Still Waiting for Apple iOS 7.1

UPDATE: Apple released Apple iOS 7.1 on March 10, 2014.

Today Apple released iOS 7.0.6 for its line of iPads and iPhones with a security update for SSL connection verification.

Like many, I’ve been waiting for iOS 7.1 to correct some minor problems. Last month, MG Siegler wrote an article entitled I Got Bugs, critical of the quality of Apple iOS 7.

I remain convinced that in just about every way, iOS 7 is a huge upgrade over the previous iterations. Except one. And it’s a big one. The software is so inexplicably and inexcusably buggy.

My biggest gripe is my iPhone 5 can’t decide if the battery is charged or not, especially once the battery level falls below 50%. iOS 7.1 is currently in beta and currently expected in mid-March. I hope that the release of today’s minor (albeit security related) bug fix isn’t an early warning that we’re going to have to wait even longer.

Apple is expected to soon unveil the next chapter of its television strategy, which is assumed to be a revised Apple TV. Apple TV has its own variant of iOS and the new model most likely has dependencies on the upcoming iOS 7.1. It’s rumored that the next Apple TV may be integrated with an Airport Express, Apple’s entry-level wi-fi router that is due for its own upgrade (see related 9-to-5 Mac article, Apple TV graduates from hobby/accessory to product line ahead of major changes). Another item overdue for a product refresh is the Apple Mac Mini, last updated in October 2012. Because it has found a home in many living rooms as a media device, it’s plausible that the Mac Mini could be refreshed alongside the Apple TV as part of a broader array of offerings for the living room.

For now, I’ll be keeping an eye on my iPhone 5 battery indicator.