iOS 8.0.2 on iPad mini Retina Review: Two Weeks Later

In September, Apple released an iOS 8.0.2 update for iPhone and iPad that was aimed at eliminating several initial iOS 8 problems. And while it did tackle some bugs, the update also delivered some problems of its own. With that in mind, we want to offer an updated iOS 8.0.2 on iPad mini Retina review, a review that will help you decide if iOS 8.0.2 is worth installing ahead of Apple’s next iOS update.

On September 17th, after a brief stint inside its beta program, Apple released the iOS 8.0 update for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. As expected, Apple’s new iOS 8 update delivered a number of big time changes including improvements to the Photos app, iMessage, battery usage, accessibility, and more. And while Apple didn’t list them on the change log, the iOS 8 update also delivered some big time problems for iOS users around the world.

In the aftermath of iOS 8’s release, we detailed many of these iOS 8 problems in the hours and days after the iOS 8.0 release date in our initial impressions and roundups. Ultimately, these issues forced Apple to release a couple of bug fix updates in the forms of iOS 8.0.1 and iOS 8.0.2, both of which emerged just days after the arrival of iOS 8.0.

iOS 8.0.2 is Apple’s current update and an update that we’ve dug into extensively over the past couple of weeks. We’ve been using the update on the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 5, iPad Air, iPad mini with Retina Display, and iPad 3 and we’ve encountered a mix bag of results. While performance is solid on some devices, other devices have experienced an array of problems that have put a damper on the whole experience.

With that in mind, we want to revisit the iOS 8.0.2 update at the two week mark and offer some feedback ahead of Apple’s October 16th launch event, an event that could serve as the launch pad for its iOS 8.1 update. This iOS 8.0.2 on iPad mini Retina Display review will help you decide whether you should install right now or wait for Apple’s launch event and its presumed iOS 8.1 bug fixer.

iOS 8.0.2 on iPad mini Retina Review

Over the past two weeks, I’ve spent a ton of time with iOS 8.0.2 on iPad mini Retina. Before getting into the review, I should note that mileage is going to vary from device to device, person to person. That is to say, I probably don’t have the same apps installed and there’s a chance that I use Google Chrome, LTE, or my home screen more than you do. So, consider this a general guide.

That said, when it comes to the performance of iOS updates like iOS 8.0.2, I like to look at five different areas in particular. Those areas are: Applications and how they’re performing post update, battery life and whether there is abnormal drain, random bugs or hiccups, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth performance, and overall speed. Here’s how those stack up after a fortnight of use.

iOS 8.0.2 Apps

In my iOS 8.0.2 reviews for the iPhone 5 and iPhone 6, I noted that I’ve been experiencing infrequent issues with some different third-party apps. Troublemakers include Google Chrome, Facebook and Twitter. What’s interesting is that app performance on the iPad mini Retina and the iPad Air, Apple’s current 9.7-inch iPad, is far more impressive.

All of my applications on the iPad mini with Retina, which include popular apps like Instagram, Angry Birds, Spotify, The Weather Channel, and more, are all working properly. Netflix has occasionally been slow but Netflix has always had problems on the iPad and iPhone. In other words, I doubt that it’s an iOS 8 compatibility issue.

Apps on the iPad mini Retina are opening up fast. Google Chrome, an app that crashes rather frequently on the iPhone 5, hasn’t crashed once on the iPad mini with Retina. As I noted in my review of the software for the iPad Air, I can’t explain what’s different between the iPad and iPhone updates but again, my app experience on the iPad is far more stable than my app experience on the iPhone.

If you’re having issues with apps inside iOS 8.0.2 or below, update them. If an app doesn’t have support for iOS 8 yet, there’s a good chance that when that update arrives, it will smooth out some of your issues. Not all of them, but some of them. I keep automatic app updates on so that I don’t have to worry about manually updating. That’s something most of you might want to think about enabling going forward.

iOS 8.0.2 Battery Life

iOS 8.0.2, so far, hasn’t had a positive or negative impact on the iPad mini Retina battery life. It’s about the same as it was inside iOS 8.0.1, iOS 8.0. and iOS 7.1.2 which means that I’m able to get a full day of use out of it. Standby mode is also still solid and I haven’t noticed any abnormal battery drain when leaving the device idle.

I tend to use my iPad mostly at night though during the past two weeks I’ve tried to use it as much as possible to give those of you that are hardcore users some thoughts on its performance throughout an entire day. I can still get more than a full day out of the iPad mini Retina when browsing the web, playing games, and answering emails. I use a mix of LTE and Wi-Fi and LTE typically drains battery a whole lot faster during some of these activities. If you’re using LTE a ton, you might want to scale it back.

If you are experiencing problems, have a look at our fixes for common iOS 8 problems. These tricks might help you get more battery life out of your iPad Air and perhaps your other devices as well.

iOS 8.0.2 Wi-Fi, Cellular Data & Bluetooth

Nothing new to report here which is a good thing. Wi-Fi is still working normally and I’ve been able to connect the iPad mini Retina to all of my Bluetooth devices. I’ve heard about issues with both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth though I myself have not run into them. Cellular data on AT&T’s LTE network is working normally as well.

It’s clear that there are iPad users of all shapes and sizes struggling with major Wi-Fi issues and Bluetooth problems. And while I can’t offer a cure all fix to you, our fixes for common iOS problems might be able to help.

As I’ve said many times before, Wi-Fi issues have been prevalent inside iOS for years, same goes for Bluetooth issues. In other words, you’ll want to investigate these temporary fixes because there’s a very good chance that Apple will fail to address these in future iOS 8 updates.

Assorted iOS 8.0.2 Bugs & Issues

While I’ve encountered some nagging problems on the iPhone 6 and iPhone 5, my iOS 8.0.2 experience on the iPad mini with Retina Display has been very smooth.

iOS 8.0.2 on the iPad mini with Retina may not be flawless but I haven’t discovered any bugs or issues that have hampered my overall experience. Not even the landscape issue that has been plaguing my iPhones and my co-workers iPhones has made it over to the iPad.

It could be because I take of my device (installing updates, cleaning up unnecessary files, etc) or it could be that the iOS 8.0.2 update for iPad is more stable than the iOS 8.0.2 update for the iPhone. It’s hard to tell at this point. If you are having issues, you’ll want to take a look at our list of fixes. They could help solve some of your bigger issues.

iOS 8.0.2 Speed

iOS 8.0.2 on the iPad mini Retina is still extremely fast. The transitions and animations are still fast after two weeks of use and it’s a much smoother experience than iOS 8.0.2’s performance on the iPhone 5.

Is iOS 8.0.2 Worth Installing?

While I’ve told iPhone 6 and iPhone 5 users to hold off, the iPad mini Retina iOS 8.0.2 update, right now, is stable enough to install. Those of you having issues in iOS 8.0 or below will want to consider it.

If you’re having a fantastic experience on an iOS older update, it might be worth holding out for a weeks. Apple’s expected to deliver an iOS 8.1 update, an update that’s currently in the beta process and one that comes with an assortment of bug fixes on board.