4 ms·

A good precedent has already been set for this. The first iPhone got two major updates, iOS 4.0 being the first version that didn't support it. The 3GS added an

A good precedent has already been set for this. The first iPhone got two major updates, iOS 4.0 being the first version that didn't support it. The 3GS added an extra year to the lifespan, launching with iOS 3.0 and only being left out of support for iOS 7. The 4S added even another year, recently having received the fourth major update of it's lifespan. So yeah, while there is certainly some performance lost on a 4S running iOS 9, it's not nearly as bad as the original iPad running iOS 5, or the original iPhone running iOS 3. I imagine the 6S will easily be able to handle iOS XV. Also noteworthy is that the only iPad not still receiving updates is the original model, meaning the iPad 2 has received the most major updates of any iOS device at five.

soylentcola 11y ago
This is the dilemma I've run across over the past couple of years. Android devices have a much worse track record regarding official OS updates compared to iOS devices. But then on the flipside, when my iOS devices get older, I can't downgrade or install something more "lightweight" like I can with my Android stuff. Maybe I'm just used to being able to repurpose old laptops and desktops with slimmed down Linux when they run current versions of Windows or OSX too slowly. All I know is that my original Nexus 7 (2012) is not getting the newest Android update while my iPad 2 (2011) is getting the latest iOS... ...but I want nothing more than to be able to put a third party ROM image on that old iPad or even downgrade it to an older iOS because while the Nexus 7 still works fine, the iPad running the latest iOS is practically unusable. Even reading books on it causes hangs and stutters. Task switching is miserable and trying to run more than one or two tabs in the browser is just masochistic. I don't even care about jailbreaking or rooting or warranties or any of that. These things are both out of warranty and I own both so I accept the risks. But to this day, I still can't find any way to get something less demanding up and running on that iPad 2. I don't mind not having new features that require new hardware. I'd be happy with good performance and a simple set of apps (browser, email, calendar, e-reader, etc) as long as it didn't stutter and lag through it all.
- josephlord 11y ago
  If you are using an old version there are generally known security holes so while the snappier performance might be desirable I don't think it is a good trade off.
- vbezhenar 11y ago
  You can downgrade iPad 2 to iOS 6.
deleted 11y ago
[deleted]
qqqqqqqqqqqqqq1 11y ago
The iPad 2 is so slow on ios8 and newer that most people wouldn't actually want to upgrade, though [1]. Apple sold the iPad 2 until 2014 as a low-end model, so they can't really stop updates completely, but it isn't really usable. 1: http://arstechnica.com/apple/2014/09/a-slide-into-obsolescence-ios-8-on-the-ipad-2/ http://arstechnica.com/apple/2014/09/a-slide-into-obsolescen...
TazeTSchnitzel 11y ago
So it looks like smartphones are going where computers did. That's encouraging!

soylentcola 11y ago

This is the dilemma I've run across over the past couple of years. Android devices have a much worse track record regarding official OS updates compared to iOS devices. But then on the flipside, when my iOS devices get older, I can't downgrade or install something more "lightweight" like I can with my Android stuff. Maybe I'm just used to being able to repurpose old laptops and desktops with slimmed down Linux when they run current versions of Windows or OSX too slowly. All I know is that my original Nexus 7 (2012) is not getting the newest Android update while my iPad 2 (2011) is getting the latest iOS... ...but I want nothing more than to be able to put a third party ROM image on that old iPad or even downgrade it to an older iOS because while the Nexus 7 still works fine, the iPad running the latest iOS is practically unusable. Even reading books on it causes hangs and stutters. Task switching is miserable and trying to run more than one or two tabs in the browser is just masochistic. I don't even care about jailbreaking or rooting or warranties or any of that. These things are both out of warranty and I own both so I accept the risks. But to this day, I still can't find any way to get something less demanding up and running on that iPad 2. I don't mind not having new features that require new hardware. I'd be happy with good performance and a simple set of apps (browser, email, calendar, e-reader, etc) as long as it didn't stutter and lag through it all.

josephlord 11y ago
If you are using an old version there are generally known security holes so while the snappier performance might be desirable I don't think it is a good trade off.
vbezhenar 11y ago
You can downgrade iPad 2 to iOS 6.

deleted 11y ago

[deleted]

qqqqqqqqqqqqqq1 11y ago

The iPad 2 is so slow on ios8 and newer that most people wouldn't actually want to upgrade, though [1]. Apple sold the iPad 2 until 2014 as a low-end model, so they can't really stop updates completely, but it isn't really usable. 1: http://arstechnica.com/apple/2014/09/a-slide-into-obsolescence-ios-8-on-the-ipad-2/ http://arstechnica.com/apple/2014/09/a-slide-into-obsolescen...

TazeTSchnitzel 11y ago

So it looks like smartphones are going where computers did. That's encouraging!