Apple released iOS 15.4 to the masses this week. It was the fourth major point release of iOS 15, and it came with a slew of new features, including Face ID with a mask, better ProMotion support, new emoji, and AirTags anti-stalking changes. So, is iOS 15.4 all about the new features, or does it pack performance improvements as well?
YouTuber iAppleBytes performed an in-depth speed test of iOS 15.3.1 vs. iOS 15.4 on eight different iPhone models, including the iPhone SE, iPhone 6S, iPhone 7, iPhone 8, iPhone XR, iPhone 11, iPhone 12, and iPhone 13.
iOS 15.4 performed well overall in an app-to-app comparison in the speed test. The user interface remained snappy and app launch times were on par in most cases. However, some apps seemed to lag on the older models, such as the iPhone 6S and iPhone 7. That said, the difference is only apparent in a head-to-head comparison, and you might not notice the lag when you update to iOS 15.4.
The YouTuber notes that Geekbench scores for most of the iPhones dropped after updating to iOS 15.4, especially the older iPhones. The iPhone SE was an exception, though.
If you are dissatisfied with your iPhone’s performance on iOS 15.3.1, it is unlikely to get much better with iOS 15.4. You could consider resetting the iPhone and setting it up afresh to clear out all the junk files and installed apps that could be slowing it down.
Another common reason for iPhones getting slower is because of the storage being filled to the brim. If you choose to empty it out, you could find our guide on how to free up space on iPhone helpful. If even that doesn’t help, perhaps it is time to get a new iPhone.
