iOS 9 vs iOS 8.4.1 unresponsiveness due to input-blocking

[pdxa4]

This is quite the thread.

However you can add me to the list of suffering with iOS9 on my 128GB 6Plus, the phone is very slow now and unresponsive. The photo app is particularly bad with delays and struggling to snap a photo quickly. It wasn't like that back on iOS8.

One wonders how iOS9.3 could resolve such issues.

 

[I7guy]

For one, I'd rather have a weather app that stutters slightly sometimes over an entire OS that behaves that way. Man, I'd definitely go back to stuttery weather if it meant the rest of the system was fine.

You guys are ridiculous. You'll defend ANYTHING Apple does.

I was once an Apple die hard, but I know when I'm being played and I don't like it.

That's a fairly genericly incorrect statement, given that I don't see anybody defending apple, but more discussing how IOS 9 (as IOS 8) is not perfect but nonetheless some find it perfectly acceptable (with the accompanying commentary) and some don't (with the accompanying commentary). With relation to IOS 8 there were a whole host of other issues, such as resprings and crashes and reboots. While some of the subtext seems bent on being overly harsh toward apple because according to some they didn't deliver on their promises, others are being told "we're ridiculous" because we find IOS 9 acceptable and point to performance improvements as told by benchmarks.

 

[Radon87000]

One of the bigger points in that discussion wasn't about which one was worse but how it's all treated, that when something doesn't affect someone they can be dismissive of it but as soon as there's something that affects them then they can be all over it all the time and are almost bewildered if someone else who isn't affected by it comes off as dismissive of it in one way or another (when they demonstrate the very same exact thing when it comes to something else that they aren't affected by).

It also shows that there are almost always something here or there that someone will be affected by and will turn into a crusade of some sort, it just that that something differs from time to time and affects different people from time to time (from version to version).

No one here is dismissing the weather lag.I know it exists.Now Apple is not going to fix it in time.Can I avoid the issue without sacrificing partly the functionality?Yes I can.The Weather App is pulling it's data from Weather Channnel so I can use the WC app which provides equal functionality which the stock app also provides.

Now for the App Swittcher stutter,spotlight lag and the mobile data scroll stutter and the keypad in call animation stutter.Can I avoid the issue?No I cannot.The only way I can makes the operating system looks like something from 2005 and even then the mobile data scroll stutter won't be fixed

The point is the severity of the issue.I would take stutters in All Apple apps vs the entire OS and third party apps being buttery smooth

 

[C DM]

No one here is dismissing the weather lag.I know it exists.Now Apple is not going to fix it in time.Can I avoid the issue without sacrificing partly the functionality?Yes I can.The Weather App is pulling it's data from Weather Channnel so I can use the WC app which provides equal functionality which the stock app also provides.

Now for the App Swittcher stutter,spotlight lag and the mobile data scroll stutter and the keypad in call animation stutter.Can I avoid the issue?No I cannot.The only way I can makes the operating system looks like something from 2005 and even then the mobile data scroll stutter won't be fixed

The point is the severity of the issue.I would take stutters in All Apple apps vs the entire OS and third party apps being buttery smooth

Just as someone who doesn't care for CC or NC or app switched can avoid the framedrops there, or someone who doesn't even notice them can avoid them, right? If a workaround of not using the affected app is good enough to dismiss the Weather app issues that plenty of people kept on in iOS 8 days, then a similar workaround of not using the features that have framedrops is good enough too.

If severity is the point where the Weather app issue isn't a severe one to you, while a bunch of people were constantly complaining it, then similarly by that same rationale it should be just fine for various people not to find some framedrops in a few places as a severe issue.

Are we really going to keep on going back and forget about the same thing over and over? I guess based on all the continued posts about the same thing for months now it seems like that question unfortunately almost answers itself.

 

[trifid]

Why are you guys putting so much energy in justifying/defending iOS9? I tell you why I put energy into this, I want Apple to fix stuff. Sometimes user input moves Apple into doing something either via lawsuits, mainstream media, bug reports etc.

