Should you install iOS 8 on iPhone 4S or 5?

TORONTO – Apple’s newest mobile operating system iOS 8 is officially available for download, but users with older models may want to think twice about installing the new software.

iOS 8 is compatible with iPhone 4S and later, but older devices lack many of the recent features that iOS 8 is built to support. 

For example, the iPhone 4S – launched in 2011 – has a much slower A5 processor, lacks LTE connectivity and doesn’t have Apple’s Touch ID fingerprint scanner (nor does the iPhone 5). This means the overall performance of the phone and its apps will become slower with iOS 8.

In the past, users with older devices who installed the latest version of iOS have run into difficulties.

Last year, many iPhone 4 users who upgraded to iOS 7 found their devices slow and prone to frequent app crashes.

READ MORE: Top 5 new features coming to your iPhone with iOS 8

However, tech website Ars Technica performed tests on an iPhone 4S running iOS 8 and discovered that performance isn’t the only problem users with older devices will face. The operating system was designed to be used with devices that have larger screens, but the 4S only has a 3.5-inch screen.

“The 4S’ screen has always been small, but iOS 8 can make it feel cramped,” read the report. “If you don’t mind (or actively prefer) your 4S’ screen size, by all means, continue to enjoy it. You’ll just have to do more scrolling than you do on and iPhone 5 or an iPhone 6.”

Additionally, many iPhone 4S models only have 8GB of memory and iOS 8 requires at least 5.8 GB of free space to be available on the device before installing.

In the end, it’s up to the user if they want to upgrade, but think carefully before deciding – it’s hard to downgrade once you have installed the latest operating system.