iPhone 4S to 6S

[Max(IT)]

The original iPad had an A4 chip just like the iPhone 4, but it was never updated past iOS 5.1.1, while the iPhone 4 was supported with the latest release of iOS 7(which was a mistake, in my opinion. iOS 7 ran pretty poorly on the 4.)

Just because Apple can make the latest version of iOS avaialble for a device doesn't mean they should. The 4s doesn't have the processing power or RAM avaialble to keep up anymore. It's time to move on.

I think it's not the processing power the culprit.
A5 has enough.
The RAM is a limit, for sure.
After a fresh boot my iPhone 6 has about 500 Mb of free RAM, with Swype and two widgets loaded. During normal usage I often see that level go down to 60-80 Mb of free RAM, especially when web browsing.
Go figure what's happening on an iPad 2 or an iPhone 4S.
It's definitely time to move on.

 

[michaelmbpfan]

I hope Apple is not planning on updating iphones anytime too soon, I just bought a iPhone 6 yesterday.

 

[oldmacs]

The original iPad had an A4 chip just like the iPhone 4, but it was never updated past iOS 5.1.1, while the iPhone 4 was supported with the latest release of iOS 7(which was a mistake, in my opinion. iOS 7 ran pretty poorly on the 4.)

Just because Apple can make the latest version of iOS avaialble for a device doesn't mean they should. The 4s doesn't have the processing power or RAM avaialble to keep up anymore. It's time to move on.

There is a big difference there. The iPad 1 had 256 MB of ram and the iPhone 4 had 512MB of ram. That is why the iPhone 4 got to iOS 7. Also it was sold up until September 2013, so it received a years worth of updates after.

I have an iPhone 4 with iOS 7.1.2 here, and it runs fine.

iOS 9 is rumoured to be a performance and bug fix release, so I'm guessing it will run better on low end devices.

 

[richwoodrocket]

I hope Apple is not planning on updating iphones anytime too soon, I just bought a iPhone 6 yesterday.

Next update is September, as has been the past case since 2011...

 

[Max(IT)]

I hope Apple is not planning on updating iphones anytime too soon, I just bought a iPhone 6 yesterday.

I bet it will be in September / October, as usual....

 

[oldmacs]

I think it's not the processing power the culprit.
A5 has enough.
The RAM is a limit, for sure.
After a fresh boot my iPhone 6 has about 500 Mb of free RAM, with Swype and two widgets loaded. During normal usage I often see that level go down to 60-80 Mb of free RAM, especially when web browsing.
Go figure what's happening on an iPad 2 or an iPhone 4S.
It's definitely time to move on.

Its not time to move on, when Apple sells the identical hardware brand new, as a premium device - oh and also when A5 iPads make up more than the majority of iPads in use.

Heres a thought, the hopeless RAM usage on all devices would be improved, if Apple worked around a limit of 512 MB.

You obviously don't have an A5 device as one of your main devices. They are still perfectly good devices, which Apple could further improve on in iOS 9, and these improvements would help all Apple devices. iOS 8 is a terrible release for almost all Apple devices, with jerking, lagging, jittering. I've even seen it on the iPhone 6. Its especially noticeable on the iPad Air 1.

 

[T5BRICK]

I think it's not the processing power the culprit.
A5 has enough.
The RAM is a limit, for sure.

That's true, but the 3GS with 256MB of RAM received iOS 6 and the iPad didnt. I guess the display resolutions were part of the issue here.

Go figure what's happening on an iPad 2 or an iPhone 4S.
It's definitely time to move on.

I certainly agree here. It's time.

There is a big difference there. The iPad 1 had 256 MB of ram and the iPhone 4 had 512MB of ram. That is why the iPhone 4 got to iOS 7. Also it was sold up until September 2013, so it received a years worth of updates after.

Well, what about the 3GS as I noted above?

iOS 9 is rumoured to be a performance and bug fix release, so I'm guessing it will run better on low end devices.

Let's hope that's the case. I always like those kinds of updates(I don't really care for new features).

 

[oldmacs]

That's true, but the 3GS with 256MB of RAM received iOS 6 and the iPad didnt. I guess the display resolutions were part of the issue here.




I certainly agree here. It's time.



Well, what about the 3GS as I noted above?



Let's hope that's the case. I always like those kinds of updates(I don't really care for new features).

Unless Apple ends iOS support, the 4S and iPad 2 will remain very viable options. Just because they're older doesn't mean its automatically time to move on. longer support cycles are only to the advantage of users.

