iPod touch Should I update my iPod Touch 5 (from 8.0.2) to 9.3.5?

[mxims96]

Hello,

I originally updated my Touch to 8.0.2 from iOS 7 because I thought it would make it operate smoother, and it turns out I was completely wrong. Over two years later, I have jailbroken the device, and added some of my own improvements such as disabling the dynamic blur effect that Apple has seemed to become so obsessed with, using Speed Intensifier, and using HideMe8 to disable more effects. I would like to update this device to iOS 9.3.5, however I am hesitant to because there is no jailbreak. I want to stay jailbroken because if there were any tool released, such as Beehind, to downgrade to iOS 6, I would have to have Open SSH installed. As you can probably guess I highly desire returning to iOS 6.

I use the Touch for minimal web browsing, playing music, and playing small games such as Six and Doodle Jump. I also like to fool around with various Cydia tweaks.

My question is that -- despite losing the jailbreak -- will iOS 9.3.5 offer a better user experience than that of the sluggish 8.0.2 firmware, with the performance improvements that I have applied? Also how much more time will pass before someone with the proper knowledge goes out and develops a jailbreak utility? I have read many forums upon this topic and have found no clear answer.

Slate iPod Touch 5th Generation, 64 GB

 

[JHresearch]

Hello,

I originally updated my Touch to 8.0.2 from iOS 7 because I thought it would make it operate smoother, and it turns out I was completely wrong. Over two years later, I have jailbroken the device, and added some of my own improvements such as disabling the dynamic blur effect that Apple has seemed to become so obsessed with, using Speed Intensifier, and using HideMe8 to disable more effects. I would like to update this device to iOS 9.3.5, however I am hesitant to because there is no jailbreak. I want to stay jailbroken because if there were any tool released, such as Beehind, to downgrade to iOS 6, I would have to have Open SSH installed. As you can probably guess I highly desire returning to iOS 6.

I use the Touch for minimal web browsing, playing music, and playing small games such as Six and Doodle Jump. I also like to fool around with various Cydia tweaks.

My question is that -- despite losing the jailbreak -- will iOS 9.3.5 offer a better user experience than that of the sluggish 8.0.2 firmware, with the performance improvements that I have applied? Also how much more time will pass before someone with the proper knowledge goes out and develops a jailbreak utility? I have read many forums upon this topic and have found no clear answer.

Slate iPod Touch 5th Generation, 64 GB

Don't update. I went from 8 to 9.3.5 and it has slowed everything way down. I wish I could go back. Apps open very sluggishly (although work OK once opened), typing is slowed down, etc....

 

[mxims96]

Don't update. I went from 8 to 9.3.5 and it has slowed everything way down. I wish I could go back. Apps open very sluggishly (although work OK once opened), typing is slowed down, etc....

Thank you for your advice. It seems like I will just stay on iOS 8.0.2 until a downgrade utility is made possible (if).

 

[FeliApple]

Stay. I have an iPod Touch 5 on iOS 6 and it works flawlessly but several family members have updated their iPod Touches to iOS 9 and they lag heavily. I certainly do not recommend iOS 9. iOS 8 was nowhere close to 6 but at least it worked better.

 

[mxims96]

Stay. I have an iPod Touch 5 on iOS 6 and it works flawlessly but several family members have updated their iPod Touches to iOS 9 and they lag heavily. I certainly do not recommend iOS 9. iOS 8 was nowhere close to 6 but at least it worked better.

You are very lucky to have an iPod Touch 5 on iOS 6! I envy you! IMO, iOS 6 was the best os Apple made.
Thanks for your advice.

 

[ackmondual]

Don't update. I went from 8 to 9.3.5 and it has slowed everything way down. I wish I could go back. Apps open very sluggishly (although work OK once opened), typing is slowed down, etc....

Stay. I have an iPod Touch 5 on iOS 6 and it works flawlessly but several family members have updated their iPod Touches to iOS 9 and they lag heavily. I certainly do not recommend iOS 9. iOS 8 was nowhere close to 6 but at least it worked better.

That's disappointing to hear! When I heard of some having performance issues with ios8, I figured ios9 would fix them given it was supposed to add optimization code. Whether or not ios9 really is optimized or not, the IpT5 hardware just isn't up to snuff for that

Myself, my IpT5 is still on ios7. I believe that's what came with it? Either way, I'm going with the "don't fix it if it ain't broke" philosophy. I only use it to play the backlog of games I have. That's it. No games have required me to update thus far.

