Apple slashes iPhone performance again in iOS 18 - just like it did seven years ago

It seems that Apple is once again slowing down the iPhone to reduce energy consumption and maximize battery life, this time with iOS 18.

A few days ago, Apple officially released iOS 18. The new operating system for the iPhone brings numerous changes, but it appears that not all of them are widely recognized or welcomed. According to tests, processors now ramp up their frequency more slowly when needed. Test results also show a decrease in iPhone performance — Geekbench 6 now reports lower single-core and multi-core scores compared to when the devices were running on iOS 17.

YouTuber Geekerwan conducted comparative tests between the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max and the 14 Pro Max, showcasing the performance differences between the previous and new OS. The original video in Chinese and the accompanying screenshots clearly illustrate the negative performance changes.

Thus, the performance cores of the A17 Pro and A16 Bionic processors exhibit a slight delay in achieving peak performance under corresponding loads. The adjustments in the processor and battery operation have led to declines in single-core and multi-core scores in Geekbench 6. With iOS 17, the iPhone 15 Pro Max scored 2999 and 7779 points. After updating to iOS 18, Apple’s flagship model from last year scores just below 2885 and 7476 points. Such a reduction is unlikely to have a negative effect in real-world scenarios, while the increase in battery life may be noticeable.

Previously, Apple faced serious legal issues due to the covert practice of slowing down older iPhone generations with new iOS updates. In 2018, the company was fined €10 million in Italy specifically for this reason. Back in late 2017, Apple acknowledged this practice and its subsequent concealment. Earlier this year, users reported performance drops in their iPhones on social media. The company agreed to pay up to $500 million in compensation and later allowed iPhone owners to disable performance throttling. An appeal reviewed in 2020 upheld the penalty.

Source: Wccftech