Yeah, the Apple Store in Sacramento near me just has groups of criminals in the parking lot robbing anyone coming out of apple.. so I can’t even get a legit battery replacement. Ends up being safer to just buy a new one 😮 and create a bigger problem. It’s pretty lame actually. I wish there was a way the user could replace the battery themself 😢 Edit: I should add, I don’t like what the EU and now America are doing to Apple for not playing ball when it comes to privacy, it’s pathetic and wrong. I don’t want to change Apple.. I want to change the world around them lol.
Apple already confessed that if your battery isn't acting correctly, iOS slows down your processor. That of course caused stuttering and slow performance. There are hardly and new features being added that would need more processor power social media apps. Especially if it's accessing a new hardware feature that is not on your old phone.
This Note8 is a beast as well, it’s moving along at the same pace since the screen protector was pulled. Battery is roughly same and with normal use goes from morning to evening before it’s around 15-20% and will totally charge to full in half hour or less. Due to the note7 the Note8 is known for having a smaller battery than the competition at the time. Ram usage is exactly the same as when it was new give or take half a gig but it’s still showing the same amount of free ram available. I never had anything over the screen like a glass protector or anything and it’s on it’s second Incipo Back cover protector, same quality as an Otter box. Both sides of glass still not broken.
Would have been interesting to see how the new phone fared after being updated to the same OS version as the used one after doing the tests you did here
That’s what I was thinking. You can’t tell if the difference in speeds is because of aged hardware or a slower iOS version. Would’ve been great if he benchmarked after updating new phone to latest as well
My friend broke the power button on our iPhone SE1 battery was an eBay purchase still hard crashes a lot but we leave it plugged in as a sound machine for baby girl.
If it’s still boxed and “brand new.” If stored correctly and not poorly. It will be above 90%. I’ve owned the X personally and it was my favorite flagship iPhone. That year for iPhone and Android was superb. But as good as the X is, it can be a bit slow when rendering apps to this day. So id say the comparison is pretty accurate. Seems like the Note 10+ holds up better than the X from the same year.
When are we going to talk about a beast of a phone and a powerhouse the iPhone XS still is? most people forget about it's existence, this phone is so underrated and still performs so good even on the laggy and buggy iOS 17.
That's what I'm rocking and happy with it. The camera isn't great nowadays, but serviceable, and it does get weirdly warm sometimes, but yeah, a pretty solid performer.
iPhone XS was epic. I just lost mine less than a week ago, so picked up the 15 max pro. My XS was not slow at all, but it would easily overheat and then it’d get slow. Plus the battery was shot. But the camera was epic, in fact I built my YT channel over the last 2 years solely using it, at first even using it to edit videos (not this channel obviously). I’ve built my living based on the XS from 2022 to 2024, the phone is more than capable for the casual user.
Tech is not like before where 5-6 years make a huge difference. I’m surprised at how similar the 15 max pro feels. It feels like I made a 10% jump, if even.
I use a XS Max as my spare alongside my 15 Pro Max and it works perfectly fine except for when processing video edits and preparing a software update (which might be due to slower storage R/W speeds). Otherwise, it keeps apps in the background with no problems and its 6 year old battery still sits at 85%. I water damaged it once and used a hairdryer to try to dry out the internals. The FaceID doesn’t work but there’s no other flaw.
My xs max survived being in the laundry, I put it in rice for 2 days then left it in my car on a very hot summer day to kill any moisture inside and it is still strong till this day plus its on ios 14.6!!
Putting in a new official Apple battery would be an interesting follow up test. I've personally witnessed a few times a phone was stuttering and dropping frames while reporting normal battery health, but replacing the battery vastly improved it.
Literally just had my battery replaced on my 12 pro max after it getting to 77%, and was noticing considerable lag and stuttering. Glad to say, I can confirm it seems like a new phone again after getting the new battery! 🎉
12 It is still very strong and true. If the battery drops below 79, it starts to slow down, but also if the processor becomes old, even if it is 100 percent, it will slow down.
@@فارسالتميمي-ع7غI have the 11 and my battery life is 71%, honestly 80% doesn’t make a noticeable difference in my opinion, but 71% makes a HUGE difference 😭
I’m a firm believer ever since the iPhone 4 (my first iPhone) that every update slows down your phone. I first noticed when I went from iOS 4 to iOS 5 and my iPhone 4 was WAY sluggish and slower. Same with the iPhone 4s. Was extremely snappy and quick on iOS 5 but then iOS 6 came out, slowed it down for a bit and then the horrifically bad iOS 7 that changed everything…..
@@thebuddercweeper I can tell you that with future macOS versions, the M1 MacBook Air is not gonna feel anywhere as snappy as it does today... which is their plan. Making devices outdated, while a 12 years old PC can be snappy on Windows 11! Just like creating gigantic ewaste with iCloud locks, on actual COMPUTERS!
@@thebuddercweeper macOS support doesn't last very long, community had to make patchers, and while they're fantastic tools, they can come with caveats, and they won't change how slow Sonoma is on dual cores. I've been hackintoshing lately, and in macOS, a PC laptop with an i5 3210m feels much faster than a MacBook with that same CPU. Probably because of the terrible cooling in Macs. But, I don't even have to do that, because Windows 11 has more or less out of the box support for ancient hardware, the drivers can be installed and it just works!
@@Zebra_Paw 1. Using the previous version of macOS is not a huge deal, they all do mostly the same things you just don't get the latest features. 2. Windows 11 only officially supports 8th gen intel CPUs and later, or Ryzen 3000 and later. I would not call that "ancient"
my uncle upgraded from a 6S to an XR because his Apple Watch Series 4 was not compatible with the 6S. He feels no need to upgrade from his XR but will likely be forced to because, in the next few years because, his Apple Watch Series 4 will not support an unsupported operating system.
I have an XS max and a 14 Pro and the XS max has a bigger screen and feels lighter and better in the hand since it’s rounded. The performance is good in both. There are still things the 14Pro does better but I just love the XS max and it feels so good to hold.
The findings are already interesting but I think you were testing two factors here old vs new phone and iOS12 vs 17. I think if you now update the new phone to iOS 17 and run comparisons again it would give more insights on how the old vs new phone actually perform as well as how new phone on two different software versions compares.
I know right, I was perplexed in the comments how nobody seems to see the issue here. This guy is doing it completely wrong if you want a definitive answer to what he originally said at the beginning of the video. RUclips is playing one of its games with me today where it keeps recommending videos that seem normal but when you pay attention you start noticing that whatever it is your watching will have major inaccuracies about the videos topic or huge holes in gathered data and never acknowledge it either. Idk why yt does that type of stuff.