 

[mxims96]

That's disappointing to hear! When I heard of some having performance issues with ios8, I figured ios9 would fix them given it was supposed to add optimization code. Whether or not ios9 really is optimized or not, the IpT5 hardware just isn't up to snuff for that

Myself, my IpT5 is still on ios7. I believe that's what came with it? Either way, I'm going with the "don't fix it if it ain't broke" philosophy. I only use it to play the backlog of games I have. That's it. No games have required me to update thus far.

That's what I am doing with my iPhone 6S, I am leaving it on 9.3.3, and my iPad 2 I downgraded to 6.1.3 from 8.3 using Beehind. I have tried using another friend's Touch on iOS 9, and another's 4S on ios 9, and they all seemed pretty slow. I didn't have enough time to get used to the performance on their devices, though.
The iPod Touch 5 came with ios 6, but the rehashed versions (like the space grey one) came with ios >7 I think.

 

[Paddle1]

That's what I am doing with my iPhone 6S, I am leaving it on 9.3.3, and my iPad 2 I downgraded to 6.1.3 from 8.3 using Beehind. I have tried using another friend's Touch on iOS 9, and another's 4S on ios 9, and they all seemed pretty slow. I didn't have enough time to get used to the performance on their devices, though.
The iPod Touch 5 came with ios 6, but the rehashed versions (like the space grey one) came with ios >7 I think.

I find the 6s is actually faster with iOS 10. That's probably the only exception.

 

[mxims96]

I find the 6s is actually faster with iOS 10. That's probably the only exception.

I have read about that everywhere, but I also noticed mixed opinions on the 6S on iOS 10 vs iOS 9. My philosophy is that the devices are in their prime when they are on their factory-released software, so I am reluctant to update my 6S. Also, I like the jailbreak.

It seems Apple is in fact adding a few improvements in their software; in iOS 9 they freed a lot of space, and in iOS 10, they sped up the animations and optimized some things. Who knows, maybe the iPhone 5 will be the first iPhone to run smoothly on its final firmware (doubt it). I have always wondered how more powerful devices like the 6 and 6S will run on their final firmware.

 

[FeliApple]

You are very lucky to have an iPod Touch 5 on iOS 6! I envy you! IMO, iOS 6 was the best os Apple made.
Thanks for your advice.

Well, I use it for music only, maybe a few apps, so I do not need nor want the latest OS.As I updated my iPad 4 to iOS 7 and it worked awfully (lags, crashes everywhere, GC doesn't work, App Store's search function doesn't work), I decided to keep my iPod forever on iOS 6. I hate iOS 7 and over in design, and although functionally my iPad Pro is flawless on iOS 9, it won't match the smoothness of iOS 6.
That coupled with a huge decrease in smoothness when I updated my iPod Touch 4G to iOS 5, made me completely distrust Apple iOS updates.

 

[Math889]

If I were you, I would stay in IOS 8. IOS 9 slowed down significantly all A5 devices
I wouldnt even installed IOS 8 on it. A5 devices should stay on IOS 7

 

[rui no onna]

If I were you, I would stay in IOS 8. IOS 9 slowed down significantly all A5 devices
I wouldnt even installed IOS 8 on it. A5 devices should stay on IOS 7

Lol, A5 devices should've stayed on iOS 6.

That said, imho, iOS 9 runs better than iOS 8 on devices with 1GB RAM (e.g. iPad 3).

 

[Math889]

Lol, A5 devices should've stayed on iOS 6.

That said, imho, iOS 9 runs better than iOS 8 on devices with 1GB RAM (e.g. iPad 3).

Usually, a IPhone/iPad start to slow in the 3 firmaware. A5 devices just doesn't have the horsepower to deal with iOS 7 design. And iOS 8 and 9 slowed down these devices especially the iPad 2 and iPhone 4S. The iPad 3 is less laggy than iPad 2 because it has 1GB of RAM.

Now , I am wondering. If iOS 11 brings a redesign, Will it slow down the IPad Air 1 and IPhone 5s , making these devices the new iPad 2 and iPhone 4S???

 

[rui no onna]

Usually, a IPhone/iPad start to slow in the 3 firmaware. A5 devices just doesn't have the horsepower to deal with iOS 7 design. And iOS 8 and 9 slowed down these devices especially the iPad 2 and iPhone 4S. The iPad 3 is less laggy than iPad 2 because it has 1GB of RAM.

