iPad 3rd gen slow

[LarryE90]

Hello, so I'm new to this forum. My iPad is getting slower pretty much every time I update. Is this normal? It is a lot little old it's a 3rd gen retina and I didn't really us it as much it 64g and I think I've used like 24g or so.

Mainly want to find out why it getting slower like when I type it's like five strokes behind.

 

[melman101]

Hello, so I'm new to this forum. My iPad is getting slower pretty much every time I update. Is this normal? It is a lot little old it's a 3rd gen retina and I didn't really us it as much it 64g and I think I've used like 24g or so.

Mainly want to find out why it getting slower like when I type it's like five strokes behind.

I assume you have updated your iPad to the latest iOS? The 3rd gen iPad is widely regarded as underpowered to handle the retina screen. As you keep updating iOS, you are using more and more features which contributes to more CPU cycles and therefore slower machines. My iPad 2 runs super slow.

 

[azentropy]

Pretry much par for the course. There are a few things you can do to improve things a little, like turn off predictive typing and other options in Settings->general->keyboard but don't expect much improvement. IMO Apple has done a really lousy job optimizing simple things like input on older devices in newer IOS versions. Really since 7. Yes it is now a 4 year old device and was underpowered to begin with, but should not lag so bad when you are just Typing!

 

[jd_md3]

Turn on the reduce transparency option on accessibility. It helps my iPad Air become a bit more responsive.

 

[sean000]

I had an iPad 3 (30-pin connector) up until a couple of weeks ago. I installed iOS 9 on it because I needed to be able to run some newer apps that required a newer iOS (I was still on iOS 7). I didn't find it to be that bad for general Web surfing and email, but launching more CPU/memory intensive apps will bog things down a little... sometimes I notice my typing gets a little ahead of the iPad in some apps. I use it for taking notes during meetings and it was really starting to lag when switching between apps or opening files (I use a lot of the Office 365 apps like Word, Excel and OneNote... and these are huge apps).

It's definitely time to consider an upgrade unless you just use it for light-duty stuff like surfing the Web. Fortunately for me mine is a company iPad and it was due for a replacement, so I just got a new 9.7 iPad Pro :-D

My wife has the same 30-pin iPad 3 at home. Since it was a personal purchase we are thinking about upgrading her to the iPad Air 2, but she mostly just browses the Web and uses it for email...so it still works even if it is a little slow.

Sean

 

[stevemiller]

yeah i had to give up on mine due to the typing slowness.

i know plenty will disagree, but i will always think its wrong that apple's software update strategy can leave users with a device that can barely be typed on and no options to restore that basic functionality.

unless they impose some draconian policy of only allowing devices to run on the latest OS and flipping a kill-switch on no longer supported devices completely, then allowing the *option* of rolling back will create no worse a security situation then what already exists out there, and probably happier customers.

i'm getting to the point of PREFERRING the idea of an android device that only runs the OS it shipped with, and you upgrade when the new features entice you, not when you can't stand the lag in tapping out a text message.

 

[barkomatic]

I had an iPad 3 before upgrading to a 9.7 Pro a few months ago. The iPad 3 was so laggy and slow it was at the point where it was just too frustrating to use. It was in perfect condition and its wasteful how a device which ran smoothly at purchase has to be degraded into an almost non-functional state. There's got to be a way to introduce new features on new devices without ruining the old ones.

 

[kaydot]

I had an iPad 3 before upgrading to a 9.7 Pro a few months ago. The iPad 3 was so laggy and slow it was at the point where it was just too frustrating to use. It was in perfect condition and its wasteful how a device which ran smoothly at purchase has to be degraded into an almost non-functional state. There's got to be a way to introduce new features on new devices without ruining the old ones.

I agree with both of these posts. Few of the features introduced since iOS 4 have I really needed. I'd really enjoy having my old iPad3 again, the way I bought it.
I similarly do not upgrade my devices until I absolutely have to. And now iOS is nag-ware, asking you to update your software every damn day! It didn't use to do that, and I could ignore it at my leisure. Now, though, they'll annoy you until you do. AND, if you fat finger the wrong button, there's no way to get out of the update cycle.

 

[sean000]

I agree with both of these posts. Few of the features introduced since iOS 4 have I really needed. I'd really enjoy having my old iPad3 again, the way I bought it.
I similarly do not upgrade my devices until I absolutely have to. And now iOS is nag-ware, asking you to update your software every damn day! It didn't use to do that, and I could ignore it at my leisure. Now, though, they'll annoy you until you do. AND, if you fat finger the wrong button, there's no way to get out of the update cycle.

On the frequency of updates: I think you're confusing iOS with iTunes

I used to ignore iOS updates for as long as possible until I got an Apple Watch. Every update over the last year has improved the watch, and they are tied to iOS updates, so now I tend to install them (at least on the iPhone) right away rather than wait.

The iPad I have treated differently. I kept my iPad 3 on iOS 7 for a long time because it was already slower on that than it was on previous versions of iOS. I had read that iOS 8 was a major drag for the iPad 3, so I avoided updating as long as I could. Then my kid got a hold of my bluetooth keyboard and while banging on the keys locked the iPad (which was in the next room) forcing me to wipe and restore from iCloud... which of course upgraded me to the latest version (iOS 9.2 at the time).

The truth is I needed iOS 8 or 9 anyway, because I was not able to run the latest Office 365 apps without one of the newer iOS versions. My employer is an Office 365 shop, so I need these apps. Fortunately my iPad 3 was up for replacement this year and I got the 9.7 iPad Pro.

