All iPads The first iPads

[FeliApple]

I agree on everything except "Update them and they result in an awful experience". M-series iPads have so much headroom that their performance won't be affected in any noticeable way by updates. Stand-by time took a big hit after iOS 11 and to a lesser extent with iPadOS, but has remained stable over the past updates. I don't expect it to worsen significantly with updates, it could even get better since it depends on what happens in the background. So what you said can apply to older devices that came before iPadOS but doesn't seem to apply to newer ones.

I was talking about 9.7-inch iPads. Not one is good. The best iPads like the 9.7-inch iPad Pro and the 6th-gen iPad are poor when updated. (Especially in terms of battery life).

For M series, let’s wait to see battery life at the end of their lifespan. I’m a little more hopeful about performance, but we’ll see.

Apple’s entire history is one and the same. Perhaps in terms of battery life, perhaps in terms of both. Every single iOS device that has been discontinued in terms of iOS updates has been obliterated. Before being hopeful, they have to show me they can do it.

 

[rui no onna]

The iPad 4 was great, but only two hours ahead of the two future 9.7-inch iPads on original iOS versions I’ve tested (16 vs 14 hours, 9.7-inch iPad Pro and 6th-gen iPad). The Air 5 is ridiculous on iPadOS 15 with light use, getting north of 25 hours.

I only got ~12 hours on my cellular Pro 9.7 brand new which quickly dropped to ~8-10 hours after a year of heavy use.

 

[rui no onna]

I agree on everything except "Update them and they result in an awful experience". M-series iPads have so much headroom that their performance won't be affected in any noticeable way by updates. Stand-by time took a big hit after iOS 11 and to a lesser extent with iPadOS, but has remained stable over the past updates. I don't expect it to worsen significantly with updates, it could even get better since it depends on what happens in the background. So what you said can apply to older devices that came before iPadOS but doesn't seem to apply to newer ones.

The recent updates have hit my iPads' standby time pretty hard, too. Seems it might be related to HomeKit and AirTags which I both use.

What's weird is some weeks I'd have 15-25% daily standby battery drain but other weeks it'll only drain 10% or less daily and different iPad models would have the excessive drain at different times. There's no rhyme or reason.

 

[FeliApple]

I only got ~12 hours on my cellular Pro 9.7 brand new which quickly dropped to ~8-10 hours after a year of heavy use.

I'm probably a lighter user. Surprised to hear that it dropped though, iOS 10 should be like-new. Perhaps there's another reason. My 6s on iOS 10 (which I still use), is just as good as my other 6s when it was on iOS 9 (forcibly updated by Apple to iOS 13).

 

[Digitalguy]

The recent updates have hit my iPads' standby time pretty hard, too. Seems it might be related to HomeKit and AirTags which I both use.

What's weird is some weeks I'd have 15-25% daily standby battery drain but other weeks it'll only drain 10% or less daily and different iPad models would have the excessive drain at different times. There's no rhyme or reason.

In my case it's even stranger.
Talking about overnight standby, some days it's 0% some days it's 15%, and while this tends to affect all devices at the same time (so it's not random), some devices are much less affected then others. My M1 pro is the least affected, it's always low single digit overnight drain, while the 2018 models are much more affected. What's crazy is that the 2018 12.9 is on iPadOS 15, the 11" is on 17.2, the mini 5 on 16 and the M1 on automatic updates so always the latest, but has shown pretty good standby on every version of iPadOS 17....
I have tried to disable everything, starting from find my and siri, but nothing changes the drain. There are heavy drain nights and calm nights, for no apparent reasons.

Meanwhile all my Android devices lose around 2% per night, with no variation...

 

[FeliApple]

In my case it's even stranger.
Talking about overnight standby, some days it's 0% some days it's 15%, and while this tends to affect all devices at the same time (so it's not random), some devices are much less affected then others. My M1 pro is the least affected, it's always low single digit overnight drain, while the 2018 models are much more affected. What's crazy is that the 2018 12.9 is on iPadOS 15, the 11" is on 17.2, the mini 5 on 16 and the M1 on automatic updates so always the latest, but has shown pretty good standby on every version of iPadOS 17....
I have tried to disable everything, starting from find my and siri, but nothing changes the drain. There are heavy drain nights and calm nights, for no apparent reasons.

