iPad Pro will the 1st Gen iPad Pro remain able to follow the OS path?

[FeliApple]

So you are saying that the 9.7 iPad Pro will get... iOS 16?! Battery life was already obliterated on my 9.7 iPad Pro after a forced update to iOS 12 from iOS 9, performance is a little worse (only slightly). iOS 16? What’s that? An iPhone 4s on iOS 9 and 30 minutes of battery life?

 

[EugW]

[/QUOTE]

So you are saying that the 9.7 iPad Pro will get... iOS 16?! Battery life was already obliterated on my 9.7 iPad Pro after a forced update to iOS 12 from iOS 9, performance is a little worse (only slightly). iOS 16? What’s that? An iPhone 4s on iOS 9 and 30 minutes of battery life?

To whom are you talking?

Personally, I'm not convinced the iPad Pro 9.7" with A9X and 2 GB RAM will even get iPadOS 15. It will get iPadOS 14, but I'm thinking iPadOS 14 could be the last version it supports. IMO, it would be very lucky to get iPadOS 15, and it definitely won't get iPadOS 16.

BTW, I suspect storage support will improve in iPadOS 14, which for some people would be a very good reason to upgrade to that, even if performance takes a hit. Otherwise, it may make sense to stick with iPadOS 13.4, since that's a decent OS for it.

 

[FeliApple]

To whom are you talking?

Personally, I'm not convinced the iPad Pro 9.7" with A9X and 2 GB RAM will even get iPadOS 15. It will get iPadOS 14, but I'm thinking iPadOS 14 could be the last version it supports. IMO, it would be very lucky to get iPadOS 15, and it definitely won't get iPadOS 16.

BTW, I suspect storage support will improve in iPadOS 14, which for some people would be a very good reason to upgrade to that, even if performance takes a hit. Otherwise, it may make sense to stick with iPadOS 13.4, since that's a decent OS for it.
[/QUOTE]
No one in particular, I believe that the only correct OS for this iPad is iOS 9 or 10. Anything after that affected it substantially. Mine on iOS 12 is decent, barely scraping around 10 hours of use with very light use (got 13-14 on iOS 9, with the same battery health it has now).

Even if good features come on iOS 14 or 15, how patient can people be if battery life is crippled even further and performance starts to wane seriously? 8-10 hours is awful if, like me, you are used to original version battery life, but good if you update constantly, in the end, people are used to updates destroying devices and generally they don’t seem to care (after all, iOS adoption rates seem to only increase), but how far will that patience go?

People with an iPhone 6-6s now complain of battery life, many people who upgraded have said: “I come from a 6s with 3 hours of battery life”. Even people who don’t care very much (not me), and update constantly regardless of impact (not me), seem to lose patience eventually.

 

[EugW]

No one in particular, I believe that the only correct OS for this iPad is iOS 9 or 10. Anything after that affected it substantially. Mine on iOS 12 is decent, barely scraping around 10 hours of use with very light use (got 13-14 on iOS 9, with the same battery health it has now).

Even if good features come on iOS 14 or 15, how patient can people be if battery life is crippled even further and performance starts to wane seriously? 8-10 hours is awful if, like me, you are used to original version battery life, but good if you update constantly, in the end, people are used to updates destroying devices and generally they don’t seem to care (after all, iOS adoption rates seem to only increase), but how far will that patience go?

People with an iPhone 6-6s now complain of battery life, many people who upgraded have said: “I come from a 6s with 3 hours of battery life”. Even people who don’t care very much (not me), and update constantly regardless of impact (not me), seem to lose patience eventually.

We have both the iPhone 6s and the iPhone SE (original), both with A9 and 2 GB RAM. Performance in iOS 13.4.1 is fine on these (aside from app reloads), even if the battery life is not stellar. Note though, both have had the battery replaced under Apple's very inexpensive battery replacement program. I suspect a lot of people complaining about battery life on these iPhones are still on their original batteries.

I am looking forward to putting iOS 14 on them.

