Apple fixes iPhone Air, iPhone 17 series charging issue with release of iOS 26.5.1
Apple drops an update for iOS that fixes an issue that not every iPhone is suffering with.
Apple fixes iPhone Air issue with iOS 26.5.1 | Image by PhoneArena
Last week we told you that Apple would soon be releasing iOS 26.5.1 and today the update was disseminated by Apple. Those of you, like me, who are running on the latest iOS 26.6 beta release will not get iOS 26.5.1 and instead we betaheads will get the iOS 26.5.1 update integrated in the next iOS 26.6 or iOS 27 beta. But this is another story for another day.
How to install iOS 26.5.1 on your iPhone
Let's focus on iOS 26.5.1, and we can tell you that the update is available only for those running a stable version of iOS on the iPhone Air and the iPhone 17 line. To install the update you go to Settings > General > Software Update and follow the directions.
The good news is that iOS 26.5.1 eliminates a charging bug that has affected some iPhone Air and iPhone 17 series models. This bug prevents these phones from initiating wired charging when the battery is nearly drained. This bug will be exterminated with the installation of the update.
Today's update follows the release of iOS 26.5 in May. This update featured RCS end-to-end encryption, a feature that many had been looking forward to for a long time.
A week from today Apple will release the first iOS 27 beta
The next big update is expected to be released exactly one week from today, June 8, the day when WWDC 2026 begins. As soon as the keynote ends, Apple traditionally releases the first beta version of its next iOS build.
What makes this more exciting than the usual initial iOS beta release is the expected debut of Siri 2.0 in the first iOS 27 beta. We passed along some renders published by Bloomberg that show what the new Siri interface will probably look like as the digital assistant becomes a lot smarter as an AI chatbot.
Siri will also be able to answer some of your queries by going through the native iOS apps on your Apple devices to retrieve personal information. Such apps include:
- Messages
- Safari
- Photos
- Phone
- Calendar
- Files
- Notes
- Reminders
- Maps
Siri will be powered by a powerful custom Gemini model
Siri will be powered by the 1.2 trillion parameter custom Gemini model that Apple will reportedly pay Google $1 billion annually for. This will reportedly be the equivalent of giving Siri a brand new-and larger-brain.
Renders of Siri 2.0. | Image by Bloomberg
If you're interested in using the new Siri before the stable version of iOS 27 is released in September, you might want to join the iOS Beta Program. If not, you'll be waiting until next September when iOS 27 will be released alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max.
To install the iOS 27 beta, you'll need to join the iOS Beta Software Program
To have the opportunity to check out the new Siri, you'll have to join the iOS Beta Software Program by tapping on this link or by going to beta.apple.com. Follow the directions for installing beta iOS software. Before installing the beta, make sure that you have your iPhone backed up.
Also keep in mind that if you install the iOS 27 beta, some of the everyday features that you rely on might not work. From experience, I can tell you that this typically takes place in the early beta releases of a major system update.
For years Siri has been criticized for pushing too many users to the web for in-depth answers to queries. Even with the change in iOS 18.2 allowing users to direct questions to ChatGPT, Siri could not keep up with AI chatbot apps like ChatGPT and Gemini to name a couple.
Apple paid $200 million for Siri Inc.
Apple has always had to answer for the underperformance of Siri after introducing the first digital assistant along with the iPhone 4S in 2011. Apple acquired Siri Inc. in 2010 when the company had a standalone app in the App Store. The firm was working on a deal with Verizon to offer a version of the Siri app for Android and BlackBerry phones, but Apple bought Siri Inc. for an estimated $200 million.
The app did more than answer questions as it completed tasks using third-party web APIs allowing users to buy movie tickets, view weather forecasts, make reservations at restaurants, and book taxi cabs.
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