@@Rjean-paulcan’t know for sure unless he tested it. New iOS may be slower, less optimised or even more efficient than previous. Seeing as the old phone beat out the new phone in one test, I’m assuming the efficiency of the OS can impact the speed
Please don’t update the iPhone! It’s very rare on iOS 12 and collectors like me wish we would have that phone on that version…I only have one on iOS 16.2.1 and one on 17.0.3
Would be cool to see picture quality too! My brother and I were discussing how our photos seem higher quality when we first got our phones compared to after a few years of usage
3:26 Look here youngling, that's what we used to call a charger and a pair of earbuds. Back in my day (gets on soapbox) Apple used to provide those items with every iphone sold!
I remember having earpods with the clear plastic case. Never broke nor tangled those wired headphones because I would just wrap it up and put it in my pocket. Ended up breaking after washing them for the 5th time but I’m pretty sure it was the dryer that killed it.
Yep noticed it too. Mr Miani's reviews look and feel like all others on the subject. 10 minutes of blah blah, back to the subject for a few minutes then another round of blah blah. RUclips has become the equivalent of backyard chattering on rocking chairs. At least Mr Miani has a near perfect diction.
it does. changing the battery helps a little, but the device is more stressed as the time goes by, due to apps demanding for computational power. therefore more battery consumption and faster wearout .
My 15 pro max's performance was absolutely flawless when I bought it. 2 months and a few ios updates later, the phone sometimes stutters and does other weird little things. Sometimes the keyboard doesnt wanna work, an app doesnt work, or there is a lag in the animations. It doesn't happen all the time but that 5% of the time it does, really gets me because it was perfect before I updated it. This just me?
it's not just you. my old ipad works fine too. but years later, it forced me to upadte because it says "can't install apps please update to latest version of ios". than i was forced to update and low and behold, it got slower, lags frequently basically unusable now.
I think that you hit on an important point, Luke. In approximately 2007, Leo Laporte (technology guru/reporter) released an episode of his show where he stated that it was a good idea to annually reinstall the OS on your iPod in order to prevent software-induced slowdowns. Makes sense to me that the iPhone is no different!
My iPhone 6 just died before Christmas 2023. It lasted more than 8 years. I got the battery replaced by Apple in 2019. It was at 68%. I just love the form factor of the iPhone 6, so easy to fit in my pocket.
You should’ve tested something like iPad 2018, it’s literally unusable now on iPadOS 17. It was very fast on IOS 12, but now it drops to 30 fps even in Hill Climb Racing and crashes frequently. Benchmark score is the same, but real life usage performance drastically changed.
You should have updated the unboxed phone to iOS 17 as a last test to see if getting a new battery is all a phone needs! For someone who uses a Xs or 11 hoping to hold onto it while it still gets updates, that would have been great info.
The battery is not everything, but if it is weak, it contributes to slowing down the device, but if its percentage is high, then it is a problem of both.
As a person who just upgraded from iPhone 8 Plus to 15pm all I’m saying is there’s a night and day difference. The 8 plus used to always get warm and seemed to be working harder than when it was new. It didn’t feel like Apple slowed it down but rather the phone was aging and apps accompanied by iOS got more demanding.
Great video! I have noticed similar things in my testing, phones that are 5 or 6, or even 7 years old are still completely fine. It normally just comes down to the battery. On an older used phone the battery degradation over time will contribute the most to slow downs. I have especially noticed it when it's cold outside or when the battery is below 20%, or both. Fantastic video as always Luke!
No, my previous device, the 7 Plus, had a battery of 96 and it became slow. It was sold in 21 months 5. An iPhone 12 came to me as a gift. Perhaps if it had not arrived, I would have delayed the upgrade a little, but the device slows down because its processor is slow, and the company may slow it down, and consumption also plays a role.
Kinda ironic that their phones are becoming slower becos of the battery and when apple decided to slow down our phone a bit to save the battery and we know that poor battery means worse performance soooo apple decision was better lmao
I think it does if you update to the latest version of iOS. Basically the version of iOS your phone comes with out the box is the most ideal version you’ll ever have. It’s been written specifically for that device, while being fitted and adapted to every device prior to that years device. So if you want to keep your phone running in tip top shape, don’t ever update past the current year of iOS and get a new battery every year of two. Otherwise yeah it slows down over time.
I wish you updated the new one to see if it was the software slowing down the devices or the wear and tear on the electrical components from day to day use. 😢
It is basically slow. Why should we fear for the battery of an old device? I prefer to change the battery on a device, but now you will change an entire device.
Luke in IT and phone shops in Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam you can still buy new old iPhones still in sealed boxes. You’ve just inspired me to go and see just how old an iPhone I can buy.
@@BadMannerKoreaThey're not missing anything important at all, brand new phones do all the same things as their phone but slightly better and faster (which is not at all important). In fact, they're actually enjoying the ergonomic compact form factor and the headphone jack that you lost.
@@aquaponieee I don’t think you know what you’re talking about when you say, “slightly”. Every single measurable thing is better, to a significant and noticeable degree. And guess what? Phones from 2015 are obsolete technology. And even Apple has said so.
@@BadMannerKorea What I'm saying is, if their current phone still does everything they want and need it to, then there is no reason to upgrade, even if the upgrade is technically better. See, there is no point in getting the latest and greatest if you don't actually need it. If you're buying something only because it is the best and newest, in a few months something better and newer is going to come out, invalidating your purchase. You should buy something that serves your needs and use cases (doesn't have to be the most powerful phone), and use it until it isn't useful anymore. The latest iPhone has better cameras and a better processor and a better screen and stuff, but it doesn't really do anything that the 6s doesn't, and the hardware of the 6s is perfectly fine and as such there's no reason to switch to something better. It still takes great pictures and is still super smooth and snappy and still does everything you would want it to, so there's no reason to replace it unless it's broken beyond repair. Of course Apple wants you to buy a newer phone because that makes them money, but you don't have to do everything Apple says you should.
Now in 2024 I have iPhone SE 2016. 8yo model, 6 year of constant explanation. Except for two battery swaps it’s working perfectly fine. Just as fast as it was when I bought it. In my personal use case - the best phone ever made
This is how software updates work. Some things gets faster and some things become slower. It’s how software development works. Overall updated software makes things better and more optimized but some things may take a hit. Then, you have to keep in mind that the hardware is old and with new software with more and heavier functionality, it can become less responsive or slower cause the hardware can’t keep up. It’s quite impressive that the lastest iOS work as well as it does on several generations old hardware.
