Apple pulls iPhone 6 update after glitch reports

Apple withdrew a faulty update to its latest operating system after some users of its new phones complained of call service disruptions, the latest in a series of glitches to mar the first week of iPhone 6 and 6 Plus sales.

“We apologize for the great inconvenience experienced by users,” Apple spokeswoman Trudy Muller said.

Apple said on its website it was working to prepare iOS 8.0.2 with a fix for the issue, and will release it in the next few days.

Users of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus complained about a drop in cellular service and inability to use the fingerprint-reading Touch ID after updating to iOS 8.0.1.

Some users had complained of “sluggish Wi-Fi and dwindling battery life” after moving to iOS 8, Time magazine reported earlier this week.

The new phones also face criticism over their bendability, dubbed “bendgate”. Social media and online forums have been abuzz with comments about how the new phones can bend when placed in back pockets or while wearing skinny jeans.

Apple, which said on Monday it had shipped 10 million units of iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, did not comment on the issue.

Yesterday, it issued a step-by-step guide for users to reinstall iOS 8, launched last week, through the latest version of iTunes. The health app will not work for now and will be fixed in iOS 8.0.2, Apple said.

Rival smartphone makers took digs at Apple’s problems.

A Samsung advertisement showcased a bending phone against its own product, while BlackBerry CEO John Chen said: “I would challenge you guys to bend our Passport.”

— Reuters