iPad 2 VS iPad 3 on iOS 7?

[53kyle]

I may be getting an iPad 3 (from the iPad 2) soon as a hand-me-down, but I don't know if it is worth it for the retina screen and siri, so a couple of questions for those who have used ipad 2 and 3 on iOS 7:

1. Is iOS 7 any choppier and slower on the iPad 3 (or less choppy and slow) due to being retina? Does the A5X fulfill the amount of speed needed for iOS 7 to be at least as smooth as the iPad 2?

2. Is the battery life for average usage (web browsing, email, Facebook, playing some games on 50-75% brightness) less than the iPad 2?

I got my iPad 3 It is a 64 GB Wifi+4G model. First I restored it to iOS 7.0.4. Next, I restored from my backup but my internet is really slow so apps are still downloading. Here are my thoughts on it so far:

- The UI is very slightly more laggy than the iPad 2, but again slightly

- Web browsing, watching 1080p video, and playing games like angry birds, fruit ninja, and infinity blade which are my most common tasks, work as smooth as ever

- I may be a lucky owner of an iPad that doesn't heat up or it could be the case I have on it, but it has run so far as cool, maybe slightly warmer than my iPad 2. I have been stress testing it with games, HD video, and lots of tabs in web browsing (I did see that I can have more tabs without refreshing.)

- I LOVE the retina display. It is so much more clear than my iPad 2, and although I wasn't expecting to see that improvement, I really do. Siri and the better camera are nice too.

I can't say much about the battery but it seems to last longer than my iPad 2 and I don't really notice the 2x charge time if it really does take that much time because I only charge this over night.

I am assuming that iOS 7.1 will make it even less laggy so I am installing it tomorrow, I will update this post when I test it some.

Another update:

My iPad 3 now has iOS 7.1 on it and performs like butter. Thanks for all of the help guys, I am really happy with this device! I hope I never install 7.1 on my iPad 2 so that this feels laggy, because I am sure that will be even better, lag wise. Also, the battery on the iPad 3 has lasted me about 3-5 hours of really using it today (not really sure how much, but somewhere in that range) and I still have 65% left, so that is way better than the iPad 2

 

[53kyle]

Bump.

 

[xxBURT0Nxx]

Many people are reporting no problems with iOS 7 on any iPad. There are some people claiming that iOS 7 is a little bit buggy and lags on even the iPad 4.

I personally have had no problems.

There will really be no difference in battery life. Even though the iPad 3 has a retina display to power, it comes with a bigger battery. iPad 3 will probably be a little bit better actually since it has a newer battery, likely with less charge cycles, and I think the 3 slightly beat out the 2 in most review's battery tests when it was released.

 

[53kyle]

Many people are reporting no problems with iOS 7 on any iPad. There are some people claiming that iOS 7 is a little bit buggy and lags on even the iPad 4.

I personally have had no problems.

There will really be no difference in battery life. Even though the iPad 3 has a retina display to power, it comes with a bigger battery. iPad 3 will probably be a little bit better actually since it has a newer battery, likely with less charge cycles, and I think the 3 slightly beat out the 2 in most review's battery tests when it was released.

The thing is that the benchmarks say the battery won't last as long but like you said the iPad 3 will have less charge cycles. The benchmarks also were done with video and other battery intensive tasks, but I can't really find the real world tests anywhere.

 

[xxBURT0Nxx]

The thing is that the benchmarks say the battery won't last as long but like you said the iPad 3 will have less charge cycles. The benchmarks also were done with video and other battery intensive tasks, but I can't really find the real world tests anywhere.

what benchmarks say it won't last as long? The battery in the iPad 3 is almost twice the size as the battery in the iPad 2.

iPad 3 review - 9+ hours
iPad 2 battery test - 8hr 52min

So, as I said, the battery life is going to be about the same, and the 3 is likely to have less charge cycles so it's probably going to be a healthier battery and last longer.

Either way, you shouldn't have any problems. I use my iPad a lot all day, and I have never had an instance where one died on me before I got home to charge it. I mean come on, you aren't going to be on your iPad for 10 hours straight at school or work and kill the battery. It easily lasts a full days use, I wouldn't worry about which one is going to last a few minutes longer than the other.

