iPad Air iOS 11 Beta: Impressions and Performance 1

iPad Air iOS 11 Beta: Impressions and Performance

iPad Air iOS 11 beta 2 is an improvement over the initial release, but most people should still avoid Apple’s pre-release software.

The original iPad Air will switch from iOS 10 to iOS 11 in the fall. iOS 11 is a big upgrade to Apple’s roster, and there are some exciting features in the first two iOS 11 betas.

In early June, we decided to migrate from the iOS 10.3.2 update of the iPad Air to the iOS 11 beta. More recently, we migrated from iOS 11 beta 1 to iOS 11 beta 2.

We’ve already delved into the features of the iOS 11 beta and looked at some of the reasons why and not to install the beta on iPad right now. This guide is not focused on the features of iOS 11. Instead, we take a look at how the iOS 11 beta performs on the aging 9.7-inch tablet.

There are some things we love about the early release of Apple’s iPad Air iOS 11 update. There are also some annoying issues plaguing our device and these issues make us consider going back to iOS 10.3.

These are our impressions of the iPad Air iOS 11 beta 2 and this feedback will help you decide if installing the iOS 11 beta is the right decision for you and your iPad Air.

iPad Air iOS 11 Beta 2 Installation

A few notes about installing iPad Air iOS 11 beta 2 before we move on to performance.

The original iPad Air iOS 11 beta 2 was 356MB, which is much smaller than the first iOS 11 beta. Apple recently released Developer Beta 2 Update 1 to the iPad Air. It’s a 25MB file if you’re already on the first version of iOS 11 beta 2. Update 1 includes bug fixes and improvements.

If you’re coming from the first iOS 11 beta and you’re connected to a high-speed Wi-Fi network, the download only takes a few seconds to complete. From there, the install took about seven minutes to complete.

If you are installing the iOS 11 beta for the first time, your download and installation process will take much longer. You should also wait for your iPad to restart itself several times.

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You will also have to spend some time logging back into iCloud and various apps and services. We recommend taking at least 30-40 minutes to get the job done.

Some iOS 11 beta testers have encountered installation issues, so take your time. We’ve prepared a pre-installation guide that will walk you through some of the steps you need to take before installing the iOS 11 beta.

Now let’s move on to some thoughts on the performance of the iPad Air iOS 11 beta.

battery life

Some iPad users are complaining of severe battery drain. This is a common beta issue and one that we can definitely encounter on the way.

As of now, our iPad Air battery is showing normal signs of life. We didn’t notice any quirks while playing games, replying to emails or watching videos. iPad also keeps charging constantly in standby mode.

We can’t talk about long-term battery life yet, we’ve only been using beta 2 for a few days, but short-term battery life is comparable to iOS 10.3. We cannot ask for more than that.

Battery life issues can occur at any time. If you’re starting to notice serious drain on your iPad Air, take a look at our guide to fixing bad iOS 11 beta battery life.

connection

Connectivity has also been a bright spot during our brief time with iOS 11 beta 2.

The iPad Air we have is not cellular, but we tested Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

We have successfully connected the device and its new software to several different routers and an eero home Wi-Fi system. Speeds are good and we didn’t notice any disconnections.

We also tested the iPad Air with several Bluetooth devices, including Bose SoundLink Mini speakers and QC 35 headphones. Our connection with these devices is stable.

Apps and Services

If you’re familiar with Apple’s iOS beta process, you know that pre-release software is often not compatible with first- and third-party apps and services. If you rely on your iPad for school or work (as we do), this can be a problem.

Our core apps on iPad include Netflix, Camera, FaceTime, Slack, Spotify, Instagram, Chrome, Asana, Podcasts, Photos, Twitter, YouTube, The Weather Channel app, and Soundcloud. We also occasionally play two popular iOS games, Tiny Wings and Papers, Please.

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So far FaceTime, Chrome, Photos, Spotify, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube app have crashed multiple times. All of this happened a few hours after installation. Camera app sometimes refuses to open. We had to reboot the device for it to work.

Simply put, our apps are not stable and this is a big issue as we rely on the iPad throughout the day.

At this point, the crashes made us consider immediately reverting to iOS 10.3.

Speed

iOS 11 beta 2 feels faster than the first beta, but we notice that there are still issues with the device’s UI speed.

iOS 10.3.2 is pretty fast, while iOS 11 beta 2 feels sluggish. It would be manageable if the slowdown occurred at trivial times. However, this is not the case.

The keyboard lag we saw in the first beta has been moved to the second beta. Delay makes it difficult to text and email.

The interface is pretty smooth to navigate, but we still notice lag when we open folders and apps. The folder animation is often jagged and jerky, and opening apps takes a few seconds longer than it did in iOS 10.3.

We also noticed some slowdown when dragging the Control Center out from the bottom of the screen. This was an issue for us in iOS 10, and it has apparently followed us back to iOS 11.

Bugs and Other Issues

We’ve also seen a few other bugs worth noting:

One of the positive aspects is that the Bluetooth toggle in Control Center is fixed in beta 2. It didn’t work in the first beta.

Should You Install iOS 11 Beta 2 on iPad Air?

If you rely on your iPad Air to get things done during the day, you probably don’t want to install iOS 11 right now. It’s still problematic and slow.

If you have an old iPad Air and really want to try the new features (we don’t blame you), it might be worth the effort.

If you decide to give it a try, we recommend downloading the free public iOS 11 beta. All you need is a valid Apple ID and some time to install the update on your device.

If you need more feedback, take a look at our walkthrough below.

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