Major performance improvement on iPhone 5 and 4S

[Ultra AleM]

Hello, guys! I found a way to get a major speed bump on the iOS 8.1 user interface. This is especially recommended for older models, such as iPhone 5 and 4S (A7 chip is still good with iOS 8).

First trick:
- Settings > General > Accessibility > Increase Contrast > Reduce Transparency

Second trick:
- Disable the predictive keyboard.

Now, you may notice that your UI is ugly as hell with transparency off... To fix this problem, set the background I did.

Now you should notice that your iPhone is faster and more responsive in everything. Someone advises to reduce motion, too, but I found out it's useless: it doesn't speed up the phone since the time you have to wait before tapping becomes responsive is the same the animation takes.

Hope this helps. Let me know!

PS: iOS 8.2 may improve performances. Until then, this trick is really sweet.

 

[BrettApple]

Yep. This is a pretty well known practice. I've been doing it since iOS 7 on my 4s. iOS 8 made it so much worse though. Under iOS 7 it wasn't nearly as laggy/frame droppy as iOS 8.

I haven't noticed the iPhone 5 dropping frames or being slow though. It's got a triple core SGX543MP3 vs the dual core slower clocked MP2 in the A5.

On the 4s I have as a backup/WiFi device I've turned off transparency, predictive KB, Widgets, Spotlight items I don't use, and it was a fresh restore. I don't use reduce motion anymore like I did because it doesn't drop frames so much anymore. I think 8.1.1 might have helped that out? I do turn off the wallpaper perspective zoom though, it's rather annoying.

 

[Ultra AleM]

Yep. This is a pretty well known practice. I've been doing it since iOS 7 on my 4s. iOS 8 made it so much worse though. Under iOS 7 it wasn't nearly as laggy/frame droppy as iOS 8.

I haven't noticed the iPhone 5 dropping frames or being slow though. It's got a triple core SGX543MP3 vs the dual core slower clocked MP2 in the A5.

On the 4s I have as a backup/WiFi device I've turned off transparency, predictive KB, Widgets, Spotlight items I don't use, and it was a fresh restore. I don't use reduce motion anymore like I did because it doesn't drop frames so much anymore. I think 8.1.1 might have helped that out? I do turn off the wallpaper perspective zoom though, it's rather annoying.

All the iPhones have a dual core processor. The only device with a triple core processor is the iPad Air 2. Anyways, yes: iPhone 5 was incredible with iOS 6, still good with iOS 7, but iOS 8 slowed it down a lot. This trick improved the frame rate so much on mine. Waiting for iOS 8.2 to fix this mess (hopefully, but I have doubts...).

 

[LordQ]

I wish the dock and folders would at least be color-aware and change to match the wallpaper. Ugh...

 

[Ultra AleM]

I wish the dock and folders would at least be color-aware and change to match the wallpaper. Ugh...

Yeah, that's such a shame. But with my background, it's okay.

 

[BrettApple]

All the iPhones have a dual core processor. The only device with a triple core processor is the iPad Air 2. Anyways, yes: iPhone 5 was incredible with iOS 6, still good with iOS 7, but iOS 8 slowed it down a lot. This trick improved the frame rate so much on mine. Waiting for iOS 8.2 to fix this mess (hopefully, but I have doubts...).

Triple core GPU. The CPU is dual core, yes.

I wish the dock and folders would at least be color-aware and change to match the wallpaper. Ugh...

Indeed. It is a bit ugly. Especially with colored wallpapers. I wish they could just improve the performance enough to make it bearable again. With the 4s it drops enough frames it can go from the bottom to the top with nothing in-between. And it's not the hardware, since 7.1 was buttery smooth. It's something they changed under the hood.

Anyway, there are still a LOT of A5 devices, but Apple still has the chance with iOS 9 to change direction a bit. I don't think the 4s will get it, but lets hope they don't hurt the A6 devices with it at least. Mobile tech changes so fast.

 

[TommyA6]

All the iPhones have a dual core processor. The only device with a triple core processor is the iPad Air 2. Anyways, yes: iPhone 5 was incredible with iOS 6, still good with iOS 7, but iOS 8 slowed it down a lot. This trick improved the frame rate so much on mine. Waiting for iOS 8.2 to fix this mess (hopefully, but I have doubts...).

Dual core CPUs, yes (although the number of cores means nothing on its own), but the iPhone 5 GPU (2,5x as fast as the 4s one ) does indeed have 3 cores (4s has a dual core GPU).

iPhone 5 runs iOS 8.1.2 much, much better than iPhone 4s.

