Introduction
So, the iPad is dead, long live the iPad. That's also part of the deal. The retirement of the first-generation of the Apple tablet is nothing out of the ordinary. There used to be the iPad and the iPad 2. Now, we have the iPad and the iPad 2 is the backup, the second choice.
The new iPad. Here's one for you. You're Apple and you're about to launch your latest product. You want to dispel even the remotest suspicion of recycling old stuff. You want the slightest hint smothered of sequels and their questionable worth. What do you do?
Apple iPad 3rd gen official pictures
Make it nothing like the old one? No, no - you're not paying attention. Pretend you're Apple. The market leader in tablets, the standard-setter in touchscreen, the king of design, the god of marketing.
Yes, it's as simple as a single stroke of divine wisdom. You get rid of the numbers. Next is wrong - new is what everyone cares about. If you're telling people they're getting the ultimate, the last thing you want them to think about is what comes later. Numbers are about the order of appearance, the new iPad is about the order of succession. In the royal sense.
Key features
- 9.7" LED-backlit IPS LCD touchscreen, 2048 x 1536 pixels; scratch-resistant, oleophobic coating
- Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n connectivity, carrier-dependent hotspot support
- Optional LTE connectivity (data only)
- Optional GPS with A-GPS support (for the 3G model only)
- Apple A5X SoC with 1 GHz dual-core ARM Cortex A9 processor
- PowerVR SGX543MP4 quad-core GPU
- 1GB RAM
- iOS 5.1 with iCloud support and activation
- 16/32/64GB of inbuilt storage
- Weight of 652 grams (662 grams for the LTE version)
- Bluetooth 4.0
- 11,560 mAh battery
- Accelerometer, compass and three-axis gyro-sensor
- Compatible with every iPad and iPhone app without any modifications
- The cheapest version costs less than a SIM-free iPhone
- 5MP auto-focus camera
- 1080p video recording at 30fps
- VGA secondary camera capable of FaceTime calls
- Four and five-finger gestures
- 1080p TV-output with the Apple Digital AV Adapter (purchased separately for $39), 720p video streaming
- Supports magnetic cases
Main disadvantages
- iTunes still required for uploading most of the content
- Reflective screen struggles outdoors
- Same CPU as the iPad 2
- Heavier and thicker than the iPad 2
- No Flash support in the web browser
- No standard USB port
- Non replaceable battery
- No stereo loudspeakers
- No GPS receiver in the Wi-Fi version
- No memory card slot
- No Siri
- Can get uncomfortably hot at times
- No charging while in use
- Lack of basic iOS apps - weather, stocks, clock, calculator, voice memos
The three iPads look almost exactly the same but, to be fair to the new iPad, it brings a massive upgrade. The 2048 x 1536 pixel Retina display has four times the resolution of the previous model. The bar is yet again set too high for the competition. And it's a leap worth several generations. Apple did well to make sure the monstrous screen is well covered in terms of graphic processing with some extra GPU cores too and the performance is flawless.
The 5MP camera is an improved version of the one on the iPhone 4 and the video recording is duly upgraded to 1080p. There's Wi-Fi hotspot support too but that's carrier-dependent and our Wi-Fi-only iPad naturally doesn't have it.
The long list of cons shouldn't come as a surprise. Some of them are down to Apple's way of doing things but we'll look closer at the screen outdoor performance and the reported overheating in gaming or video playback.
The iPad live pictures
Siri didn't make the cut this time around and you won't find some basic iOS apps either such as Weather, Stocks, Clock, Calculator and Voice Memos. Let's hope though there won't be blank spaces in our review of the new iPad. Follow us on the next page where we look at what's new in the hardware department.
Unboxing the iPad
The iPad's retail box covers just the essentials. Only a tad wider than the iPad itself, the box holds your brand new tablet, a short manual, a very compact charger and a USB cable.
Unboxing the new iPad
Design and build quality
The new iPad is completely identical to its predecessor - the iPad 2. Everything is the same - aluminium unibody, the tapered edges, the flat back, the controls and camera placement, even the Apple logo and model inscriptions.
There are two minor differences between the new and the old iPad - the weight and the thickness. The new iPad weighs 50g more than its predecessor (51g for the Wi-Fi-only version and 55g for the Wi-Fi + 4G unit to be exact). We guess the new bigger battery is the one to blame here. Also the iPad thickness is a bit ampler - 9.4mm compared to the 8.8mm of the iPad 2's, but this is practically undetectable by the user.
The new iPad
So, everything we loved about the iPad 2 is here, but we will do a quick hardware tour anyway.
The new iPad next to the iPad 2
The controls on the new iPad are identical to the iPad 2 ones - the Home key on the front, the power/screen lock key on top, plus a volume rocker and the screen rotation lock on the right. The rotation lock can be configured to double as a mute button as well.
The Home key at front • the power/lock combo on top • the volume rocker and the rotation lock/mute button on right
The only other thing beside the screen and the home key at the front is the FaceTime camera above the Retina display. There's also a hidden ambient light sensor just above the camera for the automatic adjustment of screen brightness levels.
The FaceTime camera
The top of the new iPad has the 3.5mm audio jack, the Power/Lock key we already mentioned and the microphone.
Topside of the new iPad
The bottom of the new iPad brings no surprises - there are the proprietary Dock connector and the single loudspeaker. When you hook it to the charger, however, the iPad won't start charging until you stop using apps. This will probably be fixed with an update, but it's an annoying little bug for now.
The iPad's bottom houses the Dock connector and the lone loudspeaker
Finally, the only thing to note on the back is the 5 megapixel camera lens, which appears to be the same as the one on the iPhone 4. Unlike the iPhone 4 though, the iPad is perfectly capable of 1080p@30fps video recording.
The Apple logo and the 5MP camera lens at the back
To smart cover or not
The smart cover for the new iPad is completely identical as the one for the iPad 2. And it does the same thing, of course - magnetically attaching to your iPad and protecting its screen/back. It is also easily converted to a stand to use when you need to type or watch movies.
The Smart Cover is quite useful to rest the iPad in your lap or on a desk when you need to type or browser for hours.
Be aware that older Smart Covers (including third-party ones) may not work nicely with the new iPad due to different orientation of the magnets polarity.
The Smart Cover
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