iOS 12 is also available on older iPhones, but should you upgrade to the new version? Here’s what changes on iPhone 5s and 6 compared to iOS 11.
iOS 12 has been released and for the first time Apple does not leave the old iPhone and iPad behind: the new version of the operating system also supports the iPhone 5s, the model released in the now distant 2013, and the iPad Mini 2.
Who updated the iPhone 5s to iOS 11 last year noticed the negative effects on battery and performance due to the older processor, the 1GB RAM and the software itself that affects consumption.
But this year with iOS 12 Apple has focused more on quality and performance and aims to benefit even older devices, for the first time rejecting forced obsolescence.
If you have received the update on your iPhone 5s, 6 or 6 Plus, the question of whether or not to install it is legal. Here are the things to know and the opinions of those who have downloaded iOS 12 on older devices.
How it goes iOS 12 on iPhone 5s, 6 and iPad Mini
In general, we can say that anyone who uses an older iPhone or iPad can easily upgrade to iOS 12 without worrying about speed and responsiveness. In daily use, improvements will also be seen on devices that had begun to show signs of age with iOS 11.
Of course, no software update, however well done, can turn an old GPU into a new one or upgrade a 1GB RAM; in addition, the battery condition of a non-new device can also significantly affect performance. On iPhone 5s, for comparison, iOS 12 offers similar performance to those of iOS 10 and allows operations faster than iOS 11. From the first tests we see more speed in the opening of apps such as Maps, Safari, Mail and Camera. If you do not have special needs or use the iPhone 5s/6 as a secondary phone we strongly recommend upgrading to iOS 12, first of all for security reasons, and then because the device behaves more than good while browsing, sending emails and using most of the apps.
iOS 12 and battery problems: what to do
A proper clarification concerns the battery life. With iOS 12, the iPhone downloads first? Several users have noticed an increase in consumption such as to fail to get to the end of the day. This is quite normal: in particular, iPhones consume more battery in the days immediately following an iOS update as we use them more. There are new features to try, the redesigned apps to familiarize with, etc … and all this is enough to cause considerable consumption. In these cases it is advisable to wait 24-48 hours: after a couple of days and some complete charging cycles, iOS 12 will stabilize and battery life will return to normal. But if after a few days the problem persists you have to act. The solutions are two: either check the condition of your battery and opt for a replacement in the store, or use the methods to save iPhone battery, avoid waste and increase the duration of the charge.
iPhone 5s and 6 with iOS 12: what features are missing
The first thing to point out to those who own an iPhone 5s or 6 and want to know if it is better to install iOS 12 is that they will not have access to all the new features of the update. Due to the hardware limitations Apple will not bring some news of iOS 12 on older devices and will be exclusive to iPhone X, Xs and Xr. In any case, the main improvement that iOS 12 brings to the table, or better performance, will involve all the iPhone and iPad supported.
The features of iOS 12 that will be absent on older iPhones are:
Depth control
This new feature of iOS 12 will only be available on the iPhone XS and XS Max: on the new devices just presented and released on September 28, users can control the depth effect of photos taken in Portrait mode. A feature actually absent even on the iPhone X and iPhone 8 Plus due to the lack of the Bionic A12 chip.
Siri Tips and Shortcuts
This feature allows Siri to automatically suggest shortcuts to tasks based on our use, thanks to the artificial intelligence of the processor. It will not be available for iPhone 5s, iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.
Memoji
Memojis will not be available for all iPhones starting from iPhone 5s. The only exception is the iPhone X as it is equipped with a TrueDepth camera in the front sensor for Animoji and Memoji.
New Camera Effects
Inspired by Instagram and Snapchat Apple has added filters, stickers and text effects to the Camera application in Messages and FaceTime. This will allow users to add effects to their photos before sharing them in chat. However, this feature will only be available on iPhones from the latest 10.5 and 12 iPhone 6s, iPads and iPad Pro.
How’s iPhone 6 with iOS 12?
The “rejuvenation” of the old iPhone is one of the main objectives of iOS 12, available for download from 17 September. Apple claims that the update can help launch applications up to twice as fast, charging the camera with +70% speed and speeding up the keyboard up to 50%.
Anyone who has tried iOS 12 on iPhone 6 Plus has noticed that the iPhone takes one-two seconds more to load an app or bring up the keyboard and use, although it has been 4 years since the release, is acceptable. The display is bright, crisp and responsive even by today’s standards, as the camera is fast and takes beautiful pictures in any light condition.
Who has an old iPhone can try to install iOS 12 and see how it goes. In the event that the update should give problems or if you were not satisfied with the new version, you can downgrade, ie go back to the previous one. Just back up from iCloud or iTunes to not lose all the data and deleting all the old photos that overload the memory, maybe it can be useful to restore the factory settings. This procedure should be done within a few days of switching to the final version of iOS 12 as it is impossible to downgrade when Apple closes previous iOS signatures.