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How does iOS 9.2 run on the weakest device: iPad 3?

B

bcodemz

macrumors member
Original poster
May 6, 2014
53
41
I see the thread on how iOS runs on the oldest devices (iPad 2, iPhone 4S), and the point of that thread is to see how well iOS 9 runs on the weakest hardware.

However, the iPad 2 and the iPhone 4S may be the oldest, but the iPad 3 is actually the device to test how well a new OS runs on the weakest hardware. The iPad 3 has 4x the resolution of the iPad 2, yet it runs on the same CPU as the iPad 2 and a GPU only 2x faster (instead of 4x to maintain same performance). So the iPad 3 is actually much more taxing on the hardware than the iPad 2 and iPhone 4S and the true test of old hardware.

So how does iOS 9.2 run for iPad 3 owners?
 
bcodemz said:
I see the thread on how iOS runs on the oldest devices (iPad 2, iPhone 4S), and the point of that thread is to see how well iOS 9 runs on the weakest hardware.

However, the iPad 2 and the iPhone 4S may be the oldest, but the iPad 3 is actually the device to test how well a new OS runs on the weakest hardware. The iPad 3 has 4x the resolution of the iPad 2, yet it runs on the same CPU as the iPad 2 and a GPU only 2x faster (instead of 4x to maintain same performance). So the iPad 3 is actually much more taxing on the hardware than the iPad 2 and iPhone 4S and the true test of old hardware.

So how does iOS 9.2 run for iPad 3 owners?
Click to expand...

My iPad 3 is showing its age, even with IOS 9.2. Slow response to most inputs and lag/stutter. I think it's time to upgrade my technology.
 
In my old iPad 4 is slow but it is possible live with it (Safari is very slow). I think that with more old devices is not possible to work.
 
It's not good, especially with animations/transparency turned on. I actually didn't realize my iPad 3 was the "weakest". I upgraded from my iPad 2 a couple years back to gain the retina screen. I basically stopped using mine after I upgraded to iOS 9, but I'm back to using it again in a limited fashion after turning off transparency effects and animations. Overall speed is improved. Not as good as iOS 8, but good enough to not throw it in the trash.
 
I'll be the another odd man out. No complaints on my iPad 3. Then again, not a game player. Since day 1 of the various animations effects, I've had those disabled (eg. "reduce motion" on, transparency off). Plays videos fine, as a reading device works fine. Web, mail all work well. Office for iOS works well. Maybe apps don't fire up as fast as my iPhone 6, but not a big whoop for me.
 
A few months back I got so frustrated with the lag and stutter on my iPad 3 that I went out and bought an Air 2. Gaming on the iPad 3 is awful that it was getting to the point that I couldn't play any games on it. The Air 2 is so much faster and also a lot easier to hold with the Air 2 being so much lighter. I kept my iPad 3 but I don't really use it but I have it updated to iOS 9.2. iOS 9.2 still lags pretty bad but it is maybe a little tiny bit faster than iOS 9.1 but not by that much. I also have an iPod touch 5th generation with the A5 processor and that is a lot faster than my iPad 3. My iPod touch even has less processing power than my iPad 3 but the iPad has a lot more pixels to push. I kind of have retired my iPad 3 and iPod touch 5th generation and switched to using my Air 2, iPhone 5s, and retina MacBook Pro.

I was also kind of frustrated when I got my Air 2 because it had iOS 8.1.2 installed on it. I went ahead and updated to iOS 9.1 and I was experiencing lag in control center and multitasking. In iOS 9.2 most of the lag seems to by fixed and gone on my Air 2. I hope Apple keeps optimizing iOS 9 and makes it faster. I am kind of frustrated with lag all of the time and think from now on when a new iOS or OS X comes out that I will wait to upgrade till the final version of the year. So I will ride iOS 9 out and won't update to iOS 10 till a few days before 11 comes out so I can have an optimized version of iOS 10 and not have to deal with all the bugs and hopefully won't have to deal with much lag.

I am also pretty sure iOS 9 will be it for the iPad 3 and iPod touch 5. What are your thoughts? I think apple will drop the iPhone 4s, iPod touch 5, iPad mini, iPad 2, and iPad 3. iOS 9 will be the final version for those devices. That's kind of what I think.
 
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The iPad 3 isn't the weakest. It has 1GB of memory whereas the iPad 2 and 4S only have 512MB. It's only weaker in the GPU area. Computational, it is identical to the iPad 2 and has twice as much memory. On the 4S and iPad 2, the 512MB of memory greatly drags it down and is very noticeable after using an iPad 3 or other device with 1GB of memory.
 
Intell said:
The iPad 3 isn't the weakest. It has 1GB of memory whereas the iPad 2 and 4S only have 512MB. It's only weaker in the GPU area. Computational, it is identical to the iPad 2 and has twice as much memory. On the 4S and iPad 2, the 512MB of memory greatly drags it down and is very noticeable after using an iPad 3 or other device with 1GB of memory.
Click to expand...

Yes, the GPU on the iPad3 does quite poorly in comparison to the iPad2:
http://www.realworldtech.com/ipad3-graphics/
http://www.realworldtech.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/iPad_Graphics_Quality.png

Problem is that so much has been pushed to be rendered by the GPU in later versions of iOS, translating into pretty poor overall performance. But true, how much this impacts your day to day depends on what you use it for. The 1GB does certainly help in Safari.
 
It's so sad that the iPad 3 runs so poorly. My parents use an iPad 3 on iOS 7.1.1, and it runs like an iPad should: smooth, responsive, and fast. There's absolutely no reason to upgrade because the Air 2 won't feel any smoother or more responsive, it will only load stuff faster. Webpages take 3 seconds to appear on my iPad 3, and that's fast enough even for me, let alone my parents. My iPad 4 on iOS 9.2 does not run nearly as well, and I'm tempted to buy a new iPad to replace it because the new ones feel so much faster.

I guess it makes sense Apple won't optimize (or some might say purposely cripple) old devices. There is simply no reason for most people to upgrade if it maintained the same blazing speed as the first OS it came out with.
 
DNichter said:
I bought the iPad 3 when it came out. What a piece of junk. Worst Apple product I have ever purchased.
Click to expand...
Had one as well. I don't regret buying it though. Built like a tank and with a battery to last 10h+. My current iPad 4 mini seems flimsy in comparison.
 
alphonseM said:
Had one as well. I don't regret buying it though. Built like a tank and with a battery to last 10h+. My current iPad 4 mini seems flimsy in comparison.
Click to expand...

I may have been a bit harsh. I was just disappointed with how underpowered it was. I moved to an Air as fast as I could because I knew the 3 wouldn't hold up over time. Really a double edged sword as we want more sophisticated and advanced software, but also want device longevity.
 
I gave mine away.... It was terrible and soooo frustrating... My 5 year old God daughter will be the proud owner of it, come 25/12... And it's just a matter or time before she notices how crap it is.
 
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