iPadOS 17 is clunky on older iPads

[Digitalguy]

The usual conspiracy theory on OS updates based essentially on 1 data point, with no other proof whatsover but putting the burden of proof on everyone else...
Having said that, as I have mentioned many times before, based on my single data point (but with many more iPads, over a dozen) the impact of updates is mainly on standby time not SOT and the difference is not only small but can also be positive. Also battery health has a big impact, as I have seen after replacing batteries in several devices.

 

[FeliApple]

The usual conspiracy theory on OS updates based essentially on 1 data point, with no other proof whatsover but putting the burden of proof on everyone else...
Having said that, as I have mentioned many times before, based on my single data point (but with many more iPads, over a dozen) the impact of updates is mainly on standby time not SOT and the difference is not only small but can also be positive. Also battery health has a big impact, as I have seen after replacing batteries in several devices.

Some points of contention:

-SOT is massacred by enough iOS updates. This is the point that sometimes slips by, when discussing this, many dismiss it because they compare one major version to the next, say, A12 iPhones from iOS 16 to iOS 17. I don’t care about that comparison. The only comparison that matters is to the original iOS version, anything else is irrelevant, and if updated far enough, battery life plummets, especially on early 64-bit iPads (earlier than the 3rd-gen iPad Pro, so Air 1-10.5-inch iPad Pros, and add some base iPads there, too).

-Battery health is only relevant if the iPad is updated, and it is henceforth irrelevant if you keep the iPad on its original iOS version. Why does everyone argue with this? Very simple. Nobody uses original iOS versions long enough. Do you see anyone with a 10.5-inch iPad Pro on iOS 10? Do you see anyone with an iPhone Xʀ on iOS 12? Those users update to obliterating iOS versions like iOS 17, replace the battery, and see an obvious improvement. Therefore, when I say battery health is irrelevant if the device isn’t updated, they obviously don’t buy that statement, because everyone’s experience is the opposite, but everyone misses the key point: “when the device IS NOT updated”. If you update far enough, this no longer applies.

-Standby time has been poor on original iOS versions ever since iOS 12 on iPhones and iPadOS 13 on iPads. It’s just bad, regardless of battery health and the iOS version that the device runs. Apple broke something really badly with standby around 2018-2019, and they’ve never fixed it. My new Air 5 on iPadOS 15 is way worse than my over 7-year-old 9.7-inch iPad Pro on iOS 12, and way worse than a four-year-old 6th-gen iPad on iOS 12.

 

[Digitalguy]

Some points of contention:

-SOT is massacred by enough iOS updates. This is the point that sometimes slips by, when discussing this, many dismiss it because they compare one major version to the next, say, A12 iPhones from iOS 16 to iOS 17. I don’t care about that comparison. The only comparison that matters is to the original iOS version, anything else is irrelevant, and if updated far enough, battery life plummets, especially on early 64-bit iPads (earlier than the 3rd-gen iPad Pro, so Air 1-10.5-inch iPad Pros, and add some base iPads there, too).

-Battery health is only relevant if the iPad is updated, and it is henceforth irrelevant if you keep the iPad on its original iOS version. Why does everyone argue with this? Very simple. Nobody uses original iOS versions long enough. Do you see anyone with a 10.5-inch iPad Pro on iOS 10? Do you see anyone with an iPhone Xʀ on iOS 12? Those users update to obliterating iOS versions like iOS 17, replace the battery, and see an obvious improvement. Therefore, when I say battery health is irrelevant if the device isn’t updated, they obviously don’t buy that statement, because everyone’s experience is the opposite, but everyone misses the key point: “when the device IS NOT updated”. If you update far enough, this no longer applies.

-Standby time has been poor on original iOS versions ever since iOS 12 on iPhones and iPadOS 13 on iPads. It’s just bad, regardless of battery health and the iOS version that the device runs. Apple broke something really badly with standby around 2018-2019, and they’ve never fixed it. My new Air 5 on iPadOS 15 is way worse than my over 7-year-old 9.7-inch iPad Pro on iOS 12, and way worse than a four-year-old 6th-gen iPad on iOS 12.

The only thing I agree is the last point, the rest for me is just conspiracy theory I won't even try to argue with, I have done it in the past and I am definitely not gonna try to convince you. Let's agree to disagree

Concerning the last point, that's totally true and it's sad, even if iPadOS 17 imprioved things somewhat. The main culprit to me seems to be Find My and Siri, which drain the battery in the backgroud despite me disabling them as much as possible in every device. It's really sad to see my Android tablets have much better standby time than my iPads...