 

[FeliApple]

We have both the iPhone 6s and the iPhone SE (original), both with A9 and 2 GB RAM. Performance in iOS 13.4.1 is fine on these (aside from app reloads), even if the battery life is not stellar. Note though, both have had the battery replaced under Apple's very inexpensive battery replacement program. I suspect a lot of people complaining about battery life on these iPhones are still on their original batteries.

I am looking forward to putting iOS 14 on them.

Yes, maybe these batteries are used, but battery health is largely irrelevant if the device is on its original version (with my iPad dropping from 13-14 with 100% health to 12-13 with 84% health) on iOS 9, and at best barely scraping 10 on iOS 12 (the drop was immediate after updating, and did not change when it finished “indexing”; it’s still the same now), and I am comparing the same battery on iOS 9 and iOS 12.

 

[EugW]

Yes, maybe these batteries are used, but battery health is largely irrelevant if the device is on its original version (with my iPad dropping from 13-14 with 100% health to 12-13 with 84% health) on iOS 9, and at best barely scraping 10 on iOS 12 (the drop was immediate after updating, and did not change when it finished “indexing”; it’s still the same now), and I am comparing the same battery on iOS 9 and iOS 12.

iPadOS 9 is way too old. Lack of app compatibility is a huge problem with iPadOS 9.

OS X 10.6 is very fast on my MacBook Pro. However, this version of the OS is just way too old, so old that it’s effectively useless.

Technology marches on. If you want to keep up, and your old stuff is no longer sufficient, eventually you’ll need to upgrade your hardware.

 

[SalisburySam]

I still use and find effective for me my 12.9” iPadPro 1st gen. Works just fine on iPadOS v13 and, since we’re all speculating here, that it will continue to meet my needs for several more years. That in turn means that I expect to be able to upgrade iPadOS at least two more times, let’s call that able to run iPadOS v15.

One thing not yet mentioned: at some point Apple’s most current iPadOS will not run on my iPad. But even then, Apple will likely continue with security updates for awhile longer, I think two years, maybe longer.

For those who need the features of more current iPads, those are the way to go and will take you out a bit further into the future. The rest of us, not so much.

 

[FeliApple]

iPadOS 9 is way too old. Lack of app compatibility is a huge problem with iPadOS 9.

OS X 10.6 is very fast on my MacBook Pro. However, this version of the OS is just way too old, so old that it’s effectively useless.

Technology marches on. If you want to keep up, and your old stuff is no longer sufficient, eventually you’ll need to upgrade your hardware.

I was fine with iOS 9. Maybe it was old, but it worked fine. If that’s all I need, why should I update? My apps were supported, and the ones that weren’t, weren’t too important anyway. I was fine, and Apple forced me out with the pathetic iOS 9 activation bug.

 

[Homme]

For example, the iPad Air 2 has problems even just playing back video shot on an iPhone, if it’s in HEVC format. Even when it does work, it’s a sub-par experience.

It’s not in Apple’s interest to have to support this in old hardware for longer than it needs to.



I wonder if s/he is quoting the list from a rumour site with an iffy record. I suspect that rumour site is just making guesses. Educated guesses but guesses nonetheless.

iOS 14 / iPadOS 14 : la liste des iPhone et iPad compatibles

Alors que l'an passé, nous avions dévoilé en exclusivité la liste des appareils qui allaient pouvoir recevoir la mise à jour iOS 13, vous êtes...

iphonesoft.fr

I happen to agree with the list but I’m not convinced they have any inside information.

they don’t have any inside information and are not a trusted source

this is the same source which claimed iPhone SE won’t get iOS 13 because of its tiny screen, the same dumb source also said the iPad Mini 4 will get iPadOS 13 despite the fact it has a slower processor and a bigger screen/ more pixels for the A8 to push than the SE

 

[Digitalguy]

Just catching up with this thread....
Nobody said that the 9.7 pro would get IOS 16, the question was IOS 15 or not...
Everyone has their priorities but I would gladly take less battery life rather then staying with something old like IOS 9 or 10... I was using the ipad very little back then, because of all the limitations...The upgrades have made my ipads much better devices and I would never go back... Personally I don't see any less battery life on IOS 13 on the 9.7 pro, but I do see a decrease in the older mini 5 and 12.9... Anyway, batteries can be replaced if necessary... No slowdown either, but more refreshes... Still, they are much, much better now...