EDIT:

^ Beat me to it

 

[XTheLancerX]

All the iPhones have a dual core processor. The only device with a triple core processor is the iPad Air 2. Anyways, yes: iPhone 5 was incredible with iOS 6, still good with iOS 7, but iOS 8 slowed it down a lot. This trick improved the frame rate so much on mine. Waiting for iOS 8.2 to fix this mess (hopefully, but I have doubts...).

Here are some more fun facts, I know I've been beaten to this already but I wanna say this anyway, the A5X chip found in the iPad 3 has 1GB of RAM, and a quad core GPU. However the iPad 2, iPod Touch 5th gen, iPhone 4S, and iPad mini 1 have half the RAM and only 2 GPU cores. The A7 chip has a quad core GPU, and the A8 as well. However the A8X has 2GB of RAM, a triple core CPU, and an octa core GPU.

But anyway, back on point. I don't think 8.2 will do too much, that's mostly focused on getting the iPhone 5, 5C, 5S, 6, and 6+ ready for the Apple Watch when it comes out this spring. However, if an 8.3 update happens, that could be our bug fixer. At this rate it won't be as big as 7.1 was because of time constraints, but it could be something. Or it could just be for the iPad Pro/iPad Air Plus if that happens . I am more willing to bet on an iOS 9 bug fixer and performance improver. iOS hasn't been able to really take a step back and get cleaned up yet, and it's been long overdue. If iOS 9 isn't a bugfixer, we will just have to all enjoy a hellstew of glitches, quirks, bugs, stutters, and battery life problems for another year or so. Fun.

Oh, and by the way. These wallpapers actually look great for using reduce transparency as well. Dock blends in wonderfully in them.







After uploading these, I have discovered that it's truly a nightmare trying to upload images to this site. It's impossible to upload multiple images (from my iPad at least) and it's very aggravating. Had to resort to using photo bucket for the screenshots, and this site for the third party wallpaper so you guys could get the best quality if you wanted it. Sorry that the screenshots are so large.

I wish the dock and folders would at least be color-aware and change to match the wallpaper. Ugh...

Or at the very least have a general consensus for color, but still be solid and non GPU intensive. Like how the passcode screen is still solid, but sort of gets the color of the wallpaper in a way if you get what I'm saying. Same thing for Notification Center or Control Center possibly? Or maybe those could get the transparent (not translucent) look that the iPad 2, iPad 3, and iPhone 4 get. Those were still a little more lively than solid black or solid gray, but they were still smooth because it wasn't GPU intensive. Because of those little touches to the iPad 2 and 3, they actually are smoother in many areas compared to my mini 2!! Sort of sad that an A5 device beats an A7 device in UI performance at times. Yes, the A5 has much less of a load but still.

 

[Ultra AleM]

I don't think iOS 9 will improve performances. A major update never did in the history of iOS.

 

[XTheLancerX]

I don't think iOS 9 will improve performances. A major update never did in the history of iOS.

Hey, before OS X Snow Leapard, a performance-only update never happened (that I'm aware of, Im not really the most involved with OS X). iOS 9 being primarily a bug fixer/performance improver is probably pretty unlikely, but we can't completely rule it out as of yet. There is not enough time for Apple to really do an overhaul like 7.1 at this point, after all. iOS 9 will most likely just throw wood on the fire if it isn't a bug fixer.

 

[Ultra AleM]

Hey, before OS X Snow Leapard, a performance-only update never happened (that I'm aware of, Im not really the most involved with OS X). iOS 9 being primarily a bug fixer/performance improver is probably pretty unlikely, but we can't completely rule it out as of yet. There is not enough time for Apple to really do an overhaul like 7.1 at this point, after all. iOS 9 will most likely just throw wood on the fire if it isn't a bug fixer.

iPhone OS 2 made performance worse.
iPhone OS 3 made performance worse.
iOS 4 made performance worse.
iOS 5 made performance worse.
iOS 6 made performance worse.
iOS 7 made performance worse.
iOS 8 made performance worse.

So I don't get how iOS 9 may improve things ahah

 

[LordQ]

Triple core GPU. The CPU is dual core, yes.

Image



Indeed. It is a bit ugly. Especially with colored wallpapers. I wish they could just improve the performance enough to make it bearable again. With the 4s it drops enough frames it can go from the bottom to the top with nothing in-between. And it's not the hardware, since 7.1 was buttery smooth. It's something they changed under the hood.

Image.

Yeah... I mean, c'mon! Even Windows 8 has a color-aware taskbar!