iPhone XS Anyone still using an Iphone XS? I'm still on ios 12.4 beta. Need advice?!

[FeliApple]

I had a coworker with a XS on iOS 14 I had been pestering about updating, but he kept saying it would slow down his phone, blah blah blah. He finally had to relent a few months ago and update to iOS 16 due to some apps he could no longer update/use. He admitted is wasn't any slower on iOS 16.

The problem nowadays (since probably as early as the A9 chipset devices, perhaps?) is battery life, not performance. Devices mostly perform well when updated (mostly, they aren’t amazing but they’re half-decent), but battery life is a lot worse. For somebody who’s been running the original iOS version (12), for years, they will definitely notice a performance degradation when updating from one minute to the next to iOS 17, but likely they’ll say that “it isn’t anything catastrophic, and it works fine”. Battery life, on the other hand? It may be as much as 50% worse. That’s the main issue nowadays.

My 9.7-inch iPad Pro was forced from iOS 9 into iOS 12 a few years ago (version which it still runs), and performance was mostly unaffected, but battery life was an immediate 25% decrease, which it never recovered from.

iOS 12 to 17? The user will most likely notice some animations aren’t as smooth, and slightly delayed loading and response times, but honestly nothing that cannot be disregarded as “negligible”, especially if you aren’t a perfectionist when it comes to that. Battery life is a whole different world. It may be the difference from a device that’s good for a whole day to one that needs to be “looked after” all the time, with middle-of-the-day plug-ins and a significant degradation.

 

[mectojic]

I also think updating is really annoying. How about you just rip the bandaid, update to 17.2 and then don't update ever again.

 

[antiprotest]

Update your phone. Update your life.

 

[Reggaenald]

The good thing about iOS 17 is it's going to bring RCS.

The bad thing about RCS is it's going to give everyone a big reason to give Apple a lot of cash.

What. It’s not known if RCS support will be added to iOS 17, just that it will be introduced in 2024 which could just mean with iOS 18. Also, why would people give Apple cash because of RCS?

 

[AF_APPLETALK]

What. It’s not known if RCS support will be added to iOS 17, just that it will be introduced in 2024 which could just mean with iOS 18. Also, why would people give Apple cash because of RCS?

Seems like it’s probably a strong reason for people holding on to older iPhones to upgrade to HW able to run a version of iOS to that supports RCS.

 

[winxmac]

I don't know why you did not update to iOS 12.4.1 when you had the chance...

iOS 12.x would be the best for your device and iOS 13.x as the second best option...

I wish I could downgrade my iPhone 7 Plus to iOS 10.x or iOS 12.x or iOS 13.x and my iPhone 11 Pro Max to iOS 13.x

I am planning to keep my iPhone 14 Pro Max on iOS 16.x as much as possible...

 

[histeachn81]

To repeat the saying, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” If it still does what you need it to do, keep on trucking since it’ll probably be impossible to downgrade if you end up not liking it.

 

[FeliApple]

I also think updating is really annoying. How about you just rip the bandaid, update to 17.2 and then don't update ever again.

Because it’s pointless. If you update now, you’ll probably be updating to the final version of the device straight from the original. That will not go well. That only works if you’re updating to, say, iOS 13, version which is slightly worse than iOS 12 but it’s fairly close. Updating to the final version is not “updating to be a little closer to the current one so as to increase longevity”, it’s “installing the worst software you could possibly install on an iPhone”.

The Xʀ may lose support on iOS 17. Battery life is not good. Performance is worse, though probably not catastrophic.

Like I said, the argument is different if you had made it back in late 2019 after iOS 13 was released “there’s a new app that I really want that requires iOS 13. Should I update?”. My answer would be: “install iOS 13.0 as soon as it launches, then install the app. You have around one month before Apple stops signing iOS 12, so try everything as much as you can and make a decision before Apple stops signing iOS 12”. So, in essence, it means “try this now, because if you decide that you really want the app some years later, you’d be installing a far worse version without the possibility of you ever going back”.

