iOS: Annually slowing down our devices

[Armen]

I never played with a 6S, but my 6+ has been absolutely great and fast with iOS9 and now b4 9.1 even better. My iPad Air 2 is doing much better as well. Both use much less memory and evrything is faster and never crashes.
I don't enable lots of junk on Settings and I take good care of what is installed. There's only 1 gb RAM, so there are no miracles with that. I think the planned obsolescence is due to adding new features to older hardware, on top of what already was available. If the iPhone 4s had 2 gb ram, it would still be a fast and powerful device. Except it has only 512mb.

I just installed 9.1 Beta 4 and my 6+ is flying also. Very cool.

 

[Armen]

I just learned that I have OCD.

Thanks.

Install 9.1 Beta 4. It's really fast. I think you'd like it.

 

[Tubamajuba]

I can almost guarantee the same group of people will be first to install iOS 10 Beta 1 when the time comes.

Why torture yourselves? Just go get an Android phone that will not get any updates and be happy.

Exactly. People need to find what works for them instead of complaining about what doesn't.

What bothers me the most about the perceived performance decreases it that it’s most noticeable in situations that aren’t even that taxing. Pulling down Spotlight, opening the app switcher, scrolling through a simple app. This isn’t a heavy game or application, it’s a common aspect of the system’s UI. Every year Apple touts the big improvements in performance and yet we notice this is in something as mundane as an app’s or utility’s opening animation. It is simply puzzling that this happens every year.

I can live with the fact that some games or apps may take slightly longer to load and are maybe a bit choppy, but what I can’t accept is that the general system UI itself doesn’t run as silky smooth as before. The iPhone 6 is powerful enough to run relatively big 3D games, but still chops when I pull down Spotlight. That’s poorly programmed and not optimised.

If you ask me, I think iOS will continue these minor regressions in performance between major version numbers until Apple decides to go completely Snow Leopard- no new features, just tons of refinement and polishing throughout the iOS. I imagine that adding new features, especially ones that affect apps systemwide, involves adding a lot of new code and ripping out old code. The more you mess with the code, the more likely it is that you're going to have unintentional negative effects on other areas of the OS. Of course, not being a developer, I could be way off the mark.

 

[Paddle1]

I never played with a 6S, but my 6+ has been absolutely great and fast with iOS9 and now b4 9.1 even better. My iPad Air 2 is doing much better as well. Both use much less memory and evrything is faster and never crashes.
I don't enable lots of junk on Settings and I take good care of what is installed. There's only 1 gb RAM, so there are no miracles with that. I think the planned obsolescence is due to adding new features to older hardware, on top of what already was available. If the iPhone 4s had 2 gb ram, it would still be a fast and powerful device. Except it has only 512mb.

The RAM isn't the only thing that improves performance, it's mostly the faster processor.

 

[Luis Mazza]

The RAM isn't the only thing that improves performance, it's mostly the faster processor.

The RAM decides how smooth operations take place and the processor how fast. It can be fast, but laggy or not smooth, so yes, RAM is much more important related to the issues people are complaining (UI lag, etc) and that is why Apple never mentions it, because it is strategic to planned obsolescence.

 

[KALLT]

If you ask me, I think iOS will continue these minor regressions in performance between major version numbers until Apple decides to go completely Snow Leopard- no new features, just tons of refinement and polishing throughout the iOS. I imagine that adding new features, especially ones that affect apps systemwide, involves adding a lot of new code and ripping out old code. The more you mess with the code, the more likely it is that you're going to have unintentional negative effects on other areas of the OS. Of course, not being a developer, I could be way off the mark.

That’s a rational explanation, but why on earth would they then release a software so early, knowing very well that a lot of things are potentially affected? The truth is that Apple gambles willingly with the patience and goodwill of its customers instead of postponing a release for a couple of months or extending the release cycle. It will always be a subpar experience when the big day arrives.

People also give Snow Leopard way too much credit on these forums. It was the first upgrade I purchased and I was really disappointed with the performance on my then one-year old Mac. It had its fair share of problems. Snow Leopard wasn’t exceptional. When Lion came, people remembered that Snow Leopard performed better and they thought that it was because Apple branded it as a performance release.

 

[_Refurbished_]

and how are you going to feel when developers drop support for your original OS? for example Skype and Yahoo Mail do not work on iOS 6 while many other apps still do.