Meanwhile all my Android devices lose around 2% per night, with no variation...

Wait, I'm curious, you've consistently stated that you don't believe iOS updates are a source of battery life degradation. Why do you keep some outdated?

 

[rui no onna]

I'm probably a lighter user. Surprised to hear that it dropped though, iOS 10 should be like-new. Perhaps there's another reason. My 6s on iOS 10 (which I still use), is just as good as my other 6s when it was on iOS 9 (forcibly updated by Apple to iOS 13).

SoCal summer, 16+ hours daily onscreen time, frequent drops to 0% when I can't put down my marathon reading, charging while using, etc.

I had a 16GB Air as my backup device at the time and the storage made it useless for comics.

 

[rui no onna]

Wait, I'm curious, you've consistently stated that you don't believe iOS updates are a source of battery life degradation. Why do you keep some outdated?

I'd keep mine on older versions when performance starts to suffer due to heavier CPU or RAM usage.

I do wish I'd kept the 2GB RAM iPads on iOS 12. iOS 13/14 was a step too far.

 

[Digitalguy]

Wait, I'm curious, you've consistently stated that you don't believe iOS updates are a source of battery life degradation. Why do you keep some outdated?

Because of RAM, the 12.9 2018 has only 4GB and already reloads like crazy, I can't leave a youtube video paused and be certain that it will not reload in Safari even with just that one tab open and nothing else done on the iPad in between. It's terrible. I know at this point it's probably worth updating anyway, it will make little difference. And if Apple gives me battery charge threashold with iPadOS 18 like in the M4, I am updating it to 18...

 

[Digitalguy]

I'd keep mine on older versions when performance starts to suffer due to heavier CPU or RAM usage.

I do wish I'd kept the 2GB RAM iPads on iOS 12. iOS 13/14 was a step too far.

For me the breaking point was 14. 13 is still a good compromise of functionality (iPadOS) and speed.
I left my 9.7 pro and that of my mother on 13 and I am very happy I did, but updated my mini 4 to 14 and the performance degradation from 13 to 14 was massive for the mini 4.

 

[rui no onna]

For me the breaking point was 14. 13 is still a good compromise of functionality (iPadOS) and speed.
I left my 9.7 pro and that of my mother on 13 and I am very happy I did, but updated my mini 4 to 14 and the performance degradation from 13 to 14 was massive for the mini 4.

Never noticed much performance difference on the Pro 9.7, iPad 5th gen and iPad 6th gen going from 13 to 14.

iOS 12 to 13 was significant though. Reloads galore.

 

[FeliApple]

SoCal summer, 16+ hours daily onscreen time, frequent drops to 0% when I can't put down my marathon reading, charging while using, etc.

I had a 16GB Air as my backup device at the time and the storage made it useless for comics.

Yeah, this is a plausible explanation, but I've used devices for years on original and like-original iOS versions and they've never dropped a full 2 hours, however, and with massive battery health degradation (60%)

It would have been nice to be able to try my 9.7-inch iPad Pro on iOS 9 all the way through... but Apple allows what Apple allows, sadly.

 

[FeliApple]

Because of RAM, the 12.9 2018 has only 4GB and already reloads like crazy, I can't leave a youtube video paused and be certain that it will not reload in Safari even with just that one tab open and nothing else done on the iPad in between. It's terrible. I know at this point it's probably worth updating anyway, it will make little difference. And if Apple gives me battery charge threashold with iPadOS 18 like in the M4, I am updating it to 18...

Yeah, performance in general is a valid reason. Like I said, every iPad that has been discontinued thus far has had terrible performance on its final iOS version.

