wireless connection to download the update and enough battery to ensure it can be processed without issue.

The main issue for Apple will be the new customers that have purchased Apple devices for the first time having come from a featurephone or rival smartphone platform. With the iPhone 4S suffering battery issues and data issues in the U.S, the company will be moving quick to quell customer complaints and issue patches.

The iPhone 4S went on sale in 22 new countries yesterday, increasing the pool of users that could potentially suffer from less-than-expected battery life and other issues.

Apple typically remains quiet on expected delivery of updates but its first iOS 5 update will be an important one for new and seasoned iOS device owners alike.