iPhone 6(S)/Plus iPhone 6S Plus: stay at iOS 10.1.1 or upgrade to iOS 15.5?

[eyoungren]

Allow me to introduce:View attachment 2146218
It’s a 6s, not a 6s+, but you can’t have everything...

👍

My 6s+ was on iOS 9.0.2 from late September 2015 to December 2020. 9.0.2 and 9.1 were/are the last versions of iOS that got a fully untethered jailbreak. From that point on everything else has been semi-untethered.

I updated in December 2020 because I'd been on my Pixel for several months and a lot of my old JB tweaks were starting to fail because devs had long left the jailbreak scene, servers shut down, etc.

But five years on one version of iOS was a good run.

 

[FeliApple]

👍

My 6s+ was on iOS 9.0.2 from late September 2015 to December 2020. 9.0.2 and 9.1 were/are the last versions of iOS that got a fully untethered jailbreak. From that point on everything else has been semi-untethered.

I updated in December 2020 because I'd been on my Pixel for several months and a lot of my old JB tweaks were starting to fail because devs had long left the jailbreak scene, servers shut down, etc.

But five years on one version of iOS was a good run.

Yeah, it was a great run! It was longer than any of mine! I used a 6s on iOS 9 as my main phone 2016-2019. Upgraded to my current Xʀ then, so 2019-present, and started using this 6s on iOS 10 in 2021. My Xʀ is on iOS 12 and has been since I got it. Funny that the 6s on iOS 9 got forced into iOS 13 by Apple’s activation bug. Both 6s were purchased the same day, one came on iOS 9 and this one on iOS 10. My 9.7-inch iPad Pro was also forced out of iOS 9. Had I known, I would’ve updated everything to iOS 10, they’d still be there... unfortunately I don’t have a crystal ball! Well, at least I can use this 6s on iOS 10 and at least the iPad is on iOS 12, which as far as reports go, it’s a lot better than iPadOS 13 onwards, even if it is worse in terms of battery life when compared to iOS 9. Glass half-full... like I said, there’s no way I could’ve known that that was going to happen.

Ultimately, and in spite of my persistent recommendations not to update, the whole point is for the device to be useful to the person who uses it, and another important factor is for the person to like the device. Your experience on iOS 9 started to break and you updated it, and that’s okay. You’ve stated that the device is more useful to you on iOS 15 than it was on iOS 9, and as long as you like it, then I’d say that you made the right call! Unless you want to keep it as a relic (which depends on whether you even care about that), keeping a device on a useless iOS version (to you) is ultimately debatable: yes, the device probably performs better on iOS 9 and 10 in every aspect... but it is useless on that version, so it works better but it can’t do anything. Yes, it will eventually encounter the same fate on iOS 15 and with far worse performance and battery life, but at least it gets some more years of full functionality. As you can see, I’m not completely blindfolded as to the benefits of updating, even if I’ll never do so myself, unless forced. Extremely long term though, keeping a device on an early version is always better: an iPhone 5s on iOS 7 or 8 is a lot better than one on iOS 12, and a device on iOS 12 isn’t all too perfect as far as support goes. There comes a point in which even an updated device is rendered obsolete, in which case an early version would be preferable.

I personally prefer to use something else and keep the device working flawlessly forever, but I know that not everybody prefers that, and frankly, who am I to say that that’s wrong? Maybe they can’t use something else and they need the device to be able to download a certain app. I can warn about the sure-fire performance and battery life issues that will inevitably arise, but if the quandary is between: a cool phone on an original iOS version (or an early one) that can’t do anything I want it to or a device that doesn’t work so well but does everything I need, at least for a while longer... you either skirt around that need (by using something else, like I did), or ultimately updating is all you can do.

 

[eyoungren]

Yeah, it was a great run! It was longer than any of mine! I used a 6s on iOS 9 as my main phone 2016-2019. Upgraded to my current Xʀ then, so 2019-present, and started using this 6s on iOS 10 in 2021. My Xʀ is on iOS 12 and has been since I got it. Funny that the 6s on iOS 9 got forced into iOS 13 by Apple’s activation bug. Both 6s were purchased the same day, one came on iOS 9 and this one on iOS 10. My 9.7-inch iPad Pro was also forced out of iOS 9. Had I known, I would’ve updated everything to iOS 10, they’d still be there... unfortunately I don’t have a crystal ball! Well, at least I can use this 6s on iOS 10 and at least the iPad is on iOS 12, which as far as reports go, it’s a lot better than iPadOS 13 onwards, even if it is worse in terms of battery life when compared to iOS 9. Glass half-full... like I said, there’s no way I could’ve known that that was going to happen.