The 3GS was pushing a far lower resolution as you note. The iPhone runs applications and websites that are far less power demanding.

I like these sorts of updates as well. I'd love the a less demanding iOS 9. That would get me and many others another year out of their A5 devices (Including people who are buying iPod Touch 5s and iPad Mini 1s. Plus, iOS with a lower RAM footprint would improve things on all iOS devices - A5,A6,A7 and A8

 

[Paddle1]

When I use my 4S, it's best for me to pretend multitasking doesn't exist, it's surprising if I switch for more than a few seconds and when I reopen something it's still the way I left it. As long as you're in this mindset, the multitasking isn't an issue. It was pretty much non existent prior to 8.1.1 and it's definitely not something to rely on.

Ironically I suppose multitasking is actually worse on a 1GB RAM device because then you actually expect it to function.

 

[braddick]

Wouldn't it be in the interest of both worlds- Apple and consumers- be to tweak; streamline, and tighten iOS9 to improve the performance of all iDevices from the 4S to the current model?

iOS9 should improve the experience of using the 4S. I'd think Apple would do well in considering that objective.

 

[AAPLinc]

Wouldn't it be in the interest of both worlds- Apple and consumers- be to tweak; streamline, and tighten iOS9 to improve the performance of all iDevices from the 4S to the current model?

iOS9 should improve the experience of using the 4S. I'd think Apple would do well in considering that objective.

Whereas I'm sure Apple could develop iOS9 in favor of the 4S capabilities, they're really focusing on giving the newest handsets the best experience. Also, at the end of the day Apple is a huge corporation just like any other, they want your money. Following Apple's cycle, the 4S would be dropped for iOS9 basically. Just like the iPhone 4 was dropped for iOS8. They want to push you off an older handset and get you to purchase something newer. If you do still want to use your 4S simply stay on iOS8. Again, Apple will most likely block the 4S from receiving the iOS9 update anyway, but even if they didn't, the 4S is now going on 4 years old this fall, Apple kept that phone alive for 3 years, which is WAY longer than usual devices are supported, especially compared to many Android phones.

 

[DougTheImpaler]

Wouldn't it be in the interest of both worlds- Apple and consumers- be to tweak; streamline, and tighten iOS9 to improve the performance of all iDevices from the 4S to the current model?

iOS9 should improve the experience of using the 4S. I'd think Apple would do well in considering that objective.

I agree, and iOS9 cannot conceivably make the jump to all-64-bit, because the iPhone 5/5c and iPad 4 are still most likely going to be supported. If iOS 9 is supposed to be a "Snow Leopard" style update, it'd be nice if every currently supported 32-bit device could have it, so that when iOS 10 is inevitably a 64-bit only release, the 32-bit devices will have something decent.

 

[Lop1]

IOS 9 on the iphone 4S/ipad 2 will be the best thing for all iphone users, because it means that the iOS code will really be optimised (not like the bloatware IOS 8).
iphone 5 and 6 will fly with a true optimised IOS, in development to get real performances you should always target the slowest device.

 

[Max(IT)]

I agree, and iOS9 cannot conceivably make the jump to all-64-bit, because the iPhone 5/5c and iPad 4 are still most likely going to be supported. If iOS 9 is supposed to be a "Snow Leopard" style update, it'd be nice if every currently supported 32-bit device could have it, so that when iOS 10 is inevitably a 64-bit only release, the 32-bit devices will have something decent.

I don't think Apple is going to jump ship to 64-bits only until iOS 11....

 

[DougTheImpaler]

I don't think Apple is going to jump ship to 64-bits only until iOS 11....

That might be, but nothing would stop them in 10. The only 32-bit processors they currently ship are in the "free" (on contract) iPhone 5c, iPod Touch, and OG iPad Mini. I think the iPod Touch is basically EOL given the share of revenues the iPod line makes up (basically nothing), and that the iPhone 5c and iPad Mini 1 will be retired when those lines are upgraded this fall. That would mean iOS 9 would be 32-bit for sure, but iOS 10 wouldn't necessarily have to be.

 

[Broadus]

Hi guys,

I just wanted to know opinions on this year's iPhone 4S fate and if you'll update to the 6S.

That being said, I have two possible scenarios:

The 4S gets iOS 9 so it means another full year of life and assuming the rumours are true, it will be a very polished and smooth experience.

Or...

The 4S gets dropped but 8.4 works stable enough to still use it as your trustworthy daily phone.

If option 1, then personally I wouldn't change until the 7 or even the 7S (I know, right?) because the phone will be usable, smooth, latest version of most apps will be supported, the camera is still a decent one and overall it will just work.

