iPad spec for TR

Ok, I’m not an Apple user- had an iPad 2 back in the day, but been on Android phones for years.

Used TR with laptops and phone/ mirror to monitor, but thinking of maybe getting an iPad for turbo sessions.

I’d be looking at a used iPad and wondered what spec level would be suitable for streaming TR (and other platforms). Ant+ or BT? I’ve got a Saris H3.

Seen an iPad Pro 32GB running iOS 14.7.1. is that a reasonable spec? Will it be supported by Apple for a few years yet?

Any other recommendations? Obviously could look at an android tab too if suitable…

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I’m still using my iPad air 3rd gen with my Tacx Neo 2T via BT. Works well for TR, email, YT and various video watching apps. No need for iPad Pro although yes you will be more than ready for many updates and years to come. New iPad generation I think the 10th gen or iPad Air 5th gen should be sufficient.

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Even the entry-level iPad should be good for several years. I have a 13” iPad Pro (2018), and TR runs without a hitch.

Running TR on my iPad is by far my favorite way to run TR.

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Cheers for that. Yeah, I’m not really bothered whether it’s a Pro or not tbh- just someone local selling one for £140 which seemed reasonable.

Do iPads support Ant+? Saris is dual Ant and BT, have Assioma Duos also that are dual. I think it’s only my HRM that’s Ant+

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Just make sure it is relatively recent and the battery is alright. (Batteries will only last so many charge cycles.)

Not out of the box. There were adapters, but I think those were for old 30-pin iPhone connectors and I have never tried them. IMHO just stick to Bluetooth. Some trainers will aggregate Ant+ and Bluetooth signals, so you might also look into that. In the worst case, get a new heart rate strap. They aren’t too expensive. The current top recommendation is a Polar H10 or Polar H9. I got an H10 recently, and it has been rock solid.

So my setup is pretty similar to what you’re describing.

iPad – 9th gen (think they’re going for $329 these days)
Saris H3
Garmin Cadence Sensor
Polar H10

iPad does everything I need it to do pretty capably, even with split screen and running Spotify, Netflix or YouTube while also running TR. I’ve got no complaints from a performance perspective. As far as older iPads, you’ll have to rely on someone else there.

As others have mentioned, iPad just doesn’t work with ANT+, but I haven’t missed it so far. Been using BT to connect with all the various sensors and the H3.

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That’s great. Thanks all for the feedback! I have however also started looking at the Lenovo M10 :see_no_evil:

Yeah, I can live with replacing HRM with a BT/ dual. I do have an Ant+ dongle, but it’s standard USB so would need a USB C adaptor (if I went Lenovo)

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I use an iPad Air 2 (2014) which runs iOS 15 and Trainerroad works just fine. My Stages power meter and Polar HR connect via Bluetooth. In the app store Trainerroad specs iOS 10 or later.

You don’t want to buy too old of an iPad because battery life will have degraded. Mine is only good for 3 hours or so now.

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Let me second the importance of this. My iPad Pro’s battery is getting a bit old since I use it quite a lot at work and I bought it in 2019. TR is built on top of a browser engine essentially (a cross-platform framework), which is quite battery hungry, too.

I think the 9th- or 10th-gen iPad (no extra suffixes) is a great deal at the moment, and should serve you for years. We still have our parents’ old iPad 2, and it still works.

I just got a Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra. It is impressive. I like it far better than my older (2nd gen) iPad Pro 12".

My old iPad 2 still sits in my drawer, and “works”, but is obviously unsupported and useless really for any of the training platforms.

Galaxy S8 would be nice, but far more than I want to spend for a dedicated training tab.

We have two iPad Pros 12.9" on TR at home. One is OG from 2017, and one is the new one with M1.

The old “one struggles” a bit with everything, but generally works fine, whereas the M1 is just flying.

Personally, I would get the cheapest iPad I could fine, from the current gen to use.

Anything more than that is a waste.

I also run TR on an iPhone 8 with nothing else installed, works fine but also a bit sluggish at times.

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It’s frustrating. The old laptop I used to use died. I’ve got two very powerful BIM spec works laptops sat here which would be ideal, but of course installation of 3rd party apps or software is a no-no, so I’ve been making-do with casting my Pixel phone to an old monitor via Chromecast. It works ok, but not ideal…

My iPod Air Gen 3 bought in April 2019 never misses a beat.

(Ended up with Galaxy Tab S8)

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My condolences.
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:stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye: I’m sure it’ll serve you well for TR for years to come.

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To be fair, at £270 for a boxed, barely used Tab, it wasn’t too bad. Runs Zwift well too…

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