iPhone 13 Pro Max How to make my iPhone 13 Pro Max last four years or more

[FeliApple]

I’m still very meticulous in the care of my devices, gadgets, etc though gotten better at accepting they are tools and as such will have some wear and tear.

My current, relevant examples of longevity:

I’m still using an iPhone X (circa Nov. 2017). The battery is at ~76% health (fell below 80% only after 1000 cycles, double the expected). Nonetheless, it lasts all day without concern — my screen on time averages one to three hours. I also still regularly use a sixth generation iPad (purchased Jan. 2018).

I am waiting to see what the eleventh generation iPad features and if Apple returns to more of a “budget” price, however, will probably be enticed by the iPhone 15.

Five to ten years is almost always my upgrade cycle (tech or otherwise). And I will tell you, when you wait the long/pass on several product generations, the replacement truly feels like a upgrade.

iOS devices’ longevity is astonishing, especially 64-bit devices onwards. As I mentioned in the comment you quoted, increased battery capacity can only extend longevity going forward, even if runtime suffers as a result of iOS updates.

I have no complaints about my iPad 2 runtime (i.e., battery capacity). FYI, in December 2020 it was at 1285 cycles — I haven’t checked it since.

The performance on the other hand… It’s laggy, games crash frequently enough, and Web surfing is practically impossible, almost every page crashes and reloads constantly. However, indeed, it is on the last supported OS, iOS 9.3.5.

The result of larger batteries is very positive. The iPad 2 has a massive battery, but even smaller batteries fare well on iPads with a similar amount of iOS updates on them. My 9.7-inch iPad Pro, like I mentioned earlier, was forced from iOS 9 into iOS 12, which brought about a decrease from 13-14 hours to 10-11 hours. Nonetheless, battery life has remained surprisingly stable: the iPad was forced back in September 2019. Runtime today is the same as it was back then, on the same iOS version (it still runs iOS 12 today). Like with your iPad 2, I have no reason to believe it will be materially affected by further degradation: sheer battery size precludes that.

Performance is infinitely better too: while, like you said, 32-bit devices were obliterated, 64-bit devices are a lot better, even updated. I have mentioned that the iPhone 6s on iOS 13 is a lot worse than one on iOS 10, but let me be clear: it’s a far cry from the 32-bit days, and it is certainly usable.

Combine that, and the 13 Pro Max is definitely a candidate for great longevity: the A15 is even better prepared to withstand increased iOS power requirements, and sheer battery size should preclude it from being affected to the point of uselessness, like it happens with iPads: they’re certainly usable even a decade later.

 

[I7guy]

I hold the hope that, like iPads, sheer battery capacity will propel the iPhone 13 Pro Max to at least acceptable battery life many iOS versions in. That remains to be seen.

The iPhone 13 Pro Max is rated for 25 hours of streamed video playback. Well, hopefully its final iOS version drops it to 12-14 hours. That would be totally usable. My Air 5 on iPadOS 15 with light use gives me at least 25 hours of screen-on time. Hopefully its final iOS version drops it to 12-14 hours too.

In terms of iPhones which suffer more than iPads, if like-new battery life can’t and won’t be guaranteed, then make it irrelevant through sheer battery capacity: install batteries so large that even if it drops it will be enough for a full day, always. The iPhone 13 Pro Max is a step in the right direction with that 25-hour runtime according to Apple. The iPhone Xʀ had 16 hours and it is significantly better than say, the iPhone 6s, even on iOS 16. This is good.

The specs from Apple are great, but they are best case usage. Out of the box your mileage on battery life can vary considerably based on your specific usage patterns. You may get for example 10 hours of out of the box usage before having to recharge.

 

[LionTeeth]

I find posts like these funny

“How do I make it last four years?”

Uh.. just use it and don’t buy a new one? My Xs Max is still flying just fine. Phones have peaked. My old 7 still feels just fine to use.

I do agree the prices are disgusting. I hope my phone lasts a decade, but if it breaks I may even go back to an 8+ or something.

 

[FeliApple]

The specs from Apple are great, but they are best case usage. Out of the box your mileage on battery life can vary considerably based on your specific usage patterns. You may get for example 10 hours of out of the box usage before having to recharge.

Absolutely. In order to get Apple specs you need to optimise all settings and use it lightly, and rather frequently.

Newer iOS versions drain more on standby nowadays (this has nothing to do with updates: my Xʀ on iOS 12 and my iPad Air 5 on iPadOS 15 - both newer, with better battery health, and on their respective original versions - are far worse on standby than my iPhone 6s running iOS 10 or even my iPhone 5c on iOS 10. Which would mean that iOS 10 is far more efficient on standby regardless of processor efficiency. I say this because its implications are obvious: too much standby and you won't hit Apple spec, even if your usage is light enough and your settings are well optimised.

Remove either of those and it's impossible to get Apple spec: use it moderately, or with higher brightness and there's no chance.

This is my iPhone spec history:

iPhone 5s: impossible to hit spec.

iPhone 6s on iOS 9: I was close on Wi-Fi, once (Apple claims 11 hours), and I was a little less close on LTE (Apple claims 10 hours, I got 8.5, again, once)

iPhone 7 Plus on iOS 10: Apple claims 13 hours of LTE, 15 hours on Wi-Fi. I got within 3 hours, never closer.

iPhone Xʀ on iOS 12: This one is possible, with as little standby as possible and very light usage. Apple claims 15 hours of internet use, 16 hours of video playback, and it is possible. Apple has no LTE rating for this device.

This is on iPhones. Apple has historically claimed 10 hours for many iPads, and a lot of them (if not all) could easily surpass that. Apple seems to be very conservative on iPads, and way too hopeful on iPhones. I do not know why this is the case.

