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Making my iPhone 4 faster
- Thread starter Silly John Fatty
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At some point I was actually thinking of getting one, but after having used it for a while (borrowed from a friend), I must say I disliked the size too. It's a small difference but it just doesn't feel right. I'm thinking of either getting a 4 or 4S again but with iOS 6. They're just hard to find now here because obviously everyone wants them, and when you happen to find one, they are really expensive. But it may be worth it, I'll see.
I'll happily sell you my iPhone 4. $500 since you want it so bad. Plus shipping. I live in the UK so yeah. I can try and dig out the original box for you though.
Yes, and why does it need more resources, when it doesn't bring anything new? Try to explain that please.
Apple is a hardware company - they get paid when you get frustrated and buy a new iPhone; not when you are happy to be using a 5 year old phone.
Many get new phones when they aren't frustrated (and are actually happy and want something new to be happier or continue being happy).
If you don't want the big 'uns, why don't you get a 5S? Still roughly the same size (feels it in-hand) and tremendously faster and more modern. According to your post above, money obviously isn't an issue.
I have to agree with the others... the iP4 is 5 years old - that's positively ancient in tech terms. Think of computers from 5 years ago; unless it was a very high end machine then, it's probably a low-end dual core machine that while OK for basic use today, is probably beyond the scope of people like us (I recently sold my similarly-aged Mini for that very reason - it's C2D processor just wasn't enough for my use any more; unfortunately, I replaced it with a Windows machine... *grr*).
And I didn't have a smartphone in 2010 - couldn't afford one (well, couldn't afford the required $100/month plan). To be frank, for someone who lives on a tight budget, even today smartphone plans are out-of-reach. Thankfully there are plenty of budget options - my wife has a Moto X on Cricket ($35/month) and I have an LG Optimus G on Ting (~$25/month). Personally, I'd love an iPhone, but I want a bigger screen - I can't afford a $600+ iPhone 6 and I don't want a tiny 5 or 5S, thus I stick with my 'Droid. Same goes for my computer - for the things I do, I need at least an i5 and 8GB RAM; I can't afford a MacBook with those specs, so I have an off-lease HP EliteBook.
Just my $.02.
And ultimately, my complaint is just like I think yours ultimately is - why on earth will Apple not let us un-upgrade our devices? I guess it's that they want us to buy a new device, but for me that's exactly what's NOT going to happen - when they do things like this, it makes me go buy a completely different product (an iPhone 4 after "upgrade" is the very thing that drove me to Android to begin with).
I very vaguely recall seeing a comparison of iOS6 and iOS7 API and processes. From what I can remember, iOS7 introduced quite a bit new code.
You might try digging around based on that. I too had an iPhone 4 up until the end of 2013. iOS7 truly made it no longer fun to use.
I think to get iPhone 4 at its fastest, you have to go back to iOS4, the original firmware it came with. I remember having a fast iPhone 4 on virgin iOS4. Not iOS4.0.1 or 4.1. Just the original firmware it came with. Of course many of my apps broke from updating as apps needed a higher iOS requirement.
iPhone 4 on iOS7 is a slow phone, no matter what you do with it. I am playing with a 3Gs now. This is basically a single core that is 200 MHz slower and half the RAM as the 4. Only has music in it. No apps. On iOS6, slow and laggy. After 2-3 gens updates of iOS, you really will never get the speed and smooth animations as the time you first got it with its original firmware that it was built on.
iPhone 4 on iOS7 is a slow phone, no matter what you do with it. I am playing with a 3Gs now. This is basically a single core that is 200 MHz slower and half the RAM as the 4. Only has music in it. No apps. On iOS6, slow and laggy. After 2-3 gens updates of iOS, you really will never get the speed and smooth animations as the time you first got it with its original firmware that it was built on.
The problem is old hardware. They are not going to support phones over 4 years old anymore. And why should they. New apps have more power, that means faster phones. Apple is not going to just say ok iOS 4 was perfect lets stop there. They are going to improve it and add features. If you don't want a bigger phone or like iOS 8 you are out of luck. Either you move on to another system entirely or learn to live with it.
Yup.
