10.3.x deliberate slow down

[JohnnyW2K1]

I don't know why this doesn't get covered more. Apple inserts a deliberate slow down into every update, but I never see them taken to task for it (maybe I miss it?).

I'm a programmer and I recognize what they're doing (inserting pauses into the UI transitions). By doing this they make the phone feel a tiny bit slower without affecting any benchmarks that reviewers run (benchmarks don't interact with the UI). It's pretty clever in its simplicity, but also very obvious once you notice it, and it annoys me when it happens. This last one (10.3.x) is especially blatant on my SE because they didn't patch it through for screen taps like they usually do (presumably an oversight).

PROOF:

1. Just open a Folder and then press the Home button. Notice the tiny delay that's been inserted between you pressing Home button and the Folder closing animation beginning. That wasn't there before.

2. To see what it was like before the 10.3.x patch, just open the same Folder and tap anywhere on the homescreen instead of pressing Home. You'll see there's no delay at all.

Tested on: iPhone SE, 2 x iPhone 6. Both 10.3 and 10.3.1.

Confirmed by readers below on 6S.

The delay when you press the Home button isn't a limitation of the hardware, it's purely artificial, programmed into the software. I've noticed it many times over the years. Why don't reviewers talk about this?

 

[chrfr]

Apple inserts a deliberate slow down into every update, but I never see them taken to task for it...

They're not taken to task for it because this supposition is utter nonsense.

 

[keysofanxiety]

Apple inserts a deliberate slow down into every update

The delay when you press the Home button isn't a limitation of the hardware, it's purely artificial, programmed into the software. I've noticed it many times over the years.

Oh brother.

I don't know why this doesn't get covered more.

Because you're citing anecdotal evidence.

 

[bransoj]

I don't know why this doesn't get covered more. Apple inserts a deliberate slow down into every update, but I never see them taken to task for it (maybe I miss it?).

I'm a programmer and I recognize what they're doing (inserting pauses into the UI transitions). By doing this they make the phone feel a tiny bit slower without affecting any benchmarks that reviewers run (benchmarks don't interact with the UI). It's pretty clever in its simplicity, but also very obvious once you notice it, and it annoys me when it happens. This last one (10.3.1) is especially blatant on my SE because they didn't patch it through for screen taps like they usually do (presumably an oversight).

If you have an SE (I don't know about other models) you can probably see it for yourself:

1. Just open a Folder and then press the Home button. Notice the tiny delay that's been inserted between you pressing Home button and the Folder closing animation beginning. That wasn't there before.

2. To see what it was like before the 10.3.x patch, just open the same Folder and tap anywhere on the homescreen instead of pressing Home. You'll see there's no delay at all.

The delay when you press the Home button isn't a limitation of the hardware, it's purely artificial, programmed into the software. I've noticed it many times over the years. Why don't reviewers talk about this?

And you have the facts and evidence to prove this? If this was happening it would be all over the news. I'm on my 3rd iPhone now and always update to the latest version. My iPhone 5 was running 9 without issues, other half is running iOS10 on a 5S without issues. So many other reasons an iPhone or iPad has issues after updates before you get anywhere near Apple potentially deliberately slowing down devices.

 

[JohnnyW2K1]

I've tested this on three 10.3.x devices so far, all exhibit the same behaviour. It's absolutely true. Please just see for yourselves.

As an aside: I have studied this extensively in the past when that hack was discovered that allowed you to "turn off" the animations - ie. break them. I compared a 5S and a 4S and saw that they were near identical in loading applications that were already in memory when the animations were "turned off", but the 4S had a pause inserted on the animation when they were re-enabled.

I then saw it with updates to my 5S (before I upgraded to my SE) and I've been watching out for it with each iOS 10 update. 10.3 was when it was introduced for this generation -- and luckily they missed the screen tap, so anyone can see it for themselves.

 

[912181]

He does have a point: on my 6, opening a folder then tapping the home button versus opening a folder and tapping on screen shows a noticeable difference. Now that he's shown me this, it is pretty annoying.

 

[JohnnyW2K1]

He does have a point: on my 6, opening a folder then tapping the home button versus opening a folder and tapping on screen shows a noticeable difference. Now that he's shown me this, it is pretty annoying.

Thank you for taking the time to check. This is what Apple have always done, and there will be another update before the iPhone 7S which increases the delay even more. I've been watching it happen for years.

Finally with 10.3 everyone can see it for themselves.

 

[miragebg]

Is this delay on 10.2 also? Is it more than 10.1.1?

 

[NT1440]

I don't know why this doesn't get covered more. Apple inserts a deliberate slow down into every update, but I never see them taken to task for it (maybe I miss it?).

I'm a programmer and I recognize what they're doing (inserting pauses into the UI transitions). By doing this they make the phone feel a tiny bit slower without affecting any benchmarks that reviewers run (benchmarks don't interact with the UI). It's pretty clever in its simplicity, but also very obvious once you notice it, and it annoys me when it happens. This last one (10.3.x) is especially blatant on my SE because they didn't patch it through for screen taps like they usually do (presumably an oversight).

PROOF:

1. Just open a Folder and then press the Home button. Notice the tiny delay that's been inserted between you pressing Home button and the Folder closing animation beginning. That wasn't there before.

2. To see what it was like before the 10.3.x patch, just open the same Folder and tap anywhere on the homescreen instead of pressing Home. You'll see there's no delay at all.

Tested on: SE, 2x6s. Both 10.3 and 10.3.1.

