Now that the iPad is coming to India finally after a gap of a month and a half, people are wonder is the new device worth the upgrade. Apple has certainly pulled all the stops in terms of the ‘Retina Display’ but is that enough for the layman? Read on to find out.
Processor: Apple has pumped up the new iPad with a A5X chip which features the same dual-core 1GHz processor in the iPad 2, but gives it a massive quad-core graphical push. The jump in graphical performance is going to be quite significant so, if you plan on playing many games the new iPad could be a better buy than the iPad 2. That’s not to say that the iPad 2 is a graphical slouch, but rather the new iPad could give your Xbox 360 a run for its money in terms of graphics.
On the other hand if you are fine with playing around with multiple apps, web browsing and watching video on the iPad, the iPad 2 will be more than handy. Apple has even juiced up the RAM in the new iPad to 1GB for 512MB, but I am guessing the boost will be negligible as the iPad 2 was already a speed demon.
Display: Apple has introduced the an IPS display with a resolution of 2048×1536 pixels, which coverts to a Retina resolution with 264 pixels per inch. I have not seen one of these displays till date, hopefully will see one later today. What ever I am hearing suggests this is the best mobile display ever. Text looks sharper than ever, apps look gorgeous and the works. The quad-core graphics were also added to power this display.
If you use your iPad as a reading apparatus then I highly suggest you upgrade, but if you are more than happy with the 1024×768 resolution of the iPad 2, then by all means purchase it as it provides stunning value at Rs 24,500 for 16GB Wi-Fi version.
This is a call, I think a user can only make after seeking the new iPad and will depend on the individual only, but the brilliance of the display cannot be underestimated. This will be the primary reason people opt for the new iPad.
Camera: The one area where the iPad 2 was below par was its camera. Personally I am not a big fan of a camera on a tablet device, but since OEMs are pushing it they might as well add quality sensors. Apple did not do that with the iPad 2, however that has changed with the new iPad. The new iPad has a 5-megapixel sensor which borrows the lens system from the iPhone 4S. It even supports 1080p video. Reports suggest this is the best camera on a tablet, and undoubtedly better than most smartphone cameras, including the iPhone 4. Apple has left the front facing camera unchanged so that’s a bummer if you’d like to use FaceTime, because the view will be quite grainy.
With the addition of iPhoto to the iPad, a good rear camera makes sense. There even is a iMovie app which allows solid editing, so Apple is clearly positioning the iPad as a content creation device.
Connectivity: For starters Apple has been marketing the new iPad as an 4G device, but the 4G band the iPad is compatible with, is only available in the US. The new iPad will not work with the 4G networks that are coming up in the country. Having said that, the new iPad will be backward compatible with 3G networks in the country, just like the iPad 2. So the bottom line is there is no difference between the new iPad and the iPad 2 in terms of connectivity.
Battery Life: Considering the new Retina Display, Quad-Core Graphics chip, and 5-megapixel camera, common sense would dictate reduced battery life. Well, Apple anticipated this and installed a bigger 4,250 mAh battery in the iPad which claims the same 10 hour battery life on Wi-Fi and 9 hours on cellular networks. Again in terms of battery life too there will be no difference between the new iPad and iPad 2.
All in all, Apple has coughed up a solid update for the iPad which also does not cost a bomb. Having said that, if you already own an iPad 2 then buying the new one may not make a lot of sense. But if you don’t own one then definitely the new iPad which starts at Rs 30,500 makes a lot of sense. The iPad 2 only comes into play if you are on a tighter budget.
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