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2018 iPad
- Thread starter joeblow7777
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Not so much for system performance, think about the road analogy - the single core is the speed limit, the multi core is the number of lanes at that speed limit - for something lighter like running the system, it benefits from getting to the end of the road faster more than it does from having more lanes available to move the load along simultaneously.
The 3rd core isn't the only difference. Memory bandwidth also increased from iPhone 6 to iPad Air 2 plus slightly higher clock rate so speed difference isn't necessarily because of the extra core. Mind, the A10 also has a faster storage controller. That improvement is not something to scoff at.
No same display as the model it replaces - the specs are up on the Apple site
No.
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Indeed. It is basically the 2017 iPad with an A10 and Pencil support.
My iPad Mini 4 running on iOS 10 and 2GB RAM is still very snappy.
In this race to have leaps and bounds of improvements every year, some folks may not see the importance of Apple producing a new iPad in 2018 with 2GB RAM.... and that is, 2GB will continue to be viable for at least another 2-3 or more years. Apple would not produce a new iPad if the practical need will be 3-4GB within a year.
This means even longer life for all of the 2GB RAM-tiered iPads. The batteries in these devices will probably fail before the RAM becomes an issue.
Doubt it on these entry level iPads using iPhone SoC. My iPad 4 has excellent battery life even now. The iPad 3 we replaced last year also had excellent battery life. Too bad performance was pretty crap. Compared to iPhones, entry level iPads actually have large enough batteries that depending on settings and usage, can easily exceed the 10-hr battery life mentioned in the specifications.
Mind, I actually do think these devices have fast enough CPU and sufficient RAM that they can remain useful for a long time without suffering significant performance degradation.
I'm still feeling smug about not buying the original iPad and then getting the iPad 2 in 2011, and then not buying the iPad Air and then buying the iPad Air 2 in 2014.
And then I bought a second iPad Air 2 in 2015 for $100 off.I'm pretty sure the iPad 2018 will be 2 GB just like the iPad 2017, and the SoC CPU performance of the iPad 2017's A9 is similar to the iPad Air 2, meaning that our two Pad Air 2s should be good until well after 2020. (We don't game on our iPads.)
BTW, regarding the batteries: Our iPad 2's battery is still in good condition to my surprise, although we don't use it much except for Netflix. It's pretty much impossible to surf on that thing now. The CPU is very slow and the 512 MB RAM doesn't cut it. But with 2 GB and decent CPU performance, the iPad Air 2 and iPad 2017 should at least be tolerable for surfing in 2021.
I probably won't buy another iPad until it gets 4 GB RAM.
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My brother has a 128GB Air 2 still running iOS 10.3.3. Kept at that firmware, I reckon that'll last him practically forever in electronic years. For simple tablet usage, there just isn't anything that iOS 11 brings to the table.I'm still feeling smug about not buying the original iPad and then getting the iPad 2 in 2011, and then not buying the iPad Air and then buying the iPad Air 2 in 2014.
I'm pretty sure the iPad 2018 will be 2 GB just like the iPad 2017, and the SoC CPU performance of the iPad 2017's A9 is similar to the iPad Air 2, meaning that our two Pad Air 2s should be good until well after 2020. (We don't game on our iPads.)
BTW, regarding the batteries: Our iPad 2's battery is still in good condition to my surprise, although we don't use it much except for Netflix. It's pretty much impossible to surf on that thing now. The CPU is very slow and the 512 MB RAM doesn't cut it. But with 2 GB and decent CPU performance, the iPad Air 2, iPad 2017, and iPad 2018 should at least be tolerable for surfing in 2021.
I probably won't buy another iPad until it gets 4 GB RAM.
iPad 2 in 2015 is already too slow, imho. Wouldn't have bought one at any price. Besides, lack of retina display is a major downside for me. My iPad 2 went months without use as I much preferred the clear text on my teeny tiny 3.5" iPhone 4. The iPad 3 may have been gimped to begin with but I used it far more often than my iPad 2 thanks to the nicer display.
I have to say though, iOS 11 certainly seemed to hit the battery life on my Mini 4. I used to get 11-12 hours of usage, now I get 9-10 at best, which still isn't bad I guess.