But now? Now it’s too late, you’d be installing the worst iOS version possible with no fallback. iOS 12 on these devices is too good to lose, especially when OP mentions that they value how iOS 12 works: “it runs awesome and I’ve been afraid to update it”. There’s no way back once you do, and it will be worse. This is guaranteed. It’s not “maybe it’s worse but perhaps it isn’t”, it’s “it will be worse. Significantly worse, especially when coming from the best version”.

 

[mectojic]

Because it’s pointless. If you update now, you’ll probably be updating to the final version of the device straight from the original. That will not go well. That only works if you’re updating to, say, iOS 13, version which is slightly worse than iOS 12 but it’s fairly close. Updating to the final version is not “updating to be a little closer to the current one so as to increase longevity”, it’s “installing the worst software you could possibly install on an iPhone”.

The Xʀ may lose support on iOS 17. Battery life is not good. Performance is worse, though probably not catastrophic.

Like I said, the argument is different if you had made it back in late 2019 after iOS 13 was released “there’s a new app that I really want that requires iOS 13. Should I update?”. My answer would be: “install iOS 13.0 as soon as it launches, then install the app. You have around one month before Apple stops signing iOS 12, so try everything as much as you can and make a decision before Apple stops signing iOS 12”. So, in essence, it means “try this now, because if you decide that you really want the app some years later, you’d be installing a far worse version without the possibility of you ever going back”.

But now? Now it’s too late, you’d be installing the worst iOS version possible with no fallback. iOS 12 on these devices is too good to lose, especially when OP mentions that they value how iOS 12 works: “it runs awesome and I’ve been afraid to update it”. There’s no way back once you do, and it will be worse. This is guaranteed. It’s not “maybe it’s worse but perhaps it isn’t”, it’s “it will be worse. Significantly worse, especially when coming from the best version”.

It's not really the worst iOS version. After all, the OP has said that iOS 12 has lost a lot of support. So functionally, sure the XR might perform a little worse on iOS 17, but a lot is gained.
From personal experience, running newer iOS updates on older devices is not terrible like it used to be. Sure, the XR it won't feel as smooth as an iPhone 15 on iOS 17, but that's to be expected, it's older. But we don't have horror stories like iPhone 4S on iOS 9 anymore. Generally, Apple does a very good job on OS support with old devices.

 

[FeliApple]

It's not really the worst iOS version. After all, the OP has said that iOS 12 has lost a lot of support. So functionally, sure the XR might perform a little worse on iOS 17, but a lot is gained.
From personal experience, running newer iOS updates on older devices is not terrible like it used to be. Sure, the XR it won't feel as smooth as an iPhone 15 on iOS 17, but that's to be expected, it's older. But we don't have horror stories like iPhone 4S on iOS 9 anymore. Generally, Apple does a very good job on OS support with old devices.

Battery life is the main issue nowadays, agreed. Like you said, it will run worse performance-wise but it’s not an iPhone 4s on iOS 9. In spite of that, the issues that do appear are extremely annoying, or at least I find them annoying. Just to give an example, updating would mean keyboard lag. They always lag. Some animations will not be smooth. Little things? Sure. Perhaps somebody with more tolerance can overlook them? Absolutely. Somebody who’s been running the perfect version for years? That’s a little more difficult. Also, like I said, battery life will be a lot worse. And no, it won’t recover by just replacing the battery.

I do disagree on “that’s to be expected”. Apple should make it run correctly. Especially considering you can’t downgrade. Millions of iOS devices have been severely - and most importantly, irreversibly - degraded by updates, and everyone just thinks it’s fine. My iPhone Xʀ on iOS 12 is not as smooth as an iPhone 15 on iOS 17... it’s probably smoother (it’s even smoother than my iPad Air 5 with an M1 on its original iOS version, iPadOS 15).