Ultimately, and in spite of my persistent recommendations not to update, the whole point is for the device to be useful to the person who uses it, and another important factor is for the person to like the device. Your experience on iOS 9 started to break and you updated it, and that’s okay. You’ve stated that the device is more useful to you on iOS 15 than it was on iOS 9, and as long as you like it, then I’d say that you made the right call! Unless you want to keep it as a relic (which depends on whether you even care about that), keeping a device on a useless iOS version (to you) is ultimately debatable: yes, the device probably performs better on iOS 9 and 10 in every aspect... but it is useless on that version, so it works better but it can’t do anything. Yes, it will eventually encounter the same fate on iOS 15 and with far worse performance and battery life, but at least it gets some more years of full functionality. As you can see, I’m not completely blindfolded as to the benefits of updating, even if I’ll never do so myself, unless forced. Extremely long term though, keeping a device on an early version is always better: an iPhone 5s on iOS 7 or 8 is a lot better than one on iOS 12, and a device on iOS 12 isn’t all too perfect as far as support goes. There comes a point in which even an updated device is rendered obsolete, in which case an early version would be preferable.

I personally prefer to use something else and keep the device working flawlessly forever, but I know that not everybody prefers that, and frankly, who am I to say that that’s wrong? Maybe they can’t use something else and they need the device to be able to download a certain app. I can warn about the sure-fire performance and battery life issues that will inevitably arise, but if the quandary is between: a cool phone on an original iOS version (or an early one) that can’t do anything I want it to or a device that doesn’t work so well but does everything I need, at least for a while longer... you either skirt around that need (by using something else, like I did), or ultimately updating is all you can do.

My 11 Pro Max, which is my current primary phone, was on iOS 15 for quite some time. So, I've got no hesitations on keeping the 6s+ on iOS 15.

Long term, I know it's the ultimate death of my 6s+. but for now it's fine. I've got a bunch of older devices that also reached their maximum iOS limit so I've been down this road before.

The 6s+ is my secondary phone. I use it when I go out walking and for any situation where I think there might be a hazard to my 11 Pro Max. Riding a bike for instance…For those reasons it has an active SIM.

My Pixel is much younger than my 6s+, but Apple supported my 6s+ for much longer than Google did my Pixel. The Pixel is stuck on Android 12. I'm not sure which is going to become unuseful first - my 6s+ or my Pixel.

Not that it matters much as both will still be useful until I get a new iPhone and the 11PM becomes the secondary. As long as I can still stream music, make calls, send texts and emails and do some light web browsing the phone/device is still useful.

 

[now i see it]

I’ve been thinking about this - OS upgrades in general, and the conclusion I’ve come to is disturbing.

EVERY computer and computing device I’ve updated the OS — every single one of them, since 1995 (all apple gear) which amounts to dozens of units…. eventually all were “ruined” by OS updates. ALL OF THEM.

What I mean by “ruined” is they were all eventually slowed down so much by OS upgrades that they ALL became unbearable to use.

So the only conclusion I can come to, with 27 years of experience to back me up is…… Apple OS updates essentially amount to malware.
They slowly kill all your devices.

 

[eyoungren]

I’ve been thinking about this - OS upgrades in general, and the conclusion I’ve come to is disturbing.

EVERY computer and computing device I’ve updated the OS — every single one of them, since 1995 (all apple gear) which amounts to dozens of units…. eventually all were “ruined” by OS updates. ALL OF THEM.

What I mean by “ruined” is they were all eventually slowed down so much by OS upgrades that they ALL became unbearable to use.

So the only conclusion I can come to, with 27 years of experience to back me up is…… Apple OS updates essentially amount to malware.
They slowly kill all your devices.

Interesting. Not my experience - with Apple any way.

Of course, my PowerBook G4 and PowerMac G4 are stuck on OS X 10.5.8, my G3 on 10.4.11, my 2006 MBP and Minis are stuck on 10.6.8 and my later Intels are stuck on either Mojave or Catalina. Other than browsers on the PowerPC Macs, no real slowness.

My PowerMac G5 Quad has 16GB ram. Running 10.5.8. Not slow…

I'm typing this on a 2009 MacPro 4,1 upgraded to a 5,1 with 32GB ram. Doesn't seem slow.

