Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
iPhone 6 Plus Lag Poll
- Thread starter booksbooks
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
It seems to me that the definition of 'lag' in this thread is somewhat ambiguous, and some may be interpreting differently to others.
I propose that future posts maintain a specific definition:
LAG = delay between the trigger of event (ie pressing a button) and your phone performing that action.
STUTTER = animations start/stop briefly, part way through their motion, so the animation is not one smooth continuous action.
Obviously there could also be a combination of the two. But the point is that there are potentially two different issues that people are talking about, and it's generally not clear in previous posts.
I propose that future posts maintain a specific definition:
LAG = delay between the trigger of event (ie pressing a button) and your phone performing that action.
STUTTER = animations start/stop briefly, part way through their motion, so the animation is not one smooth continuous action.
Obviously there could also be a combination of the two. But the point is that there are potentially two different issues that people are talking about, and it's generally not clear in previous posts.
I own neither, but compared them extensively at the Apple store today (for nearly 40 minutes) and it was pretty clear from direct comparison that the 6 is smoother than the 6 Plus. Specifically, there are certain situations when scrolling up or down a page where the 6 Plus occasionally lags for a moment. This also happens sometimes when double-pressing the home button to bring up multi-tasking -- the phone pauses and then jumps immediately to the multi-tasking screen rather than smoothly progressing through the animation.
With the multi-tasking lag, the problem only appears if you've been doing something else beforehand and then try it. If you instead open the multi-tasking switcher, close it, and then open it up again immediately, it does not appear to lag.
This process was repeatable on the three 6+'s that I looked at in the store (on 8.0.2) and I suspect it occurs on all of them. The real question is whether the user is sensitive to it.
I'm not particularly hopeful that anything can be done about it, because the Haswell 13" rMBP also lags in the multi-tasking switcher when set to a resolution that forces it to render above 2880x1600 and scale down.
I might get the Plus anyway because I really want the additional battery life and would like the larger screen. I'm hesitant, though, because it'll be inconvenient at the gym and, with the same GPU as iPhone 6 but rendering (and then scaling) more than double the pixel count, may fall more noticeably behind the 4.7" 6 with iOS 9.
----------
It's hard to distinguish the two because "stutter" essentially is higher than normal latency in rendering frames. I'm not sure what distinguishing them accomplishes.
With the multi-tasking lag, the problem only appears if you've been doing something else beforehand and then try it. If you instead open the multi-tasking switcher, close it, and then open it up again immediately, it does not appear to lag.
This process was repeatable on the three 6+'s that I looked at in the store (on 8.0.2) and I suspect it occurs on all of them. The real question is whether the user is sensitive to it.
I'm not particularly hopeful that anything can be done about it, because the Haswell 13" rMBP also lags in the multi-tasking switcher when set to a resolution that forces it to render above 2880x1600 and scale down.
I might get the Plus anyway because I really want the additional battery life and would like the larger screen. I'm hesitant, though, because it'll be inconvenient at the gym and, with the same GPU as iPhone 6 but rendering (and then scaling) more than double the pixel count, may fall more noticeably behind the 4.7" 6 with iOS 9.
----------
It's hard to distinguish the two because "stutter" essentially is higher than normal latency in rendering frames. I'm not sure what distinguishing them accomplishes.
rotate ur screen, it will stutters....not acceptable for a brand new device IMO
It does not for me :/
Idk I see some slight stutters but I'm gonna call ios8 the culprit as the regular 6 has lag issues for me and I gave it to my gf and she said it was lagging earlier. Definitely the OS.
I understand it won't be as fast in gaming and such though. But the ui should be similar in performance.
If it bothers me at all I'll return it. Simple really lol
The UI is GPU-accelerated, so if any iOS animation is GPU-bound, the 6 should exceed the performance of the 6 Plus. That said, I would imagine that the 6 Plus should still be powerful enough to smoothly transition throughout iOS without stuttering.
