Apple iOS 11.2.5 Release: Should You Upgrade?

Well, this is odd. Apple AAPL +0.6% has finally released the mysteriously named iOS 11.2.5, giving no reason as to why it broke sequential numbering for the first time in iOS history (iOS 11.2.2 was the previous release). Moreover, there’s not a lot to get excited about and a surprisingly wide range of problems currently being reported. So should you upgrade?

Who Is iOS 11.2.5 For?Despite its odd numbering, iOS 11.2.5 is just like any standard iOS 11 release in that it is compatible with the iPhone 5S or later, iPad mini 2 or later and 6th generation iPod touch or later.Apple will automatically prompt you to install iOS 11.2.5, but should this not happen you can trigger the update manually by going to Settings > General > Software Update. Apple iOS beta testers, remember you may have to unroll your device for the update to appear - especially if you are running the major new iOS 11.3 beta (more on that later).

iOS updates vary in size (different features/fixes apply to different devices) but iOS 11.2.5 is larger than your usual ‘minor point’ upgrade (circa 50-100MB) weighing in at up to 178MB. Note: if you’re still running iOS 10 (or even iOS 9), then iOS 11.2.5 will roll up the large iOS 11 updates into a single major upgrade causing it to weigh in at several gigabytes.The Deal BreakersYes, loyal jailbreakers you will need to avoid this one. Despite Google releasing iOS 11.2.2 exploit details, iOS 11.2.5 is a different animal and there’s no jailbreak currently available for it.

As for the initial iOS 11.2.5 stability reports, I have good and bad news. The good news is iOS 11.2.5 doesn’t currently have one overwhelming problem affecting millions of users. The bad news is upgraders are reporting it has an unusually wide range of more isolated ones.These include lockscreen issues, ringtone bugs, outright bricking of devices (1,2,3,4,5), performance drops (1,2,3), Apple Watch pairing problems, degraded WiFi and CarPlay issues with Ford and Skoda. Inevitably the big battery life drops reported ever since iOS 11 first launched in September are showing little sign of abating either (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,7 etc).As always I will update this article if any of the problems mentioned above escalate.So What Do You Get?While iOS 11.2.5 contains little to make you rush out and upgrade (it isn’t essential like iOS 11.2.2), it breaks the mold for minor point releases by having more than just bug fixes. Apple’s release notes state:“iOS 11.2.5 includes support for HomePod and introduces the ability for Siri to read the news (US, UK and Australia only). This update also includes bug fixes and improvements.”Both these features are fairly self-explanatory. HomePod pre-orders begin January 26th with a release on February 9th so support was needed and Siri’s new reading is triggered if you ask about news of the day via a handsfree method like saying “Hey Siri”. This uses Podcast news and you can choose from the likes of NPR, Fox News (please don’t), CNN and The Washington Post and can be fine-tuned if you ask about sports, business or music news.Not mentioned in the release notes, but worth pointing out is iOS 11.2.5 brings a new UI for audio controls in the music widget. This lists all playback sources individually rather than amalgamating them and, in my opinion, makes it easier to toggle between sources. There’s additional VoiceOver accessibility support as well with travel destinations and AirPod battery levels now able to be read out.As for security, Apple’s official page lists fixes for vulnerabilities in Bluetooth, audio playback and WebKit (the core of Safari) and there are bug fixes for the Phone app (incomplete call lists), Mail (Exchange accounts missing on the lock screen), Messages (jumbled conversations) and CarPlay (freezing when jumping multiple tracks).Apple iOS 11.2.5 Verdict: Wait, For NowDespite a few incremental improvements, there’s nothing essential in this release like the Spectre and Meltdown mitigations in iOS 11.2.2. As such, given the wide array of problems currently being reported, I’d wait and see if any of them escalate as more and more users blindly upgrade.The only exception to this rule is if you plan on buying a HomePod as you will need the support iOS 11.2.5. Even then HomePod isn’t released until February 9th, so you can still wait.The Road AheadFor those who choose to hold fire, you shouldn’t have to wait long for the next upgrade. That will be iOS 11.3 and it is the big one. iOS 11.3 brings the detailed battery diagnostics and clarity users have deserved ever since the shutdown debacle began well over a year ago, and which I was first to report.While long overdue, iOS 11.3 will also give users control over how their iPhones and iPads operate as their batteries degrade and upfront warnings when the battery should be replaced. This should have been the strategy from the start, but it is good to see Apple finally bend to public and (a lot of) legal pressure.