Bad test. People want to see if newer versions of iOS significantly slow the same phone down and how much. And why compare an 80% battery to a 100%, at least plug them both in. We already know at 80% Apple throttles the performance.
My phone broke and I needed a phone to use so im currently using my sister’s back up iphone xs and tbh this thing is still really solid. This is coming from an android guy. The battery seems to be the only problem.
You should have upgraded the new phone to the same iOS version. That would eliminate what is the biggest difference in performance. The new phone wasn't really faster - In some tests it was and in others it was slower. But the difference is so small that the reason for the difference is most likely the major difference in iOS versions and minute differences in how fast you click on one compared to the other. You could take 5 brand new iPhone 15 Pro and run the same benchmark - you would get 5 different results all differing within a few percent of each other. Short version: No, the iPhone does not slow down. Differences in performance is minute and is explained by newer iOS versions having more features and usually requiring a bit more CPU and that every single CPU has slight variations in performance.
This world won't move forward as long as we think that equipment (car, mobile phone, tablet, television) that is 6/8 years old is old and no longer functional.
@@anon2414 yeah I hope they influence others companies to do the same but currently the iPhone 6 series holds the record for longest supported smartphones
Now, Update the new phone to iOS 17, compare to 83% iOS17. Then, again, replace the battery in the old one, test again. This would answer so many questions.
Im pretty sure apple slowed the phones down to save the battery becos they knew that a poor battery would give a bad performance so its basically like a loop if apple doesnt do anything the batteries will become poor and worse performance if apple slows the phone a bit the battery will be better and better performance
@@slapshotjack9806They don’t underclock it any more, but there is still the cpu load index old trick that can slow down your phone performance. This is what they did back on ios9.
iPhone or even android phones don’t get slower with time unless it gets updated to the latest iOS or ANDRIOD OS which are meant for the latest mobile SOC … and don’t get the build-in storage fully loaded. And to be mindful when updating mobile apps That’s my own experiences
@@diegowasmyideaNot really. Batteries do degrade with time as well. There are many cases of new in box MacBooks that are 4+ years old dead on arrival due to batteries not charging.
If I remember right, Apple got sued for this very thing, making older iphones slower to get you to upgrade. They lost, and now cannot do it. So you shouldn't be seeing it anymore.
The XS isn't even that old. Since the release of the 6s, iPhones have generally performed acceptably on newer iOS versions (though the 6(and older) did experience slowdowns over time). With newer models like the XS, it's harder to notice any decline in performance.
What you should do is do the test as you did, but then take the iOS 12 device and update it to the latest iOS version and test against itself previously.
Yup, this is the only way to have a fair test: same phone, same settings, same apps, different IOS. Although, I still believe the iOS 12 on iPhone 10 will be slightly faster than iOS 17 on iPhone 10, because the iOS 12 is optimized for iPhone 10, whereas the new iOS versions are optimized for newer iPhones.
You had a good chance to do something no one has ever done before, but you just messed things up by not putting in effort and not using the opportunity at all
yea indeed, video is so base. Why didnt he update the new phone to newsest iOS to check, if update slows down the phone? Or replace battery in an used phone?
4:26 - It won’t actually do anything due to changes in iOS 17 that ultimately breaks backwards compatibility in iCloud. Being on the same Apple ID will now break data sync and it WILL remind you.
Xs and Xs Max are still very good phones I purchased both for 350 dollars last year and they were in mint condition Xs battery life at 89 % and the Max was at 87 %
@@Madeintheshade65 Nice! I love my XS, have had for close to 3 years and replaced the battery about a year ago. Great phone, not even slightly compelled to upgrade
file transfer speeds would’ve been a good test to run. as well as seeing temperatures of both devices under stress. my xr used to get extremely hot while facetiming
my xs is weird, anything that has to do with the camera lags. not the camera itself but for example in instagram when you swipe to the camera section it just lags for few seconds. and when you close the camera the phone will lag again for a moment. Ive reset it 2 times but well i guess its time for a new one
It's the security and the new features that make the phone feel slower. New and extra unplanned software items running in the background on an older phone cause it to feel like a slower phone over time. And with the battery aging degraded capacity over time- the phone experiences voltage dips when the processor loads while it's working hard- to prevent the voltage from collapsing and the phone shutting off instantly, they can downclock the processor to prevent voltage dips. (When I say downclocking, that can also assigning the work to the efficiency cores rather than the performance cores. -this could explain why there are variances in performance on the used-phone in the synthetic benchmarks.) The experiment to have also include would have been to fully upgrade the iOS on the brand new phone, then repeat the benchmarks. This could have made this comparison pretty definitive because nobody on RUclips or tech news sites have done it yet.
That last part is probably the main cause of slow down. People don’t ever reset their phone to new, and over the course of many years and many major iOS upgrades, there’s just so many cache files and stuff that probably don’t need to be there. Whenever I’ve had major issues with one of my devices, a fresh install of iOS always makes it feel better and work better
i don't think you can use any bench software, apple detect those and make it work as it should, if you want to truely see the difference, use games or heavy productive app like photoshop etc
Actually since iPhone 5S onwards due to improved performance they aren't unusable like the 4S or 4 on the latest iOS versions. Since XR series on wards they are still very good like what you found in the video, very usable. Atleast this is what I noticed.
@@Eddy_E. The iPad 2, even on the latest version, had great performance, but most of it was used for games without the Internet, and this is what maintained its performance.
i had an iPhone SE gen 1 on iOS 15 and tried using it for awhile this year instead of my iPhone 13 and i had almost no issues. even though its out of support, it still works fine. your theory about applications and storage use instead of the OS is definitely what id lean toward being the right answer to all this
I have an iphone 7 since launch and it's falling apart... Losing network during calls, wifi connectivity issues from time to time, gets really hot while using certain apps like the camera, instagram e.t.c... Quite slow in general and it's due for an upgrade.
i have ip 7 plus ( battery changed yesterday ) , still good . as an old unit this is actualy fast , no lag , speaker good , kamera still okay i think i have ip 12 too
Luke, it is likely that Apple pushes out a larger minor update that is slower and more stable in order to prepare for the annual major update, while eschewing anything that may give increased performance? Could you do a test with a phone still on a prior to minor update, and with the minor update before a major upgrade to software?