Those trying to dismiss user outrage by saying they did the same with iOS8 or previous, are not helping in doing anything, other than defending Apple (most valuable company in the world who doesn't need your help, FYI).

Do you guys want iOS9 to remain stuttery/laggy/input-blocking or do you want to fight and get back to the glory days of iOS 3-6?

If you for some reason don't care about stutter, lag, input-blocking etc, why do you stand in the way of those that do and want Apple to fix it?

 

[sanke1]

Why are you guys putting so much energy in justifying/defending iOS9? I tell you why I put energy into this, I want Apple to fix stuff. Sometimes user input moves Apple into doing something either via lawsuits, mainstream media, bug reports etc.

Those trying to dismiss user outrage by saying they did the same with iOS8 or previous, are not helping in doing anything, other than defending Apple (most valuable company in the world who doesn't need your help, FYI).

Do you guys want iOS9 to remain stuttery/laggy/input-blocking or do you want to fight and get back to the glory days of iOS 3-6?

If you for some reason don't care about stutter, lag, input-blocking etc, why do you stand in the way of those that do and want Apple to fix it?

Up-voted for an excellent point.

Perviously I thought there were just 2-3 people complaining about lag/stutter/PO here while rest of the Macrumors was out to defend Apple.

But glad to know it is completely the opposite of that.

A pattern observed is, when some new person creates lag/stutter thread, these few people start with their arguments and completely dismiss the OP. The situation goes out of control and Mods lock the thread. Cycle continues.

I have stopped replying or quoting those people. No silly fights and works better.

 

[I7guy]

Up-voted for an excellent point.

Perviously I thought there were just 2-3 people complaining about lag/stutter/PO here while rest of the Macrumors was out to defend Apple.

But glad to know it is completely the opposite of that.

A pattern observed is, when some new person creates lag/stutter thread, these few people start with their arguments and completely dismiss the OP. The situation goes out of control and Mods lock the thread. Cycle continues.

I have stopped replying or quoting those people. No silly fights and works better.

Not everybody experiences every nuance of every iOS release to the same degree is the point of all of this. And you completely missed the point as nobody said ios is perfect. And certainly not going back for the last few years.

But you bring up another excellent point, how many lag/stutter threads are actually needed?

and I noticed how much "better" this thread is than some of the other threads.

 

[Jayson A]

Not everybody experiences every nuance of every iOS release to the same degree is the point of all of this. And you completely missed the point as nobody said ios is perfect. And certainly not going back for the last few years.

But you bring up another excellent point, how many lag/stutter threads are actually needed?

and I noticed how much "better" this thread is than some of the other threads.

So what I'm getting is this.

You don't care what iOS looks like or if the animations chug sometimes.
You care about whether or not it crashes (which I didn't even have a problem with in iOS 8)

I care more about how responsive the OS is and how fluid the animations are. It doesn't give me a positive experience every time I see my iPhone struggling with the UI. Apple designed the friggin' OS and they can't even get it to play well with their friggin' hardware? I used to make fun of my friend's Samsung touch-wiz crap and how it stuttered all over the place. He said he never noticed (that is, until he got a motorola android, which is very smooth and responsive). Now it feels like I have that piece of crap Samsung with touch-wiz. Tell me, why should I just shut up about it and be happy that it's not crashing? Yes, I don't want my phone to crash, but I don't think smooth animations are what makes it crash. It's not like Apple had to put "anti-crash" code into the iOS with compromises the animation smoothness as a side-effect.

Again, just because it doesn't affect YOU, doesn't mean the issues are there and shouldn't be addressed.

