Has iOS4 Ruined the iPhone 3G?
Since the release of iPhone 4 and iOS4, the tech world has been caught up either praising the new device to death or parsing Antennagate into oblivion.
But while so many have been focusing on the glory and flaws of Apple’s newest product, my attention has been squarely on an old one: my trusty iPhone 3G, which is now 2 years old – and is signficantly crappier, thanks to the iOS4 update.
After the initial update, my 3G was so slow as to be almost completely unusable. Basic tasks like checking email or opening a browser could take well over a minute to complete – unless, of course, they crashed first. Using Maps was essentially pointless, and more demanding apps like Evernote were basically rendered useless. Prominent blogger Waxy suggested doing another full system restore after installing the upgrade and that did solve problems. And then, with the release of iOS 4.0.1, some similar improvements were to be found.
But it definitely isn’t perfect. App response is still sluggish. Trying to listen to music and browsing the web at the same time is often an exercise in frustration, and often results in both the browser or the iPod app crashing. Everything is slower. Overall, the device has gone from being a smooth, slickly-functioning device to feeling like an overtaxed, nearly obsolete piece of tech. Searches across the web reveal this to be a seemingly common phenomenon.
This would, of course, not be a problem if one could downgrade back OS 3.1.3. I know I for one wouldn’t miss the few updates iOS4 gives 3G owners to get my regularly functioning phone back. Alas, Apple doesn’t let you. And most users will find the process of downgrading quite onerous, particularly on a Windows box.
So it seems that Apple, whose focus with the iPhone has always been a smooth user experience, has slipped up on this one, simply in allowing the iPhone 3G to have the update – or refusing to allow a downgrade.
But lest we get ahead of ourselves, tell us Techi readers: Has upgrading to iOS4 ruined your iPhone 3G? Or it it just an isolated few cases making a mountain out of a molehill?
After the upgrade to 4.0 the iPhone has become painfully slow. So slow that after a week I couldn’t bear this no longer and downgraded back to 3.1.3.
With all iOS4 features turned off for 3G I was surprised it was so sluggish, especially being used to Apple’s practice of new MacOSes working faster on the same machines. This was a major disappointment and I don’t regret downgrading back.
My only concern is that the app developers will soon only target iOS4 devices and will stop supporting older models, so we’ll be forced to upgrade to new iPhones after a while.
Force shutdown and especially 4.0.1 fixed this for me… Although some things are still sluggish, now most of the stuff works better than 3.1.3.
My iPhone 3G has been severely degraded with iOS4.
I attempted to downgrade to OS 3.1.3 without luck on my first attempt and had to restore back to the iOS4 backup.
Haven’t had time to try a second time yet, I *need* a working phone during the week and that limits the windows of opportunities for trying the recommended workarounds.
my experience with the 3g has definitely deteriorated since the iOS4 update, it seems sluggish now and the zippy ui is long gone and the app launch times are the order of several seconds (close to a minute), I think this update for the 3g is just to force people into buying the newer model…sigh..
I didn’t do the update because I “Knew Better”. I’m getting tired of waiting around for the white iphone 4, so I’m flirting with getting the 3GS just to be on and updated tech level. Even without the IOS4 update, my 3G is painfully slow, buggy and crashy. I’m a mac, but I’m getting sick of the whole iphone craze leading to shortages in the product and loyal customers ready to upgrade feeling left out of the party that you help set up. Just venting.