I’ve been having the same issues. I remember a couple of years back people would be excited for a new update. Nowadays we are mostly worried about the battery life/drainage.
Ive been using an iPhone 12 for the past 2 years, shouldn’t be considered an old device. It came with iOS 15 which was amazing battery wise, I saw it suffer as soon as I updated to 16 and after 17 the battery drain plummeted.
Apple itself stated that tests ios versions so it runs pristinely on compatible models. So I don’t think it’s an age issue, the A14 Bionic is a capable chip. Phones aren’t supposed to be that disposable.
I’ve always chosen iPhone for its longevity. The battery is smaller but in my use, used to degrade slower than the larger ones found in some android phones.
Unfortunately that’s no longer the case. I dont want to be forced into buying a new device. I rather make the switch for an android than accept the poor software optimization (at least on android they compensate this with large batteries).
I believe I’m not alone on this one.