I miss my XS. I had the gold one and to this day it is I think the prettiest gold Apple has ever done. Its battery life was always pretty bad, the Max wasn’t bad but the smaller one struggled to make it through a day. But still one of my favorite designs. It’s too bad the XS was always kinda forgotten, everyone remembers the XR, but not the XS.
You also need to keep in mind that those 5 and 9 percent differences are within differences you can see between different CPUs, cause they're all not perfect and some naturally perform better than the other. Apple would never slow your phone down intentionally, any reasonable explantions for lower performance on newer operating systems are that they load more at startup or demand more system resources to run. If you are experiencing a stuttery performance, it may be time for a new battery (you can see if it's being throttled in the battery settings) or a system reset
I think an interesting third comparator would be used phone with new battery
What about a 4th comparator? A new inbox iPhone on the original OS that you upgraded to the latest compatible OS after unboxing.
Yeah, the Apple Store in Sacramento near me just has groups of criminals in the parking lot robbing anyone coming out of apple.. so I can’t even get a legit battery replacement. Ends up being safer to just buy a new one 😮 and create a bigger problem. It’s pretty lame actually.
I wish there was a way the user could replace the battery themself 😢
Edit: I should add, I don’t like what the EU and now America are doing to Apple for not playing ball when it comes to privacy, it’s pathetic and wrong. I don’t want to change Apple.. I want to change the world around them lol.
thats exactly what shoud have beenn done, 2 variables in one test is not acurate at all
@@Errcyco aren’t the stores in the mall though?
It wouldn’t make a difference because the phone doesn’t slow down if the battery health is >80%
I believe it gets slower because apps are becoming more demanding on CPU and RAM, more features being added on social media apps and games.
Fact
Apple already confessed that if your battery isn't acting correctly, iOS slows down your processor. That of course caused stuttering and slow performance. There are hardly and new features being added that would need more processor power social media apps. Especially if it's accessing a new hardware feature that is not on your old phone.
Thats what i was about to say most iphones now have 4-6gb of ram which is quite fast! Now that we are slowly now getting to 8gb of ram
Which in turn uses more battery on an already worn out battery
nope
My phone is now so old its showing up in legacy hardware videos. 83% battery health too! Going strong, no noticable slowdowns.
It’s not old..he’s just making it seem like it’s old. People still run iPhone 8 and X for the jail breaking
This Note8 is a beast as well, it’s moving along at the same pace since the screen protector was pulled. Battery is roughly same and with normal use goes from morning to evening before it’s around 15-20% and will totally charge to full in half hour or less. Due to the note7 the Note8 is known for having a smaller battery than the competition at the time. Ram usage is exactly the same as when it was new give or take half a gig but it’s still showing the same amount of free ram available. I never had anything over the screen like a glass protector or anything and it’s on it’s second Incipo Back cover protector, same quality as an Otter box. Both sides of glass still not broken.
i have an iphone 7+, be grateful
@@AbdulMuqeetti had a 7 plus too just recently switched to a 15 pro max
@@hamza.991 same. But 7 to SE because I'm so used to the old design
Would have been interesting to see how the new phone fared after being updated to the same OS version as the used one after doing the tests you did here
That’s what I was thinking. You can’t tell if the difference in speeds is because of aged hardware or a slower iOS version. Would’ve been great if he benchmarked after updating new phone to latest as well
It would be interesting but older iOS Versions are pretty rare so I wouldn’t update it
@@iPhoneTech2g Rare or not, it does not support WhatsApp + Mums with System 12. Nothing
This is the real test
One thing that slows down older iPhones is old batteries. Replacing those old batteries really does improve the phone a lot
Yep. I’d believe that even if it hasn’t hit under 80 yet, if it’s below 90 you’d notice a performance bump with a new battery
Totally agree with you
true that
My friend broke the power button on our iPhone SE1 battery was an eBay purchase still hard crashes a lot but we leave it plugged in as a sound machine for baby girl.
@@t20594i'm sorry but how was that in any way relevant information?
What’s the battery health of the new phone -_-
If it’s still boxed and “brand new.” If stored correctly and not poorly. It will be above 90%. I’ve owned the X personally and it was my favorite flagship iPhone. That year for iPhone and Android was superb. But as good as the X is, it can be a bit slow when rendering apps to this day. So id say the comparison is pretty accurate. Seems like the Note 10+ holds up better than the X from the same year.
The iPhone X, XS, XS Max, and 11 pro are the most beautiful phones ever made. Just look at that beauty.
yeah, very expensive look
Flat surfaces look better tho imo
Yes they are certainly one of the phones ever produced
@@pro-hz7kx forgot to write beautiful
Yes alongside the S10 and S20
Commercial break at 1:13, regular programming resumes at 2:19
Thx
if you're on PC, there's an addon called "Sponsorblock" it skips all sponsors on all videos (duh)
Love u
Thanks
Iphone user? Man i love sponsorblock
You should’ve then updated the new phone to the latest iOS then re-compared the performance.
When are we going to talk about a beast of a phone and a powerhouse the iPhone XS still is? most people forget about it's existence, this phone is so underrated and still performs so good even on the laggy and buggy iOS 17.
That's what I'm rocking and happy with it. The camera isn't great nowadays, but serviceable, and it does get weirdly warm sometimes, but yeah, a pretty solid performer.
It has better screen technology than iphone 11 😂
yeah
but they are different price points but 11 might have better cameras and CPU but 3D touch is gone...
@@mrfoxesite6982 iphone 11 has 3d touch, the only difference one is using lcd technology other one oled technology
iPhone XS was epic. I just lost mine less than a week ago, so picked up the 15 max pro. My XS was not slow at all, but it would easily overheat and then it’d get slow. Plus the battery was shot. But the camera was epic, in fact I built my YT channel over the last 2 years solely using it, at first even using it to edit videos (not this channel obviously). I’ve built my living based on the XS from 2022 to 2024, the phone is more than capable for the casual user.
Tech is not like before where 5-6 years make a huge difference. I’m surprised at how similar the 15 max pro feels. It feels like I made a 10% jump, if even.
really? Mine was kinda slow I upgraded at the pre order drop of the 15 PM and you’re right it’s an amazing phone lasted me 5 yrs
I use a XS Max as my spare alongside my 15 Pro Max and it works perfectly fine except for when processing video edits and preparing a software update (which might be due to slower storage R/W speeds). Otherwise, it keeps apps in the background with no problems and its 6 year old battery still sits at 85%.
