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iOS 9 with 3rd Gen iPad?

M

mpb2000

macrumors regular
Original poster
Sep 11, 2008
175
8
I never upgraded my 3rd gen iPad to iOS 9, as I was worried about how it would handle that OS, even though it was technically capable of running it. Then I never checked back in. So, what was the consensus on iOS 9 on the 3rd gen?

Edit: Is there an unofficial way to roll back the OS? Is there a guide with links to the appropriate files?
 
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U can't downgrade .If u update to iOS 9 ,you can't roll it back to iOS 8 and past versions.If u update to iOS 9.U will be stuck on IOS 9.3.5
 
Math889 said:
U can't downgrade .If u update to iOS 9 ,you can't roll it back to iOS 8 and past versions.If u update to iOS 9.U will be stuck on IOS 9.3.5
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You can't downgrade at all, or there's just no official way to downgrade? I know there's no official way to downgrade. I was wondering if there is an unsupported way that people use to do it. I just don't keep up with that stuff like I used to.

I suppose the other question I should be asking is, if there are potential risks in upgrading, is it worth it? There aren't any apps that I just have to have that require 9+. The biggest issue I have is stability, especially in Safari. That crashes often on a non-trivial number of sites. I'm not sure if that's because sites change and staying with 8.4.1 means no stability/bug fixes from Apple. I should probably download some alternate browsers that still get updates for iOS 8. I have 9 on my iPhone 6, so I know what I'm missing feature-wise, and there's nothing that I feel like I have to have from that standpoint either.

Is there a thread/site that has a rundown of this sort of information in general? Apple obviously tells you exactly what HW is supported, but you really want to know what the last "usable" OS is.
[doublepost=1474851253][/doublepost]
bufffilm said:
You're stuck between a wall and a hard place.

If you can JB 8.4.1 ...then stay on it.

If you can't, then it's 6 in one hand and half a dozen in the other.
Click to expand...
I've never jailbroken any of my devices. What advantage is gained by doing that with the iOS I'm already on (8.4.1)?

If I don't JB, I take it you don't think it's worth it?
 
mpb2000 said:
You can't downgrade at all, or there's just no official way to downgrade? I know there's no official way to downgrade. I was wondering if there is an unsupported way that people use to do it. I just don't keep up with that stuff like I used to.

I suppose the other question I should be asking is, if there are potential risks in upgrading, is it worth it? There aren't any apps that I just have to have that require 9+. The biggest issue I have is stability, especially in Safari. That crashes often on a non-trivial number of sites. I'm not sure if that's because sites change and staying with 8.4.1 means no stability/bug fixes from Apple. I should probably download some alternate browsers that still get updates for iOS 8. I have 9 on my iPhone 6, so I know what I'm missing feature-wise, and there's nothing that I feel like I have to have from that standpoint either.

Is there a thread/site that has a rundown of this sort of information in general? Apple obviously tells you exactly what HW is supported, but you really want to know what the last "usable" OS is.
[doublepost=1474851253][/doublepost]
I've never jailbroken any of my devices. What advantage is gained by doing that with the iOS I'm already on (8.4.1)?

If I don't JB, I take it you don't think it's worth it?
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Only time to post quick reply for now.

Safari crashing is nothing new. Only remedy is to use Puffin browser.

JBing opens up a world of customization and some software extensions/apps...features which Apple won't support via App Store.

If that is not your cup of tea, it's your call to make whether to go to iOS 9.3.5 or not.

I'd probably do it (upgrade from iOS 8.x) provided you are dead against JB 8.4.1.
 
ThE.MeSsEnGeR said:
I personally regret updating my iPad 3 to iOS 9... it's become practically unusable :(
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rui no onna said:
Personally, the iPad 3 worked better on iOS 9 than iOS 8 for me. YMMV.
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This is exactly why I don't know what to do. How is it possible that two nearly identical devices (memory and cell service) could have such different responses to the same operating systems. Could it be the specific version of iOS 9? Which version do you each have installed? What else could be going on?