Also, Apple will no longer sign blobs to prevent us from downgrading. Apps will also get broken because of app developers updating the apps with a specific firmware requirement. I like that in Android you can backup apps from the Gingerbread era and still use them in later updates. Saved the apk. I have a UberMusic app I can still use on KitKat. With Apple, there is no App Backup & Restore app. Updates sometimes does make apps worse in design or memory leak.
It is true though Apple run a business where people need to upgrade and will stop caring about legacy hardware to focus on both new hardware and software. And iPhone 4 is simply old hardware. It was the last single core model. I should've waited for the 4s instead. It's dual core chip aged better than the iPhone 4 which wasn't a big jump from the 3Gs hardware. I played a game of Subway Surfers and the iP4 lagged considerably. The 7x faster GPU on the 4s was a better choice looking back.
OP should get a 4s instead. With iOS5 on board, the better. But a good starting point with a small iPhone is the 5s from 2013, perhaps the last great iPhone model that is pocket friendly. Most phones from 2010 and prior are horrendous to use these days. But iPhones generally age better than Androids and not just in resell value. With Androids, I can only go back to 2013. With iPhone, maybe 4s (2011). But I do see lag on it as well playing games on Minion Rush two years later.
Regard the GPU more than the higher clocked CPU. If outdated, don't go for it. An old GPU Mali 400 is still great for 3D games and animations. And that came out in 2011 with the first gen Galaxy Note. The iPhone 4 GPU is ANCIENT compared to it and it came out only a year earlier. GPU is really the key for any laggy and stuttering animations.
Let's be honest, but iOS has gotten more and more bloated every year. The anemic 1 GB RAM is starting to rear its ugly head.
I got an iPhone 4 on launch day. I get why some people will want to hang onto it. Back in 2010, I remember thinking I would love to keep that phone for at least FIVE YEARS. I only made it after THREE YEARS until I sold it off in Aug 2013. No real regrets. The only real way to get the speed and smoothness back is to go back to iOS4, the original firmware that hardware was built on. It got bloated by iOS5 and laggy by iOS6. And even if you can go back, you would lose many apps since they have a higher iOS requirement since developers update their apps build on NEWER hardware in mind.
Nothing is really forever in this industry. Be happy any smartphone can serve you well for 2-3 years. After that, just move on to something better and faster. Five years is way too long holding onto a phone thinking it will be fast again with a more bloated software for an underclocked 800 MHz single core processor with only 512 MB RAM. You are asking for a miracle here. Like asking your grandma to beat Usain Bolt in a sprint. You can't have it both ways. Back to iOS4 or iOS5, and you lose many apps but you get the speed back. Stick to iOS7, and you are stuck with a slow phone but you can still use the apps and newer iOS features.
I got an iPhone 4 on launch day. I get why some people will want to hang onto it. Back in 2010, I remember thinking I would love to keep that phone for at least FIVE YEARS. I only made it after THREE YEARS until I sold it off in Aug 2013. No real regrets. The only real way to get the speed and smoothness back is to go back to iOS4, the original firmware that hardware was built on. It got bloated by iOS5 and laggy by iOS6. And even if you can go back, you would lose many apps since they have a higher iOS requirement since developers update their apps build on NEWER hardware in mind.
Nothing is really forever in this industry. Be happy any smartphone can serve you well for 2-3 years. After that, just move on to something better and faster. Five years is way too long holding onto a phone thinking it will be fast again with a more bloated software for an underclocked 800 MHz single core processor with only 512 MB RAM. You are asking for a miracle here. Like asking your grandma to beat Usain Bolt in a sprint. You can't have it both ways. Back to iOS4 or iOS5, and you lose many apps but you get the speed back. Stick to iOS7, and you are stuck with a slow phone but you can still use the apps and newer iOS features.
firstly, reading through this thread has give me a few good chuckles before bed. anyway, my iPhone 6 recently decided to take a swim in the ocean while I was on vacation. So I am back to the iPhone 4 world for a few weeks until I replace it, and if I'm being blunt... THIS. SUCKS. Never had to do a downgrade before, and I think I'm having withdrawals.
iPhone - Went from 1.x.x to iPhone OS 3 and became SLOW
iPhone 3G - Went from 2.x.x to iOS4 and became SLOW
iPhone 3Gs - Went from 3.x.x to iOS6 and became SLOW
^^^ Fresh restore, no 3rd party apps, still SLOW.