Concerning iPhone, my 6s+ is just fine on iOS 15.

IDK. Again, your experience seems to be very different than mine.

 

[Andeddu]

I’ve been thinking about this - OS upgrades in general, and the conclusion I’ve come to is disturbing.

EVERY computer and computing device I’ve updated the OS — every single one of them, since 1995 (all apple gear) which amounts to dozens of units…. eventually all were “ruined” by OS updates. ALL OF THEM.

What I mean by “ruined” is they were all eventually slowed down so much by OS upgrades that they ALL became unbearable to use.

So the only conclusion I can come to, with 27 years of experience to back me up is…… Apple OS updates essentially amount to malware.
They slowly kill all your devices.

I can only speak for phones from the 6S onwards and state that what you’ve said is categorically untrue. The 6S/SE runs iOS 15.6.2, which his their limit, perfectly fine. I can web-browse, flick through the menu smoothly and use all other apps, etc… with only a relatively minor performance hit from earlier iOS versions.

The iPhone 8 runs iOS 16, which is likely its limit, even better than the 6S on iOS 15.

Perhaps it was different before but updates no longer render your phone unusable or wreck the user experience.

 

[FeliApple]

My 11 Pro Max, which is my current primary phone, was on iOS 15 for quite some time. So, I've got no hesitations on keeping the 6s+ on iOS 15.

Long term, I know it's the ultimate death of my 6s+. but for now it's fine. I've got a bunch of older devices that also reached their maximum iOS limit so I've been down this road before.

The 6s+ is my secondary phone. I use it when I go out walking and for any situation where I think there might be a hazard to my 11 Pro Max. Riding a bike for instance…For those reasons it has an active SIM.

My Pixel is much younger than my 6s+, but Apple supported my 6s+ for much longer than Google did my Pixel. The Pixel is stuck on Android 12. I'm not sure which is going to become unuseful first - my 6s+ or my Pixel.

Not that it matters much as both will still be useful until I get a new iPhone and the 11PM becomes the secondary. As long as I can still stream music, make calls, send texts and emails and do some light web browsing the phone/device is still useful.

Yeah, long-term it’s not the best choice, but the long-term part is really long-term... when iOS 15 is no longer useful for many things. You’d probably have to go to iOS 10 now to get to that, or iOS 9. But yes, long-term I’d much rather have an iPhone 6 on iOS 8 than one on iOS 12, for example.

For the use case you describe, it sounds fine: you use it for short periods of time, with not too strenuous requirements. Yeah, battery life is a lot worse than my 6s on iOS 10, but with that usage, you can be fine with it. And that’s the important part, in the end.

I have the 6s as a secondary phone, too, and I use it quite a bit. Battery life on iOS 15 (or any version higher than iOS 10, I think, but especially on iOS 13 onwards) wouldn’t be enough for me. It is good enough for me on iOS 10. Like I said earlier: it matches what I need. I don’t want to carry a charger with me when I use it, and I don’t want to pursue power outlets or carry power banks, because... I shouldn’t need to, I’m not even a heavy user. The 6s on iOS 10 gives me about 6 hours of screen-on time with high brightness and full LTE. An updated 6s scrapes 2.5 hours(at best, standby time is not great either, so it might be even less than that). 6 hours is more than enough, 2.5 hours is not enough. Mine on iOS 10 does what I need it to do, an updated one wouldn’t. I think that ultimately, it comes to that.

 

[FeliApple]

I’ve been thinking about this - OS upgrades in general, and the conclusion I’ve come to is disturbing.

EVERY computer and computing device I’ve updated the OS — every single one of them, since 1995 (all apple gear) which amounts to dozens of units…. eventually all were “ruined” by OS updates. ALL OF THEM.

What I mean by “ruined” is they were all eventually slowed down so much by OS upgrades that they ALL became unbearable to use.

So the only conclusion I can come to, with 27 years of experience to back me up is…… Apple OS updates essentially amount to malware.
They slowly kill all your devices.

Unfortunately (because I wish this would be better), I agree.

 

[sam_dean]

Your iPhone has not received a Security Update in more than 3 years.

If your privacy and financial data are unimportant to you then continue using it as is.

 

[FeliApple]

I can only speak for phones from the 6S onwards and state that what you’ve said is categorically untrue. The 6S/SE runs iOS 15.6.2, which his their limit, perfectly fine. I can web-browse, flick through the menu smoothly and use all other apps, etc… with only a relatively minor performance hit from earlier iOS versions.