Well considering I'm getting an iPhone 7, this isn't an issue for me. I upgrade my device every two years.

Additionally, iOS 6 > 7 is a larger leap then normal because the OS went through a complete transformation. I would be more willing to sacrifice speed, if there was a major loss in functionality. That's usually not a problem, however.

 

[Paddle1]

The RAM decides how smooth operations take place and the processor how fast. It can be fast, but laggy or not smooth, so yes, RAM is much more important related to the issues people are complaining (UI lag, etc) and that is why Apple never mentions it, because it is strategic to planned obsolescence.

The iPhone 4 and 4s have the same amount of RAM but the 4 was much worse. This is also true to a lesser extent with the 6 and 6 Plus. The RAM seems to have more to do with multitasking than general performance.

 

[Tubamajuba]

That’s a rational explanation, but why on earth would they then release a software so early, knowing very well that a lot of things are potentially affected? The truth is that Apple gambles willingly with the patience and goodwill of its customers instead of postponing a release for a couple of months or extending the release cycle. It will always be a subpar experience when the big day arrives.

People also give Snow Leopard way too much credit on these forums. It was the first upgrade I purchased and I was really disappointed with the performance on my then one-year old Mac. It had its fair share of problems. Snow Leopard wasn’t exceptional, it was exactly the same situation and when Lion came people observed that it was performing much worse. The real difference is that people seem to remember that it was branded as a performance release.

You make a good point, and I really can't answer that. Part of me wonders if Apple feels like they need to push iOS to the limit as a way of making up for lost time from when Forstall was in charge. But that's just speculation. Either way, I wish they would do what they do with the Mac- decouple the hardware and software release dates for major versions. If iOS 9 needed more work, it could have waited a few more weeks, and 8.5 could have come with the 6s, essentially being 8.4.1 with 3D Touch and Live Photos. You still get your yearly cycle, but release dates aren't as rigid.

Regarding Snow Leopard, I never used it... I just figured there's a reason why so many people worship it!

 

[Luis Mazza]

The iPhone 4 and 4s have the same amount of RAM but the 4 was much worse. This is also true to a lesser extent with the 6 and 6 Plus. The RAM seems to have more to do with multitasking than general performance.

If you have to read the super slow flash memory to bring control center instantaneously, instead of accessing it from fast ram, then processor speed can't help.

 

[KALLT]

You make a good point, and I really can't answer that. Part of me wonders if Apple feels like they need to push iOS to the limit as a way of making up for lost time from when Forstall was in charge. But that's just speculation. Either way, I wish they would do what they do with the Mac- decouple the hardware and software release dates for major versions. If iOS 9 needed more work, it could have waited a few more weeks, and 8.5 could have come with the 6s, essentially being 8.4.1 with 3D Touch and Live Photos. You still get your yearly cycle, but release dates aren't as rigid.

Regarding Snow Leopard, I never used it... I just figured there's a reason why so many people worship it!

A part of me thinks that Apple just cannot handle the pressure of competition and the constant spotlight. Apple used to not care about deadlines so much and used the time to build things that were novel and great. With the intense competition in smartphones and cloud services they feel compelled to keep up and it makes them vulnerable to mistakes and half-arsed products. Apple should worry more about the quality of their software again, but they are so complacent these days that it’s just painful to watch. They enjoy the “unparalleled” upgrade rates and the “99%” customer satisfaction ratings, although tech enthousiasts know that their products have problems. John Gruber had an interview with Phil Schiller after the WWDC and he was biting his lips to ask some sensitive questions on the state of software quality. Schiller pretty much brushed them off.

Snow Leopard just happened to be the last no-nonsense release of OS X. Lion’s performance was just significantly worse and there weren’t that many compelling features in it that justified the tradeoff. I had to buy an SSD and upgrade my RAM because it was just too slow. On Linux or Windows this wouldn’t be such a problem, as Microsoft supports software for a very long time and Linux is has a much different update process (and forking is common when a distro gathers a cult). OS X is just take it or leave it, many things depend on entire OS upgrades. You can stick with older software, but you’re on your own.

 

[scjr]

A part of me thinks that Apple just cannot handle the pressure of competition and the constant spotlight.

