I guess you’re between the 9th and the 10th Gen iPad, right? I would expect the ninth gen to have 3 to 4 more years of iPadOS support, and the newer tenth gen to have five more years of iPadOS support.
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All iPads How long should an iPads lifespan be?
- Thread starter Bodhitree
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It was ten years to the month for me. I bought the original iPad mini in November 2012 when it was released and just ‘replaced’ it this month. Not a one to one replacement as this time I got the smaller iPad Pro for a bigger but not too big screen as my eyes are older.
Google managed to do it on Android, by separating the app browser and the OS' WebView runtime to be individually patchable. Considering the age of iOS, it's about whether Apple wanting to do it or not, not because of technical reasons.
The 12.9 is fine. The Mini 5 I need to charge about every 1.5 days, somtimes daily. Most time is spent in Safari, Photos, and Affinity Photo and Affinity Designer.
No, I don’t measure/time it. I have seen battery drain during betas but they get worked out by time they’re realeasd to public.
This same question should also apply to TV.
This same question also applies for TV
I think it is reasonable to expect 5 years of iPadOS updates and some security patches after that. Most apps and websites would also maintain backwards compatibility with an iPadOS version that’s a few years old. So say 8ish years before it stops working with apps and websites you might want? And a few years past that if you’re ok with it not being able to do everything (but still doing other things fine). In my house we have an iPad mini 2 that works ok but is very slow and can no longer run certain apps like Netflix. But it’s from 2013, so I don’t think I can be upset about that.
I think current iPads will pass the 10 year mark with no problem. For their general usability. My iPad 2 is 11 years old. The display is as "ok", web browsing as sluggish as it was 11 years ago.
Now compare it to iPad Pro 2018. That device is today as smooth and as capable as it was 4 years ago. It will be in much better state 7 years later, compared to iPad 2.
Now compare it to iPad Pro 2018. That device is today as smooth and as capable as it was 4 years ago. It will be in much better state 7 years later, compared to iPad 2.
Another issue is battery life. There is something about battery life on iPads that I am curious about: how’s battery life on a heavily used iPad, after many cycles and many years, on an original version of iOS? (Or the first major version after it. Barring a few notable exceptions, it doesn’t differ). That is a question I have been able to answer on iPhones: my iPhone 6s, with 1400 cycles and 63% health, is almost like-new on iOS 10, 6 years later. So, it works fine on iPhones. iPads, with their larger batteries, would have an even better runtime if I had to guess, but I’ve been unable to test it. I’ve been unable to determine whether there is a decrease in battery life, and if there is, how impactful it is.
I’ve only had one iPad long term, my 9.7-inch iPad Pro, which immediately lost validity after Apple forced it out of iOS 9 and into iOS 12 after the A9 activation bug on iOS 9. So there goes the only device I could test it on. It isn’t mine, but I have access to a 6th gen iPad on iOS 12. It’s too new for me to run any kind of test, but the last test I ran showed it was completely fine, like new, three years after purchase. However, I knew that already. I guess I’ll have to wait and see.
I’ve only had one iPad long term, my 9.7-inch iPad Pro, which immediately lost validity after Apple forced it out of iOS 9 and into iOS 12 after the A9 activation bug on iOS 9. So there goes the only device I could test it on. It isn’t mine, but I have access to a 6th gen iPad on iOS 12. It’s too new for me to run any kind of test, but the last test I ran showed it was completely fine, like new, three years after purchase. However, I knew that already. I guess I’ll have to wait and see.
Netflix should still work on the iPad mini 2. Sometimes, updates get buggy and you need to delete and re-download the app. You'll just get a prompt asking if you want to download the old version.
Netflix is pretty good about not dropping support for older versions of their app.
I recently saw a version of Netflix installed on a Smart TV that looked old. Like, iOS 6-design-language old. I immediately thought “This one is old. At least from 2012”. Sure enough, a 2012 version of Netflix flawlessly running in 2022.
I would say, it is pretty darn good. My moms iPad still retained 58% of battery capacity after 8 years of use, without any battery swap.
My now sold 2018 iPad Pro after 3 years and 3 iPadOS updates, still had pretty good battery life.
So yeah, if you don’t need more than 8-10 hours a day, battery life on iPads is pretty awesome (huge battery + efficient OS + low power SoC)
5-7 years is usual lifespan but I think iPad Pros should last around 8-10 years if they're going to continue giving it powerful hardware but with limited software.
I’d be interested to know how’s runtime on the 8-year-old iPad with 58% health, when compared to when it was new. That’s what I’ve been wanting to try. Unfortunately, my iOS version requirement precludes me from properly testing anything, but I can say one thing, even if my testing condition isn’t perfect:
My 9.7-inch iPad Pro retains the exact same battery life today than it did back in 2019 after being updated (same iOS version, 12). Of course, any comparison with the battery life back when it was new is irrelevant, iOS 12 is significantly worse than iOS 9, and there is nothing I can do to get that back, but I’ll monitor the situation on iOS 12, it’s the best I can do. So far... so good (relatively speaking, of course).