I never got my iPhone 4 up to iOS7 as I sold it before everyone got the update. But it got to iOS6 and it started to show a hint of lag and I had a bug where the screen won't go to sleep sometimes after 1 min.
Only the iPhone 4s seemed to age the best having the first dual core chip. But Apple will eventually disregard it as it only has 512 MB RAM. The iPhone 6/6+ may age the worst since the 4 being it was the last model to have 1 GB RAM which might double this year. If iPhone 4's bottleneck was being the last model having single core, the 6/6+ issue is having the same amount of RAM from the iPhone 5 nearly three years ago. Being the most recent model with that bottleneck right before an upgrade in specs results in a shorter lifespan for that iPhone gen.
Usually we get caught in dilemma to update or not to update with firmware and apps. Update but worry it becomes glitchy and slows your phone. Don't update and you will miss out on all the cooler new features. And usually after 2-3 gens of updating the firmware, it will never remain as fast and fluid like when you first got it.
iPhone 3G - Went from 2.x.x to iOS4 and became SLOW
iPhone 3Gs - Went from 3.x.x to iOS6 and became SLOW
^^^ Fresh restore, no 3rd party apps, still SLOW.
I never got my iPhone 4 up to iOS7 as I sold it before everyone got the update. But it got to iOS6 and it started to show a hint of lag and I had a bug where the screen won't go to sleep sometimes after 1 min.
Only the iPhone 4s seemed to age the best having the first dual core chip. But Apple will eventually disregard it as it only has 512 MB RAM. The iPhone 6/6+ may age the worst since the 4 being it was the last model to have 1 GB RAM which might double this year. If iPhone 4's bottleneck was being the last model having single core, the 6/6+ issue is having the same amount of RAM from the iPhone 5 nearly three years ago. Being the most recent model with that bottleneck right before an upgrade in specs results in a shorter lifespan for that iPhone gen.
Usually we get caught in dilemma to update or not to update with firmware and apps. Update but worry it becomes glitchy and slows your phone. Don't update and you will miss out on all the cooler new features. And usually after 2-3 gens of updating the firmware, it will never remain as fast and fluid like when you first got it.
You had me nodding my head in agreement right up to the part I bolded.
The OP isn't asking for his trusty iPhone4 to beat out an iPhone6, only asking how he can speed it up a bit.
What he's asking is how grandma (even at her ripe old age) can run a little faster and be a little healthier, and for those simple tasks there is a prescribed way (as described in earlier posts to this thread).
It was a reasonable request with reasonable solutions.
I have an iphone 4 freshly restored that I use as an ipod. It's not as fast as my 5s, but I don't really have any lag. I can't remember if IOS 6 was any faster, but old hardware is still old hardware as you said. Even if IOS 6 was faster, I couldn't go back to skeuomorphism.
Even if you can time travel back nearly five years ago and own a brand new iPhone 4 with iOS4 out of the box, the speed compared to today's phones will make it look SLOWER. How you remember it back then when it was FAST and SMOOTH were based on the standards you had back then. The iPhone 4 already lags playing Candy Crush Saga and Subway Surfers, games released two years after iPhone 4.
I remember thinking Retina Display was all hyperbole. After getting used to screens over 326+ ppi during the five years, going back to a iPhone 3Gs becomes an eyesore. Same applies to a single core iPhone 4 that struggles on iOS7. From 2010 to 2013, we had a huge jump in mobile tech. It would be similar to the advancement between PlayStation 1 vs 2 of (5-6 year gap). I remember thinking the 3D graphics were amazing on PS1 and later on Nintendo 64. When I got all four consoles in the 6th gen, PS2 and GameCube made its predecessors' look very basic at 3D polygons. The gap between iPhone 4 vs iPhone 5s generally feels the same.
I remember thinking Retina Display was all hyperbole. After getting used to screens over 326+ ppi during the five years, going back to a iPhone 3Gs becomes an eyesore. Same applies to a single core iPhone 4 that struggles on iOS7. From 2010 to 2013, we had a huge jump in mobile tech. It would be similar to the advancement between PlayStation 1 vs 2 of (5-6 year gap). I remember thinking the 3D graphics were amazing on PS1 and later on Nintendo 64. When I got all four consoles in the 6th gen, PS2 and GameCube made its predecessors' look very basic at 3D polygons. The gap between iPhone 4 vs iPhone 5s generally feels the same.