Apple Thoughts: iOS 4.1: Speeding Up a Sluggish iPhone 3G

"iOS 4.0 was so slow on our 3G, we promptly downgraded after updating. Earlier this week, Apple announced, among other things, that iOS 4.1 fixed performance on the iPhone 3G. We put their claim to the test."

In anticipation of the release of iOS 4.1, an admittedly un-scientific (but real-world) performance test was run pitting iOS 4.0 against iOS 4.1 (final release) on an iPhone 3G. Four equivalent tasks were run, and in every one iOS 4.1 was faster. The screen redraws and keyboard response were noticeably faster with iOS 4.1. The author points out that iOS 4.1 is faster than iOS 4.0 on his 3G, but that he may stay on iOS 3, as both the iPhone 3GS and the iPhone 4 are significantly faster than the 3G at these very same tasks. The bottom line is that an iOS 4.1 upgrade may extend the useful life of the iPhone 3G.