Else...

I think that, even if the 4S stays with 8.4, I'll upgrade to the 7 next year.

So all in all, what are you guys thinking on doing with that beautiful phone (the most beautiful iPhone IMO) this year?

The 4S was my first and still only smartphone. I plan to upgrade this year, though. Not only is it a bit sluggish, but I've wanted a larger screen for a couple of years. To me, the screen size of the 6 is what the 5 should have been.

I'm tempted to upgrade now, but being in the middle of the model year, I'm trying to hold off till the new ones come out in, hopefully, September. The 4S has been a great phone, but it's time to move on.

 

[Chocolatemilty]

Just to add a bit to this discussion, when I had my 4S jailbroken on iOS 8 for a bit, I installed a tweak that disabled multitasking and used that for about 3 days. Performance on the device seemingly doubled - apps opened very quickly and was responsive the moment the content displayed. Sure, this isn't a practical means of smartphone usage in 2015, but it speaks to the fact that the A5 itself is still a powerhouse with an albatross of 512MB RAM (planned obsolescence). A 4S with 1GB RAM will still be in use across the world, but that would've cut into sales of every iPhone after it since. With that said, I still feel the A5 devices should get iOS 9.

For the OP, I would say if waiting through WWDC in June is feasible, see what 8.2 and 8.3 does for the 4S and if it's gonna receive iOS 9. A decision will be more easily made then.

 

[GreatDrok]

The original iPad had an A4 chip just like the iPhone 4, but it was never updated past iOS 5.1.1, while the iPhone 4 was supported with the latest release of iOS 7(which was a mistake, in my opinion. iOS 7 ran pretty poorly on the 4.)

Just because Apple can make the latest version of iOS avaialble for a device doesn't mean they should. The 4s doesn't have the processing power or RAM avaialble to keep up anymore. It's time to move on.

The original iPad has 256MB of RAM. The A4 it has is actually faster than the one in the iPhone 4 but it was lack of RAM which prevented it getting above iOS 5. In the case of the iPhone 4 while it does indeed run like crap if you update it to iOS 7, a wipe and setup as a new phone fixes that. I have a 4 on iOS 7 and the improvement after starting fresh was marked and made me wonder if I could have run the phone for another year. I even went back and wiped the iPad 1 and that runs much better now too. It is clear that if you just upgrade your OS each time, eventually your device will run really slowly and you'll think you've upgraded too far but in reality a wipe and fresh startup makes a world of difference.

That said, I don't think the iPhone 4S is getting iOS 9 even if the iPad mini 1 does but I suspect if that's the case it won't really be because the hardware couldn't run it.

 

[oldmacs]

The original iPad has 256MB of RAM. The A4 it has is actually faster than the one in the iPhone 4 but it was lack of RAM which prevented it getting above iOS 5. In the case of the iPhone 4 while it does indeed run like crap if you update it to iOS 7, a wipe and setup as a new phone fixes that. I have a 4 on iOS 7 and the improvement after starting fresh was marked and made me wonder if I could have run the phone for another year. I even went back and wiped the iPad 1 and that runs much better now too. It is clear that if you just upgrade your OS each time, eventually your device will run really slowly and you'll think you've upgraded too far but in reality a wipe and fresh startup makes a world of difference.

That said, I don't think the iPhone 4S is getting iOS 9 even if the iPad mini 1 does but I suspect if that's the case it won't really be because the hardware couldn't run it.

If iOS 9 runs better than iOS 8, like the rumours suggest, i can't see why all A5 devices wouldn't get iOS 9. Apple needs to ground iOS on low spec devices, so it doesn't become really really RAM and power hungry.

 

[RoboWarriorSr]

I think it's not the processing power the culprit.
A5 has enough.
The RAM is a limit, for sure.
After a fresh boot my iPhone 6 has about 500 Mb of free RAM, with Swype and two widgets loaded. During normal usage I often see that level go down to 60-80 Mb of free RAM, especially when web browsing.
Go figure what's happening on an iPad 2 or an iPhone 4S.
It's definitely time to move on.

Yeah most issues I've been noticing on A5 devices is RAM related not processor related. Would removing widgets from the notification center actually increase the amount of RAM available or it wouldn't matter? Haven't heard anything about this. Considering the notification center seems to refresh often, I would assume it's one of the first processes to get purge so it wouldn't make a difference.