 

[I7guy]

Absolutely. In order to get Apple specs you need to optimise all settings and use it lightly, and rather frequently.

We understand published specs in all walks of life, such as gas mileage indicate an optimized but not realistically achievable goal.

Newer iOS versions drain more on standby nowadays (this has nothing to do with updates: my Xʀ on iOS 12 and my iPad Air 5 on iPadOS 15 - both newer, with better battery health, and on their respective original versions - are far worse on standby than my iPhone 6s running iOS 10 or even my iPhone 5c on iOS 10. Which would mean that iOS 10 is far more efficient on standby regardless of processor efficiency. I say this because its implications are obvious: too much standby and you won't hit Apple spec, even if your usage is light enough and your settings are well optimised.

I14PM battery drain with AOD off is virtually nil https://www.tomsguide.com/news/ipho...life-tested-heres-how-much-more-power-it-uses and would expect it to remain this way across ios upgrades.

Remove either of those and it's impossible to get Apple spec: use it moderately, or with higher brightness and there's no chance.

I don't care to get Apple spec. As if I drive in a ICE sporty car I'm not driving due to gas sipping power sapping eco mode. I'm using as intended and want functionality, good usage and as best security as possible.

This is my iPhone spec history:

iPhone 5s: impossible to hit spec.

iPhone 6s on iOS 9: I was close on Wi-Fi, once (Apple claims 11 hours), and I was a little less close on LTE (Apple claims 10 hours, I got 8.5, again, once)

iPhone 7 Plus on iOS 10: Apple claims 13 hours of LTE, 15 hours on Wi-Fi. I got within 3 hours, never closer.

iPhone Xʀ on iOS 12: This one is possible, with as little standby as possible and very light usage. Apple claims 15 hours of internet use, 16 hours of video playback, and it is possible. Apple has no LTE rating for this device.

This is on iPhones. Apple has historically claimed 10 hours for many iPads, and a lot of them (if not all) could easily surpass that. Apple seems to be very conservative on iPads, and way too hopeful on iPhones. I do not know why this is the case.

Life is too short to try to run your usage around the phones. I want to run the phone around my usage. In the end I don't want to waste time exacting the best possible battery life out of my phone. I want to use the phone and let it conform to my usage.

 

[FeliApple]

We understand published specs in all walks of life, such as gas mileage indicate an optimized but not realistically achievable goal.

I14PM battery drain with AOD off is virtually nil https://www.tomsguide.com/news/ipho...life-tested-heres-how-much-more-power-it-uses and would expect it to remain this way across ios upgrades.

Wow, that's great! I didn't know it was so good. Not dropping from 100% in 24 hours... I'd have to go back several generations of iOS to achieve that. iOS 10 certainly can.

I don't care to get Apple spec. As if I drive in a ICE sporty car I'm not driving due to gas sipping power sapping eco mode. I'm using as intended and want functionality, good usage and as best security as possible.

Sure, I don't care either, when I have to use the device and drain it I use it. Sometimes my usage is light and I can match required conditions, though, which is why I know. I do prioritise performance and battery life however, like I said.

Life is too short to try to run your usage around the phones. I want to run the phone around my usage. In the end I don't want to waste time exacting the best possible battery life out of my phone. I want to use the phone and let it conform to my usage.

I agree, when I need it, I'll drain it, like I said. I won't stop using my device to conserve battery, which is, funnily enough, exactly why my 6s runs iOS 10: I'd have to do that or constantly carry a power bank, which is something that barring some occasions in which it is strictly necessary, I don't want to do. So I don't.

 

[Tsepz]

You’ll be fine, just do a battery replacement when you need to.

 

[I7guy]

Wow, that's great! I didn't know it was so good. Not dropping from 100% in 24 hours... I'd have to go back several generations of iOS to achieve that. iOS 10 certainly can.

Compared to iOS 16 ios 10 is an outdated operating system, ok when released but now it’s in a time capsule with limited functions and security vulnerabilities.

Sure, I don't care either, when I have to use the device and drain it I use it. Sometimes my usage is light and I can match required conditions, though, which is why I know. I do prioritise performance and battery life however, like I said.

I do prioritize functionality and security.

I agree, when I need it, I'll drain it, like I said. I won't stop using my device to conserve battery, which is, funnily enough, exactly why my 6s runs iOS 10: I'd have to do that or constantly carry a power bank, which is something that barring some occasions in which it is strictly necessary, I don't want to do. So I don't.

I’d rather have a power bank then run out of juice. There are days I’m not near an outlet for 8+ hours and am in lte all day. Not going to risk anything to prove my phone can last the day.

 

[FeliApple]

Compared to iOS 16 ios 10 is an outdated operating system, ok when released but now it’s in a time capsule with limited functions and security vulnerabilities.

Absolutely, this is completely true. I've stated that my 6s on iOS 10 can't do everything I require. I manage though, it's not my main phone.

I do prioritize functionality and security.

I’d rather have a power bank then run out of juice. There are days I’m not near an outlet for 8+ hours and am in lte all day. Not going to risk anything to prove my phone can last the day.

Me too! The Xʀ on iOS 12 is so good that I haven't ever been nowhere close to draining it in one day, however. 8 hours of LTE wouldn't be nearly enough to drain my Xʀ.

There is a strong likelihood that I am a lighter user than you though, based on what you said.

 

[1rottenapple]

I do fear my battery degrading. It's still at 100% health after my phone was replaced in August of last year, but Apple announced a price hike for battery repairs recently, so I'm concerned about the degradation of my battery

You spent 2k on a phone and worried about a battery replacement? Just keep the phone replace the battery when needed. Or don’t replace the battery. It will still work with 80% capacity. Why worry? You don’t want to degrade the battery? Don’t use the phone lol. Use it once a week keep it in a safe on most day.

