iPad air2 battery issue: Had this iPad for 3 or 4 years (that’s as close as I can recall) and recently the use time on a full charge has been getting shorter. At one time I needed to...

Billbobboy42 Loc: Center of Delmarva

Had this iPad for 3 or 4 years (that’s as close as I can recall) and recently the use time on a full charge has been getting shorter. At one time I needed to recharge it after about 5hrs usage. Now I am down to around 1.5hrs.

Recommendations: New battery or new tablet? I am leaning toward new tablet due to age, but not looking forward to all the setup steps required to re-install all the stuff I use.
If I go the new tablet route, I will consider other than Apple(Samsung?). I have never liked the absence of memory chip slots for convenience of up or downloading. I did get Apple’s SD adapter, but I can only load photos. And some photo formats will not load, as well as it will not read some versions of SD cards, like high capacity/high speed ones I use in my DSLR

jonjacobik Loc: Quincy, MA

If you are a techy person, you can replace the battery for about $20 or less (Amazon) or as little as $7 if for a bare bones battery which beats the $100 from Apple. I use both a Samsung Tab A and iPad. The Samsung is my reading tablet, the iPad my apps, facebook, and internet tablet. I don't think there is anything the iPad can do that the Samsung can't except, if you use an iPhone and that changes everything. Lots of iPhone apps are easier to use on the tablet.

I'd go for an Amazon battery replace (watch a you-tube to decide if you can change it.) and spend the extra on camera gear.

cyclespeed Loc: Calgary, Alberta Canada

I agree, with electronics adding more and more waste to our earth's throw away totals I hardily endorse replacing the battery. I have done it on my MacBook Pro and while at it I learned from a friend this gem. " Occasionally i.e. once a month or so let all battery equipped devices "i"everything for example in the Apple world, get drained down to less than 20% battery power remaining. It allows all cells in the device to be fully recharged and increases the lifespan of the battery considerably.

jonjacobik wrote:

If you are a techy person, you can replace the bat... (show quote)

alby Loc: very eastern pa.

if you buy new.... i went to my local "apple" store, called "double click", only sells apple products, to replace my macbook pro.... got slow, battery not up to snuff, and was getting old. maybe 8 yrs. they transferred everything on my old one to the new one AND cleaned my old one up and it works like new..for $125. EVERYTHING i put on the old pro was transferred and i didn't have to do a thing.

rpavich Loc: West Virginia

Billbobboy42 wrote:

Had this iPad for 3 or 4 years (that’s as close as... (show quote)

New battery.

iPhones do the same thing...the battery keeps losing capacity until you replace it. It will also mis-report the battery percentage too after a while. It cost me 60.00 to get my iPhone battery replaced in 1 hour at the mall. I'm sure it's less than 100.00 to do the same for an ipad.

Billbobboy42 Loc: Center of Delmarva

cyclespeed wrote:

I agree, with electronics adding more and more was... (show quote)

Yes, I have been doing that since I bought it

Billbobboy42 Loc: Center of Delmarva

alby wrote:

if you buy new.... i went to my local "apple" store, called "double click", only sells apple products, to replace my macbook pro.... got slow, battery not up to snuff, and was getting old. maybe 8 yrs. they transferred everything on my old one to the new one AND cleaned my old one up and it works like new..for $125. EVERYTHING i put on the old pro was transferred and i didn't have to do a thing.

The closest Apple store to me is 120-125 miles away. I can buy a new iPad at my local Best Buy or Staples, but I am close to changing brands. Thanks

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

I would just mention that it’s not trivial to change the battery. UTube video’s on the process abound, involving a heat gun or hair dryer to soften the adhesive and prying the screen off carefully avoiding critical spots and then the reassembly.

Billbobboy42 Loc: Center of Delmarva

TriX wrote:

I would just mention that it’s not trivial to change the battery. UTube video’s on the process abound, involving a heat gun or hair dryer to soften the adhesive and prying the screen off carefully avoiding critical spots and then the reassembly.

Thanks. While I was a diehard do-it-yourselfer in my younger years, I now find it safer to leave the tricky stuff to the experts. I don’t like surprises when opening up an item like this☹️.

Saycheeze Loc: Ct

If you buy a new iPad you won’t have to re-install anything as long as you’ve had the old iPad signed into the iCloud.
One of the options you have when you turn the new one on is seamlessly restoring the new with a backup of the old. Simple as pie.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Billbobboy42 wrote:

I don’t like surprises when opening up an item like this☹️.

Exactly! Surprises. And as TriX says, it's not a simple job.

When I watch a video like this, and I see even one step that could be a problem, I don't do the job. On the other hand, if you're willing to replace the iPad anyway, why not try to remove the battery? If you can do that, you can insert a new one.

Indi Loc: L. I., NY, Palm Beach Cty when it's cold.

ab7638 wrote:

If you buy a new iPad you won’t have to re-install anything as long as you’ve had the old iPad signed into the iCloud.
One of the options you have when you turn the new one on is seamlessly restoring the new with a backup of the old. Simple as pie.

You should write down ALL the passwords you need for the software. You’ll probably need them when you download from the cloud.

Indi Loc: L. I., NY, Palm Beach Cty when it's cold.

I had my iPhone battery replaced at a chain store called IFIXSCREENS. I had a Groupon for it.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

ab7638 wrote:

If you buy a new iPad you won’t have to re-install anything as long as you’ve had the old iPad signed into the iCloud.
One of the options you have when you turn the new one on is seamlessly restoring the new with a backup of the old. Simple as pie.

👍👍Very true - ICloud makes this simple - just make sure you have your password(s) available as has been suggested. I’d also be careful how you dispose of the old IPad if you go this route. I recently replaced my wife’s IPad (the restore from Icloud was seamless), and even though I “wiped it” and changed the ICloud login and PW to me, it still shows up as her IPad on the “find you IPhone” ap and it still receives copies of her text messages on Messenger.

Saycheeze Loc: Ct

I’ve done 3 iPads for family in the last month. In all cases the passwords came forward to the new device. No need to write them down, just don’t delete anything on the old iPad. The passwords will be there if you had safari save them for you. Again, the key is don’t delete a thing on the old iPad...if anything goes wrong you still have everything. Just do a delete all data on the new iPad and start over. It really is that simple