 

[53kyle]

what benchmarks say it won't last as long? The battery in the iPad 3 is almost twice the size as the battery in the iPad 2.

iPad 3 review - 9+ hours
iPad 2 battery test - 8hr 52min

So, as I said, the battery life is going to be about the same, and the 3 is likely to have less charge cycles so it's probably going to be a healthier battery and last longer.

Either way, you shouldn't have any problems. I use my iPad a lot all day, and I have never had an instance where one died on me before I got home to charge it. I mean come on, you aren't going to be on your iPad for 10 hours straight at school or work and kill the battery. It easily lasts a full days use, I wouldn't worry about which one is going to last a few minutes longer than the other.

OK, thank you for clarifying that. I honestly might be getting a huge boost in battery since my ipad 2 only lasts about 3-4 hours doing simple web browsing at about 50% brightness. To be fair, this iPad 2 was bought shortly after launch day, so it makes sence for the battery to drain quicker. The iPad 3 that I might be getting is about a year and a half old, so about a year newer.

 

[Markyyy]

The only things that irritate me are the bright white interface and how iOS7 looks on lower-res displays (eg. compare current status bar to iOS6 status bar. The new one doesn't look so smooth).

 

[benji888]

IDK, Apple didn't keep the iPad 3 around long, and that is mostly because of two things, processing power of A5X and the 2 backlights for the display was not working out well...making things run hot. iPad 4 has A6X and 1 (one) backlight.

IDK anything, but, from what I recall from reading over last months w/beta and now released iOS 7, I think the iPad 2 is going to be better at iOS 7 than the iPad 3. A5(X) is just not enough for retina iPad and iOS 7. A6(& A6X) seems to do well with iOS 7, but, anything previous is iffy at best, ...especially since anything that does not have A6 or better processor has had to have some iOS 7 features left out.

If your hand me down iPad 3 has iOS 6 on it, I would hesitate to update it to iOS 7...if it were me.

(AirDrop, BTW, is only available on iPad 4, iPhone 5 & newer)

 

[steve-p]

I'm not noticing any particular hardware-related issues using iOS 7 on iPad 3. Battery life and general responsiveness don't seem any different to iOS 6 to me.

 

[Chris1W]

For general usage of iOS 7 I didn't notice any difference between iPad 2 and iPad 3

But talking about general usage

The Battery size is 2x larger, using the same 10W Power Adapter it took significantly longer to charge an iPad 3

This thing runs hot

It's 50 gram heavier than iPad 2, it might not be noticeable in short period of usage, but on extended period of usage it is quite noticeable (unless you put it on desk while using)


But if your iPad 2 battery is bad, than getting the iPad 3 would be great (assuming the battery is much healthier) + the retina display (not important for me (I used iPad 2 and 3 alternately, but don't miss retina display when using my iPad2) e but still a good thing)

 

[xxBURT0Nxx]

IDK, Apple didn't keep the iPad 3 around long, and that is mostly because of two things, processing power of A5X and the 2 backlights for the display was not working out well...making things run hot. iPad 4 has A6X and 1 (one) backlight.

IDK anything, but, from what I recall from reading over last months w/beta and now released iOS 7, I think the iPad 2 is going to be better at iOS 7 than the iPad 3. A5(X) is just not enough for retina iPad and iOS 7. A6(& A6X) seems to do well with iOS 7, but, anything previous is iffy at best, ...especially since anything that does not have A6 or better processor has had to have some iOS 7 features left out.

If your hand me down iPad 3 has iOS 6 on it, I would hesitate to update it to iOS 7...if it were me.

(AirDrop, BTW, is only available on iPad 4, iPhone 5 & newer)

AirDrop is because it requires the new bluetooth profile, which is only on newer devices. Has nothing at all to do with the processor.

What features are left out of pre A6 processors??? Not that it would even matter since he is going from an iPad 2 to 3, and neither has an A6 so he wouldn't lose any of your so called "features" anyways.

If you're going to claim not to know anything, maybe not the best to try to give false advice?? just a thought.

 

[Mercenary]

iOS 7 is more sluggish on our iPad 3 compared to the iPad 2.

