How to "fix" iPhone 6 Plus lag

[strausd]

There have been a couple threads about lag on the iPhone 6 Plus and about whether or not lag exists. Let me set the record straight, yes, lag exists.

This simply due to the resolution the GPU is rendering at. On the 6 Plus, the quad-core GPU in the A8 is rendering everything at 2208 X 1242 and on the 6 it is rendering everything at 1334 X 750. Obviously more pixels = more power required.

Also, the 6 Plus is scaling all the content from 2208 X 1242 to 1920 X 1080. However, this sort of scaling is extremely light on the GPU and does not have a major affect on performance despite what many people on here say.

So back to lag. It exists. But there is a "fix" for it. When you go into Settings > Display & Brightness > View, you select between either "Standard" or "Zoomed". Standard is rendering everything and scaling all the content from 2208 X 1242 to 1920 X 1080. Zoomed is rendering at 1334 X 750 and scaling to 1920 X 1080. And again, this scaling is super light on the GPU and nothing to be concerned about.

So with "Zoomed", you get iPhone 6 performance on the iPhone 6 Plus. However, there are a few downsides. PPI equivalent will be less than 326, not sure the exact number, but if the iPhone 6 is 326 and the 6 Plus takes that and scales it up to fit the display, the PPI equivalent must be less than 326. Also, you lose special landscape apps, landscape keyboard, and rotation of the homescreen. You are basically taking the entire iOS UI of the iPhone 6 and scaling it to the 6 Plus. So you lose some features, but you gain performance. That is why "fix" is in quotes, because it is not a real fix.

There is definitely a trade-off between the two. Added landscape features and resolution vs. better performance system wide. Just know, there is a way around lag if you really want it.

 

[gCloud]

Plus Still lags in zoomed for me, also call sound volume very low anyone notice that?
And the fear an horror of forgeting to take it out of pocket before sitting has taken its toll 16 days in.

 

[deviant]

I'm not an expert or anything, but from what i've been reading it seems pretty strange to me that a phone can play all the games which are VERY heavy on gpu and then lag in some stupid OS animation or scrolling. It seems a lot more like a software thing than a hardware one.

 

[strausd]

Plus Still lags in zoomed for me, also call sound volume very low anyone notice that?

What area is it lagging for you? I have noticed a huge difference so far.

I'm not an expert or anything, but from what i've been reading it seems pretty strange to me that a phone can play all the games which are VERY heavy on gpu and then lag in some stupid OS animation or scrolling. It seems a lot more like a software thing than a hardware one.

Most of the time is isn't some "stupid OS animation". The one where I see lag the most is on the home screen. Swipe down to invoke spotlight search. With the keyboard up, rotate the phone. That is where I see lag. Is it a "stupid OS animation"? Not from a GPU perspective. The phone is having to rearrange every app on your home screen, the folders, the apps in the folders, along with all the text and the background. Then it blurs it all into oblivion. Then on top of that, you have the resizing of the status bar and whats in it and the spotlight search field. Then you also have the resizing of every key on the keyboard in addition to populating new keys onto the keyboard. All of that might look like some "stupid OS animation", but there is a lot going on to calculate. A high res photo can even take a while just to do a box blur inside of Photoshop on a MBP. Granted, iOS might be using a guassian blur or something less intensive, but it is still having to blur every frame as it adjusts every element of the home screen in (close to) real time. There is a lot going on that is resource intensive.

On a 3D game like Blitz Brigade for example (just the first to pop into my head), all models, textures, rigs, and animation files are loaded into a scene at the beginning. On top of that, it is all being rendered in a game engine (a game engine renders far differently).

To me, spots where the lag happens make total sense. I wish it didn't lag, but the circumstances are understandable to me. The lag can be reduced by changing the view from standard to zoomed.

 

[itjw]

It lags. Is it a big deal? Well, considering the 6 doesn't, I think it is, but if it "doesn't bother you" then no worries.

At least folks are finally coming to grips with the facts that it's a hardware fault, and that it definitely exits.

It is what it is, but Apple should have waited instead of cheaping out on the 1080 screen. They're selling just fine because people are willing to put up with it, but when even the 5S runs smoother it says a lot about what people will accept. Good for Apple maximizing their profits on the compromise though.

 

[vi2867]

Hey, I don't have my phone yet, but I was playing with a display model at the Verizon Store. I opened wallpaper in settings and scrolled through the wallpapers and I noticed a lag in scrolling. This was 6 plus that I was using.

Is this the lag you are talking about?

 

[gCloud]

What area is it lagging for you? I have noticed a huge difference so far.



Most of the time is isn't some "stupid OS animation". The one where I see lag the most is on the home screen. Swipe down to invoke spotlight search. With the keyboard up, rotate the phone. That is where I see lag. Is it a "stupid OS animation"? Not from a GPU perspective. The phone is having to rearrange every app on your home screen, the folders, the apps in the folders, along with all the text and the background. Then it blurs it all into oblivion. Then on top of that, you have the resizing of the status bar and whats in it and the spotlight search field. Then you also have the resizing of every key on the keyboard in addition to populating new keys onto the keyboard. All of that might look like some "stupid OS animation", but there is a lot going on to calculate. A high res photo can even take a while just to do a box blur inside of Photoshop on a MBP. Granted, iOS might be using a guassian blur or something less intensive, but it is still having to blur every frame as it adjusts every element of the home screen in (close to) real time. There is a lot going on that is resource intensive.

