IOS – iPhone IOS 7 SHSH blob

Ok, so after some quick googling and reading some Apple forums, it looks like iCloud (in iOS 5.x) isn't ready for prime time. I've done the following and now iOS 5.x seems a lot snappier.

1. Disabled iCloud everywhere (Settings -> iCloud)

   Disable all apps then Scroll down and hit "Storage and Backup" and disable iCloud backups. If you really want to go strong, just delete your iCloud account setting (on your phone, Settings -> iCloud -> scroll to bottom)

2. Disabled sending data to Apple (Settings -> General -> About -> Diagnostic & Usage -> "Don't send")

3. Minimized Location Services (Settings -> Location services)

   I kept it ON globally, but disabled it for certain Apps Most importantly, disabled it for "Diagnostic & Usage" as well as "Location based iAds" (Settings -> Location services -> Scroll to bottom -> System Services)

4. Disabled notifications for the calendar (Settings -> Notification)

   I also removed notifications for many other apps that had added themselves ... However, I suspect this is fixed in iOS 5.0.1 under their "Battery issue fixed" patch. Earlier, Calendar notifications would hang causing CPU to be stuck 100%, draining the battery and leaving little CPU for other items.

Also, there are two apps, SysStatsMon and System Status. Both are good tools to see CPU usage on your iOS device. About 5+ seconds after launching them under normal circumstances, your CPU should be in the 5-15% range.

If I recall correctly - perhaps others can help flesh out any missing details - the setup wizard primarily lets you sign in with / sign up for an Apple ID to use for iCloud, it asks you to agree to the iCloud Terms of Service, and it asks about setting up Location Services.

All of these can be accessed directly through the Settings app at any time. I don't believe you will miss any important functionality by missing the wizard, especially if you were previously using your iPhone with iCloud in iOS5.