In a nutshell: Those who purchase an iPhone 14 when it launches this week will need to go through one extra step when setting it up. Like many other products these days, Apple’s latest smartphone will receive a day-one patch to fix a few bugs. Apple also quietly released a security update for iOS 15.
The iPhone 14s that early adopters receive this week won’t come with the latest version of iOS 16, according to an unofficial Apple update tracker. Customers can immediately download an update that, among other things, fixes an issue that could make photos look soft when zooming in landscape mode on an iPhone 14 Pro Max.
The day-one update comes despite iOS 16 launching earlier this week for iPhone 8 and later. The discrepancy likely occurred because iPhone 14s began shipping to stores before iOS 16 was ready for public release. During their initial release, a similar situation happened with the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series game consoles.
The new iPhones ship with an earlier version of iOS 16, so you’ll get a day one update to the final release build (20A362), which will show up with the following as release notes: pic.twitter.com/UnryNYzCXw
— Apple Software Updates (@AppleSWUpdates) September 13, 2022
To update your iPhone, navigate to Settings > General > Software Update, then select Download and Install. Apple’s latest mobile operating system includes new customization options for the lock screen, the ability to edit or delete messages after sending them, and many other additions. Apple also released watchOS 9 this week, but iPadOS 16 won’t arrive until October.
The iPhone 14, iPhone 14, Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max launch on September 16, while the iPhone 14 Plus – a larger variant of the standard model – hits store shelves on October 7. The new phones include hardware to enable emergency satellite connections and detect crashes. The Pro and Pro Max feature a 48-megapixel camera and an always-on variable refresh rate screen.
Users unable or unwilling to upgrade to iOS 16 or iPadOS 16 should download the patch Apple released for iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 this week. Both patches include fixes for several bugs and security threats. Some of them could let malicious websites track users, spoof address bars, or execute arbitrary code. One exploit could allow an app to circumvent privacy preferences, and another could make photos accessible from the lock screen.