People may have more or less tolerance for software-induced degradation, and while I'm in an extreme end of the spectrum (it either works like it should on its original iOS version or it is malware and utter garbage), there is a point to be made about keeping devices a couple of major iOS versions behind. Millions of examples. iOS 12 on the 1st-gen Pros, iOS 15 on the iPhone Xr and 11, iOS 10 on the iPad Air 2, etc.

I can say that iOS 14 on the iPhone 8 is great, even by my standards. The iPhone 11 on iOS 15 is great, too.

But as far as iPads go, hopefully, with a little luck, Apple expands what has been happening. 32-bit, older iPads were rendered unusable. Newer iPads are horrible too, but currently supported iPads like 3rd and 4th-gen iPad Pros may have enough headroom to be better. Like I said earlier, hopefully you're right and this finally works as it should.

As ground-breaking as they were, initial iPads ended up too degraded to be remotely useful long-term. Processors and RAM improved way too quickly. 2GB of RAM was the cut-off IMO. The A8X on the Air 2 was a powerhouse, and it fared a lot better than its predecessors. The A9X on 1st-gen iPad Pros built on that further. So much so, that if you managed to keep either of them a few iOS versions behind, it's still pleasantly usable today, over 8 years after launch. You cannot say the same about any iPad that came before the Air 2. I think that device was perhaps the beginning of a good era in terms of long-term usefulness (which is something I'm very interested in, as I keep devices for a long time).

 

[Digitalguy]

Yeah, performance in general is a valid reason. Like I said, every iPad that has been discontinued thus far has had terrible performance on its final iOS version.

People may have more or less tolerance for software-induced degradation, and while I'm in an extreme end of the spectrum (it either works like it should on its original iOS version or it is malware and utter garbage), there is a point to be made about keeping devices a couple of major iOS versions behind. Millions of examples. iOS 12 on the 1st-gen Pros, iOS 15 on the iPhone Xr and 11, iOS 10 on the iPad Air 2, etc.

I can say that iOS 14 on the iPhone 8 is great, even by my standards. The iPhone 11 on iOS 15 is great, too.

But as far as iPads go, hopefully, with a little luck, Apple expands what has been happening. 32-bit, older iPads were rendered unusable. Newer iPads are horrible too, but currently supported iPads like 3rd and 4th-gen iPad Pros may have enough headroom to be better. Like I said earlier, hopefully you're right and this finally works as it should.

As ground-breaking as they were, initial iPads ended up too degraded to be remotely useful long-term. Processors and RAM improved way too quickly. 2GB of RAM was the cut-off IMO. The A8X on the Air 2 was a powerhouse, and it fared a lot better than its predecessors. The A9X on 1st-gen iPad Pros built on that further. So much so, that if you managed to keep either of them a few iOS versions behind, it's still pleasantly usable today, over 8 years after launch. You cannot say the same about any iPad that came before the Air 2. I think that device was perhaps the beginning of a good era in terms of long-term usefulness (which is something I'm very interested in, as I keep devices for a long time).

the 2015 pro on iPadOS 14 was not much different in performance other than more reload. Battey life was plenty with a battery service. I don't know on 16 since I sold back when the current OS was 14. I would not be surprised it was just as good on 16, thanks to the lack of the RAM bottleneck

 

[tunne]

The original iPad was launched in the UK nearly two months after US, but well worth the wait. It was everything they claimed in their marketing email.

 

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

The original iPad was launched in the UK nearly two months after US, but well worth the wait. It was everything they claimed in their marketing email.

At the time, the planned launch in Norway was still months away, so I actually bought one of the original iPads in London (at Currys, if I remember correctly).

That first one was out-of-this-world awesome. And durable. It has spend the last 10 (!!) years in the hands of the various children at the Kindergarten where my partner works, and is still going strong.

