iPad cold weather performance

Electronic devices do not always cope well with cold. iPads have been exceptionally good in cold, but that has changed with iOS 8. 

Loquiz clients are running games in all kind of weather, so we always welcome information about cold and warm weather performance.  As weather is cold in North Europe at the moment we have been getting information that Apple has changed the way their devices act in cold with iOS 8 update. Before that iPad would beat Android devices by a large margin in cold. For example Samsungs would turn themselves off after couple of hours in -10*C whereas iPad would just keep on going for hours.

Now something has changed, because iPad with iOS 8 update only lasts for around 60 minutes in -10C.  Then it shows peculiar message about the need to “cool down”.

iPad starts to work if you warm it up. So it is probably the same message that is designed to warn user about overheating.  Anyway the worrying part is that it’s cold weather performance has gotten worse. It is worth pointing out that this is not about Loquiz. It affects the everything that runs on it. We have tested the cold performance side by side with iOS 7 and there  it does not happen.

What can you do about it right now?

1) do not update to iOS 8 if possible (you have probably done it already)

2) use thicker bags to protect the iPad from the weather. Some of our clients are even using special thermal inserts in the bag to keep it warm

3) remember there is always a possibility to continue a game on another device if one fails – check out the instructor cheatsheet for Loquiz. Remember to update your Loquiz player to make sure continuing games on another game works correctly!