I upgraded from the 13mini to 14 pro and it hasn’t changed my use case. Zero. Yes some things are better but the way I use my phone is the same. So it doesn’t make any sense to upgrade.

 

[I7guy]

Absolutely, this is completely true. I've stated that my 6s on iOS 10 can't do everything I require. I manage though, it's not my main phone.

Me too! The Xʀ on iOS 12 is so good that I haven't ever been nowhere close to draining it in one day, however. 8 hours of LTE wouldn't be nearly enough to drain my Xʀ.

There is a strong likelihood that I am a lighter user than you though, based on what you said.

That’s the thing, I could get days out of my battery if I didn’t use the phone. But I consider myself a heavy user and don’t baby the phone as I can plug in to a power bank if needed. For example I listen to music whilst responding to emails. I use YouTube on the phone to catch up on training videos using Pip. All on cellular. Plus I recharge my APP if needed.

My significant other uses the phone more than me and on a good day the Xr (replaced with an i14pm) out of the box didn’t last an entire day.

So it’s my contention heavy users will not meet apples time frames for battery life. Browsing the web with JavaScript heavy pages also uses a bit of computing power. So there are many factors that influence battery life.

 

[FeliApple]

That’s the thing, I could get days out of my battery if I didn’t use the phone. But I consider myself a heavy user and don’t baby the phone as I can plug in to a power bank if needed. For example I listen to music whilst responding to emails. I use YouTube on the phone to catch up on training videos using Pip. All on cellular. Plus I recharge my APP if needed.

My significant other uses the phone more than me and on a good day the Xr (replaced with an i14pm) out of the box didn’t last an entire day.

So it’s my contention heavy users will not meet apples time frames for battery life. Browsing the web with JavaScript heavy pages also uses a bit of computing power. So there are many factors that influence battery life.

Yeah, heavy users will never get Apple’s quoted specs. It’s impossible. Like I said, it requires light usage, optimised settings, and good conditions. Otherwise, original iOS version or not, it’s impossible. Even then sometimes it doesn’t happen, like I said earlier.

Your use case resembles many who posted screenshots when the Xʀ was new and they struggled to get 9-10 hours, even on iOS 12. It doesn’t even need to be massively heavy, set outdoor brightness and mediocre signal LTE, use the camera, and battery life will plummet. With phones like the 13 Pro Max we’ve reached a point where they’re good enough though. Heavy users of the iPhone 6s wouldn’t get through a day, even if they have iOS 9 or 10. I’m a light user and I get 6-7 hours of LTE. I’ve used it heavily sometimes and results aren’t good, you can even see it back on the 6s thread, and phones were new and on iOS 9: some people got like 4 hours. That doesn’t help for longevity: if heavy use battery life was poor even while new and on iOS 9, prospects weren’t good even with Apple’s prior support timeframe. The 6s is the most supported iPhone ever as of now, it was evident results wouldn’t be good, and they aren’t.

You said they wouldn’t get a day out of the Xʀ: it doesn’t surprise me. Enable all settings, crank brightness, and use it heavily on LTE, and battery life would be very poor. I don’t want to give an estimate in terms of hours because I’ve never used it like that, but it will be awful.

The larger the screen, the worse it is: original 12.9-inch iPad Pro users widely reported 3-4 hours with heavy use and max brightness... back on iOS 9. Energy consumption is not linear, when you push it, it skyrockets, regardless of the iOS version. Of course iOS 9 would be better even with that use because it is more efficient, but anyone who claims battery life of those devices is good even while being extremely heavy users on original iOS versions would be wrong. So not only will devices not meet specs, they will have abhorrent battery life if used heavily.

 

[I7guy]

Yeah, heavy users will never get Apple’s quoted specs. It’s impossible. Like I said, it requires light usage, optimised settings, and good conditions. Otherwise, original iOS version or not, it’s impossible. Even then sometimes it doesn’t happen, like I said earlier.

Your use case resembles many who posted screenshots when the Xʀ was new and they struggled to get 9-10 hours, even on iOS 12. It doesn’t even need to be massively heavy, set outdoor brightness and mediocre signal LTE, use the camera, and battery life will plummet. With phones like the 13 Pro Max we’ve reached a point where they’re good enough though. Heavy users of the iPhone 6s wouldn’t get through a day, even if they have iOS 9 or 10. I’m a light user and I get 6-7 hours of LTE. I’ve used it heavily sometimes and results aren’t good, you can even see it back on the 6s thread, and phones were new and on iOS 9: some people got like 4 hours. That doesn’t help for longevity: if heavy use battery life was poor even while new and on iOS 9, prospects weren’t good even with Apple’s prior support timeframe. The 6s is the most supported iPhone ever as of now, it was evident results wouldn’t be good, and they aren’t.

You said they wouldn’t get a day out of the Xʀ: it doesn’t surprise me. Enable all settings, crank brightness, and use it heavily on LTE, and battery life would be very poor. I don’t want to give an estimate in terms of hours because I’ve never used it like that, but it will be awful.

The larger the screen, the worse it is: original 12.9-inch iPad Pro users widely reported 3-4 hours with heavy use and max brightness... back on iOS 9. Energy consumption is not linear, when you push it, it skyrockets, regardless of the iOS version. Of course iOS 9 would be better even with that use because it is more efficient, but anyone who claims battery life of those devices is good even while being extremely heavy users on original iOS versions would be wrong. So not only will devices not meet specs, they will have abhorrent battery life if used heavily.

For what it was, ios 9 was pretty good. But comparing ios 9 in 2015 to ios 16 doesn't make much sense. Time marches on and ios 16 has much more concurrency and much more capability and can provide functionality that ios 9 can only dream of. So yeah, in a time capsule, ios 9 was good, but other than going back to the "good old days" of old software, ios 9 being efficient on hardware from the era in 2023 is antediluvian.

