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What's the "useful" life span of a modern iPad/tablet

A

aneftp

macrumors 601
Original poster
Jul 28, 2007
4,362
546
Judging by mobile OS lifespans of cellular phones (iPhone 3G choking on OS updates after 2 years). Android phones choking on Android updates after 1 year-1.5 years.

How long do you think the April 2010 iPad life span can realistic last. I am talking about real use. Games etc

Obvious email basic browsing will make it viable for up to 3 years.

But I think 2 years tops for standard regular performance.

Any one want to further comment?
 
ditzy

ditzy

macrumors 68000
Sep 28, 2007
1,719
180
The iPhone 3GS is still being sold now, and is a perfectly viable phone. That phone has had two major iOS updates. I think that the iPad will last at least two major updates. Likely three, after that not sure.
 
A

aneftp

macrumors 601
Original poster
Jul 28, 2007
4,362
546
Ok. Just asking cause the next OS update may cause issues with the iPod touch 3rd gen/4th gen, iPad , iPhone 3GS (cause the 256mb RAM).

That seems to be the sticking point these days with OS updates. 256mb RAM.

That's why the iPhone, iPhone 3G, iPod touch 1st and 2nd generations all have 128mb of RAM and no longer have any support.
 
torbjoern

torbjoern

macrumors 65816
Jun 9, 2009
1,204
6
The Black Lodge
In 10 years, an iPad 2 can play the same games it can today. It's not always necessary with fancy new hardware to play the coolest games. HOMM3 has been my favourite game for 12 years.
 
Yr Blues

Yr Blues

macrumors 68030
Jan 14, 2008
2,687
889
Until it doesn't work for you anymore. For me, laptops work until I spill beer on them.
 
P

Pete the Geek

macrumors regular
Mar 5, 2011
186
0
Sioux Lookout
Power users will move on every year or two, but I think that in five years there will still be a significant number of original iPads in use. Starting at the five year-point, I think that battery aging issues and greater demands on the hardware for Internet content will start to make a new device more appealing than a battery swap. Still, if there are viable battery replacement services, we could see ten-year old iPads being used by kids and grannies in 2020.
 
wrinkster22

wrinkster22

macrumors 68030
Jun 11, 2011
2,623
7
Toronto
aneftp said:
Ok. Just asking cause the next OS update may cause issues with the iPod touch 3rd gen/4th gen, iPad , iPhone 3GS (cause the 256mb RAM).

That seems to be the sticking point these days with OS updates. 256mb RAM.

That's why the iPhone, iPhone 3G, iPod touch 1st and 2nd generations all have 128mb of RAM and no longer have any support.
Click to expand...
I am willing to bet that the iPad will get another software update? Why because the iPod touch 4th generation will be replaced yes? but the old models still get at least one update. Early adopters will get 2+ updates. So the iPod touch and iPad will. Maybe not the 3gen
 
Julien

Julien

macrumors G4
Jun 30, 2007
11,835
5,431
Atlanta
s15119 said:
10 years.
Click to expand...

Are you still using/syncing your first gen 5GB Firewire iPod (or know of anyone)?:eek: Besides being technologically outdated (software and hardware) the lithium ion's won't last that long.

About 6 years would be more realistic for long term (and even then you will be WAY behind on software and will only get a couple of hours per charge).
 
Last edited:
N

newagemac

macrumors 68020
Mar 31, 2010
2,091
23
aneftp said:
Judging by mobile OS lifespans of cellular phones (iPhone 3G choking on OS updates after 2 years). Android phones choking on Android updates after 1 year-1.5 years.

How long do you think the April 2010 iPad life span can realistic last. I am talking about real use. Games etc

Obvious email basic browsing will make it viable for up to 3 years.

But I think 2 years tops for standard regular performance.

Any one want to further comment?
Click to expand...

The iPhone 3G is unique in that it had the same internals as the original iPhone. Same processor, same RAM, same graphics. So I would say iOS devices can handle more than 2 years of major updates.

The 3GS has already been out for over 2 years and it handles iOS5 like a champ.
 
daveathall

daveathall

macrumors 68020
Aug 6, 2010
2,379
1,410
North Yorkshire
I have had an iPad 1 since the first day they were released in the UK, battery is still going strong, iPad still does what is required. I will be disappointed if it doesn't last another 3 or 4 years.
 
kdarling

kdarling

macrumors P6
Jun 9, 2007
17,373
5,924
First university coding class = 47 years ago
I never understand comments about Android vs. iOS update ability or frequency.