Now , I am wondering. If iOS 11 brings a redesign, Will it slow down the IPad Air 1 and IPhone 5s , making these devices the new iPad 2 and iPhone 4S???

Lol, more like slowdown on iOS devices tends to become annoying or even unbearable after the 2nd major firmware update. The Air and 5s were released with iOS 7 and have already received 3 major firmware updates - iOS 8, 9 and 10. Imho, the 5s has done quite well compared to its predecessors at around the same age. The Air, meanwhile, is more or less on par.

Longevity from this point forward, I reckon 5s will be able to cope better with firmware updates. The Air's GPU is just too weak for its 2048x1536 (~3.1MP) screen resolution. Meanwhile, the A7 on the 5s only needs to render less than 1/4th the pixels. That said, these devices are already 3 years old and going on 4 years. That's like an eternity in tech.

 

[Math889]

Lol, more like slowdown on iOS devices tends to become annoying or even unbearable after the 2nd major firmware update. The Air and 5s were released with iOS 7 and have already received 3 major firmware updates - iOS 8, 9 and 10. Imho, the 5s has done quite well compared to its predecessors at around the same age. The Air, meanwhile, is more or less on par.

Longevity from this point forward, I reckon 5s will be able to cope better with firmware updates. The Air's GPU is just too weak for its 2048x1536 (~3.1MP) screen resolution. Meanwhile, the A7 on the 5s only needs to render less than 1/4th the pixels. That said, these devices are already 3 years old and going on 4 years. That's like an eternity in tech.

Certainly IOS 11 is going to support the iPhone 5S and IPad Air . BUT, will IOS 11 be the last OS for it ? Or Apple will give one more year to these devices ? Honestly , I think the limiting factor for the 5S will be the 1GB of RAM .

 

[rui no onna]

Certainly IOS 11 is going to support the iPhone 5S and IPad Air . BUT, will IOS 11 be the last OS for it ? Or Apple will give one more year to these devices ? Honestly , I think the limiting factor for the 5S will be the 1GB of RAM.

Apple hasn't dropped support for 32-bit A6. We'll see what happens. Based on current performance, I think Apple is more likely to drop support for iPad Air, mini 2 and mini 3 before it drops support for the 5s. Given the mini 3 was just released in 2014, we may see a couple more years of updates for the A7.

I know a lot of people are fond of saying amount of RAM is the limiting factor but these devices are really the sum of their parts. CPU, GPU, RAM (both memory bandwidth and amount), screen resolution, and iOS version and features all play a part in overall performance. GPU, especially, seems quite important given how much eye candy there is on iOS now. I was honestly surprised to find that my personal experience with iOS devices pretty much follow the GFXBench T-Rex and Manhattan hierarchy.

After using 3 different devices (iPad 3, 4 and Air) with the same amount of RAM (1GB) on iOS 7, 8 and 9, I'm not convinced that RAM is the sole limiting factor. If amount of RAM was the only issue, then the iPad 3 and 4 would have performed better than they did. As it is, I found the Air significantly faster than the 4. Meanwhile, the iPad 3 felt as slow as molasses.

 

[Math889]

Apple hasn't dropped support for 32-bit A6. We'll see what happens. Based on current performance, I think Apple is more likely to drop support for iPad Air, mini 2 and mini 3 before it drops support for the 5s. Given the mini 3 was just released in 2014, we may see a couple more years of updates for the A7.

I know a lot of people are fond of saying amount of RAM is the limiting factor but these devices are really the sum of their parts. CPU, GPU, RAM (both memory bandwidth and amount), screen resolution, and iOS version and features all play a part in overall performance. GPU, especially, seems quite important given how much eye candy there is on iOS now. I was honestly surprised to find that my personal experience with iOS devices pretty much follow the GFXBench T-Rex and Manhattan hierarchy.

After using 3 different devices (iPad 3, 4 and Air) with the same amount of RAM (1GB) on iOS 7, 8 and 9, I'm not convinced that RAM is the sole limiting factor. If amount of RAM was the only issue, then the iPad 3 and 4 would have performed better than they did. As it is, I found the Air significantly faster than the 4. Meanwhile, the iPad 3 felt as slow as molasses.

The Air 2 is significantly faster than the Air 1 . It has. 2GB of RAM,.this is a HUGE difference .

