iPhone 6(S)/Plus iPhone 6 Plus Becoming Incredibly Slow?

[ardchoille50]

Thanks for the replies.



Thanks - it might be to do with iOS 10, in any case it's very frustrating to use. Missed a photo opportunity today as it took so long opening the app and switching to the correct mode. I've never kept a phone this long before so it might be the result of two major iOS upgrades, but I still think it should run better than this. I would consider a 7 Plus, but am a student and have just bought a new MacBook Pro so that's most of my disposable income gone for the foreseeable future... Maybe a second hand 6s Plus might be viable.


Honestly not sure if it's a storage issue, I get the feeling it's fine. Seems to me like there's either a memory leak somewhere or the phone is chronically underpowered - I might try a wipe and restore and see what happens.


I think the combination of the same CPU/GPU but rendering everything @3x and then downscaling to 1080p is what might make the 6 Plus slower than the 6.


I do have background app refresh on for quite a few apps, but not all, and yes, do use FB. It's been fine up until recently, though. I don't really game on it - it's usually Safari, Messages, Spotify and social media which take up the majority of time. Not really sure if any of those could cause any issues.


I might try a full wipe and restore this week since I have some time off - if it doesn't help, might just have to live with it. It's definitely not just me - gave my phone to a friend to look something up and they complained how 'laggy' it was, especially compared to their 6s!

If the wipe and restore seem to help, try turning off background app refresh for third-party apps, but keep it on for the system. You can always refresh an app after you launch it. I have always kept background app refresh and location services turned off for third-party apps, it just seems a waste when it only takes me a second to launch an app and have it refresh on its own.

Many social media sites have a mobile theme/layout for web browsers. Something like m.facebook.com and twitter should have something too. It just seems to me to be a waste to use an app when there is a perfectly good website that can do the same thing - it's more difficult for a website to make the phone laggy.

 

[anonymous guy]

My previous device was a iPhone 6 Plus that was purposely left on the last iteration of iOS 9 in case the "planned obsolescence" would hit those phones. It still performed like a champ just weeks ago before I moved on.

Like others have suggested, try restoring the phone as new and see if the slow down persists.

 

[janeauburn]

My 6 Plus on iOS 9 works fine.

 

[WannaGoMac]

My 6 Plus on iOS 10 at first was great, then the subsequent releases made it slower. I dont have background refresh turned on for more than a couple apps (skype, etc), Spotlight is set to search contacts and music, reduce transparancy and reduce motion.

Anything else I can do? Wipe and restore from backup is another option just a pain and I doubt it will help.

 

[SoN1NjA]

Wipe and restore from backup is another option just a pain and I doubt it will help.

Yeah, that doesn't work

But try telling that to other people, I have restored!!! That **** is laggy, it's un****ingusable! I would love to use my 6 Plus over my 6s or 7, but the lag is too f***ing real, other than the omission of the Taptic Engine that's the reason I put the 6 Plus out of service as a legitimate phone

 

[janeauburn]

Anything else I can do?

Probably nothing now.

But do not EVER update iOS on an older phone--unless you are looking for a reason to have to upgrade your phone.

Apple will insult you by downloading updates to your phone anyway, and you will have to delete them every so often. But that's a small price to pay. F*** Apple!

 

[SoN1NjA]

Probably nothing now.

But do not EVER update iOS on an older phone--unless you are looking for a reason to have to upgrade your phone.

Apple will insult you by downloading updates to your phone anyway, and you will have to delete them every so often. But that's a small price to pay. F*** Apple!

Just install the tvOS beta profile (Google Search "Nathan Mock tvOS")

Your phone will use tvOS servers to find an iOS update, and since there isn't one there it won't update
[doublepost=1487935763][/doublepost]I think it's the 6 Plus's display that's the issue

Because I have an iPod 6 that's really smooth, it's not the fastest thing in the world, but it's smooth, which is what counts

 

[WannaGoMac]

nvm

 

[Zaft]

the 6 Plus was under powered from launch, it was the iPad 3 of iPhones.

 

[SoN1NjA]

the 6 Plus was under powered from launch, it was the iPad 3 of iPhones.

It really should have included 2GB of RAM
the iPhone has always been fine on 1GB of RAM, until iOS 10, and then it became ridiculously slow

and I don't think it's Apple on purposely slowing it down by adding frivolous CPU task, but do think it is Apple purposely slowing down the phone by providing the update, they know and we know these phones don't perform like they should

 

[iOSUser7]

It really should have included 2GB of RAM
the iPhone has always been fine on 1GB of RAM, until iOS 10, and then it became ridiculously slow

and I don't think it's Apple on purposely slowing it down by adding frivolous CPU task, but do think it is Apple purposely slowing down the phone by providing the update, they know and we know these phones don't perform like they should

I don't think the 1GB of RAM on iOS 10 is the issue here because the 5s and regular 6 are fine on this latest version. And I said fine not blazing fast.