The delay when you press the Home button isn't a limitation of the hardware, it's purely artificial, programmed into the software. I've noticed it many times over the years. Why don't reviewers talk about this?

.....One of the FIRST things people noticed on 10.3 was the animation times were reduced from 10.2

 

[chrfr]

I've tested this on three 10.3.x devices so far, all exhibit the same behaviour. It's absolutely true. Please just see for yourselves.

Even if there is a delay, it's not something that Apple adds intentionally to make a device seem slow.

 

[DaveOP]

PROOF:

1. Just open a Folder and then press the Home button. Notice the tiny delay that's been inserted between you pressing Home button and the Folder closing animation beginning. That wasn't there before.

This must be fixed on the beta, because my 7+ is lightning fast for both. As a "software engineer", you should know that these bugs creep up. Luckily, Apple fixed them in their next release.

 

[JohnnyW2K1]

This isn't a bug, it's something I've seen before. This is the first time they forgot to enable it for screen taps.

Also, I'm sorry if I wasn't clear, but the current generation is never affected when they introduce the first delay. I don't know if this extends to the 6S, but it's definitely there for the SE and the 6.

 

[diamond.g]

This isn't a bug, it's something I've seen before. This is the first time they forgot to enable it for screen taps.

Also, I'm sorry if I wasn't clear, but the current generation is never affected when they introduce the first delay. I don't know if this extends to the 6S, but it's definitely there for the SE and the 6.

There is a delay on my 6S (home button vs screen tap).

 

[JohnnyW2K1]

Thanks for confirming!

Even if there is a delay, it's not something that Apple adds intentionally to make a device seem slow.

This is a supposition.

 

[Mlrollin91]

This isn't a bug, it's something I've seen before. This is the first time they forgot to enable it for screen taps.

Also, I'm sorry if I wasn't clear, but the current generation is never affected when they introduce the first delay. I don't know if this extends to the 6S, but it's definitely there for the SE and the 6.

You are fully aware this is intentional and not in the way you are thinking. When you click the screen to exit a folder, you are telling iOS to return to the previous page. When you click the button, iOS is then waiting to see if you are going to click it again to launch the multitasking tray. I have the delay on my Air 2, but its not even a split second. Its so little that you are trying to jump to conclusions about something that is so inaccurate. This has always been the case with my Air 2, going back to iOS 8 in which it shipped with.

There is no such thing as planned obsolescence in the Apple ecosystem. Its all conspiracy.

 

[JohnnyW2K1]

This the most compelling counter argument I've heard. Thanks for sharing it, Mirollin91! The problem is that the Home button is ALWAYS susceptible to a double tap, no matter where you are. This isn't that delay. Also users of iPhone 7s say there isn't a delay for them. So...

 

[Mlrollin91]

This the most compelling counter argument I've heard. Thanks for sharing it, Mirollin91! The problem is that the Home button is ALWAYS susceptible to a double tap, no matter where you are. This isn't that delay.

I believe iOS recognizes you are more likely to exit out of an application and back to the home page than using the home button to exit out of a folder. I have never once used the home button to exit a folder. If I am in a folder and use the home button, its only for the multitasking tray because I am getting to an app I had just used before going into the folder. I always tap the screen to exit a folder.

So I believe iOS uses what it feels as "natural" to determine button speed/lag.

 

[Mascots]

That's funny, because there was a lag in the same action on iOS <10.3 and when zooming in/out of apps on iPhone 7 screens that was fixed. Perhaps, when they fixed that they introduced this bug.

Your programmer title means absolutely nothing and rings nothings more of /iamverysmart - if you really were someone who was knowledgable of the process, you would take in the potential edge cases that come with any sort of transition.
For all you know, the way it's been tweaked causes the animation buffer to flush, meaning that iOS has to redraw the entire animation during the animation which introduces that minor lag - or what you say doesn't explain why the two actions would use different transitions at all.

Chill newb - there's no doubt that newer iOS versions push older hardware to the limits, but it's not deliberate slow down and there's no proof of that here.

 

[Chazzle]

He probably has the Accessibility Shortcut turned on. (Triple click home button). But wait, a "programmer" would know better.

 

[Mr.Blacky]

You`re not the "herpes-guy" by chance?
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/lawsuit-attempts-to-link-apple-to-italian-mafia.748111/

 

[JohnnyW2K1]

If you have a decent, intelligent, response like Mlrollin91, I will respond. But you make yourselves sound like cult members when you can't accept the fact that a multinational company wants to make money.

 

[Chazzle]

If you have a decent, intelligent, response like Mlrollin91, I will respond. But you make yourselves sound like cult members when you can't accept the fact that a multinational company wants to make money.

Has nothing to do with it. I actually believe that Apple builds planned absolecense into their products, as does any company that has new models that come out each year. However, your "proof" is laughable. I still think you have the accessibility shortcut turned on and that's the delay you are experiencing.

 

[JohnnyW2K1]

And the other people in this thread who have confirmed the same experience have it turned on, too?

 

[Chazzle]

And the other people in this thread who have confirmed the same experience have it turned on, too?

That's correct. That delay is quite noticeable. As for the very subtle delay when pressing the home button, I refer you back to Mlrollin91's post.

 

[imagineadam]

Weird. I'm not seeing any extra delay on my 5C with the folders on 10.3.1. I do see the like maybe half second delay where it is waiting to see if you are going to double tap. But otherwise it's normal.

On my iPhone 7 it instantly closes from the folder because of how the button is and how it doesn't wait for the second click like the old physical buttons.