I'm surprised no one did some detailed troubleshooting. I guess most people upgrade before this becomes a problem. I hold on to my devices as long as possible. I waited with baited breath for the first iPod and bought it as soon as it came out. I didn't upgrade until the video iPod. Then I upgraded when the iPod touch first went to 64 GB. I still use that one all the time, even though it's stuck on iOS 6. That never caused any problems with the last supported OS. Apple obviously can't support devices forever, but at least do the proper testing to determine end of life and, if anything, err on the side of caution.
 
Anything higher than IOS 7 on the 3rd gen is a disaster. (I kept mine till IOS9 before I sold it)
 
I don't know what does or doesn't cause this. I think it all depends on how you use your iPad. I'll tell you a bit about my experience.

Personally, I bought the iPad back when it first came out, it was a beast at the moment. I used it as my main computer for a while because my white MacBook had a broken screen. I loved using it every single day for the majority of the tasks that I usually do. Then I got a MacBook Air, so the iPad was put to a side for a while. I use it for the occasional movie on a flight, a few video games and simple sketch drawings. Nothing too sophisticated.

I noticed that with the passing time, it got slower and slower. When iOS 9 came out, I did some research, and most people said that it made the iPad more responsive. Sadly, it wasn't my case. I wasn't alone in that ship either. I read reports on these forums of many people regretting updating their 3rd gen iPad to iOS 9. But it was too late for me. So I put it away in a drawer for months. When I turned it back on, it was even slower. Figured I should do a spring cleaning. I deleted most of the apps. Turned off all unnecessary options (motion, multitasking gestures, etc.). Still nothing.

Just last night I decided to reset it and set it up as a new iPad, not from a back-up, and installed just a few apps that I constantly use. Now it is kinda usable, but it's still lagging on simple tasks like downloading an iBook file or making a Skype call. I honestly feel that the whole experience has become way too sluggish due to the update. It's like it's telling me, "please get a new iPad". And I'm among those people who actually believe that Apple limits the processor/graphics/chip with each software update, making it less and less usable, until a person feels, "oh, this is too old, I'll buy a new one". I hate that :(
 
I still have my 3rd Gen on 8.3. Use it only for basic browsing and video. Anything more I find just absolutely horrid. I personally don't have any reasons to upgrade it and use my iPhone 6 more due to its lagginess.
 
mpb2000 said:
This is exactly why I don't know what to do. How is it possible that two nearly identical devices (memory and cell service) could have such different responses to the same operating systems. Could it be the specific version of iOS 9? Which version do you each have installed? What else could be going on?

I'm surprised no one did some detailed troubleshooting. I guess most people upgrade before this becomes a problem. I hold on to my devices as long as possible. I waited with baited breath for the first iPod and bought it as soon as it came out. I didn't upgrade until the video iPod. Then I upgraded when the iPod touch first went to 64 GB. I still use that one all the time, even though it's stuck on iOS 6. That never caused any problems with the last supported OS. Apple obviously can't support devices forever, but at least do the proper testing to determine end of life and, if anything, err on the side of caution.
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Don't get me wrong. Personally, even on iOS 9, I find the iPad 3 too slow and I really wouldn't want to use it for anything more than watching videos, listening to music and viewing photos.

It's just that with iOS 8, I experienced severe typing lag, constant Safari page crashes and just general unresponsiveness that there were times I felt like throwing the iPad 3 against the wall. iOS 9, while still slow, wasn't as unbearable.

As for which version I had running, I pretty much just update OTA a week after release to let early updaters catch the bugs first. My experience with the point releases is that I didn't really notice any difference in performance within the major versions.
 
Ih8reno said:
I still have my 3rd Gen on 8.3. Use it only for basic browsing and video. Anything more I find just absolutely horrid. I personally don't have any reasons to upgrade it and use my iPhone 6 more due to its lagginess.
Click to expand...
That's so strange. Does it behave the same way now as it did when you first upgraded to 8.3? I don't understand how it could become less capable with time alone. I don't feel like mine is any different now than it was when I went to 8.4.1. Is it possible it gets bogged down by "temporary" files generated by apps? You could obviously perform a factory reset, but then you're stuck with either the original iOS that came with it or the last version of iOS 9 that can still be downloaded.