However the fact that the 6 Plus renders iOS at 2208x1242 and then downsample at 1920x1080 compared to just pushing 640p (for the 5s) and 750p (for the regular 6) resolutions is what make this device extremely slow at times because of all the extra work it has to do.

The 6 Plus might have been fine for iOS 8 but it was definitely not prepared for future and more demanding iOS updates.

 

[SoN1NjA]

I don't think the 1GB of RAM on iOS 10 is the issue here because the 5s and regular 6 are fine on this latest version. And I said fine not blazing fast.

However the fact that the 6 Plus renders iOS at 2208x1242 and then downsample at 1920x1080 compared to just pushing 640p (for the 5s) and 750p (for the regular 6) resolutions is what make this device extremely slow at times because of all the extra work it has to do.

The 6 Plus might have been fine for iOS 8 but it was definitely not prepared for future and more demanding iOS updates.

Yes, I mentioned above I think it's the 6 Plus's display being a big problem, as I said my iPod 6 works amazing

And the already overworked CPU having to keep refreshing apps I'm sure does also make it seem more laggy

Because the CPU is working hard, and then above that do opening apps viewing webpages playing games

(Scaling is done by CPU right? Can't imagine GPU being used just for scaling)

 

[iOSUser7]

Yes, I mentioned above I think it's the 6 Plus's display being a big problem, as I said my iPod 6 works amazing

And the already overworked CPU having to keep refreshing apps I'm sure does also make it seem more laggy

Because the CPU is working hard, and then above that do opening apps viewing webpages playing games

(Scaling is done by CPU right? Can't imagine GPU being used just for scaling)

Oh I misread, I thought you were saying that 1GB of RAM iPhones are becoming slow since iOS 10, my bad.

Anyway, I have no idea if it's the CPU or GPU that is making the scaling, maybe someone with more knowledge about this might answer your question, but what I know is that the 1GB of RAM is shared memory so rendering all those pixels plus all the other tasks the phone has to do (like multitasking) make it really hard for the device to maintain a smooth performance.

 

[SoN1NjA]

Oh I misread, I thought you were saying that 1GB of RAM iPhones are becoming slow since iOS 10, my bad.

Anyway, I have no idea if it's the CPU or GPU that is making the scaling, maybe someone with more knowledge about this might answer your question, but what I know is that the 1GB of RAM is shared memory so rendering all those pixels plus all the other tasks the phone has to do (like multitasking) make it really hard for the device to maintain a smooth performance.

Yeah, my iPod is slow, unlocking and opening apps

But I don't care about that, at least the animations are 60FPS

I'd rather travel at 70MPH rather than 85MPH if the car doesn't studder all the time

 

[iOSUser7]

Yeah, my iPod is slow, unlocking and opening apps

But I don't care about that, at least the animations are 60FPS

I'd rather travel at 70MPH rather than 85MPH if the car doesn't studder all the time

Likewise. I would rather have a smooth 60 frames per second experience than slightly faster opening time with stuttering and dropped frames.

 

[CEmajr]

the 6 Plus was under powered from launch, it was the iPad 3 of iPhones.

Agreed. Came here to say the same thing. I'd say it was the only iPhone Apple released that was underpowered right out of the box.

 

[KieranDotW]

I haven't noticed any difference in speed since the day I bought it, and I'm running the latest public release of iOS. Maybe I just have low standards/no frame of reference since it's the only device I use other than my 5-year-old MBP

 

[Vivian125]

Then how come iPhone 5/5S users didn't get any slower from iOS 9 Update hence the animations were much snappier??After they updated to iOS 10?? For example iOS 10 closing apps and opening is much faster than iOS 9 and even the multitasking performance..
Maybe it's just your iPhone 6 Plus so many storage and you need to factory reset it in order to make your iPhone 6 Plus run faster again.

 

[SoN1NjA]

Then how come iPhone 5/5S users didn't get any slower from iOS 9 Update hence the animations were much snappier??After they updated to iOS 10?? For example iOS 10 closing apps and opening is much faster than iOS 9 and even the multitasking performance..
Maybe it's just your iPhone 6 Plus so many storage and you need to factory reset it in order to make your iPhone 6 Plus run faster again.

Maybe because they're not pushing really high resolutions and scaling them down? Do you even own the ****ing phone? Also, my 6 Plus had 64GB and not a damn thing on it, just restored, and slow as ****, why I sold the goddamn thing

Look into **** before coming here, because it sounds like you don't own the phone, so don't tell me and us how the **** our phones worked

 

[aakshey]

Following were probably (possibly?) the last iOS versions that ran nearly perfect on the below iOS devices:

iPhone 6s / Plus and newer - All versions till date. Can’t guarantee iOS 11 yet as iOS 11 Beta is sluggish right now on all iPhones.

iPhone 6 / iPhone 5s / iPhone 5c / iPhone 5 - iOS 8. iPhone 6+ was sorta slow out of the gate.

iPhone 4s - iOS 6

iPad Air 2, iPad Mini 4 and newer - All versions till date. Possibly including iOS 11 Beta.

iPad Air, iPad Mini 2/3 - iOS 8

iPad 3 - iOS 5 (not sure about iOS 6)

iPad 2 - My last experience with iOS 5.1.1 made me upgrade to iPad 3 which was much smoother. I have used that same iPad 2 on iOS 5.1.1 again a few weeks ago, after a gap of several years. And IMO it was unusable.