The A5X just isn't up to the job of pushing all those extra pixels in the display.

Apple know they rushed it which is why the iPad 4 came out just a few months later.

 

[benji888]

AirDrop is because it requires the new bluetooth profile, which is only on newer devices. Has nothing at all to do with the processor.

I know AirDrop is because of hardware limitations (needs wifi direct, bluetooth 4), but, the idevices that have A6 or better also have the other hardware for AirDrop (exception of iPad Mini, it has an A5 and does AirDrop, but no other idevice w/A5 has the appropriate hardware.) ...it was just easier to state it that way.

What features are left out of pre A6 processors??? Not that it would even matter since he is going from an iPad 2 to 3, and neither has an A6 so he wouldn't lose any of your so called "features" anyways.

Let's just take it from Apple: From footnotes on this page: http://www.apple.com/ios/whats-new/
"Some features may not be available for all countries or all areas. Click here to see complete list.
Not all features are available on all devices.
1. Traffic information in Today view is available on iPhone 4s or later.
2. Panorama format is available on iPhone 4s or later and iPod touch (5th generation). Square and video formats and swipe to capture are available on iPhone 4 or later, iPad 2 or later, iPad mini, and iPod touch (5th generation).
3. Filters in Camera are available on iPhone 4s or later and iPod touch (5th generation 32GB/64GB).
4. Video sharing is not available on iPad 2 and iPod touch (5th generation 16GB).
5. AirDrop is available on iPhone 5 or later, iPad (4th generation), iPad mini, and iPod touch (5th generation) and requires an iCloud account.
6. Safari full-screen view and tab view are available on iPhone 4s or later and iPod touch (5th generation).
7. Siri is available on iPhone 4s or later, iPad with Retina display, iPad mini, and iPod touch (5th generation) and requires Internet access. Siri may not be available in all languages or in all areas, and features may vary by area. Cellular data charges may apply. New female and male voices will be available initially in U.S. English, French, and German. Returning calls and playing voicemail are available on iPhone 4s or later.
8. Find My iPhone enables you to locate iOS devices only when they are on and connected to a registered Wi-Fi network or have an active data plan. Some features may not be available for all countries or all areas.

iCloud requires iOS 5 or later on iPhone 3GS or later, iPod touch (3rd generation or later), iPad, or iPad mini; a Mac computer with OS X Lion v10.7.5 or later; or a PC with Windows 7 or Windows 8 (Outlook 2007 or later or an up‑to‑date browser is required for accessing email, contacts, and calendars). Some features require iOS 7 and OS X Mavericks. Some features require a Wi‑Fi connection. Some features are not available in all countries. Access to some services is limited to 10 devices."

If you're going to claim not to know anything, maybe not the best to try to give false advice?? just a thought.

Please see:

iOS 7 is more sluggish on our iPad 3 compared to the iPad 2.

The A5X just isn't up to the job of pushing all those extra pixels in the display.

Apple know they rushed it which is why the iPad 4 came out just a few months later.

 

[xxBURT0Nxx]

I know AirDrop is because of hardware limitations (needs wifi direct, bluetooth 4), but, the idevices that have A6 or better also have the other hardware for AirDrop (exception of iPad Mini, it has an A5 and does AirDrop, but no other idevice w/A5 has the appropriate hardware.) ...it was just easier to state it that way.

Let's just take it from Apple: From footnotes on this page: http://www.apple.com/ios/whats-new/
"Some features may not be available for all countries or all areas. Click here to see complete list.
Not all features are available on all devices.
1. Traffic information in Today view is available on iPhone 4s or later.
2. Panorama format is available on iPhone 4s or later and iPod touch (5th generation). Square and video formats and swipe to capture are available on iPhone 4 or later, iPad 2 or later, iPad mini, and iPod touch (5th generation).
3. Filters in Camera are available on iPhone 4s or later and iPod touch (5th generation 32GB/64GB).
4. Video sharing is not available on iPad 2 and iPod touch (5th generation 16GB).
5. AirDrop is available on iPhone 5 or later, iPad (4th generation), iPad mini, and iPod touch (5th generation) and requires an iCloud account.
6. Safari full-screen view and tab view are available on iPhone 4s or later and iPod touch (5th generation).
7. Siri is available on iPhone 4s or later, iPad with Retina display, iPad mini, and iPod touch (5th generation) and requires Internet access. Siri may not be available in all languages or in all areas, and features may vary by area. Cellular data charges may apply. New female and male voices will be available initially in U.S. English, French, and German. Returning calls and playing voicemail are available on iPhone 4s or later.
8. Find My iPhone enables you to locate iOS devices only when they are on and connected to a registered Wi-Fi network or have an active data plan. Some features may not be available for all countries or all areas.