Apple sells record 13 million iPhones in first weekend for 6S, 6S Plus

http://www.cnet.com/news/apple-sells-13-million-iphone-6s-6s-plus-over-first-weekend/

 

[Tubamajuba]

A part of me thinks that Apple just cannot handle the pressure of competition and the constant spotlight. Apple used to not care about deadlines so much and used the time to build things that were novel and great. With the intense competition in smartphones and cloud services they feel compelled to keep up and it makes them vulnerable to mistakes and half-arsed products. Apple should worry more about the quality of their software again, but they are so complacent these days that it’s just painful to watch. They enjoy the “unparalleled” upgrade rates and the “99%” customer satisfaction ratings, although tech enthousiasts know that their products have problems. John Gruber had an interview with Phil Schiller after the WWDC and he was biting his lips to ask some sensitive questions on the state of software quality. Schiller pretty much brushed them off.

Snow Leopard just happened to be the last no-nonsense release of OS X. Lion’s performance was just significantly worse and there weren’t that many compelling features in it that justified the tradeoff. I had to buy an SSD and upgrade my RAM because it was just too slow. On Linux or Windows this wouldn’t be such a problem, as Microsoft supports software for a very long time and Linux is has a much different update process (and forking is common when a distro gathers a cult). OS X is just take it or leave it, many things depend on entire OS upgrades. You can stick with older software, but you’re on your own.

Well, I personally think Apple isn't complacent at all when it comes to their software- iOS in particular has come a long way in the realm of features since iOS 6. To me, iOS 6 was the pinnacle of Apple's complacency- essentially iOS 5 with a crappy maps app. Regarding software quality, on the other hand, I see your point. I do think refinement and polish has taken a backseat to new features across iOS and OS X. As usual, the vast majority of features that Apple introduces work very well, but seemingly at the cost of general smoothness and sometimes stability.

Personally, I wish Apple would simply release the software when it's ready, as you alluded to. That would solve tons of minor issues that people have, and it would largely restore the trust that hardcore fans once had in their ability to release polished software.

In response to your comment about post-SL versions of OS X being slower... it's crazy how much faster Windows 10 is than El Capitan on the same hardware. El Capitan is my favorite version of OS X so far, and I'm really happy with it. But WOW, it could be so much faster...

 

[Armen]

The RAM decides how smooth operations take place and the processor how fast. It can be fast, but laggy or not smooth, so yes, RAM is much more important related to the issues people are complaining (UI lag, etc) and that is why Apple never mentions it, because it is strategic to planned obsolescence.

So what is Android's excuse? Dungeon Boss (cool game try it if you like RPGs) runs choppy on my buddy's Note 4 and his phone has 3GB of RAM. After closing all apps does it get smoother. I don't have to do anything on my 6+ and it runs fine all the time.

 

[KALLT]

Well, I personally think Apple isn't complacent at all when it comes to their software- iOS in particular has come a long way in the realm of features since iOS 6. To me, iOS 6 was the pinnacle of Apple's complacency- essentially iOS 5 with a crappy maps app. Regarding software quality, on the other hand, I see your point. I do think refinement and polish has taken a backseat to new features across iOS and OS X. As usual, the vast majority of features that Apple introduces work very well, but seemingly at the cost of general smoothness and sometimes stability.

Personally, I wish Apple would simply release the software when it's ready, as you alluded to. That would solve tons of minor issues that people have, and it would largely restore the trust that hardcore fans once had in their ability to release polished software.

In response to your comment about post-SL versions of OS X being slower... it's crazy how much faster Windows 10 is than El Capitan on the same hardware. El Capitan is my favorite version of OS X so far, and I'm really happy with it. But WOW, it could be so much faster...

It’s not complacency in terms of general development of the OS, it’s about quality control. A device that doesn’t suddenly become distinctly worse just because of an update. iOS 7 was an utter disaster for the iPhone 4 at the time (I know, because I had one) and it’s this pattern of unfinished software that continues. iOS 6 had the problem that most of the new features were overshadowed by the terrible Maps app, the loss of the native YouTube app and the buggy Facebook integration. It was, I think, the first time where many people noticed that updating iOS is a one-way street and that not every update is better.

Windows 10 runs indeed remarkably well. The times of Windows Vista are distant past. Did you know that Windows Phone also runs quite well? My mother has a cheap Lumia and I’ve never seen choppy animations anywhere. It will be interesting to see how Windows 10 Mobile performs.

