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iPhone XS charging bug: Fix due in iOS 12.1, as Apple digs into connectivity problems

Apple has a fix for iPhone XS and XS Max devices that aren't charging unless woken up.
Written by Liam Tung, Contributing Writer

Apple hasn't publicly acknowledged reports that the iPhone XS has a charging problem but it's got a fix lined up in the next iOS update.

The fix landed in the latest iOS 12.1 beta, according to iMore's Rene Ritchie. iOS 12.1 could arrive on iPhones later this month, bringing with it the charging fix and dozens of new emoji.

Over the past week some iPhone XS and XS Max owners have noticed that their device isn't charging when plugged in unless they wake it up after plugging it in. Without first waking up an affected iPhone, users don't know whether it is charging.

It wasn't clear whether the bug is caused by hardware or software, but the fix in iOS 12.1 has clarified this question.

Apple doesn't mention the fix in iOS 12.1 beta release notes and hasn't commented on the reported charging issues.

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Users could move to the beta release to ensure their phone really is charging when plugged in, or just persevere for a few weeks until iOS 12.1 is generally available.

Apple announced over 70 new emoji this week coming in iOS 12, which include new curly hair, gray and bald characters, heart faces, Chinese new year emoji, and a range of sports emoji, such as a skateboard and Frisbee.

The iPhone maker is also investigating reports about poor cell and Wi-Fi connectivity affecting the iPhone XS and XS Max.

As MacRumors reports, some users have been approached by Apple to answer questions about iPhone XS connectivity problems and install a baseband logger to monitor the strength of its connection to mobile towers.

Some users have experienced noticeable differences in iPhone XS reception compared with older models.

As one user noted on Apple's discussion pages, in places where an iPhone X displayed all bars, the iPhone XS only shows two bars. Also, the device had troubles connecting to Wi-Fi after exiting airplane mode.

Again, it's not known whether the connectivity problems relate to hardware or software.

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