 

[FeliApple]

the 2015 pro on iPadOS 14 was not much different in performance other than more reload. Battey life was plenty with a battery service. I don't know on 16 since I sold back when the current OS was 14. I would not be surprised it was just as good on 16, thanks to the lack of the RAM bottleneck

I’ve read many complaints on iPadOS 16. Keyboard lag is minimal but it’s there on iOS 12 (it wasn’t there on iOS 9 before Apple forced it out), but I’m not sure when the obliteration came around. Some said iPadOS 13, some a bit later.

The numbers I’ve seen on iPadOS 16 even with new batteries were pathetic, but again, I don’t know when it started.

Do you know the exact screen-on time? Forgive me if I’m skeptical, but I’ve seen people who don’t track SOT claiming “great” battery life with updated devices (especially iPhones), and it’s just because they don’t use it much. I ask for a screenshot and the battery life numbers are still atrocious, something like 5-6 hours at best, even with fairly light use.

Performance may be poor on iPadOS 16, but it’s probably usable, even if not pleasant, unlike early iPads. You have to have a level of patience I do not have. My 9.7-inch iPad Pro on iOS 12 is the upper limit of my patience. I use a 6s on iOS 13 and battery life is atrocious. I can’t use the one I have on iOS 10 anymore because it’s too incompatible...

 

[Digitalguy]

I’ve read many complaints on iPadOS 16. Keyboard lag is minimal but it’s there on iOS 12 (it wasn’t there on iOS 9 before Apple forced it out), but I’m not sure when the obliteration came around. Some said iPadOS 13, some a bit later.

The numbers I’ve seen on iPadOS 16 even with new batteries were pathetic, but again, I don’t know when it started.

Do you know the exact screen-on time? Forgive me if I’m skeptical, but I’ve seen people who don’t track SOT claiming “great” battery life with updated devices (especially iPhones), and it’s just because they don’t use it much. I ask for a screenshot and the battery life numbers are still atrocious, something like 5-6 hours at best, even with fairly light use.

Performance may be poor on iPadOS 16, but it’s probably usable, even if not pleasant, unlike early iPads. You have to have a level of patience I do not have. My 9.7-inch iPad Pro on iOS 12 is the upper limit of my patience. I use a 6s on iOS 13 and battery life is atrocious. I can’t use the one I have on iOS 10 anymore because it’s too incompatible...

To be honest, contrary to you I don't care about screen-on time. I don't run my batteries to zero. I don't need an iPad for over 4 hours running. And I have several iPads and Android tablets when one goes below 50% if I don't need it I charge it and I can use another one while it charges. Standby-time is much more important to me.
But both SOT and standby will become way less of an issue if Apple extends to new 80% charge threasholds to older iPads (for now it's 2024 only).
Then I'll have my iPads like my Android devices, always plugged in and safe when not in use, and always charged and ready to be used.

 

[FeliApple]

To be honest, contrary to you I don't care about screen-on time. I don't run my batteries to zero. I don't need an iPad for over 4 hours running. And I have several iPads and Android tablets when one goes below 50% if I don't need it I charge it and I can use another one while it charges. Standby-time is much more important to me.
But both SOT and standby will become way less of an issue if Apple extends to new 80% charge threasholds to older iPads (for now it's 2024 only).
Then I'll have my iPads like my Android devices, always plugged in and safe when not in use, and always charged and ready to be used.

Right, okay, yeah, it’s just a consequence of your usage and amount of devices you have. Fair enough.

But I’ve seen that a LOT. People who say “it’s good enough for me”. It’s - perhaps rightfully - frowned upon to distrust this, but in order to believe that an updated device has good battery life I need to see a screenshot. Too many cases indicating the opposite for me to believe it at face value.

Sadly, the original iPad guard has a more pressing issue: performance itself isn’t good. The device no longer gives a good experience nowadays.

Like I said, I look at devices long-term. I’d reckon the minimum I’d use is an Air 2 on iOS 10. I’d struggle a bit but it would be kind of manageable. Preferably I’d have a slightly newer device on iOS 12 (the 9.7-inch iPad Pro is almost perfect). I’d say the perfect device for me is a 6th-gen iPad on iOS 12 (at least).