The iPhone 8 runs iOS 16, which is likely its limit, even better than the 6S on iOS 15.

Perhaps it was different before but updates no longer render your phone unusable or wreck the user experience.

Yeah, performance on the 6s isn’t as abhorrent as on the iPhone 4s on iOS 9, but it’s not as good as iOS 9 or 10. The keyboard isn’t flawless (it lags on iOS 15, and it is flawless on iOS 10), and battery life is abhorrent. It is better than it used to be, and it doesn’t render the device unusable per se, but it severely impacts the quality of use. Can you use it? Yes! Tolerate some keyboard lag, carry a power bank with you at all times, and tolerate moderately reduced performance and you should be fine. It isn’t unusable.

 

[Andeddu]

Yeah, performance on the 6s isn’t as abhorrent as on the iPhone 4s on iOS 9, but it’s not as good as iOS 9 or 10. The keyboard isn’t flawless (it lags on iOS 15, and it is flawless on iOS 10), and battery life is abhorrent. It is better than it used to be, and it doesn’t render the device unusable per se, but it severely impacts the quality of use. Can you use it? Yes! Tolerate some keyboard lag, carry a power bank with you at all times, and tolerate moderately reduced performance and you should be fine. It isn’t unusable.

We have discussed battery before and we have agreed to disagree as I am not getting the hideously awful battery life you’ve been suggesting.

I agree there is a performance hit but, like you’ve mentioned, it’s no where near as bad as the iPhone 4/4S. I would rather a fully functioning phone rather than one that’s a paper weight. The 6S/SE is still a perfectly usable phone on iOS 15 and isn’t badly compromised by the lack of processing power.

I have an iPad Mini 1 on iOS 9 and it’s basically a door stop. It can do almost nothing. I don’t see the reasoning behind keeping your phone locked on the original iOS version it was released on. Far be it from me to tell you what to do with your belongs though… I just can’t understand the rationale.

 

[eyoungren]

Yeah, long-term it’s not the best choice, but the long-term part is really long-term... when iOS 15 is no longer useful for many things. You’d probably have to go to iOS 10 now to get to that, or iOS 9. But yes, long-term I’d much rather have an iPhone 6 on iOS 8 than one on iOS 12, for example.

For the use case you describe, it sounds fine: you use it for short periods of time, with not too strenuous requirements. Yeah, battery life is a lot worse than my 6s on iOS 10, but with that usage, you can be fine with it. And that’s the important part, in the end.

I have the 6s as a secondary phone, too, and I use it quite a bit. Battery life on iOS 15 (or any version higher than iOS 10, I think, but especially on iOS 13 onwards) wouldn’t be enough for me. It is good enough for me on iOS 10. Like I said earlier: it matches what I need. I don’t want to carry a charger with me when I use it, and I don’t want to pursue power outlets or carry power banks, because... I shouldn’t need to, I’m not even a heavy user. The 6s on iOS 10 gives me about 6 hours of screen-on time with high brightness and full LTE. An updated 6s scrapes 2.5 hours(at best, standby time is not great either, so it might be even less than that). 6 hours is more than enough, 2.5 hours is not enough. Mine on iOS 10 does what I need it to do, an updated one wouldn’t. I think that ultimately, it comes to that.

I should state that I had the battery on my 6s+ replaced in November 2021. It had taken six years to finally reach less than 80% of capacity. The new battery is at 99% over a year later so I'm not expecting any battery issues.

I like to keep my old phones functional, even when using new ones. So a battery replacement here or there isn't a big deal to me. I don't justify many of my purchases on need - mainly just want.

 

[eyoungren]

Your iPhone has not received a Security Update in more than 3 years.

If your privacy and financial data are unimportant to you then continue using it as is.

I was on iOS 9.0.2 for five years on a 6s+. Four of those five years that phone was my primary phone. And I used my banking apps on it.

Oh…and I was jailbroken the entire time.

 

[sam_dean]

I was on iOS 9.0.2 for five years on a 6s+. Four of those five years that phone was my primary phone. And I used my banking apps on it.

Oh…and I was jailbroken the entire time.

Lucky you... not all banks allow for that out of fear of bad press from a "hack".

When the news comes out that BoA customer gets hacked and lost all their money rarely do readers ask what smartphone & System version they were using with the banking app.

Security Updates do matter if your data's worth stealing.