Prior to iPad Air / Mini 2 iOS devices used to run really well only on the iOS version they shipped with. iPad Air / Mini 2 changed that and one additional iOS version ran pretty well. Not as snappy. But rather well.

iPad Air 2 was a game changer. The first iOS version to slow it down noticeably will be no iOS sooner than iOS 12 I guess. And the iPad Pro 2015 was an even bigger game changer which will possibly last a long time if Apple doesn’t decide to make it obsolete. Which unfortunately they’re trying to do by holding back the ability for the first gen Pro iPads to run 3 apps plus PIP simultaneously.

Possible Future Predictions:

To run the below iOS versions reasonably well, it is possible that you’ll need at the very least the below mentioned hardware configurations. I’m not talking of just running iOS but running it smoothly enough.

iOS 11
All 2GB RAM devices. However, the Mini 4 may or may not cut it very well despite the RAM.

iOS 12
A9 or maybe A9X, not sure if A9 will be enough for ideal performance
2GB RAM, however, this is possibly when devices with 3GB plus RAM will start to show their true mettle.

iOS 13
At least A9X or A10 at the minimum I guess. And if we are doomed then A10X. Possibly even the A9 might do very well but I won’t bank on it.
3-4 GB RAM. Perhaps we will end up needing devices with 4GB or more RAM for ideal performance.

iOS 14
A10X - A11X / A12 is what you’ll need as the bare minimum CPU for ideal performance. I guess.
At least 4GB RAM.

I do feel the premium iPhones of 2018 are likely to carry 4GB RAM. And all USD 650+ iPhones of 2019 and beyond are also likely to 4GB RAM at least.

And all iPads onwards of 2019 are also likely to carry 4GB RAM or more. While Pro versions of 2019 or later are possibly going to come with a minimum of 6-8 GB RAM. While 2018 iPad Pro models are likely to still carry just 4 GB RAM I feel.

So iOS versions that ship onwards of Late 2019 or Late 2020 will only run properly with devices that have at least 4 GB RAM. And processors of that time are also likely to be at least 100-150%+ faster. So the only current processor that is likely to have acceptable or very satisfactory performance in iOS 13 is the A10X. If at all. But it’s likely IMO.

 

[mctrials23]

I'm still using a 6+ with iOS10 and its still pretty much perfect. I did a clean install a few months back and everything is quick and there is no lag, stutter or excessive slowdown doing anything at all. I can fully recommend doing a clean install and reinstalling apps you use.

 

[WannaGoMac]

Apple replaced my phone, and all my problems went away. It turns out I had touch disease on my 6 plus. It was slow, didn't respond to touches reliably etc. Replacement is far more reliable and responsive, though older iOS versions were of course a bit smoother on this old phone.

 

[HEK]

Apple replaced my phone, and all my problems went away. It turns out I had touch disease on my 6 plus. It was slow, didn't respond to touches reliably etc. Replacement is far more reliable and responsive, though older iOS versions were of course a bit smoother on this old phone.

Dang that's marvelous.....I'm heading to Apple Store in a few minutes.
My pay check doesn't cover my bills, family members on drugs, wife wants divorce, blood pressure sky high, roof leaks.
Hope I have as good results as you with new phone.
Thanks!

 

[WannaGoMac]

Dang that's marvelous.....I'm heading to Apple Store in a few minutes.
My pay check doesn't cover my bills, family members on drugs, wife wants divorce, blood pressure sky high, roof leaks.
Hope I have as good results as you with new phone.
Thanks!

I lucked out as I had complained about the issues before applecare ran out but the reps said my phone was perfect. a month later in november 2016 apple admitted to "touch disease" being real and implemented their touch disease repair program.

Otherwise sorry you got married and for all your other troubles. Unfortunately, marriage has become basically a big financial gamble/risk for people in the USA. Get a prenuptial or just stay single

 

[HEK]

I lucked out as I had complained about the issues before applecare ran out but the reps said my phone was perfect. a month later in november 2016 apple admitted to "touch disease" being real and implemented their touch disease repair program.

Otherwise sorry you got married and for all your other troubles. Unfortunately, marriage has become basically a big financial gamble/risk for people in the USA. Get a prenuptial or just stay single

Good idea, but prenup still leaves me with roof problem.

Apple still best when it comes to customer service.