I know some people think Apple purposely makes older devices run poorly on newer versions of iOS, even though they are still supported. Anything is possible, but it could be they just don't perform a robust series of tests on older devices and then say the newest version of iOS will still work fine. It seems like it would be easier for Apple to just call EOL earlier and force people to upgrade HW if they want new features/updates/apps. Sabatoging your own HW seems more likely to drive existing customers away than get them to buy a new device that costs hundreds of dollars.

I know next to nothing about jailbreaking, but if my iPad ever got to that state, I would certainly look into it.
 
mpb2000 said:
That's so strange. Does it behave the same way now as it did when you first upgraded to 8.3? I don't understand how it could become less capable with time alone. I don't feel like mine is any different now than it was when I went to 8.4.1. Is it possible it gets bogged down by "temporary" files generated by apps? You could obviously perform a factory reset, but then you're stuck with either the original iOS that came with it or the last version of iOS 9 that can still be downloaded.

I know some people think Apple purposely makes older devices run poorly on newer versions of iOS, even though they are still supported. Anything is possible, but it could be they just don't perform a robust series of tests on older devices and then say the newest version of iOS will still work fine. It seems like it would be easier for Apple to just call EOL earlier and force people to upgrade HW if they want new features/updates/apps. Sabatoging your own HW seems more likely to drive existing customers away than get them to buy a new device that costs hundreds of dollars.

I know next to nothing about jailbreaking, but if my iPad ever got to that state, I would certainly look into it.
Click to expand...

Felt laggy since iOS 8 came out. Simply didn't see it getting any better and updates came out so I simply left it
 
rui no onna said:
It's just that with iOS 8, I experienced severe typing lag, constant Safari page crashes and just general unresponsiveness that there were times I felt like throwing the iPad 3 against the wall. iOS 9, while still slow, wasn't as unbearable.
Click to expand...
Those are my biggest complaints as well, and the reasons I asked my original question. Based on some of the horror stories, I'm not sure it's worth potentially making my iPad unusable to potentially improve that. It's hard to tell when people say things like "my iPad is useless with iOS 9." Does it literally not function, or does it just lag? That's a big difference.
 
mpb2000 said:
That's so strange. Does it behave the same way now as it did when you first upgraded to 8.3? I don't understand how it could become less capable with time alone. I don't feel like mine is any different now than it was when I went to 8.4.1. Is it possible it gets bogged down by "temporary" files generated by apps? You could obviously perform a factory reset, but then you're stuck with either the original iOS that came with it or the last version of iOS 9 that can still be downloaded.

I know some people think Apple purposely makes older devices run poorly on newer versions of iOS, even though they are still supported. Anything is possible, but it could be they just don't perform a robust series of tests on older devices and then say the newest version of iOS will still work fine. It seems like it would be easier for Apple to just call EOL earlier and force people to upgrade HW if they want new features/updates/apps. Sabatoging your own HW seems more likely to drive existing customers away than get them to buy a new device that costs hundreds of dollars.

I know next to nothing about jailbreaking, but if my iPad ever got to that state, I would certainly look into it.
Click to expand...
If you factory reset you will still be on 8.4.1 if you restore you will be on 9.3.5, in my opinion you should do a clean restore onto iOS 9 and then go through settings and disable push syncing, background refresh and disable notifications from apps you don't need notifications from.

You can also disable all the spotlight search apps and services, also don't install too many apps that can slow down the device
 
mpb2000 said:
Those are my biggest complaints as well, and the reasons I asked my original question. Based on some of the horror stories, I'm not sure it's worth potentially making my iPad unusable to potentially improve that. It's hard to tell when people say things like "my iPad is useless with iOS 9." Does it literally not function, or does it just lag? That's a big difference.
Click to expand...
As I mentioned earlier, I actually had better experience with iOS 9 than iOS 8. Yes, it's still slow but it didn't lag and crash as much iOS 8 did for me.

Mind, the iPad 3 was mostly just for backup and testing. I had already upgraded within 10 months to the iPad 4 for 128GB and then again after 8 months to the iPad Air for universal LTE (had an upcoming int'l trip). Personally, I found iOS 8 ran poorly on all 3 iPad models (3, 4 & Air). Even on the Air, it was occasionally frustrating. However, I found it to be just absolutely unbearable on the iPad 3.
 
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