How to 'downgrade' my 3GS from 5.0.1 as its so damn slow now!

By Technique
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Grand Master

Technique

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I moved from 4.0.1 to 5.0.1 at Xmas time. I like the new touches it gives and maybe it works great on the iphone4 but it's terrible on MY 3GS as it runs so damn slow now.

The worst is when I'm using the keyboard in Safari - there's unbelievable lag. Response times are considerably slower too.

I don't necessarily want to revert back to 4.0.1 but I know I don't want 5.0.1 on my phone much longer!

I would also like the ability to jailbreak whatever version is installed. "untethered" I believe the term is?

TIA.

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Grand Master

123456789A

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I had the same problem with a 3G running iOS 4. It got so slow, it wouldn't even answer calls half of the time.

Not really sure how to do it, but I know it can be done.

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Grand Master

Technique

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2 reasons really...

1) I imagine downgrading is totally free. Buying a new phone isnt. An iphone4 will cost in excess of ?300. Thats a lot of money.

2) I'm waiting for the launch of iPhone 5 / Samsung Galaxy S3 to see a) what they're like and b) how reliable they are once they've been out a while (iPhone 4 signal drop anyone) and even then I may not get either if the price or reliability isnt right.

Anyone know how to downgrade?

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mbowman

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2 reasons really...

1) I imagine downgrading is totally free. Buying a new phone isnt. An iphone4 will cost in excess of ?300. Thats a lot of money.

2) I'm waiting for the launch of iPhone 5 / Samsung Galaxy S3 to see a) what they're like and b) how reliable they are once they've been out a while (iPhone 4 signal drop anyone) and even then I may not get either if the price or reliability isnt right.

Anyone know how to downgrade?

I'm in the same boat as you. My 3GS is so slow now, I'm tempted to upgrade to an iphone 4 but cant justify spending the money.

I have noticed if you close ALL apps running in the background it does help, but its still stupidly slow...

Did a quick google and seems you can't do it a simple way... you have to look down the root of jailbreaking it sort of..

http://www.tuaw.com/2011/12/05/use-ifaith-v1-4-to-downgrade-to-ios-5-0/

see if ifaith can do lower than ios 5.

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Grand Master

Chasethebase Reporter

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Odd, how many apps do you have installed, I noticed that this has an effect on performance (somehow). Sometimes just a restart is what's needed.

I personally don't find it slow on iOS 5, and have about 60 apps installed.

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mbowman

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Oh I'd also recommend turning off features like your location, apps allowed to know your location etc.

this disabled the iphone finder on icloud but saves battery majorly and speeds phone up a little, its just extra crap like this they've added that slows it all down, processor just cant cope very well I think.

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Grand Master

Technique

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102 apps - but that includes default apps like notes, YouTube, stocks etc.

I've tried clOsing down all open apps. It may help a little but if it does it's not by much.

Turning off features isn't really a option - the phone is set up how I like it & besides that, its set up exactly how it was with 4.0.1. I don't want to have to set it up how I don't want it just to fit in with the software, I'd rather select the software to fit in with how I want it.

Bizzarly, the keyboard response is quite good on neowin. On other websites it is horrendous though. Neowin must be the only website it's any good on.

I'm surprised it seems so difficult to downgrade. I wasn't expecting to have problems with it. Lol.

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cacoe

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You're not by any chance already jailbroken are you? I simply installed winterboard without any themes applied and I took a noticeable performance hit, even simple things like scrolling from page to page became more laggy.

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Grand Master

dragon2611

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I moved from 4.0.1 to 5.0.1 at Xmas time. I like the new touches it gives and maybe it works great on the iphone4 but it's terrible on MY 3GS as it runs so damn slow now.

The worst is when I'm using the keyboard in Safari - there's unbelievable lag. Response times are considerably slower too.

I don't necessarily want to revert back to 4.0.1 but I know I don't want 5.0.1 on my phone much longer!

I would also like the ability to jailbreak whatever version is installed. "untethered" I believe the term is?

TIA.

There's now an untethered jailbreak for 5.01 on the 3GS available.

I don't think you can downgrade unless you had backed up your SHSH blobs from a previous release as apple isn't signing the old builds anymore :-(

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Grand Master

Technique

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You're not by any chance already jailbroken are you? I simply installed winterboard without any themes applied and I took a noticeable performance hit, even simple things like scrolling from page to page became more laggy.

I am and i also have winterboard installed. It's not open, but installed.

Even still, i had it on 4.0.1 which ran smooth as you like.

There's now an untethered jailbreak for 5.01 on the 3GS available.

I don't think you can downgrade unless you had backed up your SHSH blobs from a previous release as apple isn't signing the old builds anymore :-(

My iPhone is already running an untethered jailbroken 5.0.1.

It's looking like i'm out of luck then. Shame. Only options seem to be to live with it or replace it.

I don't like the signal issues of iPhone4, despite how many iPhone heads tell me this issue does not exist - i've tested it and have seen it for my own eyes.

So i'm waiting on the iPhone 5 or SGS3. Let them stay out for a while to get the teething problems seen to and then see what the feedback is. If they're problem free then i'll get one. If they have bugs then i'll get the SGS2.

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Grand Master

Japlabot

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I have installed IOS 5 (not 5.0.1) on many 3GS without any problem (about 6 or so). I know that IOS 4 was a problem for the 3G but this is not the case for the 3GS. I would try restoring your iPhone to factory settings still using 5.0.1 and see if it is still slow, if that fixes the slowness, make your changes more gradually to see if you can isolate the issue.

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Grand Master

Jose_49

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This happens to all the iDevices (except iPad) that are upgraded to their 3rd OS iteration. It happened when I upgraded my iPod 2G to iOS 4.

You can google how to downgrade, if I remember correctly it was about tricking the iTunes and preventing it connected from the Internet and then install the firmware as new.

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mattygdot

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Unless you have jailbroken your device in the past and stored the SHSH blobs required then you cannot downgrade. Apple only signs the iOS firmwares for a specific period of time. If they no longer are signing it and you don't have the SHSH blobs you're SOL.

Sorry about your luck.

This is the same for any iDevice. I know from previous experiences with my iPad and Apple TV.

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Grand Master

Technique

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Are Samsung (or the android scene) anywhere near as controlling as Apple?

It's one of the reasons i'm considering the move to a SGS2/3. Note: one of, not "THE" reason.

Shame becuase there's so many devices out there tailored towards the iPhone.

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