iPhone 13 Pro Max iPhone 13 Pro Performance on iOS 26?

[beansbaxter]

I have been happily running iOS 17.7 on my iPhone 13 Pro Max, but after reading of the latest security exploit that affects every iPhone not running iOS 26, I'm thinking about making the upgrade:

Someone has publicly leaked an exploit kit that can hack millions of iPhones | TechCrunch

Leaked "DarkSword" exploits published to GitHub allow hackers and cybercriminals to target iPhone users running old versions of iOS with spyware, according to cybersecurity researchers.

techcrunch.com

For those with an iPhone 13 Pro/Pro Max, what has been your experience running iOS 26?

My phone is super fast and stable and I really don't want to upgrade 😭

 

[mtrm]

I’m using iOS 26 on an 13 Pro Max and have no issues. I don’t find it slow, but keep in mind I’ve been using iOS 26 since it launched last year so my expectations might have adapted since, and I haven’t used iOS 17 since iOS 18 came out in 2024, so over a year and half ago.
It certainly might have gotten a tad slower (that’s the nature of software), but it’s not “iOS 7 on iPhone 4” like, not even close.

Maybe someone who has upgraded more recently can give you a better view of what you can expect if you decide to go ahead and update.

 

[Reverend Benny]

I have been happily running iOS 17.7 on my iPhone 13 Pro Max, but after reading of the latest security exploit that affects every iPhone not running iOS 26, I'm thinking about making the upgrade:

Someone has publicly leaked an exploit kit that can hack millions of iPhones | TechCrunch

Leaked "DarkSword" exploits published to GitHub allow hackers and cybercriminals to target iPhone users running old versions of iOS with spyware, according to cybersecurity researchers.

techcrunch.com

For those with an iPhone 13 Pro/Pro Max, what has been your experience running iOS 26?

My phone is super fast and stable and I really don't want to upgrade 😭

Been running it on my old 13pro (used to be primary device and now my dad has it) and have a regular 13 as a test device. Both are fine running iOS 26.

It's a no brainer, just update. Darksword shouldn't be your only worry if you are that far behind security updates. There's a lot more CVE's with high scores that will be fixed.

 

[beansbaxter]

For peace of mind, i just did it. Updated from iOS 17.7 to 26.4...

The good news is my iPhone is running smoother and faster than ever before. I was not expecting such a dramatic improvement, but I'm impressed. Both the operating system and apps are snappy and running great. I only had one app before that would constantly crash and now works great. Not sure if available storage space affects iPhone performance the same way it does on my MacBook, but I have 60% free (out of 256GB). My battery is at 77% maximum capacity, but I have no plans to replace it because a full charge is still more than good enough for my daily use. Hopefully, this update allows me to continue to get value out of this already great device.

The bad news is the liquid glass user interface. Absolutely horrible. I've tried to mitigate it as much as possible by adjustments in the settings, but it's still horrendous. This is the first time a design aesthetic on an Apple product actually makes me want to use it less 😭

 

[Macdctr]

I have the current iOS 26.4 RC installed on both my 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max and haven’t had any issues using these devices under this iOS. Personally . . . I happen to love the new Liquid Glass look of the new iOS.