iOS 7.0.4, iOS 7.1 Update iPhone & iPad: What You Need to Know

The iOS 7.0.3 update is the most current update for iPhone and iPad owners in the United States and elsewhere. And while it rolled out a short time ago, there is still incredible interest in what Apple has planned for its next iOS 7 update. Here, ahead of the next iOS 7 update release, we take a look at what iPhone and iPad users need to know about the iOS 7.0.4 and iOS 7.1 updates.

In late October, Apple rolled out its third iOS 7 update. iOS 7.0.1 and iOS 7.0.2 preceded the iOS 7.0.3 update though they were nowhere close in size to the iOS 7.0.3 update. It’s no secret that iPhone and iPad owners have been dealing with an assortment of issues inside of iOS 7. Apple addressed several of them with iOS 7.0.1 and iOS 7.0.2 but it was the iOS 7.0.3 update that was aimed at truly squashing some of the major issues that device owners have been experiencing.

iOS 7.0.3 promised fixes for a number of problems including the iMessage issues that began to affect iPhone owners after upgrading to iOS 7. That said, iPhone and iPad users are still dealing with a number of different issues inside of iOS 7.0.3 and they have been sharing their complaints with Gotta Be Mobile.

While iOS 7.0.3 represents the biggest iOS 7 bug fix update to date, it’s certainly not going to be the last. For one, Apple typically offers a number of incremental updates between iOS 7 and iOS 8 so we expect the company to continue to polish iOS 7 as time marches on. We’ve also seen and heard about two possible iOS 7 updates in the forms of iOS 7.0.4 and iOS 7.1.

Unfortunately, Apple is extremely secretive about iOS updates which means that iPhone and iPad owners don’t have any official information about the next iOS 7 update. That doesn’t mean that there isn’t any information though. Here, we take a look at the most important things that iPhone and iPad owners need to know about the next iOS 7 update, an update that could be iOS 7.0.4 or iOS 7.1.

iOS 7.0.4 Could Roll Out Before iOS 7.1

There is no clear pattern when it comes to Apple’s iOS releases. In the past, the company has released a varying amount of bug fix updates after the initial release so it’s impossible to say what the next iOS 7 update will be. We do have a hunch though.

In the past few weeks, we’ve seen iOS 7.0.4 and iOS 7.1 appear in analytics, a sign that the company is working on two brand new updates. The iOS 7.1 updates have been centered inside of San Francisco which, as we’ve pointed out, is a likely testing ground. While these could certainly be spoofed, the fact that we’ve seen them so frequently, so consistently, leads us, and others, to believe that they are real.

And while iOS 7.1 seemed like the front-runner to be the next iOS 7 update, it looks like iOS 7.0.4 could be the update that Apple rolls out next. This is important because it means that iPhone and iPad owners who aren’t experiencing issues will have to endure another bug fix update before getting access to the new features that iOS 7.1 will likely provide.

Apple’s iOS x.1 updates typically deliver fixes in addition to new features. Last year, we saw movie times added to Siri and the addition of brand new lock screen music controls.

Sightings Have Increased

Maybe the most important thing that iPhone and iPad users, especially those struggling with issues on iOS 7.0.3, should know about is the fact that iOS 7.0.4 and iOS 7.1 sightings have both increased in recent days. While we saw iOS 7.1 update appear for the first time several weeks ago, we’ve started to see the iOS 7.0.4 and iOS 7.1 updates with greater frequency.

Now, this doesn’t necessarily mean that an update is close to rolling out, but it’s not a bad sign for iPhone and iPad owners either. Apple needs to test these updates before they roll out to users and the fact that we’re seeing them start to pick up is a sign that things are progressing. It’s also further proof of their existence.

Apple Won’t Supply a Release Date

Apple is notorious for not saying a thing about incremental iOS updates. Yes, it offers concrete release dates for its big iOS upgrades but the little updates that fall in between typically roll out at random, without a beta process. So, those iPhone and iPad owners who are holding out for an announcement from Apple about an upcoming bug fix update will want to temper their expectations.

Instead, users should know that the software will roll out whenever it rolls out and that the deployment will most likely take place in the morning on the west coast. Apple tends to push software out early in the week at a time around 10AM PST. If 10:30AM PST passes without an iOS 7 release then the odds of an update that day are slim.

iOS 7.0.4 Features Will Remain Mysterious

Unless Apple is dealing with a major bug, the iMessage issues and the complaints from school districts about the iPad filtering issues in iOS 7 are prime examples, Apple typically doesn’t confirm any of the bug fixes or features that will be on board. In the case of the iOS 7.0.4 update, we fully expect the features to be mysterious until it decides to show its face.

However, when it comes to iOS 7.1, we could hear about some potential features ahead of time thanks to leaks and/or a beta process wherein Apple seeds the software to developers. We saw that happen with iOS 6.1 and it could happen with iOS 7.1. That, of course, is the best case scenario for those with their eyes on iOS 7.1.

Best Ways to Find iOS 7.0.3 Fixes

Until Apple rolls out either iOS 7.0.4 or iOS 7.1 with iOS 7.0.4 seeming more likely at this point, iOS 7.0.3, iOS 7.0.2, and iOS 7.0.1 users are going to have to deal with the bugs they are experiencing in iOS 7. (And remember, the next update isn’t guaranteed to fix everything).

While we have a number of guides that can help those who are dealing with iOS 7 problems, we also recommend two places in particular. The Apple discussion forums can be a bit wild but there are a ton of people on there willing to help others. Fixes for obscure problems can often be found on there and at the very least, users with issues can link up with others in an attempt to hunt down a fix.

We also recommend the MacRumors forums. Users on there, in the past, have been extremely resourceful and it’s a place that iOS 7 users will want to utilize if problems emerge.

Our hope is that Apple continues to polish iOS 7 with the iOS 7.0.4/iOS 7.1 update and that one of those updates rolls out in the near future.