 

[Bubbiv]

This thread is literally why this is the best forum on the Internet

 

[Paddle1]

Battery life is the main issue nowadays, agreed. Like you said, it will run worse performance-wise but it’s not an iPhone 4s on iOS 9. In spite of that, the issues that do appear are extremely annoying, or at least I find them annoying. Just to give an example, updating would mean keyboard lag. They always lag. Some animations will not be smooth. Little things? Sure. Perhaps somebody with more tolerance can overlook them? Absolutely. Somebody who’s been running the perfect version for years? That’s a little more difficult. Also, like I said, battery life will be a lot worse. And no, it won’t recover by just replacing the battery.

I do disagree on “that’s to be expected”. Apple should make it run correctly. Especially considering you can’t downgrade. Millions of iOS devices have been severely - and most importantly, irreversibly - degraded by updates, and everyone just thinks it’s fine. My iPhone Xʀ on iOS 12 is not as smooth as an iPhone 15 on iOS 17... it’s probably smoother (it’s even smoother than my iPad Air 5 with an M1 on its original iOS version, iPadOS 15).

I don't experience keyboard lag on my XS, it's completely responsive. I've heard others have on newer devices though, maybe something to do with settings.

To repeat the saying, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” If it still does what you need it to do, keep on trucking since it’ll probably be impossible to downgrade if you end up not liking it.

The problem is that it is "broke" if apps you need are no longer supported as the OP mentioned. In this case you may as well update rather than leave the device functionally obsolete or unusable and need to abandon it prematurely.

 

[Andeddu]

OP either updates to iOS 17, regains full functionality & has to put up with minor frame dips & a slightly lower battery life or his phone becomes e-waste. It’s a no brainer for me.

At least I know now that iOS should still be mostly functional without updates for up to 5 years. I am glad because my trusty 6S (secondary device) with its new battery has reached its iOS limit of iOS 15 and should hopefully not become truly obsolete until we see iOS 20 in 2026.

 

[FeliApple]

OP either updates to iOS 17, regains full functionality & has to put up with minor frame dips & a slightly lower battery life or his phone becomes e-waste. It’s a no brainer for me.

At least I know now that iOS should still be mostly functional without updates for up to 5 years. I am glad because my trusty 6S (secondary device) with its new battery has reached its iOS limit of iOS 15 and should hopefully not become truly obsolete until we see iOS 20 in 2026.

I think this depends exclusively on usage patterns. I use iPads for content consumption. My 9.7-inch iPad Pro is on iOS 12. There is absolutely nothing I can’t do because it’s outdated. Updating, for me, would only expose it to the drawbacks and none of the benefits. I do the same things on this iPad and on my iPad Air 5, which is the latest model. Yes, maybe 1 in 200 websites don’t run. Whatever, I’ll use something else, it’s not critical enough for me to irreversibly halve my battery life (4-5 hours as reported by users instead of 10-11), and severely affect performance (as reported by those who updated 1st-gen iPad Pros to iPadOS 16).

So the question is: can you circumvent compatibility issues by using something else if they are critical? If they aren’t, do you really care so as to severely and irreversibly impact the device? If the answer to the first question is no, I guess you have to go for it, but oftentimes it isn’t.

Funnily enough, I’m on OP’s situation with my iPhone Xʀ on iOS 12. There’s nothing for which I’d need iOS 17 other than the occasional website which either doesn’t load or displays a message about browser incompatibility. What do I have to gain by updating? Halving my battery life, getting some frame-rate drops and keyboard lag? iOS 17 won’t change how I use my iPhone, and I don’t care if I can’t access one website every once in a while. It’s not worth it.

Other people may install new apps all the time, so using iOS 12 on an A12 Bionic iPhone today would be untenable. But it always depends, and I do think that people in general way overestimate the impact of slightly outdated iOS versions.

 

[I7guy]

Everyone here can make laugh if you want, but I'm still on 12.4 on my Iphone XS. It runs awesome and I've been afraid to update it. (WHen I ask people at apple or At&T I will hear complete opposite answers like "Don't update it now, it's going to run super super slow on the new software!", or I hear "Yes, update it, it will run quicker!"

