but, I'm still using a iphone 5s, so that may be part of it.

I did all the usual (adjusted power settings, waited several days for apps to update, but I still have decreased battery life, to the point I tend to keep it on "low battery mode" whenever away from a charger. I saw some improvement, but still an issue over previous.

Perhaps because of that I've had some instances where my email seemed to wipe itself (not just not updating, but all the old emails gone--blank), though after plugging in and on wifi, they all reloaded after several minutes. Same with some of my other apps that rely on syncing with an online or bluetooth source (e.g., fitbit, myfitnesspal.com). This, doesn't happen all the time, but it did disturb me.

I don't know if the latest updates have changed any of that. Given these updates don't necessarily take into major account the impact on older phones, I never know whether to do them or not. I waited some time before I first installed vs 11 and 12 and only after researching impacts online. I guess the security risks of not updating concern me enough to go ahead. The problems are not necessarily continuous, but there have been some.

Good luck.