 

[FeliApple]

The only thing I agree is the last point, the rest for me is just conspiracy theory I won't even try to argue with, I have done it in the past and I am definitely not gonna try to convince you. Let's agree to disagree

Concerning the last point, that's totally true and it's sad, even if iPadOS 17 imprioved things somewhat. The main culprit to me seems to be Find My and Siri, which drain the battery in the backgroud despite me disabling them as much as possible in every device. It's really sad to see my Android tablets have much better standby time than my iPads...

Well, I’m glad to hear that there’s been an improvement at least. Yeah, really, iOS users were always proud to mention standby... not anymore.

I think it needs to improve a whole lot more for it to be good again. It’s abhorrent that a 7-year-old iPad that’s on its fourth major version beats a new iPad on its original one.

The screen-on time of iPhones has skyrocketed since the Xʀ, yet hours of that screen-on time are lost per day simply because they cannot figure out standby.

You can lose several hours per day of SOT solely due to standby, on any iPhone since the Xʀ, even if it’s on its original iOS version. Unacceptable, in my opinion.

With how efficient iOS 12 is, my Xʀ should not lose a single percentage point overnight, yet it’s far from that. It’s a little jarring to see how good it is in terms of screen-on time only for standby to take some of that away. I literally cannot go to a more efficient iOS version, and it’s still poor. Likewise on all iPads since iPadOS 13, it’s not good.

 

[I7guy]

My 7th gen ipad handles ipados 17 fairly well. The standby is not legendary, like my old ipad 2, but it's pretty darn good. No stutters or lag.

 

[FeliApple]

My 7th gen ipad handles ipados 17 fairly well. The standby is not legendary, like my old ipad 2, but it's pretty darn good. No stutters or lag.

Yeah, it isn’t unusable, it’s not 30%/day. My iPhone Xʀ isn’t that poor either, but it’s a shadow of what iOS was renowned for.

 

[Reverend Benny]

Updated a few of my familys devices over the holidays and one was an iPad 9, basic model without cellular.
My mum went from 16.6.1 to 17.1.2 and it was a straight forward update with no issues.
Messed around with the iPad doing basic stuff like browsing, some standard maintanance work, adjusting settings and so on.

I have to say it runs as smooth as it always has. My mum didn't notice any difference, she's reads mostly on it, browsing and some facetime calls. No social media whatsoever and no additional chat apps.
So moving from 16 to 17 was no biggie.

If its the same as with my Pro 11 M1 I'd expect an improvement in most areas.

 

[FeliApple]

Updated a few of my familys devices over the holidays and one was an iPad 9, basic model without cellular.
My mum went from 16.6.1 to 17.1.2 and it was a straight forward update with no issues.
Messed around with the iPad doing basic stuff like browsing, some standard maintanance work, adjusting settings and so on.

I have to say it runs as smooth as it always has. My mum didn't notice any difference, she's reads mostly on it, browsing and some facetime calls. No social media whatsoever and no additional chat apps.
So moving from 16 to 17 was no biggie.

If its the same as with my Pro 11 M1 I'd expect an improvement in most areas.

Just curious, do you update their devices as far as they go regardless of the model?

If they had a 10.5-inch iPad Pro, would you update it to iPadOS 17 regardless?

 

[Reverend Benny]

Just curious, do you update their devices as far as they go regardless of the model?

If they had a 10.5-inch iPad Pro, would you update it to iPadOS 17 regardless?

Whenever a major OS version stops getting updated regularly I update regardless on prod devices, test devices are running a number of different versions when we need to troubleshoot or test things on a physical devices (to compliment testflight).

One of my family members has my old 10.5 inch iPad pro and has been running iPadOS 17 for quite some time now. Jumped directly to 17.1 Another one has the Air 3 and are running iOS 17, haven't been able to compare them side by side as it belongs to different sides of the family.
Haven't had any reports from work about issues. I don't think we have any Air 3's in our prod environment (that I know of) but a good few 10.5 and 12.9 inch (2nd gen) that people refuse to let go off.

 

[FeliApple]

Whenever a major OS version stops getting updated regularly I update regardless on prod devices, test devices are running a number of different versions when we need to troubleshoot or test things on a physical devices (to compliment testflight).

One of my family members has my old 10.5 inch iPad pro and has been running iPadOS 17 for quite some time now. Jumped directly to 17.1 Another one has the Air 3 and are running iOS 17, haven't been able to compare them side by side as it belongs to different sides of the family.
Haven't had any reports from work about issues. I don't think we have any Air 3's in our prod environment (that I know of) but a good few 10.5 and 12.9 inch (2nd gen) that people refuse to let go off.