 

[TRDmanAE86]

According to my direct experience on my sister's iPad 2, there is a very noticeable difference between iOS 8.0 and iOS 8.1.2 performance wise. So I'm expecting slightly improvements on the next two releases.
I'm not for ripping of consumers, since I'm a consumer too, but 3 years are a more than reasonable cycle of life for a tech device.
And if you can't upgrade your iPad mini one year after purchase, that doesn't mean you are losing any functionality. It still works. If you were looking for future upgrades, sorry but very poor choice: it's almost four years old tech you bought.

Personaly, I´d have to agree. My brother´s iPad 2 has been preforming terrible on iOS 8. The other night I had enough, investigated the issue and, discovered it running iOS 8.0.2. After a update, it was so nimble, reduce motion could be turned off !

However, with my iPhone 4S, I'm keeping it till it dies. It is running iOS 6.1.4 still and, it has treated me great (exempt that it needs a new battery).

Until Apple ditches the material design, i'm out. . I don't like the new redesign and, am planning on getting a Galaxy S5 as my next phone (It shares the same SIM card as the 4S so, by turning off iMessage, I can use both )

 

[cynics]

iPhone 4S won't receive iOS 9. I use one daily for work and my thumb can consistently out perform the phone. What I mean by that is I'll have my thumb hovering over where I know I want to click loading any/all apps including the phone app, message app i.e. the most basic apps. Its performance is just poor at best.

It received its 4 iOS versions, shipped with iOS 5, updated to 6, 7, 8. Now lets just let it die. All its doing is holding up future app development with its processing power, RAM, and screen size.

 

[Paddle1]

iPhone 4S won't receive iOS 9. I use one daily for work and my thumb can consistently out perform the phone. What I mean by that is I'll have my thumb hovering over where I know I want to click loading any/all apps including the phone app, message app i.e. the most basic apps. Its performance is just poor at best.

It received its 4 iOS versions, shipped with iOS 5, updated to 6, 7, 8. Now lets just let it die. All its doing is holding up future app development with its processing power, RAM, and screen size.

You do remember there are five A5 devices, the 4S is not the only one, also some of them are still currently sold. If iOS 9 is a performance improvement update it should run better than 8 currently does.

 

[oldmacs]

iPhone 4S won't receive iOS 9. I use one daily for work and my thumb can consistently out perform the phone. What I mean by that is I'll have my thumb hovering over where I know I want to click loading any/all apps including the phone app, message app i.e. the most basic apps. Its performance is just poor at best.

It received its 4 iOS versions, shipped with iOS 5, updated to 6, 7, 8. Now lets just let it die. All its doing is holding up future app development with its processing power, RAM, and screen size.

They're gonna have to support A5 devices, as they're still selling them and at least in terms of iPads, they make up the majority of the installed base.

Many people can put up with poor performance to get updates anyway. Its all down to perception. I find my iPad 2 very serviceable and responsive to use, yet others find it completely unusable.

If iOS 9 is actually developed around the low RAM and graphics power in older iOS devices, it might have a half chance of running decently on newer devices. That would deliver performance improvements across the board. Apple has done it before. The 3GS runs iOS 6 better than iOS 5 - actually iOS 6 on the 3GS isn't half bad. basic animations are smooth - only the very occasional jittering. Apple is capable of doing this and it would be a great time to optimise for all devices.

 

[cynics]

You do remember there are five A5 devices, the 4S is not the only one, also some of them are still currently sold. If iOS 9 is a performance improvement update it should run better than 8 currently does.

While true, that is not an indication of Apples upgrade path as we've seen in the past. Your assumption is good as mine. However we will be seeing a couple "first" if yours is correct while we won't see anything new if mine is. Also every iOS update has brought a degradation of performance with it. So iOS 9 bringing better performance to older devices is another assumption we'd have to make.

We'll be seeing Verizon dropping the 4S in its entirety (no preowned sales) soon as its not LTE and they are and have been purging all non LTE devices. I'll admit one thing doesn't have to do with the other but likelihood of Apple supporting a device major retailers won't sell is a reason to no update it on its own (they NEED to move people off of it).

Just because it has a certain component (processor in this example) isn't an indicator that it HAS to be updated. The JB community consistently finds features left out of devices due to "insufficient hardware" that work perfectly fine and MUCH better then features Apple does support. Just for example purposes I'll use AirDrop on the iPad 3, works perfectly. However Apple supported 3D flyover runs like complete crap.

Also keep in mind its not unlike Apple to drop sales mid season of certain devices. For example stop selling all A5 devices (the ones left) in April (example).

Only thing we can do is just wait and see. I don't mind eating my words. I just really don't see another update for the 4S coming regardless of its components.