And a strategy of never updating the ios version has it's own sets of issues far an away from updating versions of ios.

 

[FeliApple]

For what it was, ios 9 was pretty good. But comparing ios 9 in 2015 to ios 16 doesn't make much sense. Time marches on and ios 16 has much more concurrency and much more capability and can provide functionality that ios 9 can only dream of. So yeah, in a time capsule, ios 9 was good, but other than going back to the "good old days" of old software, ios 9 being efficient on hardware from the era in 2023 is antediluvian.

And a strategy of never updating the ios version has it's own sets of issues far an away from updating versions of ios.

I think it’s more a case of “Apps removing support from iOS 10” rather than “iOS 16 is more capable”. Yes, iOS 16 can do more, but the main issue with running iOS 10 now, like @Andeddu said, is that not only does, for example, my iPhone 6s lack iOS 16’s features, but it is a never-ending downfall in terms of current capabilities: iOS 10 could run apps like WhatsApp, and it can’t run them anymore. iOS 10 could access websites it can’t access anymore. As time goes by, staying on a static iOS version inevitably means reduced capabilities. iOS 10 could do far more in 2016 than it can now. That’s the worst problem that staying behind has. If it were “it can’t access PIP”, eh, I’ll manage. But it’s more a case of “it can no longer run this app, and that other app, and that one? Oh, it can’t run it either, support was discontinued and it won’t work anymore”. But it could run all of them before.

My 6s is my favourite iPhone ever, I’d gladly use it as my only phone if it could do what it did in 2016 (on iOS 10). Unfortunately, it can no longer do that.

 

[LionTeeth]

And a strategy of never updating the ios version has it's own sets of issues far an away from updating versions of ios.

I keep thinking I’ll do this but I never do. And it actually is just fine. My 2018 mac mini is on the latest and it just flies. My Xs Max, same, 16.3 or whatever and it works perfectly. Apple has their issues lately but slowing old devices is not one of them (surprisingly).

 

[FeliApple]

I keep thinking I’ll do this but I never do. And it actually is just fine. My 2018 mac mini is on the latest and it just flies. My Xs Max, same, 16.3 or whatever and it works perfectly. Apple has their issues lately but slowing old devices is not one of them (surprisingly).

Performance has improved dramatically, like I said earlier. Battery life is more of an issue nowadays. My 9.7-inch iPad Pro works fine on iOS 12 in terms of performance, and the 6s is usable on iOS 15 (battery life is quite abhorrent, like I said. I have never tried an A12 Bionic device on iOS 16 though, my Xʀ (same processor as the Xs Max) runs iOS 12. It is likely that the Xs Max and the Xʀ both run far better on iOS 16 than the 6s on iOS 15. The 6s is mediocre, but usable, unlike, say, an A5 on iOS 9 or an A6-powered device on iOS 10.

While I don’t tolerate it because my expectations are quite stringent, and while there is keyboard lag (which I find unacceptable), and while under heavy usage like demanding games it is likely that performance will be significantly worse, it is a far cry from what it used to be. Like I told the OP, I hope it is even better with the 13 Pro Max, in terms of both performance and battery life. Time will tell.

 

[Andeddu]

I think it’s more a case of “Apps removing support from iOS 10” rather than “iOS 16 is more capable”. Yes, iOS 16 can do more, but the main issue with running iOS 10 now, like @Andeddu said, is that not only does, for example, my iPhone 6s lack iOS 16’s features, but it is a never-ending downfall in terms of current capabilities: iOS 10 could run apps like WhatsApp, and it can’t run them anymore. iOS 10 could access websites it can’t access anymore. As time goes by, staying on a static iOS version inevitably means reduced capabilities. iOS 10 could do far more in 2016 than it can now. That’s the worst problem that staying behind has. If it were “it can’t access PIP”, eh, I’ll manage. But it’s more a case of “it can no longer run this app, and that other app, and that one? Oh, it can’t run it either, support was discontinued and it won’t work anymore”. But it could run all of them before.

My 6s is my favourite iPhone ever, I’d gladly use it as my only phone if it could do what it did in 2016 (on iOS 10). Unfortunately, it can no longer do that.

I completely agree. An iPhone 6S on iOS 10 theoretically would be completely capable today and have the same level of performance on its version of iOS as my iPhone 13 on iOS 16 if it were still supported by applications.

My original PS4 is a good example of this as it was released a decade ago in 2013 however has full access to the PlayStation app suite and runs as quickly as it did when it was first released. There is really nothing a PS5 can do that the PS4 cannot do right now. It doesn’t feel like an ancient piece of technology because Sony have taken care to ensure everything is updated and optimised to perfection. I had a PS5 but ended up selling it because I couldn’t see much of an improvement even in games because I sit too far away from my 55” TV for 4K resolution to make a difference vs 1080p.

The same would be true if Apple and its partners ensured that the 5S had full access to the app suite whilst on iOS 7. This is obviously not how the phone industry works and phones are designed to have a defined shelf life as the industry wishes to encourage consumers to upgrade every 1-3 years. There would also be too much work required to ensure apps were supported by 10+ years of iOS versions.

 

[FeliApple]

I completely agree. An iPhone 6S on iOS 10 theoretically would be completely capable today and have the same level of performance on its version of iOS as my iPhone 13 on iOS 16 if it were still supported by applications.

My original PS4 is a good example of this as it was released a decade ago in 2013 however has full access to the PlayStation app suite and runs as quickly as it did when it was first released. There is really nothing a PS5 can do that the PS4 cannot do right now. It doesn’t feel like an ancient piece of technology because Sony have taken care to ensure everything is updated and optimised to perfection. I had a PS5 but ended up selling it because I couldn’t see much of an improvement even in games because I sit too far away from my 55” TV for 4K resolution to make a difference vs 1080p.

