iOS 5.1 Features Review: Problems Range From Battery Drain To Weak 4G

Apple officially announced the release of its iOS 5.1 operating system last Wednesday in unison with its unveil of the new iPad. The new iPad will officially hit shelves March 16, 2012. The iOS 5.1 will not be pre-programmed onto Apple products until this date; however, it was available for download on all previous versions of the iPad, iPhone 3GS and later and the third-generation and later models of the iPod Touch on March 7.

Those who were able to download iOS 5.1 questioned its features and even complained about problems already. Here is a review of the grievances those have had with the iOS 5.1.

Battery Drain

Although some users of the iOS 5.1 said that it has improved the battery life of their iPhones, many complained that their battery drain problems have gotten worse, according to CNET. One person found the battery draining faster after installing iOS 5.1, saying that the charge dropped by 20 percent in two hours without using the phone to talk. Another said that battery life was fine with iOS 5.0.1, but since updating the drain was almost 60 percent overnight. A third reported the battery draining around 12 to 15 percent per hour after the update, read a review on the tech website. CNET noted that the reviews were mixed so the problem may vary device to device.

Home Screen Camera Security Concerns

With iOS 5.1, users are able to access the camera feature app from the home screen with the input of a security password. The camera icon is located next to the slide to unlock on the lower right-hand corner. Although this new feature received some positive feedback, others voiced security concerns. Don't like the fact on the new iPhone update they've put the camera bit next to the 'slide to unlock.' It doesn't look right, one user posted on Twitter. Not a huge fan of the new iPhone update. Don't like how you can access the camera when the phone is locked, another wrote. Yet John Mike Wright of the technology security blog Attack Computer Wiz said that the user, not Apple, is to blame. It is a failure on the user's part to properly set security timeouts on their device, he said.

Weak 4G

After downloading iOS 5.1, many AT&T customers see that their 3G network has changed to 4G. This might seem like a glorious, if not unexpected, perk. However, those already using this 4G network have realized that there are no faster data capabilities to be had. Agen G. N. Schmitz of TidBits, an Apple blogging website, said that this is simply a weaselly marketing strategy. Rather, this change reflects that the iPhone is connecting to AT&T's HSPA+ network, which is essentially a faster version of 3G, wrote Schmitz. For comparison, HSPA+ supports a maximum raw downstream capability of 14 Mbps compared to a maximum download rate of 73 Mbps for LTE. Schmitz cited how, at the iPhone 4S launch in October, Phil Schiller joked about how network carriers wanted to call HSPA+ a 4G technology. Based on the 3G-to-4G change on the iOS 5.1 it is clear that Apple gave into this request.

Dropped Service

Many have complained about dropped service when using the iOS 5.1. Just last night, I think my service was dropped at least a dozen times within an hour. Sometimes, it will drop for only a few seconds. Other times, it will be dropped for a few minutes. Its [sic] actually quite irritating because before updating to iOS 5.1, my network never dropped, complained one user on Apple Support Communities message board. Like my 3GS wasn't slow enough to start (16GB with 4gb free space) with it's now dropping signal constantly [sic] all the time the only way to get it back is to turn off and turn back on again, griped another. On a separate board, one iOS 5.1 user suggested taking out the SIM card and putting it back in again to alleviate the problem.

Can't Download iOS 5.1 At All!

Some Apple-product users complained that they cannot download iOS 5.1 on their devices at all. Those having trouble downloading the system received a common error message that read unable to check for update, an error occurred while checking for a software update, according to the UK Phones Review blog. One commentator suggested using what he dubbed the DNS 8.8.8.8 fix. This requires the user to go into the iPhone's WiFi settings, scroll down to DNS and change to that selection. This must be switched back to the original setting when the iOS 5.1 update is complete.

Have you had any problems with your iOS 5.1? Do you have suggestions for fixing the problems listed above? Leave your feedback in the comments section below.