 

[FeliApple]

Just catching up with this thread....
Nobody said that the 9.7 pro would get IOS 16, the question was IOS 15 or not...
Everyone has their priorities but I would gladly take less battery life rather then staying with something old like IOS 9 or 10... I was using the ipad very little back then, because of all the limitations...The upgrades have made my ipads much better devices and I would never go back... Personally I don't see any less battery life on IOS 13 on the 9.7 pro, but I do see a decrease in the older mini 5 and 12.9... Anyway, batteries can be replaced if necessary... No slowdown either, but more refreshes... Still, they are much, much better now...

I use the iPad just like I used it before, only slower, with more hiccups and with a far more awful battery life. Everyone uses it differently, and really, that’s okay.

 

[Digitalguy]

I use the iPad just like I used it before, only slower, with more hiccups and with a far more awful battery life. Everyone uses it differently, and really, that’s okay.
[automerge]1589648854[/automerge]

I use the iPad just like I used it before, only slower, with more hiccups and with a far more awful battery life. Everyone uses it differently, and really, that’s okay.

Yeah, I guess that the key. For me the dock, desktop safari, the today view on the home screen and mouse support made the ipads so much more useful that I now use them all the times... No ipad has become slower for single tasks, if anything their are slightly faster than before. But they have more hiccups when moving from an app to another, and I guess this is due to RAM being more of an issue than before... The 9.7 pro has still amazing battery life (like 98% health) while the 12.9 has terrible battery life (50% health...) and has not even been used more than the smaller brother....

 

[Alex W.]

I think 2GB RAM wasn’t meant to be part of iPadOS past the second update.

Hey man, DM me I have a question about that dell deal you got. Cheers.

 

[eric89074]

A9 devices will definitely get to iOS 15. I was messing with my old 6s and it’s still good on iOS 13 despite 13 being hot garbage. A lot of people just want to text, stream music, and use a few social networking apps. A9 has plenty of life left.

 

[Homme]

iPad mini 4 and iPad air 2 will not get IOS 14 here is the list of iPad that will be getting iPad OS 14

• 12.9-inch iPad Pro
• 11-inch iPad Pro
• 10.5-inch iPad Pro
• 9.7-inch iPad Pro
• iPad (7th generation)
• iPad (6th generation)
• iPad (5th generation)
• iPad mini (5th generation)
• iPad Air (3rd generation)

and you are dead dead wrong

mini 4 is confirmed to receive iPadOS 14

Leaked Apple file seemingly reveals iOS 14 device compatibility [u] | AppleInsider

A hidden asset on an Apple server that hosts iOS software update catalogs may confirm the full range of iPhones and iPads compatible with iOS 14, including devices as old as the iPhone 6s and the iPad mini 4.

appleinsider.com

 

[Digitalguy]

and you are dead dead wrong

mini 4 is confirmed to receive iPadOS 14

Leaked Apple file seemingly reveals iOS 14 device compatibility [u] | AppleInsider

A hidden asset on an Apple server that hosts iOS software update catalogs may confirm the full range of iPhones and iPads compatible with iOS 14, including devices as old as the iPhone 6s and the iPad mini 4.

appleinsider.com

At this point I am confident my 1st gen pro will get IOS 16 and probably also IOS 17....

 

[EugW]

and you are dead dead wrong

mini 4 is confirmed to receive iPadOS 14

Leaked Apple file seemingly reveals iOS 14 device compatibility [u] | AppleInsider

A hidden asset on an Apple server that hosts iOS software update catalogs may confirm the full range of iPhones and iPads compatible with iOS 14, including devices as old as the iPhone 6s and the iPad mini 4.

appleinsider.com

That file is for iOS 13.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1273743750397931528

 

[Homme]

That file is for iOS 13.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1273743750397931528

I see. Oh well that other twitter user jumped the gun a bit too early

 

[Falhófnir]

I am expecting the A9(X) based iPads to get iPad OS 14, but for that to be the final version. It does seem Apple is stretching iPad support out a bit longer than the phones of the same generation though - which I guess makes sense given phones are 2-3 year devices for most people, while iPads will probably be 3-5+ for most. Moreover if Apple are really wanting to move iPads into MacBook replacement territory, ultimately they will probably want to offer the same ~7 year support MacOS devices get (maybe starting with the 2018 Pros?). It looks like all A9 devices* will be 6 OS version devices after the 5s became the first to get 6, so support still seems to be improving.

