Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Please compare it to

iOS 6 on the 4S. I only upgrade operating systems once on iPhones. I just find performance goes down too far.

I would to see these functions compared for 6 vs 7 vs 8.
 
I'm afraid to upgrade on my 5s. I don't know why anyone would upgrade to 8. Anything on a 4s

I'm sticking with 7.1.2 on my 4s and iPad 3rd gen. Upgraded my Air, but not even going to make the attempt with the older hardware.
 
Planned obsolescence at its finest. Nice job Apple. I think they made the 4 and 4s run horrible on 7 and 8 (respectively) just to come out with a .1 release to make it seem like they tried everything to "speed" it up. These phones can run way better than they are.

Sounds like a major news source needs to call them out on it for anything to change
 
It's the same story like last year iOS 7 on iPhone 4. And don't forget iOS 4 on iPhone 3G. Apple has to somehow force you to buy the newer device by not allowing you to downgrade. Due to this, I will not upgrade my iPhone 5 to iOS 9 next year.
 
My iPad 2 is still on 7.0.6 and I believe it will be a long while before I touch any upgrade for it.
 
OT
Bold, non sense.

This used to be true (concerning OS X) but not anymore.
You can't install for instance 10.5.x or 10.6.x on the newest Macs, the kexts/kernel won't let those boot those versions.

Of course you can't install anything incompatible, but the limitations aren't artificial. You can forcibly install a version of OS X not designed to run on a certain Mac, and it may boot but will run into driver problems. The point is that the firmware isn't artificially preventing you from installing anything. An iPhone 5 obviously can run iOS 7 since it came with it, but you suddenly can't install it once you install iOS 8.
 
Last edited:
Has anyone updated their iPad Mini (first gen) to this yet? Ours is still on iOS 7. It's our kids iPad so I don't use it other than updates, backing up, etc.....but I'm curious how well it's running.

Works fine for me. I'm actually on the 8.2 beta though.

A Google Play update ruined my last Android phone to the point I couldn't unlock the screen.

I just got done doing a few levels of Leo's Fortune. They aren't going to notice anything.

Sometimes my MacBook Pro takes longer to do simpler stuff.
 
I think Apple should allow people to downgrade to an older version if they are not happy with the performance....

I would "downgrade" my 4s in a heartbeat. I think Apple should only allow two iOS upgrades instead of the usual three in order to keep performance reasonable on any particular iOS device. It makes you wonder if they do it to push people to upgrade. I did upgrade to a 5s earlier this year, but I kept my 4s to use as a iPod touch at home, reducing the number of times I have to charge my 5s. It looks like next year I'll have to get a iPhone 6s or 6s+ and maybe a iPad mini 4 for home. Maybe I should just get a iPhone 6s+?
 
Planned obsolescence at its finest. Nice job Apple. I think they made the 4 and 4s run horrible on 7 and 8 (respectively) just to come out with a .1 release to make it seem like they tried everything to "speed" it up. These phones can run way better than they are.

It's how I feel about OS X updates, which I'm forced to install just to make the latest Xcode work. Now that I have Mavericks, all system tasks suddenly need a little more CPU time. It's minor and not nearly enough to push me to buy a new Mac (or should I say build a new Hackintosh), but still, I hate seeing my performance being slowly eaten away each time I update, especially when there are hardly any new features to justify it.
 

I sound like a troll because you don't like what I have to say? Dumb. First off, I hate Android. Second a friend just showed me the new Note Edge and looking at the specs, it seems that Apple is skimping. Of course Apple can do more with less. iOS is 1000x better than Android. Not my point. Looking at specs, Samsung packed some pretty good tech in there. The screen? It's like 550PPI. I was watching a 4k movie on it, just amazing.

I still hate Android (and Samsung).

So yeah, not a troll.
 
Apple QA needs a perf. regression criteria, like many other software products. If current release is not as fast as previous, a P1 bug should be filed, blocking the release until fixed. It's usually not that hard to find out which checkin that caused the degradation.
 
It's the same story like last year iOS 7 on iPhone 4. And don't forget iOS 4 on iPhone 3G. Apple has to somehow force you to buy the newer device by not allowing you to downgrade. Due to this, I will not upgrade my iPhone 5 to iOS 9 next year.

Yes, the general rule is to only update two iOS versions from the original that came with the iDevice. Anything above and the device gets terribly slow and to some point unusable. Happened to me on the iPhone 3G then later on the 4. Now I have learned my lesson.
 
Finally, numbers that show what I've always said: There was a time when it was always a good idea to upgrade to the current Apple OS version, no matter the hardware you had, because the OS was 100% functionality. But such times ended at Snow Leopard in the Mac, and with 4.3 on iOS. After such releases, you really needed to upgrade your hardware if you didn't want to lose performance when updating the OS.

My iPhone5 is still at iOS 6, and for good reason.
 
Yes, the general rule is to only update two iOS versions from the original that came with the iDevice. Anything above and the device gets terribly slow and to some point unusable. Happened to me on the iPhone 3G then later on the 4. Now I have learned my lesson.

The 3GS is perfectly fine on 6.1.6 so that screws with you little rule.
Many people are running 8.1.1 on Ipad 2 and 4S without complaint (and even loving the new functionality in 8) so unusable is a wild exaggeration. Many people are ready to trade speed for a bit of features.
 
I sound like a troll because you don't like what I have to say? Dumb. First off, I hate Android. Second a friend just showed me the new Note Edge and looking at the specs, it seems that Apple is skimping. Of course Apple can do more with less. iOS is 1000x better than Android. Not my point. Looking at specs, Samsung packed some pretty good tech in there. The screen? It's like 550PPI. I was watching a 4k movie on it, just amazing.

I still hate Android (and Samsung).

So yeah, not a troll.