I water damaged it once and used a hairdryer to try to dry out the internals. The FaceID doesn’t work but there’s no other flaw.
how can i use two iphone's with same apple id but not duplicate my main phone stuff to the other one?
@@carswithdennis Just don’t select the option that says copy from older iPhone and set up as a new device and you’ll be fine.
My xs max survived being in the laundry, I put it in rice for 2 days then left it in my car on a very hot summer day to kill any moisture inside and it is still strong till this day plus its on ios 14.6!!
It will die in any moment.
@@MrMaximino92 In your delusions.
It’s not a Droid.
Putting in a new official Apple battery would be an interesting follow up test. I've personally witnessed a few times a phone was stuttering and dropping frames while reporting normal battery health, but replacing the battery vastly improved it.
The 96's battery was slow and had nothing to do with it unless it was fundamentally weak
1:59 I don’t think I would bring that on an airplane without TSA having some questions
Looks really cool but at the same time it looks like a bomb 💀
yep. you're gettin pulled over with that thing
“Is that… is that a countdown timer?”
“Time till empty.”
“Ya right. Come with me sir.”
Im sure that they’re gonna work in a different design because of your comment and I’m not kidding smh
Battery banks look quite similar to TSA scanners.
Literally just had my battery replaced on my 12 pro max after it getting to 77%, and was noticing considerable lag and stuttering. Glad to say, I can confirm it seems like a new phone again after getting the new battery! 🎉
12 It is still very strong and true. If the battery drops below 79, it starts to slow down, but also if the processor becomes old, even if it is 100 percent, it will slow down.
did you got the battery from apple care??
@@dhruvsharma8287 Yep, more than I'd like to pay though.
@@فارسالتميمي-ع7غI have the 11 and my battery life is 71%, honestly 80% doesn’t make a noticeable difference in my opinion, but 71% makes a HUGE difference 😭
mine is 74% and still going strong 💪 (i still dont have any money saved up for new battery)
I’m a firm believer ever since the iPhone 4 (my first iPhone) that every update slows down your phone. I first noticed when I went from iOS 4 to iOS 5 and my iPhone 4 was WAY sluggish and slower. Same with the iPhone 4s. Was extremely snappy and quick on iOS 5 but then iOS 6 came out, slowed it down for a bit and then the horrifically bad iOS 7 that changed everything…..
I’ve been wondering about this for quite a while. Thanks!
I can tell you that on the macOS side, Ventura and Sonoma are both WAAAY heavier than their predecessors...
That makes perfect sense, they're now being developed with much more powerful hardware in mind.
@@thebuddercweeper I can tell you that with future macOS versions, the M1 MacBook Air is not gonna feel anywhere as snappy as it does today... which is their plan.
Making devices outdated, while a 12 years old PC can be snappy on Windows 11!
Just like creating gigantic ewaste with iCloud locks, on actual COMPUTERS!
@@Zebra_Paw That's ridiculous. Even older Intel Macs still run fine despite their relatively extremely limited computing power
@@thebuddercweeper macOS support doesn't last very long, community had to make patchers, and while they're fantastic tools, they can come with caveats, and they won't change how slow Sonoma is on dual cores.
I've been hackintoshing lately, and in macOS, a PC laptop with an i5 3210m feels much faster than a MacBook with that same CPU. Probably because of the terrible cooling in Macs.
But, I don't even have to do that, because Windows 11 has more or less out of the box support for ancient hardware, the drivers can be installed and it just works!
@@Zebra_Paw 1. Using the previous version of macOS is not a huge deal, they all do mostly the same things you just don't get the latest features.
2. Windows 11 only officially supports 8th gen intel CPUs and later, or Ryzen 3000 and later. I would not call that "ancient"
still loving my XS ❤️
my uncle upgraded from a 6S to an XR because his Apple Watch Series 4 was not compatible with the 6S. He feels no need to upgrade from his XR but will likely be forced to because, in the next few years because, his Apple Watch Series 4 will not support an unsupported operating system.
Still rocking my XS Max, works almost like a charm to this day on iOS 17.4
For me it’s the most beautiful ever launched iPhone
@@ToastedMusic00 it truly is. the camera cut out on the latest ones just don't look as precious.
I have an XS max and a 14 Pro and the XS max has a bigger screen and feels lighter and better in the hand since it’s rounded. The performance is good in both. There are still things the 14Pro does better but I just love the XS max and it feels so good to hold.
The thing most people don't think about is the hardware requirements newer OS' have. Older phones update the OS but you cannot upgrade the hardware.
The findings are already interesting but I think you were testing two factors here old vs new phone and iOS12 vs 17. I think if you now update the new phone to iOS 17 and run comparisons again it would give more insights on how the old vs new phone actually perform as well as how new phone on two different software versions compares.
I know right, I was perplexed in the comments how nobody seems to see the issue here. This guy is doing it completely wrong if you want a definitive answer to what he originally said at the beginning of the video. RUclips is playing one of its games with me today where it keeps recommending videos that seem normal but when you pay attention you start noticing that whatever it is your watching will have major inaccuracies about the videos topic or huge holes in gathered data and never acknowledge it either. Idk why yt does that type of stuff.
It wouldn’t behave any differently i think except for battery testing obviously
@@Rjean-paulcan’t know for sure unless he tested it. New iOS may be slower, less optimised or even more efficient than previous. Seeing as the old phone beat out the new phone in one test, I’m assuming the efficiency of the OS can impact the speed
Please don’t update the iPhone! It’s very rare on iOS 12 and collectors like me wish we would have that phone on that version…I only have one on iOS 16.2.1 and one on 17.0.3
@@iPhoneTech2g How stupid. Take an iPhone 6 and you will find it with the same system
Would be cool to see picture quality too! My brother and I were discussing how our photos seem higher quality when we first got our phones compared to after a few years of usage
3:26 Look here youngling, that's what we used to call a charger and a pair of earbuds. Back in my day (gets on soapbox) Apple used to provide those items with every iphone sold!
Back in my day ,there were no phones
@@cw1161try to understand the joke
I remember having earpods with the clear plastic case. Never broke nor tangled those wired headphones because I would just wrap it up and put it in my pocket. Ended up breaking after washing them for the 5th time but I’m pretty sure it was the dryer that killed it.
back in my days i was a baby.
they removed it but was introduced with the iphone 5.