Yeah, I reckon three updates (like I’ve experienced) isn’t enough to completely obliterate battery life on an iPad. It won’t be like on its original version, but it will be good enough for many, probably still north of 10 hours with light use. Which is why what you say about your 2018 iPad Pro doesn’t surprise me, I guess it isn’t updated enough for it to really suffer.
8-10 is decent, and it always depends on usage, but for me that isn’t good. I can get 10-11 on my 9.7-inch iPad Pro with very light use, but I got 14 on iOS 9. I can’t get those three hours back, unfortunately.
What I am actually surprised about is some reports I’ve read of the first gen, 12.9-inch iPad Pro getting three hours on iPadOS 16, it’s been a pretty repeated complaint “look! I updated to the new iPad Pro from the first gen. It ran well, but battery life was three hours on iPadOS 16”. People never include many details, so it’s difficult to judge on that alone (usage? Gaming? Full brightness? Expected. Light web browsing and reading? Abhorrent). So I can’t draw any conclusions from that. It’s difficult to obtain results and screenshots by now because enthusiasts have moved on, so yeah. Difficult to know unless I test it myself, and I can’t because I don’t have them.
But yeah, I’d say that barring those 3-hour reports, battery life on iPads is half-decent (like I said, I wouldn’t call 10 hours of light use good, by any means), even several years after purchase. Whether there is an impact with perfect conditions (many years and cycles later, original version of iOS), remains to be seen, unfortunately.
100% of that is due to OS and software upgrades. If one had the resolve to "freeze" a computer at whatever optimal OS version it could run, it would be nice and fast for many years longer.
I had the iPad Pro 10.5 in when it came out in 2017. I just upgraded to the M2 iPad Pro 12.9 in. The 2017 model was a tad slow but certainly not an impediment. WiFi and Bluetooth were slow to connect to their respective targets, but then again, the hardware was also slower compared to today. The display started to show yellow marks around the edges on screens that had lots of white. Overalook, it was a fantastic iPad with an amazing screen. Considering I could get the M2 IPP at a great price and fact the ipad from 2017 was 5 years old, I figured it was time to upgrade. I easily expect this to last 5-7 years.
We still have some PCs with Core 2 Duo on Windows XP in the office used to run old, obsolete software. Sure, when C2D was just released, it was super fast compared to what came before. After getting used to much faster devices, it feels quite slow.
Also, browsers have dropped XP support a long time ago so web browsing is a no go (a lot of webpages don't render properly).
The Sandy Bridge to Haswell laptops and desktops I have remain on Windows 7 and even those feel sluggish now.
I have several C2D laptops, a ThinkPad T60, ThinkPad T410 and they both run Windows 10. There are even ways to install and run Windows 11 on those laptops as well if one so desires. Some extra RAM and SSD makes a world of difference.
Something I want to point out is that the demand doesn't grow linearly. Back in 1980s-1990s, computer graphics were still limited to 40/80 columns or 320x200 low res low color graphics with serious tradeoffs. And in mere 30 years since then, we have the power to build a desktop that can run games at 16K resolution with High/Ultra settings, which was not even thinkable back in old days.
The iPad Pro 2018 already struggles to run Genshin at 30fps consistently, let alone 60fps. I dunno how long it will last for the later content. Websites are more complex and demanding, because of the growing popularity of web applications and so-called cloud computing. While it is a fallacy to future proof computing devices, it is also unrealistic to expect current gen devices to last 10-15 years unless your demand remains relatively stale and doesn't grow, in which case, older devices will work with you just fine.
For me, the useful life of a device is marked by its regular use and the value it offers you, both at hardware and software level.
iPads usually last me between 4/5 years, but they still have a second life in other family members. My father-in-law has my 2013 iPad Air 1gn and it "works" for him. My aunt has my iPad Air 2 purchased in 2015 and that iPad I was using until last year as a "home" iPad (reading, FaceTime and everyday stuff). My iPad Pro 2017 is still used by my father.
In this case, the reasons for changing iPad every few years were the incremental improvements they underwent with the Pro range. From the Air to the Air 2, Touch ID, the laminated display and the 2GB of RAM gave me a new lease of life for everyday use of the iPad as a laptop, having SplitView support.
When the iPad Pro 2017 came out, with the Pro Motion, I decided to take the leap to have the keyboard and Apple Pencil. And the truth is that it was a device that I loved... but I was missing screen (at the time I should have bought the 12.9" and in that case I would probably still have that iPad 2017).