The same would be true if Apple and its partners ensured that the 5S had full access to the app suite whilst on iOS 7. This is obviously not how the phone industry works and phones are designed to have a defined shelf life as the industry wishes to encourage consumers to upgrade every 1-3 years. There would also be too much work required to ensure apps were supported by 10+ years of iOS versions.

Your original PS4 and things with no software updates like Bluetooth speakers are good examples of design-driven longevity. I have a PS2 which still works flawlessly, too. I think I bought that in… what? 2006? Apple devices do not work like that partly because of developers who don’t support older versions and partly because of Apple’s targets. It’s a shame because of what we’ve been discussing: the consumer always loses.

Update iOS, guarantee worse battery life and performance. Don’t update iOS, guarantee loss of compatibility and an eventual near-complete loss of usability. How can I combat that as a user? I can’t. Longevity for iOS devices is abhorrent. I’m not using a 3GS, I’m using an iPhone 6s which is one of the best-selling iPhones ever, and with an iOS version which stopped being current in… September 2017! Five years, and the device is mostly an iPod which can barely run websites and apps? Longevity might be worse on Android and people praise Apple for it, but step back a little and compared to other products, Apple longevity is abhorrent.

Two factors: people don’t use iOS versions for too long. Are many iPhone 6s still in use? Yes. How many of those on iOS 10? Not many, I reckon. And people don’t use devices for long. I’d love to see the current iPhone use by model, but I reckon it centers at least from the iPhone 8 onwards, at least the vast majority of those in active use. People update, so how many are still using those iPhones with iOS 10 as its latest versions as main phones? The iPhone 5 and 5c? Practically nobody unless they use it as a flip phone. So nobody supports it because nobody cares. And like I said, unfortunately it’s my only defense against device obsolescence. If I could do anything else, I would.

 

[Andeddu]

Your original PS4 and things with no software updates like Bluetooth speakers are good examples of design-driven longevity. I have a PS2 which still works flawlessly, too. I think I bought that in… what? 2006? Apple devices do not work like that partly because of developers who don’t support older versions and partly because of Apple’s targets. It’s a shame because of what we’ve been discussing: the consumer always loses.

Update iOS, guarantee worse battery life and performance. Don’t update iOS, guarantee loss of compatibility and an eventual near-complete loss of usability. How can I combat that as a user? I can’t. Longevity for iOS devices is abhorrent. I’m not using a 3GS, I’m using an iPhone 6s which is one of the best-selling iPhones ever, and with an iOS version which stopped being current in… September 2017! Five years, and the device is mostly an iPod which can barely run websites and apps? Longevity might be worse on Android and people praise Apple for it, but step back a little and compared to other products, Apple longevity is abhorrent.

Two factors: people don’t use iOS versions for too long. Are many iPhone 6s still in use? Yes. How many of those on iOS 10? Not many, I reckon. And people don’t use devices for long. I’d love to see the current iPhone use by model, but I reckon it centers at least from the iPhone 8 onwards, at least the vast majority of those in active use. People update, so how many are still using those iPhones with iOS 10 as its latest versions as main phones? The iPhone 5 and 5c? Practically nobody unless they use it as a flip phone. So nobody supports it because nobody cares. And like I said, unfortunately it’s my only defense against device obsolescence. If I could do anything else, I would.

The PS4 is continually updated and has been receiving monthly updates since its release in 2013. I purchased my unit in 2014 and have been using it ever since. It is a device which truly represents longevity as you can still play the newest games, such as God of War Ragnarok, which allows the user to experience a level of graphical fidelity no one would have thought possible on such a console back in 2013.

Because it’s an updated device which is always connected to the internet, there will come a time when it will lose much of its capabilities. Apps, such as YouTube, all streaming services, web-browsing, music streaming, etc… will eventually disappear one by one as support dries up. I was using the PS4 as an example of a device which, like smartphones, is always connected to the internet, always updated and has an app suite which, unlike smartphones, performs as well as it did on Day 1 despite having received hundreds of firmware updates. This shows that manufactured obsolescence is something that is built into the phone industry but not necessarily other industries as gaming consoles are designed to last the full generation as profit is obtained through the purchase of software rather than the hardware. Sony would not shoot themselves in the foot by making the PS4 suffer from sluggish performance, keyboard lag, apps losing compatibility, etc… it’s a device that has the best of both worlds with no loss of performance or usability over the last decade.

This is entirely manufactured as, like I mentioned, Apple would have zero interest in allowing a user to have no drawbacks to keeping an older device as they make their profits in the sale of hardware rather than software. Imagine if you could use an iPhone 5S today with full access to the app suite in 2023 whilst still on iOS 7? A lot of consumers would refuse to upgrade their devices if that were the case. Most people upgrade because they are forced to update due to usability issues, then they notice battery and performance drops after 2-3 years which results in them actively looking to update their devices.

 

[FeliApple]

The PS4 is continually updated and has been receiving monthly updates since its release in 2013. I purchased my unit in 2014 and have been using it ever since. It is a device which truly represents longevity as you can still play the newest games, such as God of War Ragnarok, which allows the user to experience a level of graphical fidelity no one would have thought possible on such a console back in 2013.

