AirDrop on iPad2

At the end of the day regardless of whether the iPad has lost functionality or not, the only reason airdrop doesn't work on the iPad 2 is because Apple is greedy and wants to force people to replace their "old" tablets, phones, and iPod's

Much like Apple's refusal to allow mouse functionality so that the iPad doesn't cut into MacBook Air sales. Apple has always been pricey but they have also always delivered top quality products that they supported for a very long time, now they have shifted to a disposable hardware mindset to push unit sales......but they forgot to lower the hardware to match.

I could understand if the ipad2 lacked some vital component, but it doesn't. The only thing lacking in the ipad2's is they want to sell more ipad4's

Beefy1212 wrote:

At the end of the day regardless of whether the iPad has lost functionality or not, the only reason airdrop doesn't work on the iPad 2 is because Apple is greedy and wants to force people to replace their "old" tablets, phones, and iPod's

I think you've missed the point of the thread which is that AirDrop on iOS doesn't work with Airdrop on a Mac. The reason AirDrop doesn't work on the older devices is because they DO lack a vital component. They don't have WiFi chips capable of generating an ad hoc connection.

As far as why Apple didn't include mouse functionality with iOS, all you know is they didn't. The rest is speculation and prohibited by the terms of use of these forums.

Best of luck.

Meg this thread has nothing to do with a Mac except to point out that bt4 is not required for airdrop because it works on computers with bt2. AirDrop and in the much broader sense tethering do not work as the hardware is capable of performing, because of poor programming or a deliberate choice on apple's part. Furthermore an iPad 2 doesn't need to generate an ad-hoc network, it simply needs to join it.

Ipad2's come with an IEEE 802.11n network card, this "chip" as you call it is a Ethernet card coupled with a 2 way radio. It does not require any special hardware AT ALL to create or join an ad-hoc network, nor does it need Bluetooth in the slightest to find clients. In fact had apple used the standard OSI model and the various IEEE and other regulatory standards developed to handle these exact scenario's, which by the way are included in the OS for the iPad to function on regular wifi networks, this thread would not need to exist.

It is shameful a cheap 80 dollar android phone has better wifi tethering support with an iPad than the iPhone 5s that cost the better part of a thousand bucks. Do you realize they had to do extra work to make an iPad 2 not function with airdrop than to make it work with any iPad.

This is very much a software issue, and in no possible way a hardware issue. I have loved the various apple products I have bought over the years, but if Apple is going to force me to continue replacing working hardware to the tune of 500-800 bucks every other year to use what should be simple features, I will switch to android hardware for a fraction of the cost and get over how much I dislike the OS.

Nice answers people keep getting in these forums. Like the answer from Meg:

"The rest is speculation and prohibited by the terms of use of these forums."

LOL

All the more reason not to discuss these things here...they do not take well to critical posts...

AirDrop on iOS (which it not the same as AirDrop on OSX) uses Apple's new iBeacon technology to locate nearby devices. iBeacon is built on Low Energy Bluetooth (BLE) which is part of the Bluetooth 4.0 standard.

You can complain all you want, but the iPad 2 simply doesn't have the hardware to support it.

It has nothing to do with critical posts it has to do with the rules of this forum. This is a peer-to-peer technical support forum. As the iPad 2 (and iPad 3 that I have) do not have the iBeacon or WiFi hardware necessary to use Airdrop it isn't included on the iPad 2. Period. No user here can provide a solution that will allow Airdrop to work on an iPad 2. There is no feasible way to add the hardware that will allow Airdrop to work. And Beefy1212 is just flat incorrect, and it isn't just about the ad hoc portion of the chip.

There is no conspiracy or anything else it is just newer functions imbedded in newer hardware. Same thing with the iPhone 4 not having Panorama. Or many other features that can be mentioned.

Perhaps you should reread the Terms of Use that you agreed to.

Deggie, the reason air drop doesn't work at the end of the day is because Apple decided not to allow it. AirDrop as a feature does not need bt at all, the impedimentation of airdrop is directly tied to making older devices non compatible. iPad 2's can connect to ad-hoc networks all day long and since no actual data is being shared via Bluetooth why is anything other than a simple wifi connection needed? Why is it the iPad can tether do an 80 dollar android phone no problem no Bluetooth? Yet magically you tether to an iPhone and it only works through Bluetooth? Why is it the iPhone 5s can do wifi tethering to a PC no Bluetooth no problem, if Bluetooth was needed from a hardware standpoint, the iPad should not be able to tether non iOS devices without Bluetooth and iOS devices would not be able to have non Bluetooth enabled device connect to them, I.E. Bluetooth is not needed. This requirement to have Bluetooth running is an artificial roadblock. No one is arguing that as it stands airdrop can function on ipad2's several people are stating this is intentional to limit the function of "older" hardware. If you understood networking technology at all you would understand what I am talking about. The ipad2 isn't even that old they still sell NEW ipad2's directly from the apple store. As for the tos I am of the opinion my statements fall under section 2-3 of a technical nature, and constructive feedback, equipped with the truth from a technical standpoint other users can more effectively communicate their own thoughts and desires to Apple. I would ask you and meg to check section 2-2, the section outlining flames taunts and threats it is not your place to correct me or imply authority to censor my technical knowledge, or my constructive feedback.