Well the main issue is software compatibility going forward, and I don't see much point to sticking to iOS 10, since iOS 11 runs really well on the iPad Air 2.
The problem is if you wait too long, then you will have to choose between sticking with iOS 10 or upgrading to iOS 12 or whatever. iOS 11 won't be an upgrade option once iOS 12 has been out for a while.
Who knows how well iOS 12 will run on the iPad Air 2 (assuming it is allowed).
I bought my iPad 2 in 2011. Never bought another iPad until the iPad Air 2. I was determined to wait until the iPad got 2 GB.
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App support doesn't get cut off that quickly. It's only recently that I see apps I use warning dropping update support for iOS 8. Even when updates stop, that doesn't mean the app will stop working. Surprisingly, Netflix and YouTube still work on my iPhone 4S with iOS 6. Besides, there's still 5-6 months left to decide whether to update to iOS 11 and buying a new iPad after 2-3 years is always an option.
You did mention buying a 2nd iPad 2 in 2015.
Oops. Typo. That was a second iPad Air 2 in 2015.You did mention buying a 2nd iPad 2 in 2015.
Compare against the iPad mini 4. Both have a 1.5 GHz clock speed, but the mini 4 has dual-core while the Air 2 has triple-core.
iPad mini 4 - A8: 1.5 GHz dual core
iPad Air 2 - A8X: 1.5 GHz triple core
If you compare the Geekbench single-core benchmarks, the 1.5 GHz Air 2 gets 1796 while the 1.5 GHz mini 4 gets 1660. So, yes, the Air 2 is faster, but only 8% faster. That wouldn't even be noticeable to most people, yet the Air 2 still feels significantly faster than the mini 4. This is not surprising though if you look at the multi-core benchmarks, which are 4170 vs 2842 respectively. That's an increase of 47%, which of course would be easily noticeable. As for the 1.4 GHz iPhone 6 Plus, it scores 1403 / 2381. The delta from the 1.5 GHz mini 4 is 18% / 19%. Let's collate that data:
Geekbench 4 single-core:
1403: iPhone 6 Plus
1660: iPad mini 4 (+18%)
1796: iPad Air 2 (+28%)
Geekbench 4 multi-core:
2381: iPhone 6 Plus
2842: iPad mini 4 (+19%)
4170: iPad Air 2 (+75%)
The third core, plus the fact the A8X has twice the L2 cache makes for a large performance upgrade. There is no clock speed difference between the A8 and mini 4 and A8X Air 2, and usually differences in memory bandwidth would not make such a big difference in perceived performance (although it make some difference).
P.S. Those that say that third core wouldn't be utilized because iOS is built for dual-core, they are forgetting the fact that the iPad Pros also run triple core SoCs. Well, technically hex-core but effectively triple-core. A10X Fusion has three high-power cores and three low-power cores.
But is the first Apple SOC able to utilise both high and low power cores simultaneously.
Note, GPU performance is significantly affected by memory bandwidth and iOS GUI can be pretty reliant on graphics performance. I expect stutter and "smoothness" highly depends on GPU. The GPU on the Air 2 is much, much faster than on the mini 4/iPhone 6/iPhone 6+.
That said, I find the performance difference between mini 4 and Air 2 to be much less noticeable than the one between 6+ and Air 2. Definitely don't notice a difference when it comes to web surfing. Heck, as a test I loaded Amazon and ESPN on a mini 4 and Air 2 side by side and they finished loading at almost exactly the same time.
I’m lucky if I get 4/5 hours. I’m also getting unexpected shutdowns since moving to iOS 11
I’m lucky if I get 4/5 hours. I’m also getting unexpected shutdowns since moving to iOS 11
Mine sometimes shuts down below 30%. If I decide to keep it rather than upgrade, I will probably take it for a battery diagnostic and subsequently replace the battery. I suggest you do the same.
Before the new iPad was announced, I was thinking about replacing my daughter's iPad Air 2 with a new model, but after seeing the spec, the price, and rethinking everything, I am going to keep Air 2 till current iOS stops supporting it.
Not disappointed with investment in two discounted 5th gens late last year. (actually relieved.)