 

[eyoungren]

Lucky you... not all banks allow for that out of fear of bad press from a "hack".

When the news comes out that BoA customer gets hacked and lost all their money rarely do readers ask what smartphone & System version they were using with the banking app.

Security Updates do matter if your data's worth stealing.

Mainly I was checking my balance. Primarily I use my phones as phones. I've got computers all around me all day that are much better tools for everything else.

I have no illusions, but I'm as careful as I can be.

Also, I determined in 1996 that BoA was a crap bank for charging the fees they did when my wife simply wanted to cash her paycheck without an account. Wells Fargo got on my bad side in 1993 and those two banks have never seen my business since. And they will never see it. They've only gotten worse over the last two decades.

 

[sam_dean]

Mainly I was checking my balance. Primarily I use my phones as phones. I've got computers all around me all day that are much better tools for everything else.

I have no illusions, but I'm as careful as I can be.

Also, I determined in 1996 that BoA was a crap bank for charging the fees they did when my wife simply wanted to cash her paycheck without an account. Wells Fargo got on my bad side in 1993 and those two banks have never seen my business since. And they will never see it. They've only gotten worse over the last two decades.

I only mention BoA as a place holder of any & all banks. ;-) Again due to bad PR they restrict their banking app to iOS versions that actively receive Security/Software Updates.

If you do your online banking on macOS with current Security Updates then great.

I know of some Android users who buy brands that are not using Android 12/13 today asking me about iOS Security Updates. I told them that it lasts around 93-107 months vs some China Android brand that only lasts 1-2 years(?).

I see the logic why Android does it and why iPhone does it. Updating software costs money. Android brands have ultra thin margins and people buying Android tend not to give a hoot about any Software Update. They even see it as slowing down the phone to induce purchase of another phone as soon as possible

Sure you can get a Google Pixel but its limited to certain countries only and I've had a bad experience with a 2015 Nexus 6P and 2017 Essential PH-1 that only taught me to go iPhone-only.

 

[eyoungren]

I only mention BoA as a place holder of any & all banks. ;-) Again due to bad PR they restrict their banking app to iOS versions that actively receive Security/Software Updates.

If you do your online banking on macOS with current Security Updates then great.

I know of some Android users who buy brands that are not using Android 12/13 today asking me about iOS Security Updates. I told them that it lasts around 93-107 months vs some China Android brand that only lasts 1-2 years(?).

I see the logic why Android does it and why iPhone does it. Updating software costs money. Android brands have ultra thin margins and people buying Android tend not to give a hoot about any Software Update. They even see it as slowing down the phone to induce purchase of another phone as soon as possible

Sure you can get a Google Pixel but its limited to certain countries only and I've had a bad experience with a 2015 Nexus 6P and 2017 Essential PH-1 that only taught me to go iPhone-only.

Well, my primary Mac is a 2009 MacPro running Mojave. But as far as transactions, I have direct deposit (I work from home) and most dealings with my bank beyond that are in-person.

Mainly I'm dealing with payments either on this Mac or my iPhone 11 Pro Max (on iOS 16.2) using PayPal and my debit card. 2FA, Google Authenticator, etc all set up based on whatever site I'm at. Some will only accept bank account numbers for payment and those companies got those details a long time ago.

I know some of my data is out there, but that's primarily because my cell carrier tends to get hacked. One time, it was info from a grocery store that got hacked and the thieves used my debit card to fill up their gas tank on the east coast. My bank gave me the money back as that's never been a place they've ever seen me use my card.

Once it was an eBay hack of my wife's password. A $500 drill bit set. Again, our bank refunded the money. What was curious about that was that the thieves sent it to our home address. The UPS driver was confused when I refused delivery.

There was a short period of time where my eBay debit card number was out there. But that was for a card I let expire over four years ago and removed from my eBay account. For whatever reason, eBay insisted on sending me emails on all the Instacart card declines (expired card) they made.

None of this has been a result of my own phone or computer being hacked either by phishing or visiting sketchy sites.

PS. I have a Pixel 3a XL. Running Android 12 now. Was using that from 2020 to 2021.

 

[sam_dean]

Well, my primary Mac is a 2009 MacPro running Mojave. But as far as transactions, I have direct deposit (I work from home) and most dealings with my bank beyond that are in-person.

Mainly I'm dealing with payments either on this Mac or my iPhone 11 Pro Max (on iOS 16.2) using PayPal and my debit card. 2FA, Google Authenticator, etc all set up based on whatever site I'm at. Some will only accept bank account numbers for payment and those companies got those details a long time ago.

