Introduction:
Last
year we saw a myriad of Android tablets bursting onto the scene in
hopes of stealing some glory and thunder from Apple’s pride and joy –
the iPad 2. Honestly, some of those offerings, such as the Amazon Kindle Fire and Asus Transformer Prime,
have been more memorable than others, but through it all, they all
seemed intent on breaking the iPad’s stringent grasp on the market.
Despite the onslaught of competition, the iPad 2 remained in relevancy
throughout it all, and rightfully so, it maintained itself as the
benchmark tablet for all others, mainly for its balanced offering and
notoriety.
Unlike the recent iPhone 4S,
the third generation iPad is coming onto the scene one year after its
predecessor, and boy are there some high expectations surrounding it
already, unsurprisingly. Just a little bit over a week ago, Apple
unveiled the highly-anticipated new iPad
to the awaiting public sporting a very familiar body, but with some
intriguing new internals. Indeed,there are some viable alternatives from
the current Android camp that can easily manhandle the iPad 2 in the
specs department, but with this so-called new iPad, it’s out to once again claim the throne and prove to the masses why it’s the biggest game in town.
Sticking
firm to its usual routine, this third-generation iPad follows the same
price path as its predecessors, which starts at that golden price of
$500 for a base Wi-Fi only model. More importantly, however, it’s
packing some impressive specs that will no doubt shake the ground and
firmly justify its premium offering – such as a snazzy new
high-resolution Retina display, 4G LTE connectivity, upgraded rear
camera, and faster processor. With all of the goodies in for the ride,
it begs the question if it’s enough to push and set the bar once again?
Let’s not delay the inevitable any further people, therefore, here we
go!
The package contains:
- iPad
- USB cable
- Wall Charger
- Quick Start Guide
- Product Safety & Warranty Information
Design:
Hardly a surprising decision, even more when Apple has done it in the past with the iPhone 3GS,
and most recently, the iPhone 4S, the new iPad maintains the design
characteristics of its predecessor – nearly to the tooth even. Well, to
be more specific, it looks just like the iPad 2, but it’s minutely
thicker (0.37” thick) and heavier (23 oz). Strangely, there has been a
lot of fuss surrounding the increased size, but in all honesty, it’s not
that a big of deal, even more when it’s still one streamlined device by
today’s standards, although it is not the slimmest tablet out there. In
all fairness, it’s an indistinguishable difference from the previous
model, but it would’ve been cool if the new iPad was somehow lighter –
instead, it’s heavier. When it comes to real world handling, it’s
comfortable to grasp with a single hand, though, two-handed operation is
the preferable way since fatigue can set in after an extended period of
time.
 |  |
 |  | |
The new iPad maintains the design characteristics of its predecessor
| ||
Certainly,
some people will dwell endlessly about it, but moving beyond that,
we’re still grateful to find the new iPad to exhibit all of the lovable
qualities of a top-notch tablet. Specifically, it’s donning the same
exact sturdy construction that we’re so fond of seeing with Apple’s
portfolio – and to tell you the truth, it’s a comforting sight!
Instilling a sense of durability, thanks primarily to its milled
aluminum casing and glass-covered display, this is exactly what a solid
tablet is all about. Frankly, it’s not something that’s necessarily
regarded as a fresh look, but it doesn’t need to be – well, that’s
because it employs an established iconic look.
 |
Part of its iconic appearance, the only indentation found on its display is the recognizable home button we’re
all so familiar with. Exhibiting that expected springy response,
there’s no accidental presses whatsoever with it. On the complete
opposite end, is the same exact VGA camera from before perched above the display, which will handle all of our FaceTime needs. More on its quality later on.
 |  | |
Home button
|
Front camera
|
Everything else around the sides are
identical to the tooth, meaning, we’re again greeted with a dedicated
power button, mute switch, volume control, 3.5mm headset jack, 30-pin
dock connection port, and microphone.
 |  | |
Power button
|
Volume control
|
Around the rear,
shutterbugs will be extremely happy to find a respectable 5-megapixel
auto-focus camera sans flash – now dubbed the iSight camera. Instead of
that despicable camera from before, this one is already shaping out to
be a welcome replacement because its sensor features backside
illumination and a F2.4 aperture lens. In fact, this is exactly what’s
found with its iPhone 4S sibling (save for the 8MP sensor), so yeah,
it’s a nice improvement – though, there is still some awkwardness
snapping photos with a tablet in public.
 |  |
Back
|
The 5-megapixel iSight camera
|
Lastly,
it doesn’t get much notoriety amongst other things, but the same micro
dots line the lower left corner of the milled aluminum casing, thus,
shielding the iPad’s internal speaker.
Display:
From
a cursory look, there are hardly any recognizable differences to the
eye between this and its predecessor, but that seemingly changes the
moment we turn on its 9.7-inch IPS LCD display,
and tune our attention to its wicked high resolution. Mind-boggling to
say the least, it’s downright crazy to even fathom how they managed to
produce such a panel, especially when it has double the resolution of
the iPad 2 at 2048 x 1536. Very recently, we’ve been tickled about
seeing some upcoming tablets sporting 1080p displays, but Apple simply
blindsided everyone with the iPad’s triumphant Retina display. Even more
impressive is the fact that we haven’t seen the commercial launch of
1080p displays on tablets.
So how detailed is
this thing? It’s remarkable like nothing else before we’ve seen on a
tablet! To put it into perspective, the iPad has the ubiquitous title of
having the highest resolution display on any mobile device on the
market, though technically, it’s not close to taking the coveted title
of having the highest pixel density (264 ppi). Still, for a tablet, it’s
one impressive feat! Walking the walk, it’s higher than most PC
displays and high-definition televisions – so yes, it’s a bold statement
on its own. Honestly, you can’t even distinguish a single pixel on this
display, and in the end, it’s undeniably one of the sharpest displays
our eyes have been fortunate to ever see. Everything seems to jump at
us, draw our attention, and ultimately, we’re overjoyed with the
results.
 |  | |
 |  | |
Viewing angles
| ||
Closeups- the new iPad vs iPad 2 display pixel density
Detail
aside, the IPS LCD panel delivers the same results that we’re accustomed
to seeing at this point. Being complementary, it radiates wholesomely
thanks to the accurate looking colors it’s
able to produce, essentially giving our eyes yet another thing to drool
over. In fact, Apple makes the bold claim of it being 40% more
saturated with its tones, and right on the dot, our eyes justify that
remark as it’s visibly evident that it’s punchier. Rounding out its
prowess, it sports the same lovable wide viewing angles and high
contrast to maintain its clarity even with demanding situations when
using it outdoors under the sun.
 |  | |
The IPS LCD panel is able to produce accurate looking colors
| ||
So
where does this rank amongst all other things? Actually, it’s a
benchmark like no other, seemingly blowing off the covers of what we
believed to be impossible not too long ago. No longer are we going to
fancy over devices gearing up to offer 1080p displays, but rather, the
iPad establishes what it means to have a snazzy looking display.
Therefore, whether it’s reading or watching videos, the Retina display
of the iPad is a bundle of joy that’s sure to keep the competition at
bay. Yup, it’s in a league of its own.
