iOS 8
Apple CEO Tim Cook introduces the IOS 8 operating system during his keynote address at the Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco, California June 2, 2014. REUTERS/Robert Galbraith Reuters

Hopes are high that jailbreak fans will get the much-awaited iOS 8 unlocking tool just before 2014 ends as a new report is suggesting that Apple will deploy the iOS 8.1 update on October 20.

This is according to the information picked up this week by Apple-focused site Cult of Mac.

While the software upgrade will deal mostly with the bugs plaguing iOS 8 and the official introduction of Apple Pay service, exclusive for iPhone 6 users, the development signals one important thing for the jailbreak community - the likelihood of an iPhone/iPad unlocker becoming available very soon.

Per earlier reports, the tech giant has mapped out three updates for iOS 8. The 8.1 patch is said to hit this October while 8.2 and 8.2 are scheduled to rollout starting in late Q1 2015. With this, it is assumed that famed hackers like Team Evad3rs and Pangu from China will have sufficient time to poke around into iOS 8 between late October and the remaining months of 2014.

And if earlier assertions from the likes of @MuscleNerd, one of the more vocal Evasi0n7 creators, that iOS 8 exploits are present and the software is therefore breakable, jailbreak fans can then expect the next iPhone and iPad liberator to touchdown within the 2014 Christmas season.

It will be recalled that Evasi0n7 was issued in late December 2013 and it is likely that the same will happen this year.

The only problem is, Team Evad3rs is yet to commit anything on the matter though the Chinese Pangu devs are more assuring that a jailbreak is on its way and the arrival could come real soon. The latest word from the group is work on the tool is definitely underway and it is only a matter of time before the replacement for iOS 7.1.2 jailbreak will be made public.

And for iPhone fans, whether rooting or not for jailbreak, trying out a solid alternative to iOS 8 seems appealing as the software is presently beset by serious device issues such as difficulties in accessing network service and battery drain.

While Apple will surely address these problems in providing the 8.1 update in the next few weeks, there is no assurance that all glitches will be resolved in one fell swoop. That is, if complaints will linger until the time that 8.2 is dispatched, which is not expected before February 2015.

Now the only question is: Will Pangu team beat the Evad3rs anew as the two rivals race in realising first the iOS 8 jailbreak release date into the last few days of December 2014?