'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
With the release of iOS 18, Apple brought the biggest design makeover to the iOS operating system, and users are loving it. However, some users are wondering if they should update to iOS 18. They are worried about whether the new update would come at the cost of performance and battery life, and they have well-founded reasons behind their worries.
In the past, huge iOS updates, such as iOS 17, had many bugs at release, and users took to Reddit to express their frustration about it. Thus, it makes sense if you want to be a bit safer this time. The question remains: should you update to iOS 18 or stay on iOS 17.7?
That's exactly what I plan to answer today in this article. I'm doing an in-depth analysis of the new iOS update to determine if the pros outweigh the cons and whether you should update to iOS 18.
Trending
Note: Some aspects of this article are subjective and solely reflect the writer's opinions.
What are the features of iOS 18?
The iOS 18 update brings a plethora of new features and additional customization options. Let's look at some of them briefly:
- Redesigned home screen and control center: Both the home screen and control center have received a big redesign with more customization options, which brought iOS closer to Android's level of personalization.
- New UI for the Photos app: The UI has seen some drastic changes to bring different sections of the Photos app into a single screen.
- Privacy and security: The App Lock feature and better contact info management provide Apple users with more privacy and security.
- Apple Intelligence: This is Apple's version of the AI generative model. It is designed to provide powerful AI processing capability for every iPhone user. Apple Intelligence uses an on-device Neural Engine to process large AI requests privately and securely. However, it will arrive later as a part of the iOS 18.1 update.
- Distraction-free web browsing: The new update to Safari browser allows it to hide certain web elements, such as ads, pop-up messages, and other distracting elements, to provide a better and cleaner view of the web.
- 3rd party and DIY repairs: The new Repair Assistant will help your phone accept replacement parts once they are verified by your phone.
This update to iOS 18 will not only enhance the user experience of existing iOS users but also for those who are moving from Android, thanks to the list of all the new features mentioned above.
Performance and battery life on iOS 18
The performance and battery life concerns regarding the new iOS updates have always been there and for good reasons. Many users found some regression in performance and battery life, and their concerns turned into reality when reports of slow iPhone 6 devices were proven. The issue was later named "batterygate".
However, Apple did it to protect the aging battery inside those affected iPhones, but other models with good batteries were just fine. Therefore, the slow iOS issue is not as much a conspiracy theory as users had believed.
In reality, the slowness that some users still experience is because of new iOS features needing more CPU power that older iPhones don't have. The same goes for the battery life. If you have an iPhone 12 or a newer iPhone, expect minimum or no performance or battery life issues.
In fact, some users reported getting improved battery life after installing the update to iOS 18. However, users with older iPhones may notice some performance and battery life regressions.
Should you update to iOS 18 or wait for iOS 18.1?
Should you update to iOS 18? This answer is yes. The number of features, privacy enhancements, and security benefits you will receive with this update far outweigh concerns regarding a small regression in performance and battery life.
However, users with older iPhones like the iPhone XS, XR, or even iPhone 11 should wait for iOS 18.1, which should bring some improvements and/or bug fixes if there were any in the base iOS 18 update.
