Apple Confirms iOS 12.1.2 Addresses Qualcomm Patents, Introduces New Force Closing App Animation in China

Apple on Monday released iOS 12.1.2 exclusively for iPhones. The software update fixes bugs related to eSIM activation on the iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max, and addresses an issue that could affect cellular connectivity in Turkey on those devices, according to Apple's release notes.

In China, as planned, iOS 12.1.2 also implements minor changes to address two Qualcomm patents that led to a Chinese court issuing a preliminary injunction on the iPhone 6s through iPhone X last week, according to Apple's release notes in Chinese. These changes were not mentioned in any other countries.

A translation of the iOS 12.1.2 release notes in China:

iOS 12.1.2 includes iPhone bug fixes. This update:

- Fixes bugs with eSIM activation for iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max
- Addresses an issue that could affect cellular connectivity in Turkey for iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max
- Introduces a new animation when force closing apps
- Updates share sheet for setting contact and wallpaper images

GeekWebGuides uncovered a video on Weibo of the new animation for force closing apps on an iPhone running iOS 12.1.2 in China. Rather than moving up and off the screen when swiped closed, which looks familiar to Qualcomm's patent in China, apps now appear to shrink into themselves when swiped closed.

As noted on Twitter by our editor-in-chief Eric Slivka, it appears that Apple may have rushed the release of iOS 12.1.2 to address the Qualcomm patents and possibly other time-sensitive bug fixes. The update that was previously intended to be iOS 12.1.2 will likely be transitioning to become iOS 12.1.3.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Qualcomm's chief lawyer Don Rosenberg said that Apple continues to "flout the legal system" by violating the preliminary injunction, which should have resulted in affected iPhones being unavailable for purchase in China, and by releasing misleading statements about the ruling.

Apple called Qualcomm's efforts "another desperate move by a company whose illegal practices are under investigation by regulators around the world," and said that "Apple and many other companies, consumers, and government will suffer truly irreparable harm" if an iPhone sales ban were to be upheld in China.