Apple sells record 13 million iPhones in first weekend for 6S, 6S Plus

http://www.cnet.com/news/apple-sells-13-million-iphone-6s-6s-plus-over-first-weekend/

Which is precisely the problem. It’s positive feedback for Apple and it proves them year over year again that it’s a good investment to give preferential treatment to new iPhones, even though the software might not be ready for a general release. Apple should focus on having a solid OS first instead of masking the performance issues with better hardware. People like iOS, but it would be remarkably better if it could be released in the state of the .1 release immediately.

 

[vertsix]

Install 9.1 Beta 4. It's really fast. I think you'd like it.

Maybe. I can't downgrade to 8.4.1 anymore, so at this point I have to try it out on a different device before I upgrade my main.

 

[Luis Mazza]

So what is Android's excuse? Dungeon Boss (cool game try it if you like RPGs) runs choppy on my buddy's Note 4 and his phone has 3GB of RAM. After closing all apps does it get smoother. I don't have to do anything on my 6+ and it runs fine all the time.

Samsung and Android have implemented the worst RAM management ever. The internet is all over this... I bet he's running 5.0. Take a look

https://www.google.com.br/search?q=...ient=safari&gfe_rd=cr&ei=6oEUVqqjOJSq8weDm7dA

 

[vertsix]

Samsung and Android have implemented the worst RAM management ever. The internet is all over this... I bet he's running 5.0. Take a look

Agreed.

I literally have nothing open at all (even closed all possible background processes) and 1.42GB/2.71GB of RAM are being used on my Galaxy Tab S with 5.0.2.

 

[Salvor Hardin]

For anyone who hasn't heard about this try using the app switcher with a dynamic wallpaper (the colored dots that are available on all devices), this combination seems to be like the Crysis of iOS system operations.

 

[viperGTS]

Wow, 8 runs pretty darn well compared to iOS 5 on the 4s. When 9.1 drops, I might just update my 4s from iOS 6 to it; after using 8 for a while on my 5s, i'm missing a lot of features.

 

[vertsix]

Wow, 8 runs pretty darn well compared to iOS 5 on the 4s. When 9.1 drops, I might just update my 4s from iOS 6 to it; after using 8 for a while on my 5s, i'm missing a lot of features.

NO!

No, no, no! Stay on iOS 6 on your 4s.

Just do it. Seriously. The 4s ran iOS 6 like butter. Features aside.

I regret updating my iPod touch 5th gen (which has the same specs as the 4s) from iOS 6 to 7. I would do anything to downgrade.

 

[viperGTS]

NO!

No, no, no! Stay on iOS 6 on your 4s.

Just do it. Seriously. The 4s ran iOS 6 like butter. Features aside.

I regret updating my iPod touch 5th gen (which has the same specs as the 4s) from iOS 6 to 7. I would do anything to downgrade.

I've been running 6 for quite a while and it's lacking in so many features. Plus, I like the design of iOS 7+ more than iOS 6; it feels extremely dated.

 

[vertsix]

I've been running 6 for quite a while and it's lacking in so many features. Plus, I like the design of iOS 7+ more than iOS 6; it feels extremely dated.

Please don't. That's like, the best version of iOS for that iPhone.

Besides, you have a 5s right? Just treasure your 4s with iOS 6. Those are rare to find. And use your 5s for general use.

Treasure it forever, man. It's what I'd do.

 

[sunking101]

iOS9 on the 6S+ is fine in frontline use, quite bug-free compared to iOS7 & 8 but it's the background stuff that's buggy. iCloud is an absolute pig at the moment and apps not being updated yet render certain notifications defunct. It's annoying to have a brand new phone and yet have the o/s run worse than on my old phone. It kinda detracts from the 'new phone feeling' when it isn't running as well as it could do.

Those on older devices have the choice whether to upgrade to a new version of iOS or not, but when you buy a new phone it comes with it regardless. I would much rather that iOS was released a month after the new phones hit the stores because so then we could wait until the early bugs are fixed and enjoy our phones with the same more polished older versions of iOS. It would make for a better 'like for like' comparison too.

 

[Paddle1]

I've been running 6 for quite a while and it's lacking in so many features. Plus, I like the design of iOS 7+ more than iOS 6; it feels extremely dated.

I downgraded my 4s to iOS 6 and honestly preferred it on 8. Using it I missed control center and all of the apps that were incompatible. I'm sure it was good in it's time but you miss out on so much by running it. I upgraded back in the end.

Since you technically could downgrade I see no reason not to update if you really want to at some point.