I know some of my data is out there, but that's primarily because my cell carrier tends to get hacked. One time, it was info from a grocery store that got hacked and the thieves used my debit card to fill up their gas tank on the east coast. My bank gave me the money back as that's never been a place they've ever seen me use my card.

Once it was an eBay hack of my wife's password. A $500 drill bit set. Again, our bank refunded the money. What was curious about that was that the thieves sent it to our home address. The UPS driver was confused when I refused delivery.

There was a short period of time where my eBay debit card number was out there. But that was for a card I let expire over four years ago and removed from my eBay account. For whatever reason, eBay insisted on sending me emails on all the Instacart card declines (expired card) they made.

None of this has been a result of my own phone or computer being hacked either by phishing or visiting sketchy sites.

PS. I have a Pixel 3a XL. Running Android 12 now. Was using that from 2020 to 2021.

Then my reply does not apply to you then. ;-)

 

[heath_durbin]

Just commenting on this at the moment. Apple always leaves the last version of iOS signed for SPECIFIC models of iPhone. In this case it's going to be the last point update of iOS 15 for the 6s and 6s+. This has always been the case.

You can always upgrade/restore your 3GS to iOS 6.1.6. You can always upgrade/restore your iPhone 4 to iOS 7, 4s to iOS 9, iPhone 5 to iOS 10 and so on.

What they won't let you do is downgrade.

assuming accurate, you should not upraise until you need too, at that time you will only be able to upgrade to 15--

 

[Paddle1]

I personally prefer to use something else and keep the device working flawlessly forever, but I know that not everybody prefers that, and frankly, who am I to say that that’s wrong? Maybe they can’t use something else and they need the device to be able to download a certain app. I can warn about the sure-fire performance and battery life issues that will inevitably arise, but if the quandary is between: a cool phone on an original iOS version (or an early one) that can’t do anything I want it to or a device that doesn’t work so well but does everything I need, at least for a while longer... you either skirt around that need (by using something else, like I did), or ultimately updating is all you can do.

Yeah it's definitely a balance, on older phones like the 4s the updates ruined the basic usability of the device. On newer phones the updates have brought many quality-of-life features with a less dramatic performance drop. When my old phone broke over a year ago I had to go back to iOS 12 and I certainly didn't enjoy the lack of dark mode or PiP. My XS felt super smooth on iOS 14.8.1 as well but I do like having features such as Live Text so I waited half a year after iOS 15 came out then updated.

 

[FeliApple]

We have discussed battery before and we have agreed to disagree as I am not getting the hideously awful battery life you’ve been suggesting.

I agree there is a performance hit but, like you’ve mentioned, it’s no where near as bad as the iPhone 4/4S. I would rather a fully functioning phone rather than one that’s a paper weight. The 6S/SE is still a perfectly usable phone on iOS 15 and isn’t badly compromised by the lack of processing power.

I have an iPad Mini 1 on iOS 9 and it’s basically a door stop. It can do almost nothing. I don’t see the reasoning behind keeping your phone locked on the original iOS version it was released on. Far be it from me to tell you what to do with your belongs though… I just can’t understand the rationale.

Battery life is the biggest issue and I can’t see how you’re saying I’m exaggerating especially when you used/are using one, but yeah, let‘s agree to disagree here.

Agree completely on performance: it is significantly worse, but usable on newer devices. The iPad Mini 1 is an absolute paperweight on iOS 9. It is pathetically slow, and Apple should never have pushed it that far. I will never understand how in the world that passed through testing and I am irresolute in my assessment that Apple letting the A5 processor run iOS 9 while disallowing downgrading amounts to outright malware. Whether it was on purpose and the endless programmed obsolescence debate here is irrelevant: The A5 processor running iOS 9 is Apple-installed malware, whether it was on purpose or not, doesn’t matter.

I said this in a different comment: “Ultimately, and in spite of my persistent recommendations not to update, the whole point is for the device to be useful to the person who uses it, and another important factor is for the person to like the device. Your experience on iOS 9 started to break and you updated it, and that’s okay. You’ve stated that the device is more useful to you on iOS 15 than it was on iOS 9, and as long as you like it, then I’d say that you made the right call! Unless you want to keep it as a relic (which depends on whether you even care about that), keeping a device on a useless iOS version (to you) is ultimately debatable: yes, the device probably performs better on iOS 9 and 10 in every aspect... but it is useless on that version, so it works better but it can’t do anything. Yes, it will eventually encounter the same fate on iOS 15 and with far worse performance and battery life, but at least it gets some more years of full functionality. As you can see, I’m not completely blindfolded as to the benefits of updating, even if I’ll never do so myself, unless forced“. So yeah, as long as you’re okay with the drawbacks, I agree.

