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iPad 2 iOS 8.3 Reviews: Should You Install iOS 8.3?

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We’re here to tell you everything you need to know about the iPad 2 iOS 8.3 update including the answer to the most asked question of the week, “Should I install iOS 8.3 on the iPad 2?”

The early user iPad 2 iOS 8.3 reviews all agree that this is a phenomenal update, and if you own the aging iPad 2 you definitely want to read what these users have to say about using the iPad 2 with iOS 8.3 installed.

We are closing in on the last updates for the iPad 2 if Apple keeps the traditional time-table in play, so it is great to see that this may deliver all the bug fixes that iPad 2 owners want an incredible boost to the iPad 2 performance that some users say is close to the iPad 2 speed and performance from iOS 6. That’s impressive.

Read: 8 Reasons to Install the iOS 8.3 Update Right Now

This is still a major decision for users on iOS 6 or iOS 7 because there is no way to downgrade back to those older versions, but there are a lot of fixes and a lot of exciting new iOS 8.3 features including the new emojis that everyone is talking about. If you are already on iOS 8 you can downgrade back to iOS 8.2 if you need to, but so far the reviews are good.

Read iPad 2 iOS 8.3 reviews from regular users.

Read iPad 2 iOS 8.3 reviews from regular users.

The list of fixes for the iPad and iPhone in the iOS 8.3 update numbers almost 70, with huge performance enhancements for Apple apps and fixes for a lot of problems.

Here is everything you need to know about the iOS 8.3 iPad 2 update including early iOS 8.3 reviews from users who live with the iPad 2 every day.

iOS 8.3 Installation

We did not hear of any iPad 2 iOS 8.3 installation problems. We did hear about some general iOS 8.3 installation problems from users who ran into long download times. We also heard from users on an older version of iOS, stating that their device did not see iOS 8.3, just iOS 8.2. If you experience this issue you should restart the iPad 2 and it will likely see the iOS 8.3 update.

iOS 8.3 on iPad 2 Performance

The iOS 8.3 iPad 2 performance will vary from one device to the next, but this is the best report of any iPad 2 iOS 8 update in a year. Every user review of the iPad 2 iOS 8.3 update agrees that performance is solid and we are not seeing reports of major bugs and problems. Still, it is a good idea to keep in mind that the sentiment may change after a week of use, so if you are on the fence, you may want to wait because the performance can vary from one device to another.

iPad 3 iOS 8.3 Speed

https://twitter.com/rox_lukas/status/586428372202291200

The iPad 2 iOS 8.3 update delivers a major speed boost according to users and as shown in the video below that demonstrates the overall speed of iOS 8.3 on this older iPad.

Every user review of iOS 8.3 that we found for the iPad 2 says that the device is faster and that this update gave new life to the iPad 2. The update fixes lag that was present when scrolling and the iPad responds to taps as soon as you make them.

https://twitter.com/Rob__McCallum/status/585918722147278848

The only real issue that one user reports is that the iPad 2 crashed and restarted multiple times after the update, but that seems to be done now and performance and speed are solid.

https://twitter.com/justin_kellen/status/585878229010944000

Apps & Connectivity

We always see some reports of apps that don’t work after an update, and this is no different, but they are not widespread. Occasionally this is due to changes with iOS that developers need to handle.

https://twitter.com/Samson_Yao/status/586281932113190913

If you are using iOS 8.3 and apps aren’t working right you should make sure that all apps are up to date and if that fails the next step is to uninstall the app and reinstall it.

iOS 8.3 Battery Life

We are not seeing widespread reports of iPad 2 iOS 8.3 battery life problems. One user shares the effect of installing iOS 8.3 on the iPad 2, but this seems to be from the actual installation, not from use. it is acceptable to see the battery life drop during an installation when the iPad is downloading and then installing, but we don’t want to see battery life decrease overall. Here’s how to fix bad iOS 8.3 battery life.

https://twitter.com/mattclausen/status/585885679168557057

Bugs & Issues

The iOS 8.3 update fixes a lot of  problems, but there is a chance that it can bring other problems or issues with it. After a few days users are not reporting significant iOS 8.3 problems on the iPad 2. On Twitter, @Gen_Zer0 shares, “I feel iOS 7 never got total stable. iOS 8.3 seems very solid!! Even on my iPad 2!”

If you experience problems, you should read our 10 common iOS 8.3 problems and fixes guide to solve them without going to an Apple Store.

Should You Install iOS 8.3 on the iPad 2?

Most users can install the iOS 8.3 on the iPad 2.

Most users can install the iOS 8.3 on the iPad 2.

While it is generally wise to wait a week before taking the plunge and upgrading an older device, there are so many positive iOS 8.3 iPad 2 reviews that anyone already on iOS 8 should consider making this upgrade now. The iOS 8.3 update delivers a wide range of fixes for iOS 8 problems and users report great performance, which makes it a no-brainer for anyone on iOS 8 — unless you need a jailbreak.

For users still on iOS 7, you cannot go back if you upgrade, but with positive reports you should consider an upgrade to iOS 8.3. If you don’t upgrade now you can wait and see how this update handles in a week or even a month before you make the jump, but all signs point to a positive experience.

iOS 8.3 vs iOS 8.2: What’s New in iOS 8.3

New iPhone Emoji in iOS 8.3

New iPhone Emoji in iOS 8.3

Apple adds over 300 new iPhone emoji in iOS 8.3. There are new Emoji like the Apple Watch and a new Mac, but most users will focus on the addition of more family choices including more kids, families of two men or two women and now there is an option to change the skin tone of many emoji.

Read: How to Use New Emojis

With this update you can tap and hold to choose the skin tone of an emoji icon for many emoji options and then tap to pick the color option. Tap and hold on a new color option to make it the default.

The iOS 8.3 emoji keyboard for iPhone now offers continuous scrolling so it is easier to scroll through the emoji options and find the ones you want.

6 Comments

6 Comments

  1. Richard

    04/14/2015 at 11:25 pm

    iOS 8.3 has killed my iPad 2. It has now crashed five times since I installed it yesterday. How do I revert to 8.2?

  2. iab

    04/24/2015 at 10:10 am

    I took the leap of faith and installed 8.3 on my ipad2. It was touch and go at the beginning but I was patient and let it install and the sync 3 times, updated all apps, let that run for another day on its own…and it feels like brand new!

  3. Thomas Stock

    05/07/2015 at 10:04 pm

    I read a Forbes article stating lots of users are having WiFi connection drops. Anyone here experience this? I’m still on 7.1.2 (iPad 2) – debating about upgrading.

  4. Mick A

    06/13/2015 at 1:45 am

    I m currently still on ios 6.1.3, and have cnsidered to risk my legendary ipad fluidness in return for a larger apps support from ios8.3. However, i m havng a second thought. no no, i love smooth scrolling and app-crashless ipad.

  5. ronnie

    08/17/2015 at 10:35 am

    I haven’t updated from 7.1.1 (if I’m reading my specs right), at first because a friend mentioned long ago that she never updated bc every time she did she said it ruined her iPad. Then I read all those initial reviews on IOS8 from ipad2 users and it had only reinforced the idea. Still, even without updating my iPad has become so freaking buggy on its own that I barely use it now. I figure i might as well take the plunge and update to 8.4 since I’ve basically got nothing to lose at the point.

    Anyways this article makes it seem like a lot of the complaints have come from people right after they updated with the implication that the problems were mostly initial. Here’s hoping that’s the case.

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