*at least all the ones that launched with iOS 9.

 

[Magoo1979]

iPad mini 4 and iPad air 2 will not get IOS 14 here is the list of iPad that will be getting iPad OS 14

9.7-inch iPad Pro

I really hope so. I have a new 12.9 IPP which is works and my home device which I am using now is 9.7 IPP (First Gen). I love this iPad (even with a crack in the screen). It is well past apple care but can’t seem to bring myself to upgrade. I am running iPadOS 13. whatever and I don’t seem to have a problem. Having said that I would not call myself a power user more a avid iPad fan.

When this one does finally give out I not sure what I will replace with as Work has supplied the 12.9 so can’t justify the pro at home anymore. (that is for a different thread in future I am sure.)

 

[Digitalguy]

I am expecting the A9(X) based iPads to get iPad OS 14, but for that to be the final version. It does seem Apple is stretching iPad support out a bit longer than the phones of the same generation though - which I guess makes sense given phones are 2-3 year devices for most people, while iPads will probably be 3-5+ for most. Moreover if Apple are really wanting to move iPads into MacBook replacement territory, ultimately they will probably want to offer the same ~7 year support MacOS devices get (maybe starting with the 2018 Pros?). It looks like all A9 devices* will be 6 OS version devices after the 5s became the first to get 6, so support still seems to be improving.

*at least all the ones that launched with iOS 9.

And I bet that the A9X (pro) will get at least 1 year more than A9 and IpadOS 15 at the very least.... But at this stage we can all speculate. We'll know a bit more very soon...

 

[Homme]

iPad mini 4 and iPad air 2 will not get IOS 14 here is the list of iPad that will be getting iPad OS 14

• 12.9-inch iPad Pro
• 11-inch iPad Pro
• 10.5-inch iPad Pro
• 9.7-inch iPad Pro
• iPad (7th generation)
• iPad (6th generation)
• iPad (5th generation)
• iPad mini (5th generation)
• iPad Air (3rd generation)

Now that WWDC is over

Yeah... you got proven wrong. Sorry

 

[AppleFanatic10]

All told, I have 3 iPad Pros, 12.9. 2 1st-Gen, 1 2nd-Gen.
Ready to buy a fourth for biz partner.
Find them fantastic.

From 2015 to 2020, the OS is the same in all the iPad Pro models.

Would we expect that to remain the same the next few years?

Or will we hit a situation where the first Gen can't take, e.g iOS 15, but the later Gens will.

Any thoughts and speculation appreciated.
Thanks!

Steven

delete.

 

[SalisburySam]

I still use and find effective for me my 12.9” iPadPro 1st gen. Works just fine on iPadOS v13 and, since we’re all speculating here, that it will continue to meet my needs for several more years. That in turn means that I expect to be able to upgrade iPadOS at least two more times, let’s call that able to run iPadOS v15.

One thing not yet mentioned: at some point Apple’s most current iPadOS will not run on my iPad. But even then, Apple will likely continue with security updates for awhile longer, I think two years, maybe longer.

For those who need the features of more current iPads, those are the way to go and will take you out a bit further into the future. The rest of us, not so much.

OK, it’s all lies! For my recent birthday, I was rewarded for longevity with a gift iPadPro 4th Gen. Part of the deal was returning my 1st Gen for Apple credit. During the short period I’ve had both, I’ve done a lot of comparing. At it turns out, there are several features of the 4th Gen I really do like, especially and most surprising to me, the FaceID. It is a nice convenience to not have to touch/press/push anything and still have quality authentication. On the other hand, not having a Home button makes some other things a tad cumbersome. These include for me, force-closing apps and instantly going to the home page. My Logitech Slim Folio Pro keyboard has a Home button so these two issues go away. Also a screenshot now is taken by simultaneously pressing the on-off button and the nearer volume button. That’s a whole new exercise in coordination that I haven’t mastered yet (arthritis does not help here).