iCloud requires iOS 5 or later on iPhone 3GS or later, iPod touch (3rd generation or later), iPad, or iPad mini; a Mac computer with OS X Lion v10.7.5 or later; or a PC with Windows 7 or Windows 8 (Outlook 2007 or later or an up‑to‑date browser is required for accessing email, contacts, and calendars). Some features require iOS 7 and OS X Mavericks. Some features require a Wi‑Fi connection. Some features are not available in all countries. Access to some services is limited to 10 devices."

Please see:

hmm ok so....

1. Doesn't pertain to iPad
2. works on iPad 2 and 3
3. Doesn't pertain to iPad
4. Works on iPad 3
5. Air drop doesn't work on 2 or 3
6. Doesn't pertain to iPad
7. Works on iPad 3
8. Is not a feature that is missing from either iPad

So, tell me, what exactly is he losing out on by going from a 2 to a 3??? Looks like he actually gains video sharing by going to the 3, and none of the other things you mention even pertain to iPads or it's a feature that doesn't work on either the 2 or the 3. You might have copy/pasted something from apple's website, but if you would have read them, none of the features pertain to his situation.

please also see...

For general usage of iOS 7 I didn't notice any difference between iPad 2 and iPad 3

There are going to be more people WITH OUT problems with iOS 7 on iPad 3 than people WITH problems. One person with problems does not suddenly mean everyone has the same experience.

 

[53kyle]

I know AirDrop is because of hardware limitations (needs wifi direct, bluetooth 4), but, the idevices that have A6 or better also have the other hardware for AirDrop (exception of iPad Mini, it has an A5 and does AirDrop, but no other idevice w/A5 has the appropriate hardware.) ...it was just easier to state it that way.

The iPod touch has an A5 chip too (and airdrop), but that and the iPad mini have closer to A5x chips, but they still named them A5. I really don't see any other reason to not allow ipad 3 to not have airdrop except for marketing.

 

[xxBURT0Nxx]

The iPod touch has an A5 chip too (and airdrop), but that and the iPad mini have closer to A5x chips, but they still named them A5. I really don't see any other reason to not allow ipad 3 to not have airdrop except for marketing.

Like I just said... air drop has absolutely nothing to do with processor.

Air Drop requires the new Bluetooth LE 4.0 profile. That's why a mini, which has the new bluetooth chipset CAN do airdrop with an A5, and an iPad 2, which doesn't have the new bluetooth chipset CAN"T do airdrop.

And the mini has an A5, it is not "closer" to an A5X but still named an A5, it IS an A5.

 

[Naor]

People here are LYING to you, it's shocking, but all I see is lies, lies, and more LIES!
iOS 7 on the iPad 3 is extremely buggy... Try closing an app with it, Apple still didn't fix it! You know what else? iPad 3 is so slow, not worth the upgrade, it won't last too long until Apple drops support to it completely. They even showed it on their last iPad event, the iPad 3 processor is not much faster than its preceedor. It also lacks transparency. Just don't buy it, seriously, you'll regret it.

-a disappointed iPad 3 user.

 

[xxBURT0Nxx]

yes it's impossible that anyone could have a bug free experience on an iPad 3 with iOS 7, so we are all lying to him.

You know, there are millions of iPad 3's out there, and there are not a million people on here whining about them, so that would mean that many people are having a trouble free experience on iOS 7 with their devices. Imagine that.

going from an iPad 2, to a 3 is an upgrade, stop trying to tell him that it isn't.

 

[Aristocles]

yes it's impossible that anyone could have a bug free experience on an iPad 3 with iOS 7, so we are all lying to him.

