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iOS 8.1.3 iPhone 4s Reviews: Should You Install iOS 8.1.3?

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The iOS 8.1.3 release leaves many iPhone 4s owners asking if this is an update that they can safely install. We are sharing a collection of early iOS 8.1.3 iphone 4s reviews from users to help you decide if you should upgrade.

We also found a very important video showing the iOS 8.1.2 vs iOS 8.1.3 performance on the iPhone 4s that you need to watch before you upgrade. Keep in mind that these user iOS 8.1.3 iPhone 4s reviews come after about a day of use, so the overall opinion of this update is still forming. With that out of the way the iOS 8.1.3 update looks like one that users may want to wait on before installing.

The iOS 8.1 update boosted the iPhone 4s performance, but video evidence shows iOS 8.1.3 runs slightly slower on the iPhone 4s than iOS 8.1.2. Small performance degradation is not something iPhone 4s owners want at this stage.

Read user iOS 8.1.3 iPhone 4s reviews.

Read user iOS 8.1.3 iPhone 4s reviews.

The iOS 8.1.3 update now requires less free space to update, but at this point it may not be the right time to upgrade from iOS 7 to iOS 8 on the iPhone 4s. We’ll help you answer the question, “Should I upgrade the iPhone 4s to iOS 8.1.3?” using early user reviews.

iOS 8.1.3 Installation

There are not widespread reports of iPhone 4s iOS 8.1.3 installation problems, but several users did run into issues with the update. This is precisely why you should not install an update, even a small one, without a backup. Learn how to install iOS 8.1.3 and read our iOS 8.1.3 release tips for a smooth upgrade.

But thankfully this user did not lose his data.

Another user also reports a failed over the air update to iOS 8.1.3 on the iPhone 4s.

This is common enough that you should plan ahead and make sure you have a backup, as another user on the Apple Support Forums also shared, “My iPhone 4s crashed after trying to install 8.1.3. It said I needed to restore to factory settings…….”

iOS 8.1.3 on iPhone 4s Performance

Keep in mind that everyone uses different apps and services and with various home networks and accessories in play not every iPhone experience will be the same, but you can use these early iOS 8.1.3 iPhone 4s reviews to make a good decision about updating your iPhone.

iOS 8.1.3 Speed on iPhone 4s

It looks like the iPhone 4s is slightly slower on iOS 8.1.3. The video below compares iOS 8.1.2 to iOS 8.1.3 performance on the iPhone 4s side-by-side. As you notice the apps open at about the same speed, but on the iPhone 4s with iOS 8.1.3 the app is not ready for use as fast.

This will vary in some apps and some users may not notice a difference without another iPhone on the side, but this is a video you want to watch before you install the iOS 8.1.3 iPhone 4s update.

Apps

We have not found many reports of app issues after installing the iOS 8.1.3 update. If you experience any app problems after the update you should make sure your apps are up to date and restart the iPhone to see if that solves the problem.

iOS 8.1.3 Battery Life

There are few reports of iOS 8.1.3 battery life problems, but none for the iPhone 4s specifically at this point. We will watch this and are looking for ways to fix iOS 8.1.3 battery life for users who run into problems after the update.

WiFi, Cellular Data & Bluetooth

We could only find one report of an iOS 8.1.3 WiFi problem on the iPhone 4s, and Bluetooth appears to work well for users.

It is not surprising that there are some problems, but they don’t seem widespread. We did not find complaints about problems with cellular connectivity after the iOS 8.1.3 update.

Bugs & Issues

There are two iOS 8.1.3 iPhone 4s issues that you need to consider before installing this update. First, the various reports that the update fails and requires users to restore the iPhone in iTunes before they can use it again. You should make sure you have a backup and that you also are near your computer in case this happens.

Second, the performance is something you certainly want to look into before installing this update. We heard form an iPhone 5s user who suffered performance slowdowns for the first several hours, but after a day the device returned to normal, so perhaps that is something we are seeing here.

Should You Install iOS iOS 8.1.3 on the iPhone 4s?

Many users should wait to install iOS 8.1.3 on the iPhone 4s.

Many users should wait to install iOS 8.1.3 on the iPhone 4s.

Unlike the iOS 8.1 update that was a no brainer to install on the iPhone 4s, you may want to wait a week or two for more details and user reviews to arrive. On the upside, if you decide to install the iOS 8.1.3 iPhone 4s update now, you can still downgrade to iOS 8.1.2 if you aren’t happy with the performance. This downgrade solution will likely only be around for a short time.

If you are on iOS 7 or using jailbreak tweaks, this does not look like the update for you to use to jump up to iOS 8 even though it now requires less free storage to upgrade.

In any case it is a good idea for iPhone 4s owners to wait for more iOS 8.1.3 reviews before upgrading, even with iOS 8.2 on the horizon.

What’s New in iOS 8

iOS 8 vs iOS 7 Walkthrough - Home Screen

iOS 8 vs iOS 7 Walkthrough - Home Screen

We start our iOS 8 vs iOS 7 walkthrough with the iPhone home screen, which is where you'll start your iOS 8 experience after an update this fall. 

These screens are incredibly important as you see them anytime you turn on the iPhone or need to choose an app to launch. There is no way around using them, so Apple needs to make sure they work just right. 

As you can see in the iOS 8 vs iOS 7 comparison above, there is no change between the home screen in the new iPhone software. Apple changed the status bar and some other small visual changes in iOS 7, but there are no updates for iOS 8.  

We could see Apple change the home screen slightly for iOS 8 for the iPhone 6. The new iPhone will feature a larger 4.7-inch display with a higher resolution. This is something Apple may use to add more icons to the screen. Or they could stick with the current layout, it's tough to tell.  

3 Comments

3 Comments

  1. Christine

    02/05/2015 at 6:00 am

    Thank you very much for your extensive review. I greatly appreciate your detail-orientedness!

  2. Steve

    02/09/2015 at 8:02 am

    I did the update on my 4s and battery life went from 3 days to less than one day.

  3. Business nunya

    02/21/2015 at 12:30 am

    So far it sucks. Apps crash or just freeze before loading. Phone wouldn’t turn on for a few minutes after trying to reboot. Constant notification 3 on apps but both needs updated. Not impressed, am however annoyed.

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