My rationale is exactly the same I described on my previous paragraph, in which I talked about the benefits of updating: do I care more about maintaining forever flawless performance and battery life, or do I care more about getting temporary app support and some features which, in my view, are ultimately undermined by any and all performance and battery life issues? I think my answer has been clear: I choose the advantages of staying behind over its drawbacks, whilst being fully informed: battery life and performance forever over features and app support. It is a choice which has no incorrect decisions. We are on opposite sides of that choice, but it doesn’t mean either one of us is wrong.

 

[FeliApple]

I should state that I had the battery on my 6s+ replaced in November 2021. It had taken six years to finally reach less than 80% of capacity. The new battery is at 99% over a year later so I'm not expecting any battery issues.

I like to keep my old phones functional, even when using new ones. So a battery replacement here or there isn't a big deal to me. I don't justify many of my purchases on need - mainly just want.

“I like to keep my old phones functional” and that is the key to everything: functionality is undeniably improved through updating, and you choose that over its drawbacks, especially considering that it isn’t your main device. Does it make sense? Absolutely!

 

[FeliApple]

Yeah it's definitely a balance, on older phones like the 4s the updates ruined the basic usability of the device. On newer phones the updates have brought many quality-of-life features with a less dramatic performance drop. When my old phone broke over a year ago I had to go back to iOS 12 and I certainly didn't enjoy the lack of dark mode or PiP. My XS felt super smooth on iOS 14.8.1 as well but I do like having features such as Live Text so I waited half a year after iOS 15 came out then updated.

Yeah, on newer devices the issue is battery life, not performance. A welcome addition after years of updates obliterating everything (A5 on iOS 9; A6 on iOS 10; A4 on iOS 7, to give some examples).

 

[Andeddu]

Battery life is the biggest issue and I can’t see how you’re saying I’m exaggerating especially when you used/are using one, but yeah, let‘s agree to disagree here.

Agree completely on performance: it is significantly worse, but usable on newer devices. The iPad Mini 1 is an absolute paperweight on iOS 9. It is pathetically slow, and Apple should never have pushed it that far. I will never understand how in the world that passed through testing and I am irresolute in my assessment that Apple letting the A5 processor run iOS 9 while disallowing downgrading amounts to outright malware. Whether it was on purpose and the endless programmed obsolescence debate here is irrelevant: The A5 processor running iOS 9 is Apple-installed malware, whether it was on purpose or not, doesn’t matter.

I said this in a different comment: “Ultimately, and in spite of my persistent recommendations not to update, the whole point is for the device to be useful to the person who uses it, and another important factor is for the person to like the device. Your experience on iOS 9 started to break and you updated it, and that’s okay. You’ve stated that the device is more useful to you on iOS 15 than it was on iOS 9, and as long as you like it, then I’d say that you made the right call! Unless you want to keep it as a relic (which depends on whether you even care about that), keeping a device on a useless iOS version (to you) is ultimately debatable: yes, the device probably performs better on iOS 9 and 10 in every aspect... but it is useless on that version, so it works better but it can’t do anything. Yes, it will eventually encounter the same fate on iOS 15 and with far worse performance and battery life, but at least it gets some more years of full functionality. As you can see, I’m not completely blindfolded as to the benefits of updating, even if I’ll never do so myself, unless forced“. So yeah, as long as you’re okay with the drawbacks, I agree.

My rationale is exactly the same I described on my previous paragraph, in which I talked about the benefits of updating: do I care more about maintaining forever flawless performance and battery life, or do I care more about getting temporary app support and some features which, in my view, are ultimately undermined by any and all performance and battery life issues? I think my answer has been clear: I choose the advantages of staying behind over its drawbacks, whilst being fully informed: battery life and performance forever over features and app support. It is a choice which has no incorrect decisions. We are on opposite sides of that choice, but it doesn’t mean either one of us is wrong.

