In a previous post, we wondered if Apple was somehow slowing down older iPhone models to get you to buy one of its newer models. A new study from Futuremark doesn't support that.
The study examined the performance of various iPhones over a period of about 18 months using the benchmarking app 3DMark. According to the results, an iPhone 5S did not suffer any degradation in GPU or CPU performance during that time.
Other models react in a similar way.
Futuremark conducted the study in response to a Harvard studythat claimed that Apple intentionally slowed down older models before releasing new ones. The basis for Harvard's claim was that searches for "iPhone model Gen 1 slow" spiked every time an "iPhone Model Gen 2" was announced.
The “study” doesn’t actually exist. According to Snopes, a Harvard student conducted a casual search on Google Trends and his findings were far too long-winded.
Needless to say, there are other explanations for why your older iPhone might be slowing down, and none of them are caused by some Apple conspiracy.
Besides, Apple doesn't need to design flawed hardware or software to make its customers feel like their device is inadequate and needs an upgrade. That's what marketing does, and it does it very well.
