Why You Shouldn’t Download IOS 11 on Your Old IPhone Anyway
When iOS 11 first came out, we warned you to wait before updating your iPhone. Two weeks later, it might be worth the wait if you’re using an iPhone 7 or older, at least according to a recent PhoneArena poll.
iOS 11 stutters on older iPhones
After some initial complaints on a tech blog, a survey was conducted of readers asking if installing iOS 11 caused their iPhone to slow down or stutter while in use. The answer seems to be clear: yes.
Of the 3,304 people who took part in the survey, 31.34% (1,029 people) said their iPhone “stutters very badly,” and another 24.85% (821 people) said they “stutter a little more.” Only 22.85% (755 people) said it works well and the remaining 21.6% were Android users.
PhoneArena has no way of verifying these voices, so you should definitely be suspicious of them. However, the results are pretty clear. For over 50% of people, iOS 11 causes problems on older phones.
What about iOS 11.1?
It’s also worth noting that the PhoneArena poll does not take into account the latest iOS version. Apple just released iOS 11.1 this week, and according to some reports, it brings noticeable performance improvements (including increased battery life) to older devices.
ZDNet says that iOS 11.1 eliminates most of the lag and frame drops from iOS 11. However, the site adds that you should really only install it on an older device if you’re already using iOS 11. Otherwise, performance will still degrade. … Forbes adds that overall there are fewer issues with iOS 11.1, although some people have experienced keyboard issues, stuttering, and screen dimming.
So if you plan on using your old iPhone for a while, you probably shouldn’t be updating it. Just keep ignoring these requests from Apple if you don’t want your phone’s performance to drop.