iOS 8.1.1 was released earlier last week and it aims to fix a handful of bugs and improve performance on the older iPhone 4s and iPad 2. However, the update also patches up the Pangu iOS 8 jailbreak, and the update could also cause general problems with your device. If you happen to be an unlucky user, here’s how to downgrade back to iOS 8.1 from iOS 8.1.1.



Normally, you wouldn’t be able to downgrade back down to an older version of iOS, but Apple is keeping iOS 8.1 open for a longer amount of time, allowing users to downgrade if they wish.
While iOS 8.1.1 fixes some minor bugs and such, it isn’t compatible with Pangu’s iOS 8 jailbreak, so if you plan on jailbreaking your iPhone or iPad, it’s important that you stay as far away from iOS 8.1.1 as possible, and if you already jumped the gun and updated to iOS 8.1.1, not all hope is lost.
If you want to downgrade back to iOS 8.1, you’ll want to do it as soon as possible, because it’s only matter of time before Apple stops signing iOS 8.1. Afterward, you won’t be able to jailbreak.
However, Apple is still signing iOS 8.1 right now, so you have a little bit of time to lock in iOS 8.1 and jailbreak your iPhone or iPad if you haven’t already done so. Here’s how to downgrade to iOS 8.1 if you upgraded to iOS 8.1.1.

Downgrading to iOS 8.1

Since iOS 8.1.1 is the latest version of iOS, you can’t simply open up iTunes and update to an older version. You have to add on a couple more steps, but luckily it’s fairly easy.


 
Before you do anything, make sure to back up your iOS device because this method will wipe your iPhone or iPad clean. Luckily, we have a handy guide on how to do just that.
First off, visit this website and download the iOS 8.1 IPSW for your specific iOS device. These files range between 1.5 GB and 2GB for iPhones and iPads, so be aware that it may take a bit of time to download them.
Once you have the file downloaded, plug your iOS device into your computer and open up iTunes. Go to your device’s summary page and hold down the Option/Alt key on your keyboard or Shift if you’re on Windows. Keep holding down the key as you click on Restore in iTunes.
Next, browse to find the IPSW file that you downloaded and open it. iTunes will begin restoring your iPhone and will install iOS 8.1.



After the process is complete, your iOS device should now be running iOS 8.1 and you’ll now have the latest version of iOS that supports the Pangu iOS 8 jailbreak. From there, you can jailbreak your device, which again only consists of a few simple steps.
Before you jailbreak, it’s important to back up your iPhone or iPad again, that way if anything goes wrong you can easily rewind.

Jailbreaking iOS 8.1

Before you do anything else, it’s crucial that you first disable the passcode on your device by going into Settings > Touch ID & Passcode and turn off the passcode. You’ll also need to turn on Airplane Mode by swiping up from the bottom of your screen to open Control Center and tap the airplane icon.
Now comes the fun part. Head to Pangu.io and download the jailbreaking tool.



Once it’s downloaded, open the Pangu tool and plug in your iOS device. When it’s recognized by the Pangu tool, click on Start Jailbreak and then click Already Did.
Sit back and wait for the jailbreak tool to do its thing. Your iPhone or iPad will eventually reboot and you should get a finished message. From there, you can close out the Pangu tool and unplug your iOS device.
Lastly, open up Cydia and let it prepare the file system. After that, you can download and install tweaks and go crazy!

Let's start off easy. Apple iPhone 7? Apple iPhone 6s? Apple iPhone Xtreme?
Only the first two options are likely, and judging by Apple's past behaviour, we're more likely to end up with another 's' device. Then again, Apple could ditch that system altogether and go straight for the 7. It's known for its sporadic naming systems, after all.
What do we think? We're going with 7 right now, based on the fact that iPhone 6s Plus sounds stupid.
Likelihood: 75%

A Familiar Face

If Apple follows its tried-and-tested iPhone formula, the iPhone 7 won't look drastically different from the iPhone 6 - retaining its Touch ID home button and organic, rounded appearance. The big design changes tend to skip a generation, leaving Sir Jony time to fine-tune his scribbles.
Still, that doesn't mean we can't have a little fun, does it?
Past rumours have pointed to liquidmetal being used to make up the iPhone's body, supported by an Apple patent outlining how the material could be used in future iPhones and watches.
The advanced alloy, made from a mix of aluminium, titanium, copper and nickel is more resistant to dents and scratches than aluminium itself.
While it sounds far-fetched, it's already used in some luxury watches and smartphones such as some of those made by Vertu.
Apple has also used the material to make some of its SIM ejector tools, as part of a low-risk test of its manufacturing capabilities. That may not represent absolute proof, but it's a good start.
Apart from fancy Terminator-like construction magic, we expect the lightning port, precision-drilled microspeakers and rounded corners to return.
Likelihood: 45%

