Apple iOS 18.2.1 New iPhone Software: Should You Upgrade?
Less than a month after iOS 18.2 delivered a huge swathe of new Apple Intelligence features to iPhone 16 series handsets plus the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, a much smaller update has arrived. There are no new features and no security fixes but the bug fixes included are likely to serve all the iPhones compatible with the latest iOS 18 software.Apple iPhone 16.Getty ImagesNote that Ill be updating this post over the coming days and will make a final assessment on Tuesday, Jan. 14.Who Is It For And How Do You Get It?Apple iOS 18.2.1 is compatible with all iPhones that can run iOS 18. This means all iPhones from the iPhone XS onwards, including the second- and third-generation iPhone SE models.What Its AboutBug fixes are the key to this update and while there havent been overwhelming issues introduced in iOS 18.2, there were plenty of little quirks experienced by smaller numbers of users. Which ones have been addressed here, well, we just dont know.Apple iOS 18.2.1 SecurityTheres almost certainly no need to install this update just for security purposes, which makes a change. Apple has not pointed to any security fixes at all and instead says that it recommends it for all users because of the important bug fixes it includes.MORE FOR YOUInitial ReactionsSo far, theres been a mixed response. Users who were suffering from visual lags when opening or closing apps, for instance, say it hasnt gone away. One iPhone owner said that things are getting worse not better citing Bluetooth problems with auto-connections not happening. Another said that the RCS update which lets messages from Android users look better, say, isnt working consistently (though this may be a carrier rather than an iPhone issue).Apple iOS 18.2.1 Initial Verdict: UpdateDespite the various issues some users have found, theres a pattern which suggests that these are not new problems, rather ones from before that havent yet been fixed. As such, though there are certainly areas for concern, as no new big issues seem to have been introduced, updating seems the best advice. It may be that exactly which bugs have been squished will become evident in the next few days.