I have definitely learned from the iPad (and my earlier iPhones like the 3G) that just because Apple says it will run the latest OS, that doesn't mean it will run it well... and it is definitely no guarantee that the old hardware will run the latest apps well. I actually didn't notice any difference in performance between iOS 7 and 9 on the iPad 3 when I first booted it up and launched Safari. It's when you update to the latest apps (especially big ones like Google Maps, Google Earth, Microsoft OneNote, Word, Excel) that you realize your old device just isn't up to the task of running these new apps.

Sean

 

[cynics]

I had an iPad 3 and it still irks me to think about it. Even when it was new it was a downgrade from the iPad 2 all except the Retina display.

Then update it 6 months later because they knew it was mediocre at best. Leaving early adopters left with a sub par product.

 

[stevemiller]

I'm kinda worried the pro 9.7 is going to be another iPad 3. The ram debate might seem academic but the constant respringing that's plagued the device since launch doesn't give me much faith in its longevity. I'm not even sure I trust it to handle iOS 10.

 

[LarryE90]

Thanks to all of u for the help. Yea I never really used the iPad and now that I have a bit more time I hardly can use it since I get Frustrated quick. But that's what I get for updating lol. The good thing is that now I know it's not just me with this problem.

 

[barkomatic]

I'm kinda worried the pro 9.7 is going to be another iPad 3. The ram debate might seem academic but the constant respringing that's plagued the device since launch doesn't give me much faith in its longevity. I'm not even sure I trust it to handle iOS 10.

It may be, but the problem with the iPad 3 had more to do with the GPU/screen resolution and not so much RAM. The 9.7 pro is strong in that regard. However, 2GB of RAM will definitely be an issue in a few years but hopefully by then we'll have an OLED iPad with a higher resolution and better specs -- but we'll see.

 

[LarryE90]

What about iMacs do they get slower with updates

 

[Heat_Fan89]

What about iMacs do they get slower with updates

My 2012 Mac mini has slowed down some since Yosemite but the BIG difference is that you can downgrade the OS on a Mac.

 

[craig1024]

My 2012 Mac mini has slowed down some since Yosemite but the BIG difference is that you can downgrade the OS on a Mac.

My 2012 i5 Mac mini has been getting faster with every update since Yosemite, maybe you should Clean install.

 

[apolloa]

Hello, so I'm new to this forum. My iPad is getting slower pretty much every time I update. Is this normal? It is a lot little old it's a 3rd gen retina and I didn't really us it as much it 64g and I think I've used like 24g or so.

Mainly want to find out why it getting slower like when I type it's like five strokes behind.

Speaking from experience with my mums iPad 3 I replaced with an iPad Pro 9.7" because of the iOS updates making it slower and slower and slower, it's Apples polite way of tell you to ditch the old iPad and buy a new one, pretty good money making scheme basically because they can optimise iOS for older devices and once huge updated you can't go back after just a few hours, they CHOOSE not to though.
Best bet is buy a new iPad and then do NOT update the iOS version without seeng what others make of it first.
It would be fine if Apple let you roll back to an older version at any point or at least any point in the first two months or so, but again that doesn't make Apple any money, which is all they want at the end of the day, hence why iOS updates make the older machine unusable.
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It may be, but the problem with the iPad 3 had more to do with the GPU/screen resolution and not so much RAM. The 9.7 pro is strong in that regard. However, 2GB of RAM will definitely be an issue in a few years but hopefully by then we'll have an OLED iPad with a higher resolution and better specs -- but we'll see.

Yes a better spec iPad with OLED screen which again Apple will make unusable after four years or so with iOS updates, and then people will say oh just buy a new one and so the cycle repeats, all your doing is increasing Apples ever expanding bottom line.
Just don't immediately update after the first two or three years or I guess try public betas first now you can.

It's a shame Appe takes this route although public betas will help a little, I have a 6S and new gen iPod Touch and later this month, if I have the cash, will buy an iPad Pro. So I need to remember my own advice with the iPod and iPad, iPhones you tend to update every two to three years.

 

[thadoggfather]

This is where jailbreak thrives.

Mums iPad 3 on iOS 6 jailbroken (my doing) The device Runs decent/well when I tried over holidays.

 

[avanpelt]

I had an iPad 3 and it still irks me to think about it. Even when it was new it was a downgrade from the iPad 2 all except the Retina display.

Then update it 6 months later because they knew it was mediocre at best. Leaving early adopters left with a sub par product.

Yep, I told my wife just today that the iPad 3 is the only Apple purchase I've made since 2008 that I regret. Apple should've never released it. They should've just waited 6 to 8 more months and released what was the iPad 4. They pushed out an inferior product and they knew it.

All that said, I am awaiting the arrival of a 9.7" iPad Pro as we speak. I'm hoping they don't discontinue that model in 6 months!

 

[bhayes444]

Yep, I told my wife just today that the iPad 3 is the only Apple purchase I've made since 2008 that I regret. Apple should've never released it. They should've just waited 6 to 8 more months and released what was the iPad 4. They pushed out an inferior product and they knew it.

All that said, I am awaiting the arrival of a 9.7" iPad Pro as we speak. I'm hoping they don't discontinue that model in 6 months!

I think the 9.7 pro will have a decently long life, but I feel the cut off point for it will be RAM related vs being gimped like the iPad 3. iOS 10 is finally killing off A5 devices. The next logical steps are: 32-bit killed by iOS 11, then 1GB RAM killed by iOS 12 (which would be A7 devices, iPhone 6/6+, and iPod touch 6), then 2GB RAM killed with iOS 13 or 14. I could see Apple supporting the 12.9 pro one update longer than the 9.7 pro because it has that 4GB of RAM. I really am curious to see how Apple handles the cutoff for the A8 generation devices that have varying amounts of memory.