Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

iPad (2) Life Expectancy

hazimwood

hazimwood

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Dec 8, 2016
3
0
Miami, Florida
FYI for those trying to quantify life expectancy. I've had the iPad 2 since the spring of 2011 and its still going. Battery seems fine, the only issue I have is that it is weaker in picking up WiFi signals than the newer iPads. It is still used everyday for video streaming for hours on end (plugged in).

The reason I posted this is because I was trying to find the same sort of info for the iPad Air and Air 2 but couldn't find any "official" numbers on the matter. I manage a fleet of them so I will post any findings.
 
Barring user damage or accident, the limiting factors are the battery and the home button going bad.

My ipad2 is still going strong...also purchased in 2011.
 
My iPad 2 still functions fine. I don't use it that often, it's mostly a recipe lookup machine / kitchen multi timer and Netflix backup when needed.
[doublepost=1481210609][/doublepost]
sjleworthy said:
love(d) my ipad2 dearly until IOS killed it from about 7 on wards. oh for hindsight. :(
Click to expand...
Agree. iOS 9.3.5 is slow as molasses on my iPad 2.
 
I don't know if Apple "kills" devices so much as limitations in their hardware does. The iPad 2 has, what, 500 MB of RAM? And a fraction of the CPU and graphics processing power of a modern iPad. I agree that it's still fully capable for simpler tasks, especially on older (simpler) OS versions, but it's just the nature of technology that if a device's hardware is static then software will eventually become too demanding for it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: nnoble, rui no onna and hazimwood
joeblow7777 said:
I don't know if Apple "kills" devices so much as limitations in their hardware does. The iPad 2 has, what, 500 MB of RAM? And a fraction of the CPU and graphics processing power of a modern iPad. I agree that it's still fully capable for simpler tasks, especially on older (simpler) OS versions, but it's just the nature of technology that if a device's hardware is static then software will eventually become too demanding for it.
Click to expand...
Streaming Netflix and Amazon Prime all day long still with no issues except that I don't have the WiFi range of the newer units. I don't run calculations on it the way the ones in my fleet are used for flight takeoff and landing calculations(AIR 1 & 2's). I would like to try it for guitar effects but fear exactly what you have mentioned, that the new apps might not work so well on it.
 
hazimwood said:
Streaming Netflix and Amazon Prime all day long still with no issues except that I don't have the WiFi range of the newer units. I don't run calculations on it the way the ones in my fleet are used for flight takeoff and landing calculations(AIR 1 & 2's). I would like to try it for guitar effects but fear exactly what you have mentioned, that the new apps might not work so well on it.
Click to expand...

The other day I was reading about how tablets are being used by pilots and it sounds pretty cool. I love seeing how versatile they can be.
 
  • Like
Reactions: hazimwood
My launch day iPad 2 became useless once I put iOS 9 on it. My GF's launch day iPad 2 is still running iOS 7. Besides a bad battery, its still going strong.
 
We use iPad 2s as check in kiosks at my church. One has gotten a little wonky & will soon be replaced by an ipad 3, otherwise they are just fine.
 
Orange Computer said:
We use iPad 2s as check in kiosks at my church. One has gotten a little wonky & will soon be replaced by an ipad 3, otherwise they are just fine.
Click to expand...

If at all possible, go for an iPad 4. iPad 3 is actually worse than the iPad 2 as it does not have the hardware to keep up with running the Retina display. The iPad 3 was only on sale for 6 months because of this. In many benchmarks it is slower than the iPad 2.
 
  • Like
Reactions: RudySnow and rui no onna
I still use my iPad 2 every day. Mostly for Netflix/Amazon, light gaming (tapped out) and Facebook. All work fine except facebook freezes when trying to load anything outside of facebook and the home button is a little wonky. I think I can go another year before I upgrade.
 
Gave my iPad 2 to my 7 yr old granddaughter, it works just fine for kid's games & apps
 
Mine is still going strong. Grandkids play games with it all the time. Holds a charge fine. It does seem to be getting slower. I'm sure it's thanks to the OS updates.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back