I never liked updating because there is always a new issue. I'm a power user and am on this phone 8 hours a day for work stuff. The issue now is, some apps won't run anymore. I hate how apple basically forces you to upgrade. I wanted some opinions from the power users here. Maybe I should make a new post, but wanted to post here first.

My Xs max is on the latest version of iOS 17. And while the max is showing its age; that is no 5G, outdated screen, etc, functionally it’s great.

There is no way I would stay on an operating system 5 years old.

 

[schnitzel-pretzel]

I don't know how so many people are comfortable using iOS versions that have known serious security flaws and exploits. Worst case scenario if you update your phone, it becomes slower and laggier. Worst case scenario if you don't update your phone, you are victim of a compromised device which can cause bank credentials, personal photos and conversations, emails etc to be stolen.

 

[FeliApple]

I don't know how so many people are comfortable using iOS versions that have known serious security flaws and exploits. Worst case scenario if you update your phone, it becomes slower and laggier. Worst case scenario if you don't update your phone, you are victim of a compromised device which can cause bank credentials, personal photos and conversations, emails etc to be stolen.

A pointless argument. How about when the device loses support? Then what? Just throw it away? And you update for theoretical, temporary security, fine, but you obliterate the device in the meantime. You are exchanging theoretical and temporary security for permanent device obliteration. Not a good trade-off.

 

[Andeddu]

I think this depends exclusively on usage patterns. I use iPads for content consumption. My 9.7-inch iPad Pro is on iOS 12. There is absolutely nothing I can’t do because it’s outdated. Updating, for me, would only expose it to the drawbacks and none of the benefits. I do the same things on this iPad and on my iPad Air 5, which is the latest model. Yes, maybe 1 in 200 websites don’t run. Whatever, I’ll use something else, it’s not critical enough for me to irreversibly halve my battery life (4-5 hours as reported by users instead of 10-11), and severely affect performance (as reported by those who updated 1st-gen iPad Pros to iPadOS 16).

So the question is: can you circumvent compatibility issues by using something else if they are critical? If they aren’t, do you really care so as to severely and irreversibly impact the device? If the answer to the first question is no, I guess you have to go for it, but oftentimes it isn’t.

Funnily enough, I’m on OP’s situation with my iPhone Xʀ on iOS 12. There’s nothing for which I’d need iOS 17 other than the occasional website which either doesn’t load or displays a message about browser incompatibility. What do I have to gain by updating? Halving my battery life, getting some frame-rate drops and keyboard lag? iOS 17 won’t change how I use my iPhone, and I don’t care if I can’t access one website every once in a while. It’s not worth it.

Other people may install new apps all the time, so using iOS 12 on an A12 Bionic iPhone today would be untenable. But it always depends, and I do think that people in general way overestimate the impact of slightly outdated iOS versions.

I think you’re overstating how badly devices are affected by these firmware upgrades.

The OP requires certain apps to function which are no longer available on his current version of iOS. These are probably online banking apps which require newer versions of iOS.

He has to either upgrade his firmware, get a new phone or live without the app and expect more and more apps to lose functionality in the near future.

If he doesn’t plan on getting a new phone, updating iOS would be his best option.

You talk as though devices are literally destroyed via iOS updates. I take care of my devices and collect them like you do but I don’t see the problem with upgrading iOS versions. I am using a 6S right now which is on iOS 15.8 and I wouldn’t go back to iOS 9, 10, 11 or 12 even if I had the option.

Keeping the phone relevant is far more important to me than a slightly faster frame rate and some additional battery live.

 

[FeliApple]

I think you’re overstating how badly devices are affected by these firmware upgrades.

The OP requires certain apps to function which are no longer available on his current version of iOS. These are probably online banking apps which require newer versions of iOS.

He has to either upgrade his firmware, get a new phone or live without the app and expect more and more apps to lose functionality in the near future.

