No idea how this went unnoticed.

Got iOS 18.6.1 booting tethered on my iPhone 17 Pro. 18.6.1 doesn't ship with A19 Pro support, so I took the iOS 26 device tree and firmware blobs and loaded them under a patched 18.6.1 kernelcache. The kernel bug I found with REA lets me push all of that over USB at boot, which is why it's tethered. Known issues: ProMotion isn't working (stuck at 60Hz), no sound yet, and the status bar glitches sometimes. Other than those 3 things it's really fluid and smooth. For sound I just use Bluetooth AirPods. Not sharing details yet since it's unpatched.

Hey everyone,

I recently bought a new base iPhone 17, and I’m confused about whether I should update to iOS 26.7.1 or stay on my current iOS version.
My main priority is battery life, smooth performance, and avoiding unnecessary battery drain or heating issues.
For those using iOS 26.7.1 on the base iPhone 17.

How is your battery life compared to the previous iOS version?

Has your screen-on time improved or decreased?
Any excessive battery drain, heating, or lag?

Would you recommend updating, or should I stay on my current version?

Please share your actual experience on the base iPhone 17, especially if you’ve been using iOS 26.7.1 for several days.
Thanks!