iPad 2: The Device that won't die.

[Manatlt]

Yeah. Apple wasn't able to kill the iPad 2 with iOS 7, so they're going for another shot with iOS 8.

My wife is using my hand-me-down iPad 2 (I've got an iPad 4), it is still running great... well, as great as anything can run on iOS 7.

They can't kill iPad 2 with iOS 7 even if they wanted to anyway, because they were still selling the device.

iPad 2 was also on sale this year so they can't just kill it. Especially when its A5 brothers will be getting 8.

But be warned though, this is very most likely iPad 2's last supported iOS update. Because all A5 devices would have at least have 3 years of support by the time iOS 9 is announced.

 

[im_to_hyper]

iPad 2 and iPhone 4S both run the A5 chip. If they killed one they would have to kill the other. Both get to live on for another year.

Or more.... which seems to be the trend with Yosemite.

All iOS 8 did was to weed on the non dual-core devices. Mountain Lion weeded out Intel graphics and non 64-bit EFI machines.

It seems like optimiz(s)ation and adding new features going forward can easily be handled on modernish multi-core hardware with decent graphics.

 

[iKnackwurst]

Let's just hope it gets most of the fancy features... I really don't want to replace my iPad this year

 

[stephen1108]

Assuming the iPad 2, iPhone 4S and current iPod Touch won't be getting the iOS 9 update, that means Apple will have to introduce a new iPod Touch (or kill it off all together) this year, right?

 

[Kariya]

iPad 2/4S and 2007 iMac/MBP 15" users are really getting their money's worth in terms of after sales support.

 

[valleian]

I just hope that the iPad 3rd Generation gets this treatment. I'd love for my iPad to get iOS 9, ill upgrade probably for iOS 10/X.

 

[mangomind]

Assuming the iPad 2, iPhone 4S and current iPod Touch won't be getting the iOS 9 update, that means Apple will have to introduce a new iPod Touch (or kill it off all together) this year, right?

If Apple puts iOS 9 in the iPhone 4s, it would mark the first time Apple has given an iPhone four major updates. But this phone is the first dual core iPhone, so there is a chance Apple could give it iOS 9. And look at OS X: The 10.8, 10.9, and 10.10 updates run on the same hardware.

 

[Primejimbo]

They can't kill iPad 2 with iOS 7 even if they wanted to anyway, because they were still selling the device.

iPad 2 was also on sale this year so they can't just kill it. Especially when its A5 brothers will be getting 8.

But be warned though, this is very most likely iPad 2's last supported iOS update. Because all A5 devices would have at least have 3 years of support by the time iOS 9 is announced.

Not true, they did this with an iPod Touch.
The 4th generation iPod stopped selling May of 2013 and iOS 7 came out later that year and the 4th generation iPod touch wouldn't support it. I also think it has the same possessor as the iPhone 4.

 

[Manatlt]

Not true, they did this with an iPod Touch.
The 4th generation iPod stopped selling May of 2013 and iOS 7 came out later that year and the 4th generation iPod touch wouldn't support it.

Well iPod Touch 4 is an exception. Why? Because it had an A4 chip, 256MB of RAM and it was slow as heck even on iOS 6. This iPod Touch was very poor.

 

[Primejimbo]

Well iPod Touch 4 is an exception. Why? Because it had an A4 chip, 256MB of RAM and it was slow as heck even on iOS 6. This iPod Touch was very poor.

Either way, they have done this and that's all I was pointing out. Doesn't the iPad 2 have 512MB of RAM? That doesn't seem much now a days.

 

[Kariya]

Either way, they have done this and that's all I was pointing out. Doesn't the iPad 2 have 512MB of RAM? That doesn't seem much now a days.

iPad 2, 1st-gen mini, and 4S all sport 512MB o RAM

 

[Manatlt]

Either way, they have done this and that's all I was pointing out. Doesn't the iPad 2 have 512MB of RAM? That doesn't seem much now a days.

Look, around a month ago I had a 2 page argument with someone about Touch 4 vs. iPad 2...I don't want to go through it again especially it's been confirmed iPad 2 will get iOS 8...

Yes iPad 2 has 512MB of RAM, and that applies to every A5 device except iPad 3.

 

[Primejimbo]

Look, around a month ago I had a 2 page argument with someone about Touch 4 vs. iPad 2...I don't want to go through it again especially it's been confirmed iPad 2 will get iOS 8...

Yes iPad 2 has 512MB of RAM, and that applies to every A5 device except iPad 3.

Personally I am happy the iPad 2 is getting it. My mom has my wife's iPad 2 and I restored it as new for her with iOS 7 and it runs great with it. I was shocked and impressed how food it runs with iOS 7.

 

[zorinlynx]

This makes me happy because we have a pile of iPad 2s at work that are already in our developer program. So I'll have a device to play with iOS 8 on without having to run a beta on my own. Woo!

 

[oldmacs]

Either way, they have done this and that's all I was pointing out. Doesn't the iPad 2 have 512MB of RAM? That doesn't seem much now a days.

Difference was that the iPod touch 4 was single core and had 256 MB of ram. It could barely run iOS 6. The iPad 2 along with the 4S and iPod touch 5th gen are all dual core A5 with 512 MB of ram and all happen to run iOS 7 quite well

 

[dumastudetto]

Does the iPad 2 have much superior specs to the iPhone 4? I honestly can't remember but based on reports of iOS 7 performance (or lackof) on the respective devices I guess it must.

 

[C DM]

Does the iPad 2 have much superior specs to the iPhone 4? I honestly can't remember but based on reports of iOS 7 performance (or lackof) on the respective devices I guess it must.

A dual core A5 processor over a single core A4 processor would be enough on its own. But I believe a more powerful GPU would likely help (quite) a bit as well.

 

[Primejimbo]

Difference was that the iPod touch 4 was single core and had 256 MB of ram. It could barely run iOS 6. The iPad 2 along with the 4S and iPod touch 5th gen are all dual core A5 with 512 MB of ram and all happen to run iOS 7 quite well

I get it, and I was just making the point that Apple has done this. As a dad who got his daughter an iPod to only find to out that is wasn't supported in less than a years as not fun. I got it for her Christmas 2012 and less than a year later and new OS came out out and she couldn't get it. As a person who spend a lot of money on this, I wasn't happy.

 

[dumastudetto]

A dual core A5 processor over a single core A4 processor would be enough on its own. But I believe a more powerful GPU and would likely help (quite) a bit as well.

Wow yep very much makes sense then.

 

[KUguardgrl13]

My dad's accounting firm will be happy. They bought iPad 2's for their employees a few years ago. Not that my dad uses it much for work besides email thanks to the lack of apps that he needs to use. It's for Netflix and mahjong

 

[KeegM480]

It handles iOS 8 very well, I have noticed minimal lag, the first time doing something it lags, but after doing something multiple times the device runs fluid, I will be able to test the battery tomorrow

 

[oldmacs]

I get it, and I was just making the point that Apple has done this. As a dad who got his daughter an iPod to only find to out that is wasn't supported in less than a years as not fun. I got it for her Christmas 2012 and less than a year later and new OS came out out and she couldn't get it. As a person who spend a lot of money on this, I wasn't happy.

I competlly agree with you, it is unfair. Apple should have never continued selling them past the end of 2011. I know a lot of people who were burned by that.