Apple finally revealed its latest iPad which they simply call “The
New iPad”, and just like with the iPhone 4S, this new iPad features only
minor upgrades from the iPad 2. No revolutionary design nor stellar
features. Still the same look although with souped-up specs. But should
you rush to get one?
Check out what the new iPad can give you and see if it’s worth upgrading your iPad 2 for.
Retina display
Apple’s Retina display is really gorgeous and seeing it on a bigger
display is just breathtaking. It sports a 2048 x 1536 display resolution
for a generous 264 pixels per inch density. It also has a newer IPS
panel which Apple claims to give 44 percent greater saturation than
their previous IPS display.
A5X processor with quad-core graphics
To power that gorgeous Retina Display, the new iPad has an A5X
processor which has a quad-core graphics module. How fast is this
exactly? According to Apple, it offers four times the performance as the
Tegra 3 found on Asus’ Transformer Prime and some upcoming quad-core
Android devices.
iSight camera
The new iPad now has the iSight camera. A 5-megapixel side-iluminated
sensor, with 5-element lens and an infrared filter which was also found
in the iPhone 4S. One thing’s for sure, you won’t be ashamed with the
quality of photos you take with this new iPad.
It can now also do 1080p video recording by the way.
Voice dictation
Also supported is voice dictation. It’s not exactly Siri but it will
free up your hand as you compose your mail or jot down notes. A
speech-to-text function if you will and it can handle multiple major
languages.
4G LTE
You’ll also get 4G LTE support here if you opt for the non-WiFi-only
version. For the Philippines, you can take advantage of the up to 21Mbps
HSPA+ networks with this device and it will also be ready for LTE when
local telcos start rolling them out.
Oh you can also use it as a personal hotspot too so that’s a good thing since it has a longer battery life than mobile phones.
Physical appearance
There’s nothing different with how the new iPad look, no new ports,
still no SD slots, still same buttons. What’s interesting to note here
is that the new iPad is a little bit thicker and heavier than the iPad
2, 9.44mm and 1.44 lbs. compared to the iPad 2’s 8.8mm and 1.34 lbs.
Pricing and availability
Just like previous iPads when first launched, the price of the new iPad is still the same.
| iPad WiFi | iPad with 4G | |
|---|---|---|
| 16 GB | $499 | $629 |
| 32 GB | $599 | $729 |
| 64 GB | $699 | $829 |
Pre-orders are now being accepted at the online Apple store.
Apple is having a huge initial rollout for this new iPad which will land in 10 countries on March 16.
Countries included are: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France,
Germany, Switzerland, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Australia.
Bonus: So will you get the new iPad? Or stick with iPad 2?
Clearly, the improved display, graphics performance and camera are
the main selling points of the new iPad. However, ask yourself these
questions:
- Will I use the iPad for playing those big games?
- Will I be editing multimedia files with this one? Creating home videos?
- Will I really be taking photos with a tablet device?
If you answer a “yes” in any of those question then by all means get
the new iPad. But it’s easy to answer no to them as well and the iPad 2
is still a decent tablet which is now going be $100 cheaper than before.
