I don't have an iPad 2 but I do have an iPhone 4S and I've not noticed the battery draining faster. I haven't really noticed any performance degration either and I haven't turned anything off. I'm having a good experience, so I'm not sure what the issue could be. The iPad 2 didn't really match the spec of a 4S though. I'm surprised you can use iOS 8 on an iPad 2 even though the 4S and it are only 6 months apart. The iPad 2 has an inferior processor, that may be the difference. My mother in law still has an iPad 2 and I won't upgrade her.
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I don't have an iPad 2 but I do have an iPhone 4S and I've not noticed the battery draining faster. I haven't really noticed any performance degration either and I haven't turned anything off. I'm having a good experience, so I'm not sure what the issue could be. The iPad 2 didn't really match the spec of a 4S though. I'm surprised you can use iOS 8 on an iPad 2 even though the 4S and it are only 6 months apart. The iPad 2 has an inferior processor, that may be the difference. My mother in law still has an iPad 2 and I won't upgrade her.