Because it’s an updated device which is always connected to the internet, there will come a time when it will lose much of its capabilities. Apps such as YouTube, all streaming services, web-browsing, music streaming, etc… will eventually disappear one by one as support dries up. I was using the PS4 as an example of a device which, like smartphones, is always connected to the internet, always updated and has an app suite which, unlike smartphones, performs as well as it did in Day 1 despite having received hundreds of firmware updates. This shows that manufactured obsolescence is something that is built into the phone industry but not necessarily other industries as gaming consoles are designed to last the full generation as profit is obtained through the purchase of software rather than the hardware. Sony would not shoot themselves in the foot by making the PS4 suffer from sluggish performance, keyboard lag, apps losing compatibility, etc… it’s a device that has the best of both worlds with no loss of performance or usability over the last decade.

This is entirely manufactured as, like I mentioned, Apple would have zero interest in allowing a user to have no drawbacks to keeping an older device as they make their profits in the sale of hardware rather than software. Imagine if you could use an iPhone 5S today with full access to the app suite in 2023 whilst still on iOS 7? A lot of consumers would refuse to upgrade their devices if that were the case. Most people upgrade because they are forced to update due to usability issues, then they notice battery and performance drops after 2-3 years which results in them actively looking to update their devices.

Agreed, and one reason for iOS devices’ abhorrent software practices might be that hardware cycles are extremely quick: we’ve had one PlayStation hardware revision since (the PS5), and NINE! iPhone revisions since (6;6s;7;8;Xs;11;12;13;14). Apple (and the smartphone and tablet industry), have to develop a way to make people upgrade, and users cannot fight this, like I said.

I’ve repeatedly stated that I don’t know whether performance and battery life degradation is due to Apple’s fault or is a mere byproduct of iOS versions’ increased functionality and power draw, but the end result is the same: either awful performance and battery life, or, now that we are on that year, complete uselessness. Funnily enough, I have the most current iPhone as of November 2013: an iPhone 5s running iOS 8. Is it usable? No. That tells you everything you need to know. Like you said, the PS4 is perfect even today.

Like you said, people update for one of those reasons, or both: “My iPhone 6s was on iOS 10 until my apps stopped working, so rather than throw it in a drawer and buy a new one, I updated it. Battery life sucks, performance isn’t perfect as it used to be, either”. The replies are “battery too degraded, replace it”. The user does, only to experience worse battery life than iOS 10, even if a little better than the original battery, and shortly afterwards, the new battery degrades again, and performance is still as abhorrent as ever with iOS 15. The user gets tired, buys a new phone. I’m the other option: “Look, my iPhone 6s runs perfectly in terms of both performance and battery life even with a nearly 7-year-old, degraded battery. But can I run this? Well... no. Can I web-browse to an acceptable level? Well... no. Can I run new versions of apps? Well... no”. Is there any way to combat this? No. It’s just a lose-lose situation, regardless of the path you choose. Like you said, users are forced to buy new devices regardless. I think Apple could solve this, but it’s in their interests not to, which is probably why they don’t allow downgrading.

 

[Andeddu]

Agreed, and one reason for iOS devices’ abhorrent software practices might be that hardware cycles are extremely quick: we’ve had one PlayStation hardware revision since (the PS5), and NINE! iPhone revisions since (6;6s;7;8;Xs;11;12;13;14). Apple (and the smartphone and tablet industry), have to develop a way to make people upgrade, and users cannot fight this, like I said.

I’ve repeatedly stated that I don’t know whether performance and battery life degradation is due to Apple’s fault or is a mere byproduct of iOS versions’ increased functionality and power draw, but the end result is the same: either awful performance and battery life, or, now that we are on that year, complete uselessness. Funnily enough, I have the most current iPhone as of November 2013: an iPhone 5s running iOS 8. Is it usable? No. That tells you everything you need to know. Like you said, the PS4 is perfect even today.

Like you said, people update for one of those reasons, or both: “My iPhone 6s was on iOS 10 until my apps stopped working, so rather than throw it in a drawer and buy a new one, I updated it. Battery life sucks, performance isn’t perfect as it used to be, either”. The replies are “battery too degraded, replace it”. The user does, only to experience worse battery life than iOS 10, even if a little better than the original battery, and shortly afterwards, the new battery degrades again, and performance is still as abhorrent as ever with iOS 15. The user gets tired, buys a new phone. I’m the other option: “Look, my iPhone 6s runs perfectly in terms of both performance and battery life even with a nearly 7-year-old, degraded battery. But can I run this? Well... no. Can I web-browse to an acceptable level? Well... no. Can I run new versions of apps? Well... no”. Is there any way to combat this? No. It’s just a lose-lose situation, regardless of the path you choose. Like you said, users are forced to buy new devices regardless. I think Apple could solve this, but it’s in their interests not to, which is probably why they don’t allow downgrading.

Ageed. Apple are continually developing new technology and churning out new phones which requires constant investment & reinvestment from the consumer. The new phones require new software which appears to be heavily optimised to run on phone that it is released with.

Subsequent iOS versions are both not as well optimised to run on older SoCs and also require more computational power. This in turn causes the performance and battery hit that you refer to.

I don’t believe it’s a nefarious plan by Apple to purposely degrade performance and battery life, but as we’ve spoken about before; the cost to optimise all iOS versions on previous phones would be unjustifiable. The same would be true with the cost and time required to keep older iOS versions relevant with full access to the app suite. This is why it is normal behaviour to update to the latest iOS version because, to 99% of people, usability and security is way more important than performance and battery life.

Another reason I don’t believe there to be a conspiracy by Apple to purposely degrade older phones is that 64 bit phones fare far better when reaching their iOS limit than 32 bit phones.

The SE, 6S and 7 all appear to handle iOS 15 reasonably well with no major hiccups or performance issues.

My 8 runs iOS 16, which is probably its iOS limit, perfectly with no keyboard or animation lag. I believe that the newer phones will fare even better in the future too.

