iOS 15 continues to move rapidly through its beta phase, and Apple users are wondering, “Just how much slower is iOS 15 compared to the version of iOS 14 that we’re using now?”
Other users interested in upgrading to the beta for performance boosts also want to know if it’s worthwhile.
Now we have some solid answers, thanks to thorough performance tests via iAppleBytes.
iAppleBytes ran through all the iPhone models that are compatible with iOS 14 and the latest iOS 15 beta, comparing speeds. Here are the results.
The Results
- For iPhone 8 models and newer, speeds were essentially the same across both iOS 15 beta and the latest iOS 14.7.1.
- For the iPhone 7 and earlier models, the iOS 15 beta was a bit slower than running iOS 14 on these older devices.
These speed decreases – and lack of notable speed improvements – are completely normal and expected.
Major iOS and macOS upgrades don’t just change the interface, they also make a lot of adjustments behind the scenes, including the groundwork for adding new features, changing how energy is managed, and adding support for new hardware, like upgraded cameras or sensors.
As a result, brand new versions of iOS have a lot of new activities to manage. This is one reason why beta versions can be buggy, and it’s also why speed improvements aren’t always noticeable.
The software may still be clunky and less efficient in some ways, even if it’s working properly. Over time, updates to the new iOS will improve efficiency and how the iOS manages power, increasing speed and saving more battery.
iOS 14 has already seen optimization across its lifetime, while the iOS 15 beta is still working out some kinks – but the two are still comparable in terms of speed.
iOS 15 is set for a final release in about a month. After that we will have a better idea of how performance will start to improve across the life of the iOS 15, and if it will overtake iOS 14.