 

[Act3]

animations (bad!):
Zooming/fade-in-out to home screen animation (blocks tapping on apps, 3d touch and sliding screens) (this input blocking was added in iOS9, it wasn't present in iOS 8.4.1)
Rubber-banding scrolling animation (blocks tapping, 3d touch)
Notification/Widget panel sliding animation (blocks tapping) those nice philips hue light scene widgets, yeap I need to tap more than once because many times it won't register due to sliding animation.
iOS9 folders animation (only tapping outside) (blocks tapping, 3d touch)
Back/Forward animation (blocks tapping, 3d touch) - example, Mail, tap inbox and tap first message fast, it won't register.
From lock screen to home screen animation: no 3d touch allowed (very important use case, whenever you take your phone out and unlock it, the transition to home screen does allow tap input during animation, which is good, but it doesn't allow 3d touch = bad)

#InputAllowed animations (good!):
Control Center (stuff like flashlight, camera are immediately available, no input blocking, good!)
iOS9 folders animation (only when closing a folder and immediately trying to open another)
Tapping home button when you are on a home screen other than page 1 - for example if you are in page 5 of your home screens, it brings you back to home screen page 1, but you can interrupt it and it will allow input during animation.
From lock screen to home screen animation: tap allowed, but not 3d touch(very important use case, whenever you take your phone out and unlock it, the transition to home screen does allow input during animation, which is good, but it doesn't allow 3d touch = bad)

Not sure if you use an iPad, but I noticed today on my air 2 that if I close an app using the finger gesture instead of the home button, that the input is not blocked and it will register the tap and immediately open once the closing animation is complete. This is on 9.3 b2.

 

[Radon87000]

So what I'm getting is this.

You don't care what iOS looks like or if the animations chug sometimes.
You care about whether or not it crashes (which I didn't even have a problem with in iOS 8)

I care more about how responsive the OS is and how fluid the animations are. It doesn't give me a positive experience every time I see my iPhone struggling with the UI. Apple designed the friggin' OS and they can't even get it to play well with their friggin' hardware? I used to make fun of my friend's Samsung touch-wiz crap and how it stuttered all over the place. He said he never noticed (that is, until he got a motorola android, which is very smooth and responsive). Now it feels like I have that piece of crap Samsung with touch-wiz. Tell me, why should I just shut up about it and be happy that it's not crashing? Yes, I don't want my phone to crash, but I don't think smooth animations are what makes it crash. It's not like Apple had to put "anti-crash" code into the iOS with compromises the animation smoothness as a side-effect.

Again, just because it doesn't affect YOU, doesn't mean the issues are there and shouldn't be addressed.

i7Guy uses only Safari on his iPhone and has all of his visual settings are turned down.His opinion is void until he turns on these settings and uses the App Store on his phone

 

[C DM]

i7Guy uses only Safari on his iPhone and has all of his visual settings are turned down.His opinion is void until he turns on these settings and uses the App Store on his phone

What about the seemingly contradictory opinions of those who think it's essentially outrageous that the issues they experience are not those that some others experience or care about in the same way, while they themselves show a similar lack of caring or understanding when it comes to similar issues that many others have complained about in other versions of iOS? More of a rhetorical question than anything else at this point.

 

[I7guy]

i7Guy uses only Safari on his iPhone and has all of his visual settings are turned down.His opinion is void until he turns on these settings and uses the App Store on his phone

On the other hand the hyperbolic opinion that iOS 9 is complete trash doesn't help anyone's cause.

 

[trifid]

Not sure if you use an iPad, but I noticed today on my air 2 that if I close an app using the finger gesture instead of the home button, that the input is not blocked and it will register the tap and immediately open once the closing animation is complete. This is on 9.3 b2.

Shh don't say it loud, Apple may block it soon . Actually I have an iPad Air 1 but didn't update it to iOS9, but I'll try to check this when I get a chance on another iPad, sounds quite interesting.

 

[Jayson A]

Shh don't say it loud, Apple may block it soon . Actually I have an iPad Air 1 but didn't update it to iOS9, but I'll try to check this when I get a chance on another iPad, sounds quite interesting.

I can confirm that input blocking doesn't happen with the pinch feature. Funny how it's not blocked for that.

The other things that have been bothering me lately (even on 9.3 beta 2) is that sometimes I'll unlock my iPhone (or iPad) and the app zoom animation only plays the last little bit of it instead of the entire thing. It looks stupid to me.

Also, half the time, when I try to use quick reply from the lock screen, the keyboard just pops into place instead of sliding up from the bottom. However, sometimes it actually does slide up from the bottom. Why is it so inconsistent? Why can't it always slide?

