Apple’s iPhone XS and XS Max are great devices, but they are not without issues. One issue in particular that has been irritating users for months now is a slight animation stutter that occurs after a few seconds of inactivity.
iPhone XS stutter issue is widespread
According to numerous complaints from users, the animation stutters occur after leaving the device idle for about 10 seconds. Users mostly encounter the iPhone XS stutter issue when opening or closing apps and scrolling through pages.
It is a widespread issue, so if you own an iPhone XS or XS Max, there is a good chance your handset has it. Even the iPhone XS demo units in Apple Stores exhibit the issue, users say. However, the stutter lasts only a fraction of a second, so you might overlook it. To detect it, you will have to watch your iPhone’s animations closely.
The Apple Support forums are flooded with complaints from users who have noticed the issue on their handset.
“I and several other XS owners have noted a slight stutter in scrolling and the app-closing animation after a period of inactivity,” one user said.
There is even a Facebook page about the issue entitled “iPhone XS animation and scrolling stutter.”
It is not a new issue and has been around for months, possibly since the launch of the iPhone XS and XS Max. The issue is even present in the latest iOS 12.2 betas, suggesting Apple has yet to find a fix for it.
Ignore it to fix it
As of now, there is no word from Apple on the iPhone XS stutter issue. Users have suggested a few workarounds, such as disabling the FaceTime app or enabling AssistiveTouch, but most still report the issue. Some users say they took their handset to their local Apple Store and got a replacement unit, but the replacement units are plagued by the same issue.
“Today got a new Replacement XS from Apple. Same stutter, right out of the Box, no backup installed,” one user said on the Apple forum.
For now, the best way to address the issue is to simply ignore it. The problem is so minor anyway that you may not even notice it, and it does not affect the normal usage of the device. However, the fact remains that after spending $1000+ on a phone, you should expect it to work flawlessly.
Hopefully Apple acknowledges and fixes the issue soon with a software update as one user has started an online petition on Change.org. The petition has already received about 190 signatures. The user who initiated the petition said they reported the issue to Apple, but the company says there is “nothing wrong.”
“They ran a test and said that there was nothing wrong. We want Apple to take this problem serious and fixes [sic] the stuttergate or let us return the iPhone. Please help us!” the petition reads.
How to replicate it
To see the stuttering yourself, unlock your iPhone XS and leave it idle for about 10 seconds. Next, open any app to watch the opening animation drop frames, giving a stutter effect.
You can also witness the issue if you open any app and close it after leaving it inactive for some time. Similarly, opening Safari and then leaving it inactive before scrolling through a webpage could trigger the issue. If you are still unable to replicate the issue, then count yourself lucky, and this short demo video from Benjamin Mayo may help you.
The stutter issue is not seen on any other iPhone model except for the XS and XS Max. 9to5Mac says it used a slow-motion video to check for the stutter issue on the iPhone X, but there wasn’t any. Since the issue is exclusive to the iPhone XS and XS Max, it might be due to the A12 chip, although the iPhone XS uses the same chip and it does not exhibit the same flaw.
One user on the Apple forum says “…Assistant Apple told me that the problem is most likely in the calibration of the phone. The wrong operating system was loaded on the device…… By the way, we only have problems with the phone, I took his XS 512 and it worked perfectly.”
It is not very clear what the user meant, but the wrong operating system is unlikely to be the cause because the issue is still present in the iOS 12.2 betas. If it has been problem with the OS, Apple should have been able to fix it easily.