If he doesn’t plan on getting a new phone, updating iOS would be his best option.

You talk as though devices are literally destroyed via iOS updates. I take care of my devices and collect them like you do but I don’t see the problem with upgrading iOS versions. I am using a 6S right now which is on iOS 15.8 and I wouldn’t go back to iOS 9, 10, 11 or 12 even if I had the option.

Keeping the phone relevant is far more important to me than a slightly faster frame rate and some additional battery live.

Agreed, I just think the OP needs to know the impact updating will have. It’s one thing if you update informed of the impacts and benefits, and a very different one if you update thinking it will be perfect.

The 6s has been severely affected by updates, so it may not be the best example. I have one updated (to iOS 13) and one not updated (iOS 10), and the difference is absurd. The iOS 13 one has 4 hours of light SOT with 82% health, and the iOS 10 one has 8 hours with 63% health. Performance of the iOS 13 one is nowhere close. General slowdowns, keyboard lag, dropped frames everywhere. For me, a person used to using original iOS versions since I started using iOS, it’s completely unusable.

 

[Lounge vibes 05]

I never liked updating because there is always a new issue.

and yet you admit in the title of your thread that you are running not only just a five years out of date operating system, but a five years out of date *Beta* build of an operating system.
Sounds like you’re asking for a problem.

If I were you I would absolutely update, but I would do a totally clean 17.1.1 fresh install.
Going from that five-year-old beta directly to the latest public release five years later might introduce some issues

 

[FeliApple]

and yet you admit in the title of your thread that you are running not only just a five years out of date operating system, but a five years out of date *Beta* build of an operating system.
Sounds like you’re asking for a problem.

If I were you I would absolutely update, but I would do a totally clean 17.1.1 fresh install.
Going from that five-year-old beta directly to the latest public release five years later might introduce some issues

If Apple allowed me after they pathetically forced me out, I’d go back to the beta version of iOS 9.3 on my 9.7-inch iPad Pro today. It’s the beta version of probably the most polished iOS version in a long time, and furthermore, it’s iOS 12.4, not 12.0. Huge difference. It’s already polished, even if it’s a beta.

 

[mectojic]

OP either updates to iOS 17, regains full functionality & has to put up with minor frame dips & a slightly lower battery life or his phone becomes e-waste. It’s a no brainer for me.

At least I know now that iOS should still be mostly functional without updates for up to 5 years. I am glad because my trusty 6S (secondary device) with its new battery has reached its iOS limit of iOS 15 and should hopefully not become truly obsolete until we see iOS 20 in 2026.

Exactly.

 

[Andeddu]

Agreed, I just think the OP needs to know the impact updating will have. It’s one thing if you update informed of the impacts and benefits, and a very different one if you update thinking it will be perfect.

The 6s has been severely affected by updates, so it may not be the best example. I have one updated (to iOS 13) and one not updated (iOS 10), and the difference is absurd. The iOS 13 one has 4 hours of light SOT with 82% health, and the iOS 10 one has 8 hours with 63% health. Performance of the iOS 13 one is nowhere close. General slowdowns, keyboard lag, dropped frames everywhere. For me, a person used to using original iOS versions since I started using iOS, it’s completely unusable.

It is different if you are talking about a daily driver vs a device you don’t use very often. The OP appears to be using the XS as their main phone which means functionality is the highest of importance. Your older 6S devices are secondary phones which do not require as much functionality as your main phone. If the OP had an iPhone 12 or 13 as their main, I wouldn’t be strongly pushing on them to upgrade because functionality wouldn’t really matter as much.

My 6S is updated because I like having the most up-to-date firmware on my phones. I also use it as a video streaming device because my 13, which is my daily driver, receives a lot of WhatsApp messages all the time which I have to respond to so I would rather watch something on Netflix, Prime or Disney+ on the 6S so I don’t have to stop/start whichever program I am watching. I also need to have a relatively up-to-date iOS version for those apps to work.