I think the point is that smartphones are throwaway devices that the consumer is supposed to use for up to 6 years before throwing away. It doesn’t matter if your device is in perfect physical condition with a new battery because once Apple decides to make it redundant, it’ll end up becoming nothing more than a fancy paperweight.

 

[FeliApple]

Ageed. Apple are continually developing new technology and churning out new phones which requires constant investment & reinvestment from the consumer. The new phones require new software which appears to be heavily optimised to run on phone that it is released with.

Subsequent iOS versions are both not as well optimised to run on older SoCs and also require more computational power. This in turn causes the performance and battery hit that you refer to.

I don’t believe it’s a nefarious plan by Apple to purposely degrade performance and battery life, but as we’ve spoken about before; the cost to optimise all iOS versions on previous phones would be unjustifiable. The same would be true with the cost and time required to keep older iOS versions relevant with full access to the app suite. This is why it is normal behaviour to update to the latest iOS version because, to 99% of people, usability and security is way more important than performance and battery life.

Another reason I don’t believe there to be a conspiracy by Apple to purposely degrade older phones is that 64 bit phones fare far better when reaching their iOS limit than 32 bit phones.

The SE, 6S and 7 all appear to handle iOS 15 reasonably well with no major hiccups or performance issues.

My 8 runs iOS 16, which is probably its iOS limit, perfectly with no keyboard or animation lag. I believe that the newer phones will fare even better in the future too.

I think the point is that smartphones are throwaway devices that the consumer is supposed to use for up to 6 years before throwing away. It doesn’t matter if your device is in perfect physical condition with a new battery because once Apple decides to make it redundant, it’ll end up becoming nothing more than a fancy paperweight.

Agree with your first two paragraphs, I think that’s exactly the case. I also lean more towards the option of “it isn’t deliberate”. They have to churn out one new version per year, which means they probably don’t have the physical time to optimise it as perfectly as they could. Many suggest that Apple could release one major versions every three years and focus on stability in the meantime, but that’s not how the industry works. It won’t happen, to every consumer’s undeniable and unsolvable detriment. I wish it would, though. Maybe that would make it possible for me and people like me to update.

64-bit devices are infinitely better than 32-bit devices at their iOS limit and that is a fact. 32-bit devices are largely abhorrently unusable, and 64-bit can be used, even if you have to tolerate some hiccups, and severely reduced battery life (which, with devices getting larger batteries, is far more tolerable: if an iPhone Xʀ user were to get 7 hours of LTE on the phone’s final iOS version, I, as a Xʀ user on iOS 12, would chuckle and say: “You call that good? I can get 12”, but the important factor is the sheer number... 7 hours. I get 7 hours on my iPhone 6s on its original iOS version. 7 hours might not be amazing, but it is certainly usable. We were discussing this in the iPhone 13 Pro Max thread: it might get like 20 hours on iOS 15, and even if its final version halves it... it might get 10 hours. Like I stated there, one way to fix this issue is to install a battery so large that any degradation matters far less), but 64-bit devices are totally usable even today. And that was a long parenthesis.

As far as the iPhone 8 goes, a family member had an iPhone 8 until mid-2021 (on iOS 12, because they don’t update as instructed by me, of course), and there was an issue and the phone had to be restored. To my absolute surprise, it was forced into iOS 14 and... for some inexplicable reason, iOS 14 was great in terms of performance (like you said), and great in terms of battery life. I think it’s the only time ever in which I’ve actually seen good battery life from a device three major versions in. I haven’t used an iPhone 8 on iOS 11. It is highly likely that it was better there, and it is highly likely that iOS 16 is worse, but iOS 14 was fine. Totally usable for a full day, unlike my 6s on iOS 13. This may signal that it is getting better, slowly. Maybe as support increases, the end result is the same, I don’t know, I haven’t tried an iPhone 8 on iOS 16. Do you know whether the difference is like on your SE on iOS 15? A 40% difference?
I digress, my point was that maybe as batteries get larger, the issue loses importance because battery life is good regardless. I don’t know whether I was lucky with the iPhone 8/iOS 14 combo, but it seems fine. Far better than the iPhone 6s on iOS 13, anyway...

And I agree, longevity is guaranteed to be curtailed sooner or later, regardless of what approach you take. Which is a shame, and we both know that it could be so much better, but unfortunately, and using a common phrase... it is what it is.

 

[Andeddu]

Agree with your first two paragraphs, I think that’s exactly the case. I also lean more towards the option of “it isn’t deliberate”. They have to churn out one new version per year, which means they probably don’t have the physical time to optimise it as perfectly as they could. Many suggest that Apple could release one major versions every three years and focus on stability in the meantime, but that’s not how the industry works. It won’t happen, to every consumer’s undeniable and unsolvable detriment. I wish it would, though. Maybe that would make it possible for me and people like me to update.

64-bit devices are infinitely better than 32-bit devices at their iOS limit and that is a fact. 32-bit devices are largely abhorrently unusable, and 64-bit can be used, even if you have to tolerate some hiccups, and severely reduced battery life (which, with devices getting larger batteries, is far more tolerable: if an iPhone Xʀ user were to get 7 hours of LTE on the phone’s final iOS version, I, as a Xʀ user on iOS 12, would chuckle and say: “You call that good? I can get 12”, but the important factor is the sheer number... 7 hours. I get 7 hours on my iPhone 6s on its original iOS version. 7 hours might not be amazing, but it is certainly usable. We were discussing this in the iPhone 13 Pro Max thread: it might get like 20 hours on iOS 15, and even if its final version halves it... it might get 10 hours. Like I stated there, one way to fix this issue is to install a battery so large that any degradation matters far less), but 64-bit devices are totally usable even today. And that was a long parenthesis.