Video starts at 5:45
Wish I saw ur comment earlier
@@ayanbossyt7536 yeah fr😭 wish i saw my comment earlier
Yep noticed it too. Mr Miani's reviews look and feel like all others on the subject. 10 minutes of blah blah, back to the subject for a few minutes then another round of blah blah. RUclips has become the equivalent of backyard chattering on rocking chairs. At least Mr Miani has a near perfect diction.
It would be interesting to see if replacing the battery in the old one would increase benchmark scores.
it does.
changing the battery helps a little, but the device is more stressed as the time goes by, due to apps demanding for computational power. therefore more battery consumption and faster wearout .
Would love to see you replace the battery in the old phone and do this test again.
Very slow processor and little RAM
My 15 pro max's performance was absolutely flawless when I bought it. 2 months and a few ios updates later, the phone sometimes stutters and does other weird little things. Sometimes the keyboard doesnt wanna work, an app doesnt work, or there is a lag in the animations. It doesn't happen all the time but that 5% of the time it does, really gets me because it was perfect before I updated it. This just me?
it's not just you. my old ipad works fine too. but years later, it forced me to upadte because it says "can't install apps please update to latest version of ios". than i was forced to update and low and behold, it got slower, lags frequently basically unusable now.
I think that you hit on an important point, Luke. In approximately 2007, Leo Laporte (technology guru/reporter) released an episode of his show where he stated that it was a good idea to annually reinstall the OS on your iPod in order to prevent software-induced slowdowns. Makes sense to me that the iPhone is no different!
Same advice for Windows OS.
How do u reinstall your current iOS
my windows install took 128gb while reinstalling it now takes 59gb!
@@Jesus.is.LordSavior4Guy is talking out of his ass. Probably means a factory reset but even that's unnecessary. Just restart the device.
@@sublime_tv thx
This is the only video on yt testing this , good job but i wanted more app opening speed test specialy with heavy games
Here I'm using the 6s 128gb 😂 still keep up in 2024
(FYI Battery, home button,Screen has been changed)
My iPhone 6 just died before Christmas 2023. It lasted more than 8 years. I got the battery replaced by Apple in 2019. It was at 68%. I just love the form factor of the iPhone 6, so easy to fit in my pocket.
@@lakeline6317what phone do you have now?
Time to upgrade that shite. Should’ve done it in 2022. You’re missing out
@@lakeline6317don’t tell me you actually used it till then. It’s been insecure for YEARS
u should get the asus zenphone 10@@Stacy-w5f
You should’ve tested something like iPad 2018, it’s literally unusable now on iPadOS 17. It was very fast on IOS 12, but now it drops to 30 fps even in Hill Climb Racing and crashes frequently. Benchmark score is the same, but real life usage performance drastically changed.
Why it says M2 MBA in 10:07?
Probably re-used some chart from a previous video and forgot to change the label.
but why are they so similar😭
@@Darsh0606bc he put M2 MBA by mistake
April Fools;p
@@Darsh0606the numbers and graphs are correct and from the two phones in the video, it was just mislabeled as macbook air
I would've also done tests with the old phone, then upgraded to the latest ver to do a 3way comparison.
What if you install iOS 17 on the new phone and re do the tests?
Then this new iPhone X would not be special
You should have updated the unboxed phone to iOS 17 as a last test to see if getting a new battery is all a phone needs! For someone who uses a Xs or 11 hoping to hold onto it while it still gets updates, that would have been great info.
The battery is not everything, but if it is weak, it contributes to slowing down the device, but if its percentage is high, then it is a problem of both.
Please compare quality of photo/video from these 2 phones with different OS versions.
I came to the video expecting this test
As a person who just upgraded from iPhone 8 Plus to 15pm all I’m saying is there’s a night and day difference. The 8 plus used to always get warm and seemed to be working harder than when it was new. It didn’t feel like Apple slowed it down but rather the phone was aging and apps accompanied by iOS got more demanding.
Great video! I have noticed similar things in my testing, phones that are 5 or 6, or even 7 years old are still completely fine. It normally just comes down to the battery. On an older used phone the battery degradation over time will contribute the most to slow downs. I have especially noticed it when it's cold outside or when the battery is below 20%, or both. Fantastic video as always Luke!
No, my previous device, the 7 Plus, had a battery of 96 and it became slow. It was sold in 21 months 5. An iPhone 12 came to me as a gift. Perhaps if it had not arrived, I would have delayed the upgrade a little, but the device slows down because its processor is slow, and the company may slow it down, and consumption also plays a role.
Kinda ironic that their phones are becoming slower becos of the battery and when apple decided to slow down our phone a bit to save the battery and we know that poor battery means worse performance soooo apple decision was better lmao
I think it does if you update to the latest version of iOS. Basically the version of iOS your phone comes with out the box is the most ideal version you’ll ever have. It’s been written specifically for that device, while being fitted and adapted to every device prior to that years device. So if you want to keep your phone running in tip top shape, don’t ever update past the current year of iOS and get a new battery every year of two. Otherwise yeah it slows down over time.
I wish you updated the new one to see if it was the software slowing down the devices or the wear and tear on the electrical components from day to day use. 😢
apple actually did come out and say yes we do slow down your phones slightly but only to keep the good battery life as the battery degrades overtime
and i hope you dont believe this ! if you do, then ure a blind fanboy, like someone defending their mommy
It is basically slow. Why should we fear for the battery of an old device? I prefer to change the battery on a device, but now you will change an entire device.
Luke in IT and phone shops in Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam you can still buy new old iPhones still in sealed boxes. You’ve just inspired me to go and see just how old an iPhone I can buy.
Most of them are done in China outside of Foxconn production plants.
The nand flash inside your phone also degrades over time especially if you keep your phone full all the time and it can cause slowness also
You're the only wise one here.
Yup
It uses ssd like storage, it's not emmc like on Android. It doesn't get slow
every memory based in flash degrade over time lol.
I am still using an iPhone 6s Plus and it’s still working fine.
You don’t know what you’re missing. You’re almost a decade behind….
Using an 8 plus still 👍
@@BadMannerKoreaThey're not missing anything important at all, brand new phones do all the same things as their phone but slightly better and faster (which is not at all important). In fact, they're actually enjoying the ergonomic compact form factor and the headphone jack that you lost.
@@aquaponieee I don’t think you know what you’re talking about when you say, “slightly”. Every single measurable thing is better, to a significant and noticeable degree. And guess what? Phones from 2015 are obsolete technology. And even Apple has said so.