We don't have a precedent for an iOS device that renders at a resolution above its display resolution, so perhaps that process really is too much for the hardware in certain instances.
Last edited:
It definitely lags. Due to that and the bending issue I will return my 6+ and get a 6. Maybe 6+S next year. 
I notice it very rarely on my 6 plus but i really feel like its 8.0.2 and also apps not being optimized. I feel like it will get better with time. I noticed the same thing the first time i updated my iPhone 5 to iOS 7 and also when i first got my iPhone 5, then after a couple updates it got better.
Is there any precedent for doing this on ANY device? Seems such a waste of precious GPU cycles.
Still deciding between the Plus and 6, mostly the size.
I do notice screen rotation lag to landscape using Spotlight. It is as plain as day not only with mine but all the Plus I tried at Apple Store.
I admit it is there but I am not returning the Plus because of that.
I do notice screen rotation lag to landscape using Spotlight. It is as plain as day not only with mine but all the Plus I tried at Apple Store.
I admit it is there but I am not returning the Plus because of that.
I don't notice any lag or stuttering on my 6 Plus. The key word here is notice. It may lag or be a millisecond slower than a 6. I don't know and I don't care as I don't notice.
Actually, I think that is quite a bit of latency before the rotation takes effect -- it takes much longer to start the rotation than it should, based on how quickly the 5S and 6 rotate (in supported apps). Once it does rotate, it seems to do so without the animation stuttering (as your video shows).
The only "lag" that was bothering me was stuttering while scrolling on some websites, and the delay in the multi-tasking switcher coming up after double-tapping home. Not really a big deal though, and probably only really noticeable when you're using a 5S or 6 next to the 6 Plus.
----------
The rMBP's will downscale if you set the rendering resolution above native. For instance, the 13" rMBP has a 2560x1600 display and normally renders sizes to be equivalent to 1280x800. You can also set it to render the equivalent sizes of 1440x900 or 1680x1050.
In the case of 1440x900, the OS will render everything at 2880x1800 and then downscale to 2560x1600. The same goes for 1680x1050 (where it renders 3360x2100).
Changing either does introduce noticeable lag when using multi-tasking gestures on the Haswell 13" rMBP on both Mavericks and Yosemite. I haven't tested the 15" -- the version of it with the GeForce 750M might perform better.
on the messages app open keyboard.. then rotate.. 7.0 had same issues... pretty much fixed on 7.1.2. But the one i saw today lagged when swiping between pages.
::I'm typing this on my 4S, please pardon any spelling or auto correct errors::
I've now spent three separate outings (two at the Apple store, one at Best Buy) with hands on experience with both phones. Total combined time, probably two hours.
On my first visit (Opening weekend of sales) I was convinced the 6 was for me. Perfect fit for my hand, great upgrade from the 4S and super fast. After reading more on the two phones however, I was REALLY excited about the larger battery the PLUS had. Being 6'5", the larger phone wasn't/isn't unwieldy to handle and extra screen real estate is obviously a plus. (pun intended)
So, what to do? Go to Best Buy and test them out again. At this point I was still going for fit, nothing to do with speed, that wasn't on my radar just yet. Both phones (at a glance) were incredibly responsive and snappy.
Later that night (this was last Monday) I ordered my PLUS, excited and confident. But, like any good nerd... errrr consumer, I continued reading. I had a nagging suspicion that the 6 (pushing fewer pixels with the same processor) had to be faster.
Article after article, benchmark tests, YouTube videos and comment sections... The hunt for info was on. This forum (even with the bias of the OP) is/was the best place to post my findings and ask a question to those who may be more technically knowledgeable than I.
Went back to the Apple store today and did as meticulous and unbiased "tests" as I could. What did I find? The iPhone 6 IS faster than the PLUS, but we're talking mili-seconds. Frame rate discrepancies seem undetectable to the naked eye and the only time I could get it to "stutter" was coming OUT of spotlight back to the home screen. Furthermore! I only noticed the stutter because I was doing it directly next to the 6 while doing a simultaneous manipulation multiple times.