So, what 4th Gen features have I found useful or not?

For me, there isn’t much the 4th Gen does that I didn’t have earlier. Yes the new model is faster, but little I do needs that. The speed shows up in opening large Keynote and PowerPoint decks, and larger or complex spreadsheets, but the difference is much less that perhaps expected. I don’t do any drawing, painting, sketching, architecture or the like so much of the CPU/GPU speed increases are nice-to-haves but not that noticeable. I’m not a gamer on the iPadPro so no benefit there. In all, the 4th Gen is much, much more than I need. I’ve yet to take my first picture with an iPad since owning one 6 years ago and including the four that I’ve had since. I don’t see that changing with my new dual-camera and LIDAR setup.

Biggest benefit to me so far: battery. The 36+ watt-hour battery in the 4th Gen is new, strong, and goes for a very, very long time, and that’s wonderful! The Logitech keyboard has its own battery so it doesn’t take power from the iPad as my 1st Gen did further prolonging the iPad’s juice stream.

Bottom line: for me I would not have spent the bucks to upgrade my 1st Gen.


The 4th Gen is hardly a disappointment over the 1st Gen. It has been a bit of a suprise to me that the new gee whizzer neat-o features are not likely to be used much if at all in my hands. So back to my original statement I guess: the 1st Gen kinda/sorta did and does about everything I need it to, and a bit sorry to see it leave. I do like me some longer battery capacity though.

 

[SalisburySam]

OK, it’s all lies! For my recent birthday, I was rewarded for longevity with a gift iPadPro 4th Gen. Part of the deal was returning my 1st Gen for Apple credit. During the short period I’ve had both, I’ve done a lot of comparing. At it turns out, there are several features of the 4th Gen I really do like, especially and most surprising to me, the FaceID. It is a nice convenience to not have to touch/press/push anything and still have quality authentication. On the other hand, not having a Home button makes some other things a tad cumbersome. These include for me, force-closing apps and instantly going to the home page. My Logitech Slim Folio Pro keyboard has a Home button so these two issues go away. Also a screenshot now is taken by simultaneously pressing the on-off button and the nearer volume button. That’s a whole new exercise in coordination that I haven’t mastered yet (arthritis does not help here).

So, what 4th Gen features have I found useful or not?

For me, there isn’t much the 4th Gen does that I didn’t have earlier. Yes the new model is faster, but little I do needs that. The speed shows up in opening large Keynote and PowerPoint decks, and larger or complex spreadsheets, but the difference is much less that perhaps expected. I don’t do any drawing, painting, sketching, architecture or the like so much of the CPU/GPU speed increases are nice-to-haves but not that noticeable. I’m not a gamer on the iPadPro so no benefit there. In all, the 4th Gen is much, much more than I need. I’ve yet to take my first picture with an iPad since owning one 6 years ago and including the four that I’ve had since. I don’t see that changing with my new dual-camera and LIDAR setup.

Biggest benefit to me so far: battery. The 36+ watt-hour battery in the 4th Gen is new, strong, and goes for a very, very long time, and that’s wonderful! The Logitech keyboard has its own battery so it doesn’t take power from the iPad as my 1st Gen did further prolonging the iPad’s juice stream.

Bottom line: for me I would not have spent the bucks to upgrade my 1st Gen.


The 4th Gen is hardly a disappointment over the 1st Gen. It has been a bit of a suprise to me that the new gee whizzer neat-o features are not likely to be used much if at all in my hands. So back to my original statement I guess: the 1st Gen kinda/sorta did and does about everything I need it to, and a bit sorry to see it leave. I do like me some longer battery capacity though.

Part 3 of this saga. After about 10 days with the 4th Gen 12.9” iPadPro, I sent it and my AppleCare purchase back to Apple. I had tried to use my 1st Gen 12.9” iPadPro for trade in ($200 quoted) but after receiving it they changed that to $0. So I asked them to send it back to me and I sent the 4th Gen back to them. Just found no use case for me that mandated anything more than what I’ve got, which is working fine by the way.