@@BadMannerKorea What I'm saying is, if their current phone still does everything they want and need it to, then there is no reason to upgrade, even if the upgrade is technically better.
See, there is no point in getting the latest and greatest if you don't actually need it. If you're buying something only because it is the best and newest, in a few months something better and newer is going to come out, invalidating your purchase. You should buy something that serves your needs and use cases (doesn't have to be the most powerful phone), and use it until it isn't useful anymore.
The latest iPhone has better cameras and a better processor and a better screen and stuff, but it doesn't really do anything that the 6s doesn't, and the hardware of the 6s is perfectly fine and as such there's no reason to switch to something better. It still takes great pictures and is still super smooth and snappy and still does everything you would want it to, so there's no reason to replace it unless it's broken beyond repair.
Of course Apple wants you to buy a newer phone because that makes them money, but you don't have to do everything Apple says you should.
Now in 2024 I have iPhone SE 2016. 8yo model, 6 year of constant explanation. Except for two battery swaps it’s working perfectly fine. Just as fast as it was when I bought it. In my personal use case - the best phone ever made
Crazy that my iPhone 14 Pro Max’s battery life is at 86 only being a little over a year old and this iPhone XS is still got 83 after 6 years 0:55
It’s likely that his XS hasn’t been used since he’s upgraded from it, so most if not all the battery life drain was from when this guy dailied it
Also my iPhone 8 after being used by my dad for a few years and then by me for another 2 years, and its battery health was at 79%
I have Xr with 85
My Gf's 14 Pro Max will be 1 year old next month (in 15 days) and it's already at 88% Battery health.
This is how software updates work. Some things gets faster and some things become slower. It’s how software development works. Overall updated software makes things better and more optimized but some things may take a hit.
Then, you have to keep in mind that the hardware is old and with new software with more and heavier functionality, it can become less responsive or slower cause the hardware can’t keep up. It’s quite impressive that the lastest iOS work as well as it does on several generations old hardware.
Bad test. People want to see if newer versions of iOS significantly slow the same phone down and how much.
And why compare an 80% battery to a 100%, at least plug them both in.
We already know at 80% Apple throttles the performance.
My phone broke and I needed a phone to use so im currently using my sister’s back up iphone xs and tbh this thing is still really solid. This is coming from an android guy. The battery seems to be the only problem.
You should have upgraded the new phone to the same iOS version. That would eliminate what is the biggest difference in performance.
The new phone wasn't really faster - In some tests it was and in others it was slower. But the difference is so small that the reason for the difference is most likely the major difference in iOS versions and minute differences in how fast you click on one compared to the other. You could take 5 brand new iPhone 15 Pro and run the same benchmark - you would get 5 different results all differing within a few percent of each other.
Short version: No, the iPhone does not slow down. Differences in performance is minute and is explained by newer iOS versions having more features and usually requiring a bit more CPU and that every single CPU has slight variations in performance.
I’m using it since 4 years now and will continue doing so
excellent topic!! I just skipped ahead to @9:45 for the results. But i will come back and watch it again at some point.
The fact that you managed to find an unboxed iPhone XS is amazing!
4:05 “little battery bank” pulls out a charger the size of a laptop☠️
This world won't move forward as long as we think that equipment (car, mobile phone, tablet, television) that is 6/8 years old is old and no longer functional.
iphone 11 pro on ios 14.6.
the iphone work without any problems and no noticeable speed drop.
should i upgrade to ios 17.6.1 ?
You should, yes
for me no but it's up to you
@@Wingmen4 thank for the reply
currently i updated it with ios 18.1.1 , its did effect the speed .
any way i got new 16 pro max and i love it
I never understood the rumor of Apple slowing down older iphones ,they could just do like android and not support the phones
Well not really anymore. Samsung supports for 5 years and pixel supports for 7 years
@@anon2414 yeah I hope they influence others companies to do the same but currently the iPhone 6 series holds the record for longest supported smartphones
Hey Luke! Great video as always! Keep up the good work.
This is great video for peoples looking to buy old second hand iPhones
Your sponsor looks like a bomb I’m not buying that 😭😂
nah man bring it through security they won’t bat an eye🫡
Now, Update the new phone to iOS 17, compare to 83% iOS17. Then, again, replace the battery in the old one, test again. This would answer so many questions.
This video is kind of pointless because Apple admitted that they slow down their phones back in 2017.
@slapshotjack9806 No proof that they stopped tho...
Im pretty sure apple slowed the phones down to save the battery becos they knew that a poor battery would give a bad performance so its basically like a loop
if apple doesnt do anything the batteries will become poor and worse performance
if apple slows the phone a bit the battery will be better and better performance
That was battery elated not is related, though some is updated slow down old phones cause it’s more resource intensive
@@slapshotjack9806They don’t underclock it any more, but there is still the cpu load index old trick that can slow down your phone performance. This is what they did back on ios9.
google: iphone location france
iPhone or even android phones don’t get slower with time unless it gets updated to the latest iOS or ANDRIOD OS which are meant for the latest mobile SOC … and don’t get the build-in storage fully loaded. And to be mindful when updating mobile apps
That’s my own experiences
What was the battery health on the new iPhone? Be interesting to know
It’s new, so obviously 100%…🤦🏽
@@_WF23 yes but its been sat in a box for 6 years ish so the health might have gone down a bit
@@Hellsnight battery only really degrades as you use it and recharge it
@@diegowasmyideaNot really. Batteries do degrade with time as well. There are many cases of new in box MacBooks that are 4+ years old dead on arrival due to batteries not charging.
@@WooferCooker interesting
If I remember right, Apple got sued for this very thing, making older iphones slower to get you to upgrade. They lost, and now cannot do it. So you shouldn't be seeing it anymore.
The XS isn't even that old. Since the release of the 6s, iPhones have generally performed acceptably on newer iOS versions (though the 6(and older) did experience slowdowns over time). With newer models like the XS, it's harder to notice any decline in performance.
Exactly
I wish you would have done a test of installing the new IOS on the new phone. And see if the numbers lowered
They will definitely be much lower and the phone will lag more
I was laughing at the comparison graph at 10:07, iPhone vs a M2 Macbook Air 😂😂
yeah..like.. whyyyyyyy he did that :facepalm
Oops. Definitely an editing error
Im very impressed how you managed to handle it without it crumbling to dust. A true relic of our past
What you should do is do the test as you did, but then take the iOS 12 device and update it to the latest iOS version and test against itself previously.