As far as the iPhone 8 goes, a family member had an iPhone 8 until mid-2021 (on iOS 12, because they don’t update as instructed by me, of course), and there was an issue and the phone had to be restored. To my absolute surprise, it was forced into iOS 14 and... for some inexplicable reason, iOS 14 was great in terms of performance (like you said), and great in terms of battery life. I think it’s the only time ever in which I’ve actually seen good battery life from a device three major versions in. I haven’t used an iPhone 8 on iOS 11. It is highly likely that it was better there, and it is highly likely that iOS 16 is worse, but iOS 14 was fine. Totally usable for a full day, unlike my 6s on iOS 13. This may signal that it is getting better, slowly. Maybe as support increases, the end result is the same, I don’t know, I haven’t tried an iPhone 8 on iOS 16. Do you know whether the difference is like on your SE on iOS 15? A 40% difference?
I digress, my point was that maybe as batteries get larger, the issue loses importance because battery life is good regardless. I don’t know whether I was lucky with the iPhone 8/iOS 14 combo, but it seems fine. Far better than the iPhone 6s on iOS 13, anyway...

And I agree, longevity is guaranteed to be curtailed sooner or later, regardless of what approach you take. Which is a shame, and we both know that it could be so much better, but unfortunately, and using a common phrase... it is what it is.

I don’t think we need to see a major update to iOS every singe year. I would be in favour of a new iOS version every 3 years also with iterative updates in between.

In terms of current updates, Pro Max version of iPhones would barely suffer any noticeable deterioration in use after maxing out as users would still obtain an all day battery and near perfect performance even after reaching their iOS limit.

I used my iPhone 8 as a daily driver from iOS 11 up until iOS 14 and did not notice any difference in performance. I have tested iOS 16 and can still confirm that it is buttery smooth. The same is true for the Mini 5 I have which is powered by an A12. I am unable to test battery life with my 8 as the battery is presently sitting at 82% and doesn’t last more than 2 hours of SoT. I will probably obtain an OEM replacement for it sometime this year. When the battery does get replaced, I would be happy to carry out the same tests as I did with my OGSE.

 

[FeliApple]

I don’t think we need to see a major update to iOS every singe year. I would be in favour of a new iOS version every 3 years also with iterative updates in between.

In terms of current updates, Pro Max version of iPhones would barely suffer any noticeable deterioration in use after maxing out as users would still obtain an all day battery and near perfect performance even after reaching their iOS limit.

I used my iPhone 8 as a daily driver from iOS 11 up until iOS 14 and did not notice any difference in performance. I have tested iOS 16 and can still confirm that it is buttery smooth. The same is true for the Mini 5 I have which is powered by an A12. I am unable to test battery life with my 8 as the battery is presently sitting at 82% and doesn’t last more than 2 hours of SoT. I will probably obtain an OEM replacement for it sometime this year. When the battery does get replaced, I would be happy to carry out the same tests as I did with my OGSE.

Agreed, we definitely do not need a new version every year, at least considering current results, which aren’t good.

I think the deterioration will be significant, but the screen-on time may still be decent, simply due to sheer battery size. There’s a reason the iPhone Xʀ on iOS 16 still manages 6-7 hours even today: battery size helps. Pro Max models may fare better on performance and battery life, but I am just speculating.

Yeah, this iPhone 8 I mention is at 80% after 1700 cycles, it said 82% too when I tested it. It is highly likely, based on what you said, that iOS 16 degraded it significantly. It was to be expected, though. It had a good run! I don’t know how iOS 15 fares, but even if it isn’t great, it managed at least four iOS versions (11, 12, 13, and 14) with decent battery life. That’s good. iPhone X users also reported half-decent numbers for a while, but that one was better than the 4.7-inch standard, and Plus models, so it fared a little better, at least back on iOS 11. Just like you, I can confirm as well that performance is great on iOS 14, unlike the 6s on iOS 13 I have.

Apple won’t fix this, so our only hope is for Apple to put processors so powerful and batteries so large that iOS updates’ impact can be partially mitigated by hardware.

 

[Clamjuice65]

I bought my iPhone 13 Pro Max back in October 15, 2021 for a total of $2558.80 ($1959 for the phone, $249 for the AppleCare, $59 for a crappy 30W charger I sold, $170 for a Belkin charger I replaced with an upgraded version, and the rest for taxes). It was the most expensive thing I've ever bought in my life. Yes it's the 512GB. But in the meantime, I've gotten it replaced due to accidental damage three times, and I've filled almost 400GB of my storage, and I can't afford a new phone. It still works perfectly, and I skipped the 14 because I can't stomach the idea of paying over $2000 for a phone that only feels slightly better than my current one while having a negligible improvement in battery life (if not probably a battery downgrade). Even though I'm a diehard for USB-C, I still can't bring myself to justify buying the 15 Pro Max either, even if I can afford to by then, so I'll likely start subscribing to AppleCare to continue keeping my phone under warranty when it expires. Prices in Canada are even more stomach-churning than what Americans are used to. The fact that the model of phone I have is so astronomically expensive and it won't get any better (if anything, it will get worse) with future generations of it makes me want to hold onto it for longer. To further add incentive to holding on to my phone, the iPhone 13 Pro Max is such a good phone. Even though it's no longer the best iPhone ever made because of the 14 Pro Max obviously, it still feels like it. The screen is the best screen I own (better than my TVs other than the size and resolution, I'd have to spend $5000 or something to get a TV with a screen that good), the cameras are like a mini-DSLR to me, it's plenty fast, and the battery life is still ok (even though iOS 16 kind of ruined it). The only drawback is the lack of a good zoom lens, which is rumoured to be fixed this year on the 15. Any advice for making my phone last long enough until I can justify upgrading again, which is going to be a long time from now?

Apple doesn’t want you to be holding on these phones for too long now . Another year or two then you have to upgrade.