I then made the jump to the iPad Pro 2020 12.9" iPad Pro (new design, FaceID and Magic Keyboard) and this one I plan to hold out for until the OLED iPad comes out (intend to buy it in 2025 or so). Currently the iPad doesn't have anything new or bring anything to the table that gives me anything "new" for my daily use, as the previous changes did.
My previous iMac lasted me 9 years. When I had no software updates and it started to run a bit slow, I decided to buy the Mac Studio with the intention of keeping it for another 9/10 years.
The Apple Watch, I have only had three. The S2, which I traded in for the S4 and the S4 I have held out for until the Ultra, with the battery being the main reason for trading it in. If it wasn't for that, I probably would have held it another year or two longer.
The iPhone, since the iPhone 6, I lengthened the device replacement by another year, from 2 to 3 years. With the 12 Pro Max I was going to do the same, but a thief decided otherwise. And since I do not plan to assume the cost of the 14 Pro Max in Europe, I decided to buy the 13 Pro Max with more storage at a much more interesting price. However, as with iPads, iPhones are staying with other members of the family. My iPhone X (which I replaced with the 12) is still with my partner.
iPads usually last me between 4/5 years, but they still have a second life in other family members. My father-in-law has my 2013 iPad Air 1gn and it "works" for him. My aunt has my iPad Air 2 purchased in 2015 and that iPad I was using until last year as a "home" iPad (reading, FaceTime and everyday stuff). My iPad Pro 2017 is still used by my father.
In this case, the reasons for changing iPad every few years were the incremental improvements they underwent with the Pro range. From the Air to the Air 2, Touch ID, the laminated display and the 2GB of RAM gave me a new lease of life for everyday use of the iPad as a laptop, having SplitView support.
When the iPad Pro 2017 came out, with the Pro Motion, I decided to take the leap to have the keyboard and Apple Pencil. And the truth is that it was a device that I loved... but I was missing screen (at the time I should have bought the 12.9" and in that case I would probably still have that iPad 2017).
I then made the jump to the iPad Pro 2020 12.9" iPad Pro (new design, FaceID and Magic Keyboard) and this one I plan to hold out for until the OLED iPad comes out (intend to buy it in 2025 or so). Currently the iPad doesn't have anything new or bring anything to the table that gives me anything "new" for my daily use, as the previous changes did.
My previous iMac lasted me 9 years. When I had no software updates and it started to run a bit slow, I decided to buy the Mac Studio with the intention of keeping it for another 9/10 years.
The Apple Watch, I have only had three. The S2, which I traded in for the S4 and the S4 I have held out for until the Ultra, with the battery being the main reason for trading it in. If it wasn't for that, I probably would have held it another year or two longer.
The iPhone, since the iPhone 6, I lengthened the device replacement by another year, from 2 to 3 years. With the 12 Pro Max I was going to do the same, but a thief decided otherwise. And since I do not plan to assume the cost of the 14 Pro Max in Europe, I decided to buy the 13 Pro Max with more storage at a much more interesting price. However, as with iPads, iPhones are staying with other members of the family. My iPhone X (which I replaced with the 12) is still with my partner.
My IPAD Pro is now 7 years old and works fine.... though I have occansionaly notice a finger touch not responding like it should. I have a Macbook Pro from 2013 that is running 24/7 for the past two+ years as a home DVR server.
I used my 12.9 2018 pro since october 2019, with an AC+ replacement in 2021.
Now I’m waiting my new 11 pro M4 hoping that will last at least 5 years.
Now I’m waiting my new 11 pro M4 hoping that will last at least 5 years.
I bought a Pro 13" last week as my gen3 12.9 battery seemed to collapse as soon as the new iPads were announced.
To my chagrin, the old iPad is just as quick, but LESS buggy on iPadOS 18.01, than the new one.
The display on the 13" hangs up, is often non responsive, and laggy.
So far only the static screen quality has been impressive.
I have also been disappointed by the battery life of the 13'' but will give it another couple of weeks before passing judgment on it.
I fondly recall not having to charge the battery on my old iPad retina display model for weeks. Simpler times.
The photos app on iOS 18....what a mess.
To my chagrin, the old iPad is just as quick, but LESS buggy on iPadOS 18.01, than the new one.
The display on the 13" hangs up, is often non responsive, and laggy.
So far only the static screen quality has been impressive.
I have also been disappointed by the battery life of the 13'' but will give it another couple of weeks before passing judgment on it.
I fondly recall not having to charge the battery on my old iPad retina display model for weeks. Simpler times.
The photos app on iOS 18....what a mess.
My response is the same as what I would have said two years ago: I want my expensive hardware to last as long as possible. 10-15 years should ideally be the norm, especially when iPad hardware in particular is way overpowered.