On a 3D game like Blitz Brigade for example (just the first to pop into my head), all models, textures, rigs, and animation files are loaded into a scene at the beginning. On top of that, it is all being rendered in a game engine (a game engine renders far differently).

To me, spots where the lag happens make total sense. I wish it didn't lag, but the circumstances are understandable to me. The lag can be reduced by changing the view from standard to zoomed.

Zoomed or standard i notice lag in animations when switching between apps, touch id, bringing up task manages (or whatever the double click home button is called), scroling, sometimes even a lag in answering calls, feels androidish.

As for the spotlight orientation change lag, it goes away if u set increse contrast.

 

[strausd]

It lags. Is it a big deal? Well, considering the 6 doesn't, I think it is, but if it "doesn't bother you" then no worries.

At least folks are finally coming to grips with the facts that it's a hardware fault, and that it definitely exits.

It is what it is, but Apple should have waited instead of cheaping out on the 1080 screen. They're selling just fine because people are willing to put up with it, but when even the 5S runs smoother it says a lot about what people will accept. Good for Apple maximizing their profits on the compromise though.

No, I don't think the lag is a big deal. Especially since lag areas are so rare, at least in my experience.

Everyone in my family got an iPhone 6, I got a 6 Plus. I can play with both of them side by side. I only notice a difference in performance when changing orientation with the keyboard up. Do I need it to be perfectly smooth during a point where I am not doing anything? No. Would it be nice if it was? Sure.

You say at least folks are coming to grips with it. Sounds like you are clumping me in with a different group of people. Not sure why, but whatever.

Apple cheaped out by introducing a higher res screen?
1. If you are referring to them not coming out with its native resolution, there could have been numerous problems such as supply, manufacturing, backlight, and the fact that it is such an odd resolution. Not to mention more pixels require a (slightly) more intense backlight, using more power.
2. Downscaling has almost no affect on performance.
3. The pixel density is still an increase from the standard 326

So before you are able to say definitively Apple "cheaped out", you have to prove that none of those problems listed were a factor. Until then, you are guessing. What we can know for certain is that pixel density has increased, screen real estate has increased, and that overall performance is the same. Lag is only in specific areas and can be maintained using what I mentioned earlier.

Judging the two directly in front of me between turning the phone on, opening apps, going to the homescreen, scrolling in Safari, etc., all feels the exact same performance wise.

As for the spotlight orientation change lag, it goes away if u set increse contrast.

Thats because it eliminates the blur, telling me that the blur factor and everything going on behind it is causing the stutters.

And in all other instances you brought up, my experience and testing shows the same performance between the two.

 

[Paddle1]

I'm not an expert or anything, but from what i've been reading it seems pretty strange to me that a phone can play all the games which are VERY heavy on gpu and then lag in some stupid OS animation or scrolling. It seems a lot more like a software thing than a hardware one.

The phone doesn't use it's full strenth outside of certain apps to save battery. On my 4s notification center lags on the lockscreen, but if I open it while in a game it's much smoother like on a newer iPhone.

 

[deviant]

The phone doesn't use it's full strenth outside of certain apps to save battery. On my 4s notification center lags on the lockscreen, but if I open it while in a game it's much smoother like on a newer iPhone.

Maybe that. I received my plus 2 days ago and i can tell that rarely there's a little lag when i close an app or something like that (seems to happen to apps that are zoomed [not updated yet]) but if people freak out over THAT... they have bigger problems in life lol. Couldn't care less, to me it's pretty flawless.

 

[BlueGoldAce]

No, I don't think the lag is a big deal. Especially since lag areas are so rare, at least in my experience.

Everyone in my family got an iPhone 6, I got a 6 Plus. I can play with both of them side by side. I only notice a difference in performance when changing orientation with the keyboard up. Do I need it to be perfectly smooth during a point where I am not doing anything? No. Would it be nice if it was? Sure.

You say at least folks are coming to grips with it. Sounds like you are clumping me in with a different group of people. Not sure why, but whatever.

Apple cheaped out by introducing a higher res screen?
1. If you are referring to them not coming out with its native resolution, there could have been numerous problems such as supply, manufacturing, backlight, and the fact that it is such an odd resolution. Not to mention more pixels require a (slightly) more intense backlight, using more power.
2. Downscaling has almost no affect on performance.
3. The pixel density is still an increase from the standard 326

So before you are able to say definitively Apple "cheaped out", you have to prove that none of those problems listed were a factor. Until then, you are guessing. What we can know for certain is that pixel density has increased, screen real estate has increased, and that overall performance is the same. Lag is only in specific areas and can be maintained using what I mentioned earlier.

Judging the two directly in front of me between turning the phone on, opening apps, going to the homescreen, scrolling in Safari, etc., all feels the exact same performance wise.



Thats because it eliminates the blur, telling me that the blur factor and everything going on behind it is causing the stutters.

And in all other instances you brought up, my experience and testing shows the same performance between the two.

Don't worry about him... He has it out for the six plus, it seems, for some reason.

You may be right, but there are many reports that 8.1 fixes the lag.

Here is hopping. If not... The screen and ois is worth the small and infrequent lag.