I currently have an iPad Air running iOS 7. Lately, I am experiencing a lot of safari crashes so I decided to reset it. Now its working fine but I was thinking about upgrading to iOS 9. Can you guys share your experiences in regards to performance?
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Upgrade iPad Air to iOS 9?
- Thread starter fre3way
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oldmacs
macrumors 603
General performance (in terms of how long things take to pen) is ok, but animations stutter a lot. If that doesn't bother you upgrade, if it does, then consider before upgrading.
Is it similar to iOS 7 on the iphone 4s? Because that update totally ruined my iphone.
oldmacs
macrumors 603
IMHO iOS 7 on the 4S was smoother or around the same as iOS 9 is on the iPad Air 1.... I actually found the 4S with iOS 7 quite good...
I have my Air 1 on 9.3.1. I think it performs pretty well, nothing too annoying in everyday use. How it is compared to iOS7? I honestly don't remember. But having content blockers and other additions I think makes the switch worth it.
Just think about all the security vulnerabilities are sitting on that Air on iOS 7... I would update ASAP!
Haha it was suggestions like yours that made me upgrade to ios 7
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Is it all built into safari or third party apps?
oldmacs
macrumors 603
Have you thought of going to an Apple store, and using one of their Mini 2's for an extended period - the Mini 2 will show you how the Air 1 will perform (possibly the Air 1 is slightly worse), because we can't tell you whether you'll find iOS 9 slower or faster... Given your perception of iOS 7 on the 4S was bad, and mine was that it was quite good, this demonstrates the difference in perception people can have.
For what my 2 cents is worth, I have an iPad 4 that is running 9.2 with no complaints. That being said something that doesn't bother one person will drive another person nuts. Maybe it comes down to what's except only you will know.
oldmacs
macrumors 603
IMHO the iPad 4 runs iOS 9 slower in terms of app opening, but because they're not using metal, they seem to render animations better than the A7 iPads that do use metal.
XTheLancerX
macrumors 68000
iOS 9.3 on A7 iPad is pretty good, minus the task switcher. If there is a blurred app in the app switcher (4 app cards on screen) the animation when going into an app from the switcher will stutter. However going into the switcher from an app is smooth, it's weird.
Overall, iOS 9 is smoother than iOS 8 I would say, but generally just slightly slower in loading things or responding sometimes for example. But yeah spotlight pull down is smoother in iOS 9.3 than iOS 8, I compared against a friend's iPad Air on iOS 8.3, my iPad mini 2 is on 9.3.1. Control Center on the lock screen/open folder is perfectly smooth now on iOS 9, that always stuttered on iOS 7 and 8. Control center is smooth over a portrait keyboard but stuttery over landscape keyboard. Before it always stuttered no matter the screen orientation. One thing I can say, opening folders for the first time is TERRIBLE on iOS 9. It had issues on iOS 8 but not this bad. Also going back to the home screen after using an app for awhile is sometimes pretty choppy. This happened in iOS 8 as well, though. iOS 9 just may be a little worse but I can't exactly remember how bad it was before just that it happened.
Overall, iOS 9 is smoother than iOS 8 I would say, but generally just slightly slower in loading things or responding sometimes for example. But yeah spotlight pull down is smoother in iOS 9.3 than iOS 8, I compared against a friend's iPad Air on iOS 8.3, my iPad mini 2 is on 9.3.1. Control Center on the lock screen/open folder is perfectly smooth now on iOS 9, that always stuttered on iOS 7 and 8. Control center is smooth over a portrait keyboard but stuttery over landscape keyboard. Before it always stuttered no matter the screen orientation. One thing I can say, opening folders for the first time is TERRIBLE on iOS 9. It had issues on iOS 8 but not this bad. Also going back to the home screen after using an app for awhile is sometimes pretty choppy. This happened in iOS 8 as well, though. iOS 9 just may be a little worse but I can't exactly remember how bad it was before just that it happened.