Here's the question, in iOS 8 unless you're being very picky, this isn't a deal breaker. Both phones are incredibly snappy and unless you're holding them side by side, you would never notice a difference. Question is, will further iOS updates begin to increase lag, latency and stutter on the PLUS or decrease it?
I use phones for as long as possible, hence why I'm still on a 4S. Is the 6 PLUS a dud that is underpowered for the long haul or will it stay neck and neck with its smaller sibling? Does FPS in opengl no longer matter with the introduction of Metal API? Are current benchmark tests unable to accurately rate the new processor? Does the FPS only matter when playing graphic intense games or will this eventually effect overall performance of the phone?
My current "fears" are having me second guess ordering the plus and I would love to hear opinions from all of you.
Thanks!!!!
I've now spent three separate outings (two at the Apple store, one at Best Buy) with hands on experience with both phones. Total combined time, probably two hours.
On my first visit (Opening weekend of sales) I was convinced the 6 was for me. Perfect fit for my hand, great upgrade from the 4S and super fast. After reading more on the two phones however, I was REALLY excited about the larger battery the PLUS had. Being 6'5", the larger phone wasn't/isn't unwieldy to handle and extra screen real estate is obviously a plus. (pun intended)
So, what to do? Go to Best Buy and test them out again. At this point I was still going for fit, nothing to do with speed, that wasn't on my radar just yet. Both phones (at a glance) were incredibly responsive and snappy.
Later that night (this was last Monday) I ordered my PLUS, excited and confident. But, like any good nerd... errrr consumer, I continued reading. I had a nagging suspicion that the 6 (pushing fewer pixels with the same processor) had to be faster.
Article after article, benchmark tests, YouTube videos and comment sections... The hunt for info was on. This forum (even with the bias of the OP) is/was the best place to post my findings and ask a question to those who may be more technically knowledgeable than I.
Went back to the Apple store today and did as meticulous and unbiased "tests" as I could. What did I find? The iPhone 6 IS faster than the PLUS, but we're talking mili-seconds. Frame rate discrepancies seem undetectable to the naked eye and the only time I could get it to "stutter" was coming OUT of spotlight back to the home screen. Furthermore! I only noticed the stutter because I was doing it directly next to the 6 while doing a simultaneous manipulation multiple times.
Here's the question, in iOS 8 unless you're being very picky, this isn't a deal breaker. Both phones are incredibly snappy and unless you're holding them side by side, you would never notice a difference. Question is, will further iOS updates begin to increase lag, latency and stutter on the PLUS or decrease it?
I use phones for as long as possible, hence why I'm still on a 4S. Is the 6 PLUS a dud that is underpowered for the long haul or will it stay neck and neck with its smaller sibling? Does FPS in opengl no longer matter with the introduction of Metal API? Are current benchmark tests unable to accurately rate the new processor? Does the FPS only matter when playing graphic intense games or will this eventually effect overall performance of the phone?
My current "fears" are having me second guess ordering the plus and I would love to hear opinions from all of you.
Thanks!!!!
Thanks for all the input.
I would like to confirm lag and stutter in iPhone 6plus. I am coming from a 4s and its sad how un snappy the phone is. I had a 5s for about a month and that phone screamed. My gf has 5s and I have done a lot of side by side tests. the 6 is truly laggy . its breaking my heart and its just like my rmbp debacle. I hate my rmbp and I wish I never bought it.. my 2012 mba is way faster and smoother than my 2014 rmbp..
what gives apple... seriously. the reason I made the switch to apple was how smooth and fast everything seemed to be.. but lately I have been let down.