These are the stupid little things that seem to be everywhere. Sometimes you get the full drawn out animations and sometimes they just kinda pop into place.

 

[trifid]

@Act3 @Jayson A I added the pinch gesture to the list in OP, thanks guys.

 

[Radon87000]

On the other hand the hyperbolic opinion that iOS 9 is complete trash doesn't help anyone's cause.

Purely subjective.iOS 9 is smooth for iPhone 6S/Plus users.Its an annoyance/irritating for iPhone 6/plus/5S users who have experienced 8.4.1 for more than a few months.Its trash for iPhone 4S users

 

[I7guy]

Purely subjective.iOS 9 is smooth for iPhone 6S/Plus users.Its an annoyance/irritating for iPhone 6/plus/5S users who have experienced 8.4.1 for more than a few months.Its trash for iPhone 4S users

The only thing that is not subjective is the statement all versions of iOS have their issues. My two 5s users are not annoyed or irritated because there phones don't have the issues some say these phones must have.

As far as the 4s, there is a youtube video comparing iOS 8 with iOS 9 and these two operating systems respond virtually identically. Not "trash" as you say.

 

[Vexxx]

Purely subjective.iOS 9 is smooth for iPhone 6S/Plus users.

My 6s plus with ios9 is faster but not smoother than my 6 plus was with 8.4.1. The gap has been closing with each release and 9.3 beta is rather close except for scrolling. But of course I can make fair comparison only after 9.4 is released.

 

[Radon87000]

BTW have any of you guys noticed that on iOS 9.3 games have started to become somewhat stuttery compared to 8.4.1?

 

[Jayson A]

BTW have any of you guys noticed that on iOS 9.3 games have started to become somewhat stuttery compared to 8.4.1?

Yeah, I noticed that right when I first upgraded to 9.3. Games stutter on both my iPhone 6 and iPad mini 4. They were flawless 60fps before the update.

Watch out, people will come in here and say that's it's not Apple's fault and that it's the developers fault that they haven't updated their apps yet.

 

[lagwagon]

Yeah, I noticed that right when I first upgraded to 9.3. Games stutter on both my iPhone 6 and iPad mini 4. They were flawless 60fps before the update.

Watch out, people will come in here and say that's it's not Apple's fault and that it's the developers fault that they haven't updated their apps yet.

You're completely naive if you think that Apple couldn't have changed something in the API that could require 3rd party developers to also update their code to reflect those changes.

This sort of thing happens all the time and not just by Apple. Take Blizzard and their game World of Warcraft. That game allows Addons made by users. Whenever Blizzard releases a new patch for the game, it's quite often some Addons partially break or fully break from API changes. It's up to those Addon creators to update their Addons to work again based off Blizzards changes. Apps/Games on an iPhone is no different. Things can change in an iOS update, so must 3rd party developers of they want to continue to have a functioning app/game.

In the case of 9.3. It's in beta. Part of using a beta is the risk that apps/games might not work fully. 3rd party developers CAN'T release updates to the App Store until 9.3 officially releases.

Since 9.3 is still only roughly halfway through its beta no one can say yet if it's a iOS beta issue OR if it's something 3rd party needs to address because some API was changed. You guys always see something negative and assume it's 100% am iOS issue.

 

[Jayson A]

You're completely naive if you think that Apple couldn't have changed something in the API that could require 3rd party developers to also update their code to reflect those changes.

This sort of thing happens all the time and not just by Apple. Take Blizzard and their game World of Warcraft. That game allows Addons made by users. Whenever Blizzard releases a new patch for the game, it's quite often some Addons partially break or fully break from API changes. It's up to those Addon creators to update their Addons to work again based off Blizzards changes. Apps/Games on an iPhone is no different. Things can change in an iOS update, so must 3rd party developers of they want to continue to have a functioning app/game.

In the case of 9.3. It's in beta. Part of using a beta is the risk that apps/games might not work fully. 3rd party developers CAN'T release updates to the App Store until 9.3 officially releases.

Since 9.3 is still only roughly halfway through its beta no one can say yet if it's a iOS beta issue OR if it's something 3rd party needs to address because some API was changed. You guys always see something negative and assume it's 100% am iOS issue.