Updates for Android and iOS are as different as night and day. There is no simple one-for-one comparison.

--

Android has long had multitasking, folders, voice input and a good notification system, so the OS mostly gets speed and graphics tweaks these days. It's not missing core functionality. (With the major exception of cut & paste being a late addon.)

Bug fixes for individual device hardware also come fairly often from each manufacturer without needing a global update.

Want to add a Siri-like system? Update Google Maps? No problem, they can be downloaded and/or added separately on without needing an OS update.

--

On the other hand, for iOS, it's understandable that people would want to be assured of getting official updates in order to add such core services without having to jailbreak.

(Not that Apple actually gives every phone all the features of an update, even when they can. E.g. MMS, voice control, multitasking, and now Siri.)

--

For either iOS or Android, if a device does what you need when you buy it, then that's the meat. Anything after that is gravy.
 
L

lilkangster

macrumors member
Apr 17, 2011
49
0
Depends on what your definition of useful is. I develop apps for a living so for me the useful lifespan is until they stop providing updates and support to the device. In this retrospect apple products tend to have longer life spans for most android devices stop receiving updates shortly after they are launched (there are some exceptions but yea most of them you would be lucky if you get one or two updates to the os). Apple tends to be great in this area and most products are updated and supported 2 years after launch. However, if you do not need the latest and greatest software and hardware, and is only using the device to run some apps listen to music and do some web browsing then I would have to say the life span is as long as you find it still capable of doing all that. I still own a 1st gen ipod touch which i use regularly and I still find it pretty useful (however, battery life is pretty horrible by now).
 
S

Skika

macrumors 68030
Mar 11, 2009
2,999
1,246
kdarling said:
I never understand comments about Android vs. iOS update ability or frequency.

Updates for Android and iOS are as different as night and day. There is no simple one-for-one comparison.

--

Android has long had multitasking, folders, voice input and a good notification system, so the OS mostly gets speed and graphics tweaks these days. It's not missing core functionality. (With the major exception of cut & paste being a late addon.)

Bug fixes for individual device hardware also come fairly often from each manufacturer without needing a global update.

Want to add a Siri-like system? Update Google Maps? No problem, they can be downloaded and/or added separately on without needing an OS update.

--

On the other hand, for iOS, it's understandable that people would want to be assured of getting official updates in order to add such core services without having to jailbreak.

(Not that Apple actually gives every phone all the features of an update, even when they can. E.g. MMS, voice control, multitasking, and now Siri.)

--

For either iOS or Android, if a device does what you need when you buy it, then that's the meat. Anything after that is gravy.
Click to expand...


Totally irrelevant post that has nothing to do with the thread or OP's question.
 
Bernard SG

Bernard SG

macrumors 65816
Jul 3, 2010
1,354
7
Yr Blues said:
Until it doesn't work for you anymore. For me, laptops work until I spill beer on them.
Click to expand...

Now admit that you intentionally spill beer on your laptop now and then, so you can justify an upgrade :D.

----------
kdarling said:
Blah blah, Android. Good. Apple. Evil... Blah blah
Click to expand...

You forgot to drop the usual keywords in there: "open" and "choice".
But at the end of the day no matter how you spin it, guess who wins in customer satisfaction?

jdpower.jpg


And as Skika mentioned what does it have to do with this thread?
 
PBG4 Dude

PBG4 Dude

macrumors 601
Jul 6, 2007
4,267
4,479
Julien said:
Are you still using/syncing your first gen 5GB Firewire iPod (or know of anyone)?:eek: Besides being technologically outdated (software and hardware) the lithium ion's won't last that long.

About 6 years would be more realistic for long term (and even then you will be WAY behind on software and will only get a couple of hours per charge).
Click to expand...

I still have a working 2002 2nd gen 20GB iPod. :D Battery life is down to a couple hours but it still works.
 
I

iEvolution

macrumors 65816
Jul 11, 2008
1,432
2
Why the iPod comparisons? Ones a music player (which doesn't depend on processor speed and power), and ones essentially a computer (iPad) which DOES depend on operating system and processor.

You're fooling yourself if you think a iPad 1 is going to last until 2020.

Realistically no one can say since its a new market (as far as breaking into the mainstream). Though I venture to guess 2 1/2 - 3 years sounds about right to me.
 
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