iOS 16.1.2 was rolled out to iPhone users on Nov. 30, providing security patches, improvements to Crash Detection, and better cellular connectivity.
Apple released iOS 16.1.2 to compatible devices on Nov. 30, a few weeks ahead of the expected release of iOS 16.2. Each year, Apple adds features to new iPhones via software updates, marked by a full version upgrade in September. Some of these feature additions come to existing iPhones, but others are limited to the newest iPhones released alongside the update. This year, iOS 16 and the iPhone 14 release brought intuitive software-based features like Live Activities and hardware-based features like Crash Detection.
Crash Detection, one of the iPhone 14's flagship features, uses hardware sensors and software analytics to determine whether a car has crashed. This seems like a great feature — albeit one that users hope they never need — but iPhone 14 users discovered a flaw with Crash Detection. Their iPhones were incorrectly detecting a crash had occurred – particularly on rollercoasters – and were calling emergency services in a non-emergency. This is a significant problem, as resources might be diverted from people that are actually in need of help. These are precisely the types of issues that smaller updates like iOS 16.1.2 are meant to solve.
Apple does not provide comprehensive details regarding minor software updates like iOS 16.1.2, but the release notes shed light on the purpose of the update. This version is an iPhone-only release, so there is no corresponding iPadOS update. The company says that the update "provides important security updates" and recommends that all users download and install the latest version. More specifically, Apple details "enhancements" to cellular networking and Crash Detection. Though the improvements are certainly welcome, iPhone users took to Reddit to express their frustration with other unfixed iOS 16 bugs, such as random lags when swiping and using the App Switcher.
Does iOS 16.1.2 Fix Crash Detection?
Crash Detection on the iPhone 14 and Apple Watch Series 8.
Due to the severity of the issues with Crash Detection, it is reasonable to expect that Apple would act swiftly by refining the feature through iOS 16.1.2. Crash Detection is available on four new iPhone models — the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max — so users daily-driving older models won't be affected by the changes. Since the release notes only claim that Crash Detection has been "enhanced," there's no concrete way to know whether the issue has been fixed. As iPhone 14 users upgrade to iOS 16.1.2 and continue to use their devices, more information will be revealed about Crash Detection optimizations.
Though only users with the latest smartphones in the iPhone 14 lineup will be affected by the improvements to Crash Detection, just about everyone might be impacted by the fixes to wireless carrier compatibility. Apple does not provide any additional details to this bug fix, again merely stating that wireless carrier compatibility has been "enhanced." However, users have reported low network speeds on certain carriers, so the update might fix those issues. There are security components to the iOS 16.1.2 update, but the details of those patches are to be announced. Apple's latest iOS 16.1.2 update might not affect the way all iPhone owners use their devices, but it's important to install each software update to receive the latest security patches and bug fixes.
0 Comments