So if it's a developer issue, then why are 32-bit devices stuttering now (the ones that aren't capable of running metal)? It appears that Apple has broken OpenGL on 9.3, but hey, whatever you want to believe is fine by me.

What if the developer is no longer updating their tiny little crappy game? What if they've already run off with my money and have no interest in changing with Apple's new ways?

Oh well, guess I'll just have to blame the developers for their crappy code.

 

[C DM]

So if it's a developer issue, then why are 32-bit devices stuttering now (the ones that aren't capable of running metal)? It appears that Apple has broken OpenGL on 9.3, but hey, whatever you want to believe is fine by me.

What if the developer is no longer updating their tiny little crappy game? What if they've already run off with my money and have no interest in changing with Apple's new ways?

Oh well, guess I'll just have to blame the developers for their crappy code.

Is that somehow new when it comes to apps or developers? It's been around for ages even before phones when a new update to an OS or a browser or something like that could affect some program and not because something is broken in that update but because something needed to be changed and the applications and programs need to be updated accordingly to account for it. This is hardly a new or a surprising concept as it's been around for a long long time (and is certainly not unique to Apple or any particular company or anything like that).

And once again, the point about this being one of the earlier betas is worthy of reiterating. None of this is to say that this isn't a potential issue, or it shouldn't be reported or discussed or anything like that, simply that the nature of it all right now can have a a number of potential different things that could be behind or contributing to it and it's essentially something that should be kept an eye on.

 

[lagwagon]

So if it's a developer issue, then why are 32-bit devices stuttering now (the ones that aren't capable of running metal)? It appears that Apple has broken OpenGL on 9.3, but hey, whatever you want to believe is fine by me.

What if the developer is no longer updating their tiny little crappy game? What if they've already run off with my money and have no interest in changing with Apple's new ways?

Oh well, guess I'll just have to blame the developers for their crappy code.

Well, the last time I checked iOS 9.3 was still in beta. Just like many things in beta, things can break on and off between builds. Beta isn't a "here is the final product". It's work in progress.

As for a developer no longer updating their crappy game and have no interest in updating while still continuing to collect money. That's on them. It's their product, not Apple's.

Again, seeing as 9.3 is still in beta, no one knows if it's something Apple needs to tweak or if it is in fact a change to some API that apps/games need to update to. I am not saying that what is happening is one way or the other, but to just quickly place blame because something in a beta made something else not work 100% is ridiculous.

However, 9.3 beta 1 obviously showed signs of them working on animations. So it would probably be a safe assumption that those areas of code may have changed. Which could depending on what and how things changed mean that apps/games would need to also change.

 

[Jayson A]

Well, the last time I checked iOS 9.3 was still in beta. Just like many things in beta, things can break on and off between builds. Beta isn't a "here is the final product". It's work in progress.

As for a developer no longer updating their crappy game and have no interest in updating while still continuing to collect money. That's on them. It's their product, not Apple's.

Again, seeing as 9.3 is still in beta, no one knows if it's something Apple needs to tweak or if it is in fact a change to some API that apps/games need to update to. I am not saying that what is happening is one way or the other, but to just quickly place blame because something in a beta made something else not work 100% is ridiculous.

However, 9.3 beta 1 obviously showed signs of them working on animations. So it would probably be a safe assumption that those areas of code may have changed. Which could depending on what and how things changed mean that apps/games would need to also change.

I've heard the "it's a beta" statement before, only to find out that the final version is just as bad.

I just wish Apple didn't "fix" what wasn't broken in iOS 8. There were no issues with iOS 8's animations, so why change it for the worse while saying that it's smoother?

If I took my car in for new tires and the tire guys were like "With these new tires, your car will have a smoother ride and it will also be quieter than your old tires", but when I get the new tires, I actually find out that it's actually a worse ride and they're louder. I would feel cheated and lied to and I would demand a refund for false advertising, yet you people seem to be okay with it because... well, other tires from other manufacturers are also loud and ride rough, and at least the tires are staying on the car.