Apple will be pushing an update to iOS in the next couple weeks that reportedly addresses the location tracking “bug” that has stormed the media. The iPhone’s location database retained too much tracking info, and Apple plans on fixing that issue in iOS 4.3.3.
A few minor bugs will be addressed, but iOS 4.3.3 looks like it will mainly focus on the iPhone’s location database.
Boy Genius Report has been told that iOS 4.3.3 will address,
- The update will no longer back up the location database to iTunes.
- The size of the location database will be reduced.
- The location database will be deleted entirely when Location Services are turned off.
- Battery life improvements.
- iPod bug fixes.
If you recall, Apple addressed what it would fix in an iOS update during the company’s Q&A on the location issue.
Sometime in the next few weeks Apple will release a free iOS software update that:
- reduces the size of the crowd-sourced Wi-Fi hotspot and cell tower database cached on the iPhone
- ceases backing up this cache
- deletes this cache entirely when Location Services is turned off.
- In the next major iOS software release the cache will also be encrypted on the iPhone.
We saw 4.3.3 coming when there was such a strong response to the uncovering of the iPhone’s location database. Although it honestly seems like a non-issue, it’s nice to see that Apple is being responsive in fixing this “bug” with a quick update.
iOS 4.3.3 seems to be a minor update, so hopefully ic0n1c’s untethered exploit will remain unpatched for jailbreakers. Apple has grown more aggressive with patching exploits as of late, so only time will tell.
As always, stay tuned to iDB for the latest news as more is uncovered about iOS 4.3.3.
