As soon as iOS 4.1 comes out this week (as announced by Steve Jobs at last week’s Apple music event) iPhone 3G users should feel safe to upgrade. In case you don’t know, iOS 4 for iPhone 3G wasn’t exactly “perfect”: to cut short, it was slow. I tried an iPhone 3G running the magical iOS 4: it was barely usable. Even a stupid task like unlocking the phone took a few seconds more than usual, not to mention springboard navigation and Safari. Everything was slow and slow-motion - at a point you couldn’t believe Apple shipped such a thing.
Lifehacker tested the upcoming iOS 4.1 on an iPhone 3G and shoot a comparison video with a 3G running the infamous 4.0. Performance increase isn’t jaw-dropping, but it’s there and it touches every part of the OS. Messages are faster, Maps are faster, Photos are faster. It looks consistently better.
The video demonstrates the results, but here they are in all their glory:
- Messages: iOS 4.1 Wins (By a Little)
- Maps: iOS 4.1 Wins (By a Lot)
- Photos: iOS 4.1 Wins (Just Barely)
- Safari: iOS 4.1 Wins (Just Barely)
While the speed advantages ranged from marginal to significant, iOS 4.1 clearly outperformed iOS 4.0. It’s still significantly slower performance than you’ll get from a 3GS or iPhone 4, and we’re still not sure it’s a big enough improvement that 3G owners will want to ditch iOS 3. The most obvious difference was UI responsiveness. The UI didn’t get stuck nearly as much on an interface element or when trying to enter text. If you are set on using iOS 4, the upgrade is worthwhile for that alone.
Take a look at the video below. If I were you, iPhone 3G users, I would upgrade tomorrow, or Wednesday - or whenever the new OS comes out. Or maybe just buy an iPhone 4. [via MacRumors]
