Status of iOS 8.3 and External GPS Receivers
Greetings from the warm and muggy Sun 'n Fun air show in Lakeland, FL! We've enjoyed catching up with new and existing Bad Elf customers over the last 4 days. The first air show of the year is always special and motivates us going into the busy spring and summer flying seasons.
As of this morning, we still don't have any official updates re: the iOS 8.3 issue with external GPS receivers. As we've said before: please do not upgrade to iOS 8.3 if possible! We have heard rumors the issue has been fixed internally by Apple, but don't know when this fix will be released to the public. We're hoping for a 8.3.1 release, although it could also be released as part of the iOS 8.4 beta program.
As soon as we have any significant updates, we will quickly notify everyone via email, blog, Twitter, and Facebook. We are standing by to quickly test any iOS updates as soon as they are available.
If this issue is negatively impacting you, please contact us via email to support@bad-elf.com and we’ll see what we can do to help.
Update (28-April): Apple released an iOS 8.4 beta 2 update to developers and beta testers yesterday. Unfortunately, due to the confidentiality requirements of these programs, we’re not allowed to disclose any non-public information about this beta software — including how it affects the iOS 8.3 bug affecting external GPS receivers like ours.
Several sources including iLounge and MacRumors have posted articles about this release.
If you’d like to join Apple’s Beta Software Program, you can learn more and sign up on Apple’s site. Please make sure that you fully understand the risks associated with beta software before taking this path.
We still have our fingers crossed that this GPS issue will be fixed ASAP in a public (non-beta) iOS 8.3.1 update. We are also exploring multiple workaround options until this is resolved one way or another.
According to some forums, iOS 8.4 should come out around June 8th.
Not long after, it will be iOS 9 ’s turn.
The way Apple delt with the Bluetooth GPS problem is quite disappointing.
The Apple update is extremely frustrating! My Fore Flight is basically useless now without the GPS.
It has been a month now. The Fore Flight subscription is not free. Should I just cancel the subscription? Pull out the old paper maps again. Toss the iPad into the Trash?
Or, should I buy a $899.00 Stratus GPS…. Also, purchase a Garmin for a back up. Couple more Bad Elfs, and keeps 8 others on hand just incase Apple comes out with an update???
I used to brag about my iPad with the Fore Flight on it. Now, it just looks nice but is actually quite useless to me.
Dave
Are we just out of luck with the 8.3 issue? Meaning we have to buy something something else that does work? Sitting around waiting for an update from Apple isn’t really a good option. Been too long for zero solutions.
Any progress yet? Planning a big cross country this summer and am hesitant to drop $300 on another, newer Bad Elf only to see that it will be obsolete and blown out of the water with some future Apple update… I guess it’s back to paper maps and IFR – (I Follow Roads)
Any news yet about a fix on the iOS 8.3 and GPS problem?