Why the iOS 8.1.1 update is great news for old iPhones

Apple's incoming iOS 8.1.1 update will fix a ton of bugs and issues that have turned older iPhones and iPads into attractive doorstops.

Since iOS 8 rolled out there's been no shortage of (warranted) complaints from users of older iPhones and iPads, after the update turned their devices into sluggish slabs of fail, in some cases rendering them unusable. At least Apple has been listening though, because the newest version of iOS 8 (8.1.1) is apparently packed with bugfixes and improvements for the most common issues afflicting older devices.

UPDATE: iOS 8.1.1 is now available for all Apple devices, so get downloading if you've got older Apple tech like the iPhone 4s or iPad 2.

An early beta version of the iOS 8.1.1 update has already been seeded to a number of developers, but there could still be a way to go before the final release is finished and unleashed on the public.

Owners of the iPhone 4S and iPad 2 have been specifically mentioned by Apple in the release notes, so if you’ve been struggling with your (not so) old device since iOS 8 went live, help could be at hand. Unless it turns out to be another update which mends one thing andbreaks a few others, much like iOS 8.0.1 which was supposed to fix problems but instead disabled Touch ID and prevented some devices from connecting to cellular networks. Handy.

We’re sure Cupertino’s software wizards are working hard to deliver some good news to users while at the same time striving to avoid adding fuel to the fire set by Harvard academics back in the summer. If you missed it, a study was released which claimed that Apple could be intentionally slowing down older devices, in a pattern of ‘planned obsolescence’, to ostensibly force users to upgrading.

Has your older iOS device been made worse by recent software updates? Let us know in the comments below.