TLDR: AirDrop as a feature does not need bt4 and it's needless use restricting airdrop's use from currently offered hardware leaves me, and I am sure many others disappointed.

Hogwash. All Airdrop is, despite Apple hanging a fancy name on it, is "iBeacon" on the BT side and using firmware that is included in their newer WiFi chips that allow simulaneous transmission with spontaneous ad hoc networks. Apple just wrote the interface to use it and uses BT to confirm the connection and secure it. They didn't invent the technology on the chipset. This chipset is not included in the iPad 2 and 3. And I do understand networking technology. And I know they still sell the iPad 2. But it does not use the same WiFi/BT hardware that the iPad 4 and iPad Air use. Or are you saying that is not true.

You can use PAN and iPhone and Photos and transfer photos from an iPhone 5 to an iPad 3, I've done it. You just don't use the new Airdrop feature to do it.

Your tethering argument is completely off the mark, that can either use WiFi or BT to tether using the PAN BT profile and has been around for awhile.

Apple chose to use the features built within the latest WiFi chipsets they use and wrote very little code to activate it. Same thing was true for the Intel chipset and Airplay Mirroring on the MBP. Go over there and you will see the same arguments. All Apple did with that, again, was make calls to firmware built into the latest Intel chipsets they were using. But many people in that thread, (like yourself here) claimed Apple could have done it with older hardware and was just doing it to get people to upgrade, yada, yada, yada.

They are just taking advantage of new hardware. They could have just ignored the new hardware, not written calls to it and not introduced it. Guess everyone with an iPad 2 or 3 would be happy then, right? Or maybe they will wait to see 64 bit versions of games run MUCH, MUCH faster on the iPad Air and ask why Apple can't have the iPad 2 run 64 bit apps?

Deggie the point I was making with the tethering is they also require a pointless bt connection, and in the case of the iPad 2 this slows down the connection........ To further add to that since an ipad2 can "handshake" with a 5s it proves a simple feature like airdrop could in fact connect even if it was slower.

Apple chose to program airdrop in a way to limit hardware profiles they still sell, and to me that is nonsensical. The ipad2 is still a powerful device, and to be frank as frustrating as the way they chose to roll out Airdrop, and tethering/ics in general between iOS devices I am not going to run out and replace my ipad2 when it is still working perfectly and looks brand new.

How is a BT connection pointless if you are tethering your device via BT? That makes no sense.

The handshake proves nothing of the sort except to you for some reason.

No, again, Apple did not create Airdrop then send the specs out to chipset manufacturers and say "this is what we want to create". They purchased a new WiFi/BT chipset that had additional features available within the firmware and then their programmers designed the front end in iOS 7 and made the calls to the chipset to operate it. But these calls will not work with the WiFi/BT chipset in the iPad 2, the feature is NOT present within the firmware.

Did you read any of the threads on Airplay Mirroring? Same argument. How about Panorama/HDR etc. in the newer cameras on the iPhone? Is this discriminating against the iPhone 4 which is still a powerful device? No, again Apple is just using features that are built in to their newer cameras.

I don't plan to upgrade either, I wanted Touch ID on the new iPad Air or iPad Mini Retina. My iPad 3 does not have Airdrop. My iPhone 5 does. I've tested it with two friends who bought iPhone 5s. I've never used it since then.

There is no conspiracy, they are just taking advantage of new APIs within firmware on newer hardware. Happens all the time, also with computers. When the iPhone 6 comes out there will be some hardware features that will only be on them. Will it be because Apple created some new spectacular thing? No, it will be because some suppier has added new features to their hardware and Apple can design software to implement it.

Ipad2's do not need a bt connection to use ics to anything but another iOS device, iPhones don't use bt for ice for anything but another iOS device, how is that not a useless extra step?

Airdrop uses wifi to actually transfer the file, wifi is perfectly capable of making secure encrypted ad-hoc connections, so how is bt not a useless extra step?

I.E. Since bt is an unneeded extra step for both of these functions how are they not being used to limit function on hardware profiles that are part of apples current hardware line up?

I really don't know if I can say it any simpler, and really don't see the point in you and me repeating ourselves again.

People, just found this KB article which says Airdrop is supported on iPad, when it's actually not!

support.apple.com/kb/ht4437

My bad, that's Airplay!

Thank you for thinking ahead. Smart. I wish more people thought like you. I'm talking about looking ahead and considering future readers. Thanks.

Never again will I buy an Apple product at full price, that is if I buy one at all.

Of course AirDrop could have worked on the Ipad 2. But they want you to buy their new products.

I know this is off topic, but 2.5 years ago my Ipad 2 had a port problem. I visited an Apple 'genius'. I was told I could turn in my Ipad 2 and receive $100 off the going price of the Ipad 4 (roughly pay $500 instead of $600). So instead, I brought it to my local shop which fixed if for $50 (admittedly a great price as the typical repair was closer to $100). If I had taken Apple up on its offer, I would have bought the Ipad 4 for $500. And after turning in my Ipad 2, they would probably would have fixed it and resold it. My Ipad 2 is still working.