The Screen

It's unclear whether or not Apple will release an iPhone 7 and a larger iPhone 7 Plus at this stage. But it seems likely that both will get upgrades. We also expect both to retain their screen sizes - so 4.7in for the iPhone 7 and 5.5in for the iPhone 7 Plus.
Size apart, it now looks less likely that the next iPhones will get sapphire displays.
Apple had been exploring the possibility of giving its iPhones sapphire screens for some time. Unscratchable to all things but diamond, a sapphire display would laugh in the face of keys, loose change, and even nails. Though why you'd be walking around with the latter jingling away in your pocket is beyond us.
Apple already uses sapphire to protect its Touch ID buttons and camera lenses from scratches, and the upcoming Apple Watch’s display will also be covered by the hardy stuff.
So the signs were there. Adding further fuel to the fire, Apple signed a multi-million dollar deal with GT Advanced Technologies in November 2013, providing it with the material and machinery to mass produce sapphire screens in larger numbers than ever.
However, that deal has now fallen through, and GT Advanced Technologies filed for bankruptcy last month. That doesn't mean we won't ever see a sapphire screen on an iPhone, but it seems unlikely that it'll make its way on to the iPhone 7, especially with all those sapphire-coated Apple Watches waiting in the wings.
Likelihood: 30%
Another possibility is the inclusion of a wraparound flexible display, Samsung Galaxy Note Edge-style, thanks to some Apple patents spotted earlier this year.
Designer Martin Hajek has rendered an edge-to-edge display that wraps around the home button. Because, well, why the hell not?
Failing that, we could, at the very least, see a reduction of the bezels, allowing the overall footprint of the device to shrink without cutting down the screen size.
Likelihood: 30%
And finally, of course, we have the resolution to consider. The iPhone 6s' screen is lovely, but it still has yet to reach the pixel-packed heights of a full HD display, let alone a 2K one.
We could see Apple grace the iPhone 7 Plus with a 2K screen and upgrade the standard iPhone 7 to 1080p. Stranger things have happened.
Likelihood: 75%

READ MORE: Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini review

The Best iPhone Camera Yet?

It's been a while since we've seen a megapixel boost in an iPhone, but the iPhone 7 could finally crack Apple's 8MP barrier with a jump to 13 or 16 megapixels. Then again, it could smash through it entirely with a 21MP sensor.
John Gruber, whose predictions have been accurate in the past, believes that "next year's camera might be the biggest camera jump ever".
According to his source, Apple is working on a two-lens system which somehow takes DSLR-quality photos.
It sounds too good to be true, but as Tech Radar points out, Sony - who supplies iPhones with camera modules - has already revealed a 21MP stacked CMOS sensor with 192-point autofocus for tracking and focusing on fast-moving objects.
Not so far-fetched now, is it? Well, maybe a bit, but we're swallowing plenty of salt while crossing our fingers all the same.
Likelihood: 30%
Megapixels aren't the only important factor however, and it would be great to see the optical image stabilisation of the 6 Plus make its way into the regular-sized iPhone 7.
That would allow for even better low-light shots, as the lens can remain open for longer, letting in more light, and throwing up more detail, without resulting in unusable blur.
Likelihood: 90%

More Muscle

It would make sense for the iPhone 7 to get the A8X processor that was revealed alongside the iPad Air 2 last month.
It's clocked slightly faster at 1.5GHz, which, on paper, means 13% and 55% nippier performance in single-core and threaded-core operations respectively. Not to mention a more powerful GPU for even more graphical grunt in games.
No, numbers aren't the be-all and end-all, but if the iPhone 7 does get blessed with the A8X (and, ideally, 2GB of RAM while we're at it), then we're definitely not going to complain.
Likelihood: 90%
The iPhone 6 finally brought Apple into the world of NFC, but it has yet to dip its toes into the wireless charging pool. The Apple Watch does have wireless charging smarts however, so Apple could choose to transfer them over to the iPhone 7 too.
Likelihood: 70%

iOS 9

There's very little information on iOS 9 at the time of writing, but we'll be sure to update this preview with new information as and when we get it.
We don't expect any major aesthetical changes from iOS 8, especially after the last big overhaul for iOS 7, which is fine by us. It's still gorgeous, after all.
As for what we want to see? Well, not to beat a dead horse or anything, but widgets, and general home screen customisation (such as the launchers on Android) would be nice for people looking to stand out from the crowd.
The ability to default to third-party apps for certain tasks would be great, too.
Go on Apple. You finally gave us third-party keyboards. Why not go the whole way, eh?

READ MORE: Samsung Galaxy Alpha Review

Price and Release Date

If past launches are anything to go by, the iPhone 7 should be released around 20 September. There's no reason to expect prices to change much either, so we expect it to launch at the same £540 mark as the current iPhone 6.
We'll update this feature with news and rumours as they appear, so keep it bookmarked for all the latest.