 

[rui no onna]

The Air 2 is significantly faster than the Air 1 . It has. 2GB of RAM,.this is a HUGE difference .

It also has around 1.5-2x CPU power and over 2x GPU power of the Air but that often gets ignored because of the increase in RAM. It's like RAM is the end-all and be-all of performance improvements.

 

[ackmondual]

It also has around 1.5-2x CPU power and over 2x GPU power of the Air but that often gets ignored because of the increase in RAM. It's like RAM is the end-all and be-all of performance improvements.

RAM is what keeps users from having to reload apps and Safari tabs all too frequently, but yes, I do acknowledge there are other factors with OS performance.

 

[rui no onna]

RAM is what keeps users from having to reload apps and Safari tabs all too frequently, but yes, I do acknowledge there are other factors with OS performance.

Yep, not arguing that lack of RAM causes frequent app and tab reloading as well as out of memory crashes. Lag and stutters, though, likely due to CPU/GPU/Memory Bandwidth.

 

[FeliApple]

I felt the need to comment here due to previous discussion on the huge loss of performance from updating that my iPod Touch 5G on iOS 6 turns on faster from standby than an iPad Pro 9.7 on iOS 9, an iPhone 7 on iOS 10, an iPhone 6s on iOS 9, and several other older devices. Who said that the iPod Touch and the A5 weren't powerful enough?

 

[ackmondual]

I felt the need to comment here due to previous discussion on the huge loss of performance from updating that my iPod Touch 5G on iOS 6 turns on faster from standby than an iPad Pro 9.7 on iOS 9, an iPhone 7 on iOS 10, an iPhone 6s on iOS 9, and several other older devices. Who said that the iPod Touch and the A5 weren't powerful enough?

The only thing I would argue is that couldn't we just put the blame on ios being bloated, inefficient, or whatever, more so than saying the hardware wasn't up to snuff?

I'm thinking about updating my IpT5 from ios7.0.4 to 9.3.5 (I'm assuming even if I could update to just ios8, it'd be the same difference) to get some game updates. It could go bad, but OTOH, it's a mostly a gaming device, and running 3.5 years, so the battery's dying anyways.

 

[FeliApple]

The only thing I would argue is that couldn't we just put the blame on ios being bloated, inefficient, or whatever, more so than saying the hardware wasn't up to snuff?

I'm thinking about updating my IpT5 from ios7.0.4 to 9.3.5 (I'm assuming even if I could update to just ios8, it'd be the same difference) to get some game updates. It could go bad, but OTOH, it's a mostly a gaming device, and running 3.5 years, so the battery's dying anyways.

Of course, the hardware is up to snuff and is indeed several times more powerful, but my point was exactly the one you made, that although the hardware is several times more powerful, it can't compensate for the lack of optimization on iOS 7 and up, and therefore results in some things being slower in devices that should run miles ahead of the iPod.

 

[rui no onna]

I felt the need to comment here due to previous discussion on the huge loss of performance from updating that my iPod Touch 5G on iOS 6 turns on faster from standby than an iPad Pro 9.7 on iOS 9, an iPhone 7 on iOS 10, an iPhone 6s on iOS 9, and several other older devices. Who said that the iPod Touch and the A5 weren't powerful enough?

iOS 6. There you go. Quite honestly, the Air/iOS 7, Air 2/iOS 8 and Pro 9.7/iOS 9 are not quite as smooth UI-wise as iPad 4/iOS 6 combo.

All the eye candy present in iOS 7 and higher coupled with 2048x1536 resolution on retina iPads really took its toll on the GPU and it seems like it'll take at least the A10X in order to match A6/iOS 6 smoothness.

 

[FeliApple]

iOS 6. There you go. Quite honestly, the Air/iOS 7, Air 2/iOS 8 and Pro 9.7/iOS 9 are not quite as smooth UI-wise as iPad 4/iOS 6 combo.

All the eye candy present in iOS 7 and higher coupled with 2048x1536 resolution on retina iPads really took its toll on the GPU and it seems like it'll take at least the A10X in order to match A6/iOS 6 smoothness.

You are right, and even more considering that the device is not an iPad 4 with the A6X, it is the iPod Touch with the A5, who knows how many times slower than the A10.
But the A5 being faster than the A10 and the A9X in their first iOS version is, in my honest opinion, proof that Apple really screwed up iOS 7 onwards with resources needed to run its own OS.