You are correct re battery life though on the 6S. Even a new OEM battery is not great on iOS 15. My OGSE impressed me with over 4.5 hours SoT on LTE which was purely spent streaming videos. I was able to get over 5.5 hours of pure video streaming over Wi-Fi. If I lightly used the OGSE I could feasibly get around 6.5 hours of SoT on iOS 15. The 6S only manages around 5 hours of SoT on general use on iOS 15 via Wi-Fi. General use is a mixture of video steaming, web-browsing and music/podcast streaming via Bluetooth speakers. I wouldn’t be able to comfortably use the 6S as my main device because the battery would drop to 4 hours of general use on LTE. I’d have to charge the phone in the early evening to get by.

 

[FeliApple]

It is different if you are talking about a daily driver vs a device you don’t use very often. The OP appears to be using the XS as their main phone which means functionality is the highest of importance. Your older 6S devices are secondary phones which do not require as much functionality as your main phone. If the OP had an iPhone 12 or 13 as their main, I wouldn’t be strongly pushing on them to upgrade because functionality wouldn’t really matter as much.

Yeah, if functionality is untenable then I guess you have to do something. The question is whether you can circumvent those issues or not, and if you don’t, the question is if they’re untenable. Sadly, the loss of support and functionality (say, in Safari), is the #1 issue precluding iPhones to be usable forever.

My 6S is updated because I like having the most up-to-date firmware on my phones. I also use it as a video streaming device because my 13, which is my daily driver, receives a lot of WhatsApp messages all the time which I have to respond to so I would rather watch something on Netflix, Prime or Disney+ on the 6S so I don’t have to stop/start whichever program I am watching. I also need to have a relatively up-to-date iOS version for those apps to work.

That’s a little different. Prime and Netflix would work on any iOS version (I tried Netflix on my iOS 10 6s, and it works just fine). Disney+ wouldn’t though.

I think iPads are a little easier to leave outdated because they’re less critical, but iPhones, depending on usage patterns and app requirements, may struggle sooner. But for a light user who just uses social media and communication (usage pattern which applies to many people), I think staying outdated isn’t that much of an issue. Many people also use iMessage which never loses compatibility, so that’s yet another factor. Like I said, it depends on usage patterns. A user that’s constantly downloading apps wouldn’t like iOS 12 today.

You are correct re battery life though on the 6S. Even a new OEM battery is not great on iOS 15. My OGSE impressed me with over 4.5 hours SoT on LTE which was purely spent streaming videos. I was able to get over 5.5 hours of pure video streaming over Wi-Fi. If I lightly used the OGSE I could feasibly get around 6.5 hours of SoT on iOS 15. The 6S only manages around 5 hours of SoT on general use on iOS 15 via Wi-Fi. General use is a mixture of video steaming, web-browsing and music/podcast streaming via Bluetooth speakers. I wouldn’t be able to comfortably use the 6S as my main device because the battery would drop to 4 hours of general use on LTE. I’d have to charge the phone in the early evening to get by.

Yeah, the 6s when updated is horrible. All A9 devices are. The SE may be a bit better, but results on iOS 9 were almost as good as the 6s Plus, and all that is lost. I’ve frequently mentioned the 1st-gen iPad Pros too, battery life is very poor on iPadOS 16.

Battery life may be a little better on A12 Bionic iPhones on iOS 17 though. Some people have reported 5-6 hours on the Xs. iOS 12 is probably good for 8-9 with light to moderate usage at least, so yeah. Maybe pure light Wi-Fi would be better on both instances (I doubt the 6s is as good), but it’s still not great. It should be usable, but according to the numbers I’ve seen... it’s maybe a little over a third below iOS 12 with good battery health? So a loss of 33%? Perhaps. I wouldn’t expect much less than that, especially with a battery that’s not new. As an example, my 9.7-inch iPad Pro with the A9X lost about 25% after Apple forced it into iOS 12, so it’s getting better, I guess.