Yup, this is the only way to have a fair test: same phone, same settings, same apps, different IOS. Although, I still believe the iOS 12 on iPhone 10 will be slightly faster than iOS 17 on iPhone 10, because the iOS 12 is optimized for iPhone 10, whereas the new iOS versions are optimized for newer iPhones.
Wtf is the point?
Why dont reset xs with ios 17 and compare against new xs with ios12? Thats make more sense
@@leksetengah It is good to include data from the same device on both iOS 12 and iOS 17. More data the better.
Isn't it a known fact that Apple used to (not sure if they still do) lower the CPU frequency once the battery health dips below a certain point?
You had a good chance to do something no one has ever done before, but you just messed things up by not putting in effort and not using the opportunity at all
yes
I agree I think this is a really bad video
yea indeed, video is so base. Why didnt he update the new phone to newsest iOS to check, if update slows down the phone? Or replace battery in an used phone?
4:26 - It won’t actually do anything due to changes in iOS 17 that ultimately breaks backwards compatibility in iCloud.
Being on the same Apple ID will now break data sync and it WILL remind you.
Replace battery and test again.
what would happen if you Update the New iPhone 10 to the most current iOS? & run all the test again.
In my opinion, this old design looked more premium than the current ones.
L take
@@r3dcup 😅 my take L too cause I find the many cameras obnoxious I still use a 12 pro max tho
I think what really made users feel "slow" are App upgrades, which are compatible with newest iOS and UI available, as well as graphic enrichment.
Who else is watching this on a XS?
Me
Xs and Xs Max are still very good phones I purchased both for 350 dollars last year and they were in mint condition Xs battery life at 89 % and the Max was at 87 %
@@Madeintheshade65 Nice! I love my XS, have had for close to 3 years and replaced the battery about a year ago. Great phone, not even slightly compelled to upgrade
Watching on X
file transfer speeds would’ve been a good test to run. as well as seeing temperatures of both devices under stress. my xr used to get extremely hot while facetiming
Honestly I have a iPhone XS Max that still works great
my xs is weird, anything that has to do with the camera lags. not the camera itself but for example in instagram when you swipe to the camera section it just lags for few seconds. and when you close the camera the phone will lag again for a moment. Ive reset it 2 times but well i guess its time for a new one
It's the security and the new features that make the phone feel slower. New and extra unplanned software items running in the background on an older phone cause it to feel like a slower phone over time.
And with the battery aging degraded capacity over time- the phone experiences voltage dips when the processor loads while it's working hard- to prevent the voltage from collapsing and the phone shutting off instantly, they can downclock the processor to prevent voltage dips. (When I say downclocking, that can also assigning the work to the efficiency cores rather than the performance cores. -this could explain why there are variances in performance on the used-phone in the synthetic benchmarks.)
The experiment to have also include would have been to fully upgrade the iOS on the brand new phone, then repeat the benchmarks. This could have made this comparison pretty definitive because nobody on RUclips or tech news sites have done it yet.
But usually iOS doesn’t have much bigger updates right? I mean, I don’t see much change in every iOS, more if we compare 16 to 17
@@Zopotrocoyou’re thinking too surface level
@@Zopotroco There is a difference in terms of security updates and compatibility with new programs. Any difference, if it is trivial, burdens a device
That last part is probably the main cause of slow down. People don’t ever reset their phone to new, and over the course of many years and many major iOS upgrades, there’s just so many cache files and stuff that probably don’t need to be there. Whenever I’ve had major issues with one of my devices, a fresh install of iOS always makes it feel better and work better
i don't think you can use any bench software, apple detect those and make it work as it should, if you want to truely see the difference, use games or heavy productive app like photoshop etc
Never proven true.
Samsung does not Apple
Samsung does not Apple
Im still using an Iphone 12 (on ios 16.xx) and its still smooth, fast and powerful as it was on day 1
Actually since iPhone 5S onwards due to improved performance they aren't unusable like the 4S or 4 on the latest iOS versions. Since XR series on wards they are still very good like what you found in the video, very usable. Atleast this is what I noticed.
Even the 5 is still useable on the latest software it runs, the 4s, iPad 2, iPad mini 1 where the last devices with those issues…
@@Eddy_E. The iPad 2, even on the latest version, had great performance, but most of it was used for games without the Internet, and this is what maintained its performance.
i had an iPhone SE gen 1 on iOS 15 and tried using it for awhile this year instead of my iPhone 13 and i had almost no issues. even though its out of support, it still works fine. your theory about applications and storage use instead of the OS is definitely what id lean toward being the right answer to all this
Well apple actually admitted that they slowed down older iPhones
this was long time ago, i think after the lawsuit they have never done it again.
I have an iphone 7 since launch and it's falling apart... Losing network during calls, wifi connectivity issues from time to time, gets really hot while using certain apps like the camera, instagram e.t.c... Quite slow in general and it's due for an upgrade.
0:31 iphone 8:😢😢
iOS 17 not 16
i would love to see a comparison of the new iphone xs with the latest ios vs old iPhone xs with the latest ios!
They don't optimze new iOS versions for older screens anymore, so everything feels cramped. I think that is the noticable difference.
i have ip 7 plus ( battery changed yesterday ) , still good . as an old unit this is actualy fast , no lag , speaker good , kamera still okay i think
i have ip 12 too
7 Plus slows down even if it has a new battery
I think RAM and battery condition are most likely culprits for most people on later upgrades of iOS.
Luke, it is likely that Apple pushes out a larger minor update that is slower and more stable in order to prepare for the annual major update, while eschewing anything that may give increased performance? Could you do a test with a phone still on a prior to minor update, and with the minor update before a major upgrade to software?
inaccurate, use the same colour and storage for +5% performance
I miss my XS. I had the gold one and to this day it is I think the prettiest gold Apple has ever done. Its battery life was always pretty bad, the Max wasn’t bad but the smaller one struggled to make it through a day. But still one of my favorite designs. It’s too bad the XS was always kinda forgotten, everyone remembers the XR, but not the XS.
Never update your iPhone haha
You also need to keep in mind that those 5 and 9 percent differences are within differences you can see between different CPUs, cause they're all not perfect and some naturally perform better than the other.
Apple would never slow your phone down intentionally, any reasonable explantions for lower performance on newer operating systems are that they load more at startup or demand more system resources to run. If you are experiencing a stuttery performance, it may be time for a new battery (you can see if it's being throttled in the battery settings) or a system reset
True and from experience
No, if the battery is less than 79 to 80 active, there is no difference in performance to the processor and RAM.