Can an iPad 3 update to iOS11

This Intel CPU chip flaw is too early in its discovery to know what any electronics and computer manufacturers are going to do at this early stage.

This is a 15-20 year CPU chip flaw/security flaw.

Many users still using lots of older, legacy devices, computers and OSes.

There is really no way to know what Apple and other computing/electronics companies are going to do about legacy devices, computers and legacy mobile devices.

If you haven't had any issues all of these years with your iDevices and any other computing devices, chances are good that you won’t encounter any issues in the near or foreseeable future.

iOS is sandboxed even Mac OSes still need user interaction/intervention to deny install of malicious code to allow an exploit of this CPU chip flaw.

So, as long as you are accessing trusted websites, NOT engaging in illegal or nefarious web activities, like torrenting and pirating of media content/software and do not open emails and email attachments from unknown or untrusted sources, your exposure to this CPU flaw is negligible.

I am still using iPad 2 and 3 models and an older legacy computer with older OS and legacy software and I am NOT worried, at all, about my computing devices being affected/exploited by Spectre OR Meltdown security issues.

The type of CPU/chip level code knowledge needed to recreate these security exploits isn’t something an average hacker is capable of implementing easily and I am sure these security breaches are NOT just being shared/transmitted/disseminated/pisted through the entire world wide hacker communities.

The sky isn't falling!

Spectre is not an exploit, its a vulnerability. Exploits take advantage of Vulnerabilities or in other words they exploit them.

There are as of yet no known exploits that take advantage of the Spectre Vulnerability.

Beyond practicing safe web browsing, and installing Apps from trusted sources there's not really much to do at this point.

There needs to be a software actually installed and running on the device to take advantage of the Spectre vulnerability. There is no software know to exist at this point that does this.

As long as you don't download and install anything from dubious sources, you should have no issues.

The iPad 2, 3 and 1st generation iPad Mini are all ineligible and excluded from upgrading to iOS 10 AND iOS 11.

They all share similar hardware architectures and a less powerful 1.0 Ghz CPU that Apple has deemed insufficiently powerful enough to even run the basic, barebones features of iOS 10 OR iOS 11!

Why would you want to upgrade, anyways?

Since iOS 8, older iPad models such as the iPad 2, 3 and 4 have only been getting the most basic of iOS features.

Older iPad users get none of the newest and coolest cutting edge features that newer model iDevices, with better hardware specs, can handle with more aplomb.

Plus, the iPad 2 and 3 are the only two supported models left that use the much outdated 30 pin dock connector.

The same iPad 2 and 3 users who whined and moaned and groaned that both iOS 8 and 9 slowed down the performance of their iPad 2 models would come back, once again, in angry droves, with even more complaints of slowdowns under iOS 10 or iOS 11.

FYI,

Just because your iPad 3 is no longer able to upgrade to the latest iOS doesn't mean your iPad 3 is suddenly useless.

Your iPad 3 will work as it always has and the apps you have installed on it will continue to update and receive some level of app updates relevent to your current iOS.

You have had four years of iOS upgrades and updates.

Your iPad 3 will still do everything it does now and you will, get, at least, another full year, perhaps two, if you decide you want to wait longer to get a new or newer iPad model.

Your iPad 3 is NOT, suddenly, becoming obsolete or useless.

So, your options are really keep using your iPad 3 or purchase a new iPad if you feel you need or want to.

Your current iPad 3 will still work and continue to receive app updates for some time, when, with the recent introduction of iOS 11, ALL support for older 32 bit iDevices and any iOS 32 bit apps will come to a final end.

Your iPad 3 will still work and function as it always has, but will no longer receive any more app updates some time in the foreseeable future.

The final app updates your iPad 3 will end up receiving will be their last!

Your iPad 3 should STILL be receiving app updates, currently, but look for this to end sometime soon.

This is why Apple introduced the new, lower cost 2017 iPad 5 model, in April.

If you are that worried about the Spectre/Meltdown vulnerabilities, then it maybe time for a new, refurbished or newer (used) iPad model that can run iOS 11.

Apple is trying to get older iPad 2, 3, 4 and 1st gen Mini iPad users to upgrade to more modern iPad hardware in anticipation of the recent introduction/release of iOS 11, which WILL render all older 32 bit iDevices obsolete, in time.

Good Luck to You!

That is correct. iOS 9.3.5 is the latest version of iOS that an iPad 3 can use.