Also, your results are with a new battery, and when the device is updated it does play a role. I’m nowhere close to those numbers on iOS 13 with 82% health, and I know how to set up an iPhone for optimal battery life. That’s another huge difference too. Battery life, as bad as it already is on updated devices with new batteries, falls off a cliff when the battery degrades, whereas if it’s not updated, nothing happens. I don’t think an iPhone 6s on iOS 15 is usable with 60% health like mine.

 

[Andeddu]

Yeah, if functionality is untenable then I guess you have to do something. The question is whether you can circumvent those issues or not, and if you don’t, the question is if they’re untenable. Sadly, the loss of support and functionality (say, in Safari), is the #1 issue precluding iPhones to be usable forever.


That’s a little different. Prime and Netflix would work on any iOS version (I tried Netflix on my iOS 10 6s, and it works just fine). Disney+ wouldn’t though.

I think iPads are a little easier to leave outdated because they’re less critical, but iPhones, depending on usage patterns and app requirements, may struggle sooner. But for a light user who just uses social media and communication (usage pattern which applies to many people), I think staying outdated isn’t that much of an issue. Many people also use iMessage which never loses compatibility, so that’s yet another factor. Like I said, it depends on usage patterns. A user that’s constantly downloading apps wouldn’t like iOS 12 today.

Yeah, the 6s when updated is horrible. All A9 devices are. The SE may be a bit better, but results on iOS 9 were almost as good as the 6s Plus, and all that is lost. I’ve frequently mentioned the 1st-gen iPad Pros too, battery life is very poor on iPadOS 16.

Battery life may be a little better on A12 Bionic iPhones on iOS 17 though. Some people have reported 5-6 hours on the Xs. iOS 12 is probably good for 8-9 with light to moderate usage at least, so yeah. Maybe pure light Wi-Fi would be better on both instances (I doubt the 6s is as good), but it’s still not great. It should be usable, but according to the numbers I’ve seen... it’s maybe a little over a third below iOS 12 with good battery health? So a loss of 33%? Perhaps. I wouldn’t expect much less than that, especially with a battery that’s not new. As an example, my 9.7-inch iPad Pro with the A9X lost about 25% after Apple forced it into iOS 12, so it’s getting better, I guess.

Also, your results are with a new battery, and when the device is updated it does play a role. I’m nowhere close to those numbers on iOS 13 with 82% health, and I know how to set up an iPhone for optimal battery life. That’s another huge difference too. Battery life, as bad as it already is on updated devices with new batteries, falls off a cliff when the battery degrades, whereas if it’s not updated, nothing happens. I don’t think an iPhone 6s on iOS 15 is usable with 60% health like mine.

There is nothing much that can be done to circumvent issues caused by an older iOS version. Ultimately these handheld computers are here to serve us and when they can’t serve us suitably, they get replaced.

iPads, by their very nature, are secondary devices which generally do not absolutely require the entire suite of apps available on the AppStore. Anything mandatory, such as banking apps, can be installed on your iPhone which should be mostly up-to-date. I have an iPad Mini 4 which is on iOS 15.8. It is slow but not quite unbearable however it runs all video streaming apps perfectly. My iPad Mini 4 is more of a YouTube device for me and it does a commendable job in that regard.

I am a heavy user and, as you know, I did use the OGSE as my daily driver in 2022 and it just about did the job providing me with enough battery life to last the day. I have no idea why the OGSE provides more SoT than the 6S as the presumption is that the battery is smaller with less capacity.

The SoT of the 6S will likely degrade quickly but I do plan on replacing the battery again (if Apple still do OEM replacements) in 2 years. My 6S received its battery replacement 1 month ago and is still at 100% battery health. I agree that it has probably lost around 40% SoT in comparison to when it was running iOS 9 in 2016. Like I said though, it doesn’t really affect me greatly because it’s a secondary device with no SIM card and runs purely off of Wi-Fi. I charge it once every 2 days as I don’t use it all the time. Prior to the battery replacement, I was getting around 1 hour SoT at 82% battery health.