I guess I am a little bit of an “outsider” on these forums. I only require two things: great performance and battery life, and usability.
As long as the phone does what I need it to without having to compromise on either of those things, I’m fine with anything. I do not care about any new models. My expectations and requirements are high, so it has to work properly.
My main iPhone is an iPhone Xʀ running iOS 12. So far it is great compatibility-wise, and I was lucky: I upgraded to the device whose original iOS version is one in which Apple chose to focus on efficiency. After iOS 11’s massive fiasco, Apple made a point of iOS 12, saying “look, we can focus on performance when we actually care instead of obliterating every device”... and focus they did.
My Xʀ runs and has run flawlessly throughout its entire lifetime on its original iOS version. Apple focused on performance and it shows. I cannot call this phone anything but perfect.
I haven’t encountered anyone on the Internet with an A12 Bionic iPhone on iOS 12 (iPhone Xs, Xs Max, and Xʀ), but I hope that whoever has this knows that it might be the best iPhone combo in a very long time. Like I said, Apple focused on performance and it shows. The iPhone Xʀ was touted by Apple as “the best battery life ever on an iPhone”, and whilst this battery life is no longer the best ever (surpassed first by the 11 Pro Max), it is certainly enough.
I cannot emphasise enough how perfect this device is, like I said, Apple focused on performance and it shows.
Hopefully someone somewhere has an A12 Bionic-powered iPhone on iOS 12 like me, and hopefully they know what they have. It was the last time (so far obviously), that an iOS update was focused on improving performance, which makes it special in my view.
Many Xs, Xs Max, and Xʀ users who updated have said that there is no version like iOS 12. Apple’s focus on performance was undeniably successful, and unfortunately, short-lived.
I also wanted to say that not only does the same thing apply to iPads, but I would’ve happily used my favourite iPhone/iPad combo ever for a very long time, if only Apple hadn’t forced me out. I had complete perfection: an iPhone 6s running iOS 9, and a 9.7-inch iPad Pro also running iOS 9. Both were forced out into iOS 13 and 12 respectively thanks to Apple’s A9 activation bug and its pathetic update policy. Otherwise, with minimal app compatibility, I would’ve been able to use them for a very long time (and happily). Unfortunately, Apple had other plans.
I later got an iPhone 6s on iOS 10 and I still have the iPad on iOS 12. While I like this combo, it isn’t perfect anymore. iOS 9 was perfect. I wish Apple hadn’t taken it away from me.