Oh, right 550ppi.. This is a god damn pentile screen. So, 550ppi equals about 380-400ppi for a lcd in quality first. That'S the same density as the 6+!!

Second, it is as underperpowered GPU for the size of its screen, so hey! Battery life is very blah btw. In actual benchmark and even use it doesn't beat the 6+.

Its not really a phone, if you see people actually holding it, they crossed way into ridiculous territory there. That's what every review is saying.

It has a very different and original look. For that alone they should be commended (they didn't copy Apple for once). But, how useful is that look?

If you want to be seen with something unique and rarely do voice call, It's an OK buy, otherwise its just another device in the whole slew of device Samsung releases in a year.

Its not cheap compared to Apple and not a fantastic device as you claim (just unique in look). So, why is this good in your mind? I Don't see it. If you thrive on novelty, it is an OK buy, otherwise your not getting much more usefulness out of it.


BTW, even on a 6 foot high quality high screen made for watching video material with the best least compressed sources (something your not getting on your phone), people barely see the difference in watching a 4K movie... So, why on earth would you want to watch one on a phablet! That says all about how you judge things!! The difference between 1080P and 4K is already very hard to see in a static images on a tablet, for moving images... forget about it.
 
iPad Mini and iPhone 5 w/8.1.1, gone are the zooming and other screen jitters.

I'm afraid to upgrade on my 5s. I don't know why anyone would upgrade to 8. Anything on a 4s
works great on my iPhone 5 ...not s. ...No need to be paranoid with iOS 8 on 5s at all.
Just stop selling A5 devices already! Kill the first gen mini, and either update the iPod line or kill it altogether, but selling A5 systems going into 2015 is just evil.
Apple sold 30-pin devices until October 2014, don't move too fast, A5 is not obsolete yet.

• Apple said the performance improvements were for iPad 2 & iPhone 4s, not "all A5 devices" for a reason.

I'm so tired of people grouping the iPad Mini with the iPad 2 saying it's the same. It is not. I took advantage of Target's $200 iPad (1) trade-in last year and it took some research, I had to look at technical details besides the "same as iPad 2" stuff...starting with what iOS devices could do which iOS 7 features, and that's where I began to see the differences...and decided to get the iPad Mini, it was a significant upgrade from iPad (1):

- iPad 2 (iOS 4.3) & iPhone 4s came out in 2011 (iOS 5).

- iPad Mini came out with the iPad 4th gen and iPhone 5 in fall 2012 (ship w/iOS 6).

Despite the A5 chip, it is the single thing that is the same, this, and the non-retina screen resolution, but, the screen is smaller and more efficient. But, the processor is not the only way to measure performance.

Take out the Awhatever chip, add the fact iPad Mini only drives non-retina screen, this was a totally new design from Apple...the surrounding electronics are the same as iPad 4th gen & iPhone 5...BT4.0LE, WiFi Direct, dual channel WiFi (2.4/5.0GHz), better cameras (same as iPad 4th gen.), cell versions have LTE capability, etc., ...because of the surrounding electronics it can handle AirDrop, handoff, continuity, it does things other "A5" devices can't. ...And, it's still the lightest iPad you can get.

So, iOS 8 has not been a drag for the iPad Mini, not like the 1 1/2 year older iPad 2 & 1 year older iPhone 4s. Sure, it's not the fastest iOS device, but, it's also not retina, so it doesn't need to be.

Sorry, but, not all A5 devices are the same. CPU is not the only factor in performance, not in real world use.

• I see no problem with Apple continuing to offer the iPad Mini as an entry-level iOS tablet.
 
Not really - the 3GS feels like a slowpoke on 6.1.6 to me.

The only one that made if feel like a slow poke was 4... (which was terrible for anyone but new device owners and it was released for the Iphone 4), I'm using 3GS right now so it is not like I'm talking hypothetically here...

What you say there is what I was saying. What many call unusable.... Is in fact very usable to many. A lot of people are incredible drama queens.
 
I really wish Scott Forstall comes back. When I held the iPhone before it always felt like magicial device and superior device. Now it feels like a junk product once we start using the software. Apple will be doomed. Windows phone will take over if this continues. A 200$ lumia 520 is faster than my iPhone 5S in browser and overall os speed. I hate Tim Cook.

I have a 520 and an iPhone, that's BS.
 
Finally, numbers that show what I've always said: There was a time when it was always a good idea to upgrade to the current Apple OS version, no matter the hardware you had, because the OS was 100% functionality. But such times ended at Snow Leopard in the Mac, and with 4.3 on iOS. After such releases, you really needed to upgrade your hardware if you didn't want to lose performance when updating the OS.

My iPhone5 is still at iOS 6, and for good reason.
You missed out last year...I got my iPhone 5 first day out, last year I put iOS 7 on it and it was like a new iPhone! Among the usual improvements, like AirDrop, iOS 7 added HDR photos to iPhone 5 (not exactly like 5s, but, HDR nonetheless), iOS 8 adds time lapse photos amongst other improvements.

Yes, it's true Apple designs their OS's in conjunction with new hardware, but, there are some little upgrades for previous models also. I think iPhone 5s takes advantage of everything iPhone 6 does except Apple Pay (no NFC chip).

It seems like the 3rd generation after your hardware was made is where you might see degradation in performance, but, I have iOS 8 on iPad mini, and it's fine. I also run Yosemite on my Mac that came w/Snow Leopard, doesn't do everything (BT2...no AirDrop :( ), but, definitely better, but, last year, I also added an SSD and made my own DIY Fusion drive, made it faster.

The difference between iPhone 4s & iPhone 5 was not "double" like 4 to 4s was, it is more like 3X as fast as 4s, so, no worries for iOS 8. iOS 9 might be another story?
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.