The iPhone 5 is the last iPhone running iOS with a 32-bit processor — a fact which has already excluded it from being able to run certains apps, such as Vainglory — and the oldest iPhone capable of installing the iOS 10 beta.
But are the new features worth the trade off in terms of performance and loading times? That’s up to you, but the iOS 10 definitely runs slower on the iPhone 5 compared to iOS 9.3.2.
WWCFtech has created a video showcasing two iPhone 5 models booting from scratch, visible below. While device unlocking, opening the notifications center, app switcher and web page loading speeds seem identical, the iPhone 5 running iOS 9.3.2 was markedly faster for spotlight search, opening up the control center, navigating through the Settings app menus, web based apps (WWCFtech uses the iOS App Store as their example), the camera app and also processor heavy apps like the mobile version of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas .
Redditor /u/ralph-ey installed the iOS 10 beta on an iPhone 5, and reported that although the beta seems to “alright” on a completely blank iPhone 5, downloading apps or doing anything similar brings the iPhone 5 to a crawl, with frequent crashes. The issues seem to be bad enough that /u/ralph-ey only recommends installing the iOS 10 beta on an iPhone 5 only if it’s your secondary device.
The iOS 10 public beta currently available to be installed is the first version of the beta, and Apple will definitely be making changes behind the scenes that will improve the performance. However, the iPhone 5 already has problems running iOS 9.3.2 compared to other iPhones — there’s even a class action lawsuit — so it’s up to you if you want to risk having usability issues. Keep in mind that while it’s relatively easy upgrading into a beta, it’s practically impossible to downgrade and keep all your data.
Wondering what features are coming in iOS 10 that would make this worth it? iDigitalTimes has you covered, for both the hidden and tentpole features. Wondering how you can actually install the iOS 10 beta? We got you covered for that too.
Have you installed the iOS 10 beta on an iPhone 5, or are considering it? Post your thoughts in the comment section below!