----------
I wonder if the regular 6 is more like the 5s.. maybe this issue is from the resolution and gpu. but honestly the gpu in the 6 is much improved over the 5s and should be able to handle it. maybe and hopefully this is all software related but I'm skeptical. I have been waiting and waiting update after update for the lag in my rmbp to go away and it hasn't. apple is pushing hardware too much these days with high resolutions. the crappy part is all this stutter seems to be objective to endusers with only 20% noticing the stutters. I don't know why Im keen to noticing it maybe I'm too picky but I think apple owners deserve to be. one test I've been doing a lot is going to settings wallpapers , stills and just scrolling up and down. the 6 stutters every time. side by side with the 5s its unnoticeable. my 4s passes this test easily as well. Im about to return the 6 and just stick with my 4s ... crazy crazy?
I would like to confirm lag and stutter in iPhone 6plus. I am coming from a 4s and its sad how un snappy the phone is. I had a 5s for about a month and that phone screamed. My gf has 5s and I have done a lot of side by side tests. the 6 is truly laggy . its breaking my heart and its just like my rmbp debacle. I hate my rmbp and I wish I never bought it.. my 2012 mba is way faster and smoother than my 2014 rmbp..
what gives apple... seriously. the reason I made the switch to apple was how smooth and fast everything seemed to be.. but lately I have been let down.
----------
I wonder if the regular 6 is more like the 5s.. maybe this issue is from the resolution and gpu. but honestly the gpu in the 6 is much improved over the 5s and should be able to handle it. maybe and hopefully this is all software related but I'm skeptical. I have been waiting and waiting update after update for the lag in my rmbp to go away and it hasn't. apple is pushing hardware too much these days with high resolutions. the crappy part is all this stutter seems to be objective to endusers with only 20% noticing the stutters. I don't know why Im keen to noticing it maybe I'm too picky but I think apple owners deserve to be. one test I've been doing a lot is going to settings wallpapers , stills and just scrolling up and down. the 6 stutters every time. side by side with the 5s its unnoticeable. my 4s passes this test easily as well. Im about to return the 6 and just stick with my 4s ... crazy crazy?
I have the zoom animations turned off in the Accessibility settings because I don't care for them (also did that with my iPhone 5) so that may be one reason why I don't see much lag in the interface.
update.
After reading about people having problems when restoring iPhone from backup I decided to to a complete reset of the phone as a new iPhone. Using dfu mode.
Gotta say its feels a lot smoother. There are still stutters but its an improvement.
After reading about people having problems when restoring iPhone from backup I decided to to a complete reset of the phone as a new iPhone. Using dfu mode.
Gotta say its feels a lot smoother. There are still stutters but its an improvement.
The interesting thing is that I experienced occasional lag for the first few days I had the 6 Plus, but over the past week or so have not had that happen anymore. I haven't updated the firmware from 8.0 yet.
I would mostly experience lag in the form of delayed reactions in apps like Safari and Instagram.
I do from time to time get the black screen when opening Facebook, but I think that could be attributed to scaling the app for the 6 Plus's display.
Yes, it lags. But you can help reduce it by changing your display view from "Standard" to "Zoomed". This makes the GPU render at iPhone 6 resolution and then scale up to 1920X1080 instead of 3x retina and scaling down. And since scaling is extremely light on the GPU, you get pretty much the same performance of the iPhone 6 on a bigger screen. The trade off is you lose optimized landscape apps and you sacrifice pixel density.
Also another way to help reduce lag is go into Settings > General > Accessibility > Increase Contrast. Here turn on reduce transparency. The lag for me when I rotate the phone on the home screen in spotlight search is gone. Big difference there, even while still in "Standard" view. For me, that is the best compromise. Plus, I don't care if backgrounds are blurred into oblivion.
Also another way to help reduce lag is go into Settings > General > Accessibility > Increase Contrast. Here turn on reduce transparency. The lag for me when I rotate the phone on the home screen in spotlight search is gone. Big difference there, even while still in "Standard" view. For me, that is the best compromise. Plus, I don't care if backgrounds are blurred into oblivion.
Last edited: