iPhone 5 sales have not met investor predictions over the first month of sales. (AP)
Apple’s latest update has had a rocky start, and the road to improving the technology just keeps getting bumpier. iOS 6 users found a massive bug in the system where the operating system uses cellular data instead of connecting to Wi-Fi. Across the country, people are getting hit with big monthly bills from their cellular provider for unsuspected data usage.
CNN writer Julianne Pepitone dug around the CNN and Apple discussion boards and found people being plagued by this problem. One user burned 1.8 gigabytes of data over five days on his iPhone 5 despite being connected to Wi-Fi 75 percent of the day. Pepitone noted another user’s queasy reaction to the bug.
“When I first noticed the issue, I actually felt sick,” the user said.
Apple has acknowledged the issue on its support site, promising to “resolve an issue in which, under certain circumstances, iPhone 5 may use Verizon cellular data while the phone is connected to a Wi-Fi network.” A spokesperson for Verizon said customers “will not be charged for any unwarranted cellular data usage.”
But Pepitone found that the “problems appear to be with the iOS 6 software,” not Verizon. AT&T has not commented on the subject and Sprint admitted it was just made aware of the issue on Sept. 28 after a call from a CNN Money reporter.
Although it appears that the companies are working to fix the glitch, there’s no clear indication that any one knows how to fix it. Apple only addressed Verizon iPhone 5s, but the issue also appears to not be carrier specific. Any phone using iOS 6 could be open to the glitch. Apparently, the issue is tied to the manufacturer of the router producing the Wi-Fi network.
“The only way I could quickly get my iPhone 5 and iPad working on a Wi-Fi router was to downgrade,” CNET writer Brooke Crothers said. “That worked but seemed like an odd solution.”
Despite all these issues, Apple made Interbrand’s “100 Best Global Brands” list on Wednesday. Interbrand, a market research firm, factors in more than just financial performance to make its list selections.
In order to ascend to the number two spot, Apple raised 129 percent in brand value, successfully “humanizing” itself and experiencing a “smooth transition of power” after the death of former CEO Steve Jobs. Interbrand believes the company will stay on the list for a while.
“The market may move on if Apple’s products cease being a differentiator of class, taste or cool, but that doesn’t appear to be happening any time soon,” Interbrand said in a press release.
Apple rarely does consumer research, but as pressure mounts to stay on top of its game, the brand has decided to look into marketing.
“Apple has contracted Market Strategies, an independent marketing research firm to conduct this survey,” the company said in an email.
Most questions regard consumers’ thoughts and feelings on Apple software, specifically in comparison to Microsoft. CNET blogger Chris Matyszczyk welcomed the constant competition
“Apple’s still got a little thing about Microsoft. Which, in its way, is a charming relief,” he wrote. “[But] Apple is asking me how it might improve its rather fine products [is] weird.”
Nothing has been normal about Apple products in general. The company prides itself as being a technological innovator. But the increasing number of glitches associated with iOS 6 and consumer research methods adopted by the brand is just a little “weird.”
