If you take the release notes from Apple seriously, you'd believe the headline feature about restoring some lost ringtones was the big story of iOS 8.1.2. Indeed, Forbes' Ewan Spence questioned Apple's sincerity with respect to the update for that reason and Gordon Kelly was rather more pointed in his criticisms. But then a funny thing happened: I went and downloaded it anyway, mostly because I can't stand seeing the Settings icon beckoning me to do so with that number 1 floating over it. Lo and behold, Bluetooth problems I've been having for weeks with the iPhone 6 have mostly (entirely?) disappeared.
Now, let's be clear on a few things. There's no doubt that at least some users have been having Bluetooth problems since the launch of iOS 8. But because my experience with the new OS also coincides with getting a new phone, it's been challenging to separate the cause on my end. Additionally, like many folks Bluetooth for me is a limited-use feature. Until recently, I used it almost exclusively with my car's built-in handsfree system. Other than having to wait a few seconds when entering the car for the phone to connect, Bluetooth in my Acura has been bulletproof in its reliability for the past 30 months across 5 different iPhones (including a couple of replacements due to other warranty issues).
Then my Bluetooth usage practically doubled when I got a hold of an August Smart Lock. I've found the experience of living it pretty lousy, mostly because it relies on the short-range wireless technology to lock and unlock the door. With the iPhone 6, that's just been too slow to be acceptable -- at least for me. It never dawned on me that the iPhone -- and perhaps iOS 8 itself -- was the culprit until that heretofore solid handsfree system started being as reliable as a mid-1980s Chrysler with an oil leak.
And so it was with no expectations whatsoever that I installed iOS 8.1.2. The tiny update goes unusually quickly for an Apple software patch. Just like that, the August responds at a speed one can actually live with. It's still not a great way to enter and exit your home, but at least I don't find myself standing at the door for 30 seconds staring at the iPhone wondering if it will ever let me in. The car's handsfree is a good deal better, too, though more extensive testing is required to see if it's back to its old self.
The new unpleasant behavior there has involved lots of 1-3 second dropouts of the Bluetooth where the handsfree would then quickly reconnect. It's surprisingly maddening given that it's accompanied by a series of beeps and seemed to have a sixth sense about when to drop: Do so only when either party was saying something important! Others have had far worse problems with Bluetooth than I have, reporting a failure to connect at all or links so inconsistent as to be unusable. In the last couple of days, I've been able to successfully remain on calls and stream music over Spotify without any dropouts.
What isn't apparent is whether the 8.1.2 update contains any new Bluetooth-related software or perhaps if it just manages to correctly reset some parameters in the iPhone to get things working well again. But I'm not sure the technical details matter much to me. If you're having problems, they might not matter much to you either. Download the update as soon as you have a chance and let us know if it helps.