I know the SoT isn’t 2.5 hours on a 6S or SE on 15.7.2 because I have both phones and used my SE as a daily driver for over 6 months! Both had their batteries replaced and provide over 5 hours of SoT. The reality doesn’t match up with your findings on your exceedingly small sample size.

In regards to iOS 9, I agree my iPad Mini runs like trash. My point is that all devices on iOS 9 are paperweights because they can’t do anything due to lack of app support. I can play music on a buggy version of Apple Music, listen to podcasts on a massively outdated version of Apple Podcasts, check e-mails and not much else… the device is a glorified paperweight that isn’t even capable of web-browsing due to Safari being so outdated.

Why would I want to keep my device on the original firmware and have a fast paperweight when I can get 4-5 more years of solid useful life out of it before ending up with a slower paperweight? Your reasoning makes no sense to normal people.

Are you a collector who keeps their devices stuck on the original release firmware? I know there is a very small sub-group of hardware/software collectors who do that. If that is the case, fine, I can somewhat understand and wrap my head around your reasoning.

 

[FeliApple]

I know the SoT isn’t 2.5 hours on a 6S or SE on 15.7.2 because I have both phones and used my SE as a daily driver for over 6 months! Both had their batteries replaced and provide over 5 hours of SoT. The reality doesn’t match up with your findings on your exceedingly small sample size.

In regards to iOS 9, I agree my iPad Mini runs like trash. My point is that all devices on iOS 9 are paperweights because they can’t do anything due to lack of app support. I can play music on a buggy version of Apple Music, listen to podcasts on a massively outdated version of Apple Podcasts, check e-mails and not much else… the device is a glorified paperweight that isn’t even capable of web-browsing due to Safari being so outdated.

Why would I want to keep my device on the original firmware and have a fast paperweight when I can get 4-5 more years of solid useful life out of it before ending up with a slower paperweight? Your reasoning makes no sense to normal people.

Are you a collector who keeps their devices stuck on the original release firmware? I know there is a very small sub-group of hardware/software collectors who do that. If that is the case, fine, I can somewhat understand and wrap my head around your reasoning.

I‘d love to give your 6s or SE a shot. I‘m still skeptical because that number is so far removed from my experience that it sounds impossible, but yeah, we’re running around in circles at this point. I think 5 hours is impossible even with extremely light use, nevermind anything moderate like outdoors LTE. 6s users widely report far lower numbers on iOS 15. Maybe, just maybe, that number might be possible on iOS 12 at the latest, and with extremely light use. (9 and 10 are a lot better than that. I’ve used both for a combined 6 years without replacing a single battery and they‘re amazing. My 6.5-year-old 6s on iOS 10 with an original battery is flawless). Like I said, we‘re running in circles.

Oh, that I agree with. App support is the most pervasive issue of staying behind, 100%. Like I’ve stated repeatedly before, I am nobody to say that updating for app support is wrong. “The device is a glorified paperweight” is probably not an exaggeration: no iPhone since the App Store debuted was designed to merely run native apps (and like you said, Safari crumbles heavily even on my 6s on iOS 10. Half the websites don’t run).

I actually think you aren’t wrong here either! Yeah, the device will lose its complete usefulness much faster by not updating. As to why I do it: it fulfills my requirements and it runs flawlessly in terms of performance and battery life throughout its entire lifetime. I don’t use a million apps. I don’t have the most stringent support requirements. My use case… hasn‘t changed.

I had an iPhone 6s and a 9.7-inch iPad Pro on iOS 9, and I used them for exactly the same things I now use my iPhone Xʀ and iPad Air 5 on iOS 12 and iPadOS 15, respectively. So, if I don’t need the support… why diminish performance and battery life? I don’t need to do that.

Why should I update my 6s on iOS 10 when it obliterates a 6s on iOS 15 in terms of performance and battery life and does everything I need it to? It’s all drawbacks for no gain. Makes no sense. Were I to need to run many current apps, I would probably be forced to, but… it’s not my main phone and I basically just use it for messages, music, and native apps. Like you said earlier (and I agreed), should my use case evolve and expand into running apps and web browsing, I’d probably have to update. Web browsing? Yeah, I have issues. Yes, many websites that I would like to visit have components that don’t run, if they run at all. Annoying? Nope, look, here’s my iPad on iPadOS 15, I’ll use that instead. I have the devices to skirt around any and all compatibility loss. I’m better off maintaining perfect performance and battery life.

You are right that I probably wouldn’t be able to use it as my only device, but, as a second phone, surrounded by other devices? Why update? What would I gain?