You know, there are millions of iPad 3's out there, and there are not a million people on here whining about them, so that would mean that many people are having a trouble free experience on iOS 7 with their devices. Imagine that.

going from an iPad 2, to a 3 is an upgrade, stop trying to tell him that it isn't.

Another 'liar' here

I have an iPad 2 and 3. It's true that the iPad 2 is snappier than the 3 because it's not having to deal with the retina display.

The retina display on the 3 is well worth it, though. I can live with a little lag (and it is only a little). Battery life is about the same.
You can feel it warm up under heavy load, but hardly overheating

If I could only keep one of them, there is no question--absolutely no question--that I would keep the iPad 3.

 

[xxBURT0Nxx]

how dare you praise the iPad 3!!

In all seriousness though, I absolutely loved my iPad 3. The retina display was great, battery life was awesome, although it was a little on the heavy side. Only reason I replaced it with a mini is because I left it on the top of the car (dumb mistake) and shattered the screen. I wanted to try something different so I picked up a 32gb mini for verizon.

 

[crjackson2134]

People here are LYING to you, it's shocking, but all I see is lies, lies, and more LIES!
iOS 7 on the iPad 3 is extremely buggy... Try closing an app with it, Apple still didn't fix it! You know what else? iPad 3 is so slow, not worth the upgrade, it won't last too long until Apple drops support to it completely. They even showed it on their last iPad event, the iPad 3 processor is not much faster than its preceedor. It also lacks transparency. Just don't buy it, seriously, you'll regret it.

-a disappointed iPad 3 user.

Wow, you are really too upset and way off base. I was a very long holdout on the upgrade due too posts like yours. I finally pulled the trigger and I'm glad I did. My iPad 3 runs just as good as my iPad 4 (both on iOS 7).

Not everyone has the problems you are citing. I sure don't.

 

[Shuri]

Like I just said... air drop has absolutely nothing to do with processor.

Air Drop requires the new Bluetooth LE 4.0 profile. That's why a mini, which has the new bluetooth chipset CAN do airdrop with an A5, and an iPad 2, which doesn't have the new bluetooth chipset CAN"T do airdrop.

And the mini has an A5, it is not "closer" to an A5X but still named an A5, it IS an A5.

You're right and wrong

Yes it has nothing to do with the processor. The iDevices since iPad 3 support Bluetooth LE, but it doesn't have wifi direct capabilities. That's why it can't do airdrop, but the iPad Mini can.

This is good to know, because Bluetooth 4 got more important with iOS 7, even if it doesn't help with airdrop on its own.

Buttom Line: iPad 3 was the first Tablet supporting Bluetooth 4.

 

[err404]

I own an iPad2 and 3 that I use reguarly. As far as wich one is faster in iOS7, it really is a bit of a mixed bag. On one hand the iPad2 can be slightly smoother in some cases due to the fewer pixels, on the other the iPad3 can be more responcive because of to the extra RAM. In general the performance differance betwen the two are negligable.
As such, I prefer the 3's display, so I consider it the "better" device for iOS7 of the two.
BTW - For either device, enabling reduced motion helps a lot.

 

[53kyle]

I own an iPad2 and 3 that I use reguarly. As far as wich one is faster in iOS7, it really is a bit of a mixed bag. On one hand the iPad2 can be slightly smoother in some cases due to the fewer pixels, on the other the iPad3 can be more responcive because of to the extra RAM. In general the performance differance betwen the two are negligable.
As such, I prefer the 3's display, so I consider it the "better" device for iOS7 of the two.
BTW - For either device, enabling reduced motion helps a lot.

So... Is the ipad 3 any quicker at tasks like opening folders, opening multitasking, going to home screen? My iPad 2 has delays when doing any of those things. Also, can you compare battery life please?

 

[JerZyT28]

So... Is the ipad 3 any quicker at tasks like opening folders, opening multitasking, going to home screen? My iPad 2 has delays when doing any of those things. Also, can you compare battery life please?

since the new iOS update gave the ability to turn off those HORRIBLE animations, closing and opening apps is much better. The thing is still a lagfest though(iPad 3)