I meant your family’s devices, thanks, I was just curious.

 

[Reverend Benny]

I meant your family’s devices, thanks, I was just curious.

All devices that aren't "test", dev, or "special" devices are what I consider prod. devices. That includes my devices, my family and friends devices etc.

 

[FeliApple]

All devices that aren't "test", dev, or "special" devices are what I consider prod. devices. That includes my devices, my family and friends devices etc.

Oh, thanks. They’ve never mentioned anything about that, especially on devices that are pushed to the limit of support?

It isn’t the same if you update an M1 iPad Pro to iPadOS 17 (which would probably be mostly fine, even if I wouldn’t update it anyway - I use my Air 5 on iPadOS 15 - regardless of the model), than if you update a 10.5-inch iPad Pro to iPadOS 17 (which has obliterated battery life by every account I’ve seen, though performance seems usable, even if somewhat laggy, but users are bound to notice artifacts like keyboard lag).

 

[GBstoic]

Oh, thanks. They’ve never mentioned anything about that, especially on devices that are pushed to the limit of support?

It isn’t the same if you update an M1 iPad Pro to iPadOS 17 (which would probably be mostly fine, even if I wouldn’t update it anyway - I use my Air 5 on iPadOS 15 - regardless of the model), than if you update a 10.5-inch iPad Pro to iPadOS 17 (which has obliterated battery life by every account I’ve seen, though performance seems usable, even if somewhat laggy, but users are bound to notice artifacts like keyboard lag).

No problems here with usage or battery life on my iPad
Pro 10.5

 

[FeliApple]

No problems here with usage or battery life on my iPad
Pro 10.5

View attachment 2331375

Looks significantly better than I expected, honestly. Did you replace the battery (or the iPad, as Apple replaces the whole iPad) by any chance?

 

[GBstoic]

Looks significantly better than I expected, honestly. Did you replace the battery (or the iPad, as Apple replaces the whole iPad) by any chance?

Totally original. Bought from my local Apple Store in September 2017. 256GB, non-cellular version. According to iMazing its maximum battery capacity is now down to 77% from when new after 703 charging cycles. Running iOS 17.3 beta 1.

 

[FeliApple]

Totally original. Bought from my local Apple Store in September 2017. 256GB, non-cellular version. According to iMazing its maximum battery capacity is now down to 77% from when new. Running iOS 17.3 beta 1.

Wow, perhaps the best I’ve ever seen. Just curious, cycle count?

 

[GBstoic]

Wow, perhaps the best I’ve ever seen. Just curious, cycle count?

703. Just added this to my earlier post for completeness.

 

[FeliApple]

703. Just added this to my earlier post for completeness.

Thanks! Way better than every other result I’ve seen, and only maybe a couple of hours worse than my 9.7-inch iPad Pro on iOS 12.

(Purchased September 2016, 84% health, around 740 cycles. Ran iOS 9 until September 2019, force into iOS 12 then and it’s been there ever since).

 

[Nate455]

I have not tried iPad ios 17 yet on my older iPad, I hope not to experience clunkness.

 

[mandopicker101]

I use an iPad 9 for work. It feels better/more responsive (on 17.2) than my HP laptop. In fact, it’s my device of choice for work tasks!

 

[carylee2002]

I have a second generation ipad pro..and staying at 16.7.2 after reading everyones comments.

 

[Reverend Benny]

I have a second generation ipad pro..and staying at 16.7.2 after reading everyones comments.

I think its a mixed bag to be honest, many comments are bases on early releases where later seem to indicate that its working fine.

Haven't tried the first iPadOS 17 releases on the pro 10.5, I started beyond 17.1 and that has been a good user experience and I would say it runs better than iPadOS 16. My experience is that 17 in general seem to run better than 16 on most devices.

There are some fairly important security fixes in later releases that you do want to have patched IMHO, if you decide not to update, have a look at the found CVEs and implement workarounds where possible.

 

[StoneJack]

There are no differences between iPadOS 16 and 17 on iPad mini, 6 gen.

 

[FeliApple]

There are no differences between iPadOS 16 and 17 on iPad mini, 6 gen.

Too new to be affected severely yet, most likely.

 

[I7guy]

Yeah, it isn’t unusable, it’s not 30%/day. My iPhone Xʀ isn’t that poor either, but it’s a shadow of what iOS was renowned for.

Don’t think standby is much of a metric anymore. It appears that Modern versions of iOS do much more background processing than older versions. What I am going to try is to turn off my phone and iPad and see what the battery drain is.