What you need to know
- An avid tech enthusiast installs Windows XP on the iPhone but cites degraded performance, longer boot times, and more.
- The user attributed the issue to Apple's strict Just-in-Time (JIT) compilation, which limits UTM SE's capabilities.
- The YouTuber attempted to install a VirtualBox on the emulated Windows XP hoping to run Windows 98, but encountered performance issues.
Emulators have opened doors and new opportunities for enthusiastic techies to experiment and push software in the most unconventional ways possible. For instance, Michael MJD on YouTube recently attempted to get Windows XP to run on the iPhone.
For context, Apple had previously made it difficult for developers to add emulators to its App Store. However, the company has since loosened its grip on these restrictions, though certain thresholds and applicable laws remain, designed to prevent security incidents like piracy and more.
Michael MJD ran Windows XP on the iPhone using the UTM SE emulator. And while the user managed to install Windows XP on his iPhone, he ran into some performance issues. This is attributed to the fact that UTM SE doesn't ship with Just-in-Time (JIT) compilation like the original UTM version.
As such, the user found it hard to run Windows XP on the iPhone at optimum performance. According to Michael, installing the OS took up to 2 hours, and an additional 30 minutes for booting.
With the performance and boot time compromise, Michael switched things up and installed UTM through AltStore for better performance and faster boot time. Admittedly, the user spotted better performance and a faster boot time.
His next quest was to attempt to install and play the nostalgic Half-Life 1 shooter game. Despite running into a known compatibility issue with the version of Windows running on the iPhone, the user managed to get the game to work. There was a compromise in frames and performance, though tweaking the setting configurations helped a bit.
Things get a tad interesting when Michael MJD installs a VirtualBox on the emulated Windows XP, hoping to run Windows 98. And while he managed to get Windows 98 to work, he encountered several issues, including the system constantly crashing. Finally, the avid tech enthusiast attempted to run Windows 95, but his efforts were futile as the system crashed again despite making considerable strides in the setup process.
Windows 11 spots similar issues on the iPhone
In July, we reported on the story of a developer attempting to install Windows 11 on the iPhone 15 Pro using Tiny11 Core and UTM SE. Like Michael MJD, the developer encountered several issues throughout the process, including a degraded user experience and long boot times of up to 20 minutes.
While the developer eventually got Windows 11 to work on the iPhone, the OS's UI looks cramped due to the vast difference in screen real estate, with poor resolution and aspect ratio.
