Apple iPad (2012) Review

By Sameer Mitha

02-04-2012

Sameer Mitha

Digit Rating: Excellent

4.5/5

Features:

Performance:

Value:

Design:

PROS

Retina Display
Better rear camera
Snappier performance

CONS

Slightly heavier than the iPad 2
4G capabilities unavailable in India
Apps will consumer more space, courtesy new display

BUY

N/A

MRP: 30500

Available at 1 store/(s)

BUY

N/A

Summary

If you are an iPad 'one' user, or a user of any other tablet available in the market, then you should consider the upgrade to the New iPad. If you are an iPad 2 user however, we suggest you skip this iteration and wait for the fourth generation iPad as that will be a better value for money upgrade for you.

Review

Performance and Benchmark Scores
Apple has maintained the same 1GHz dual-core A5 CPU from the iPad 2 on the new iPad but the chip is now called the A5X chip. This is because Apple has bumped up the graphics on the device to quad-core. The RAM too has been upgraded from 512MB to 1GB making the device a lot snappier than its predecessor.

Although the snappiness works practically, in our benchmark scores, the iPad 2 scored higher than the New iPad. On the Peacekeeper browser mark test, the iPad 2 scored 386 where as the New iPad scored 380. A small difference, yes, but a difference none the less.

Gensystek benchmark
iPad 2	New iPad

Apart from the fact that apps look beautiful on the device, they run smoother as well. Games especially, taking advantage of the upgrade in RAM and graphics, now load faster, run smoother and look better. The New iPad does have the potential to take on the portable gaming hardware market. Beware PS Vita and Nintendo 3DS. Epic demoed Infinity Blade: Dungeons at the launch even of the New iPad and we can’t wait to get our hands on the game.

The audio output from the mono speaker too has been improved from the iPad 2. Sure, it still lacks bass but the overall output is as clear as the iPad 2 if not clearer, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It is also louder.

In terms of the battery life of the device, Apple promises that the New iPad will last for up to 10 hours of use on Wi-Fi and 9-hours of use with 4G. Even with the upgrade to the hardware it is commendable that Apple hasn’t compromised on the battery life of the device. That’s because Apple has significantly upgraded the battery in the New iPad. The iPad 2 has a 6930mAh battery where as the New iPad has a humongous 11,560 mAh battery. In real world tests, we found the battery life to be a little less than the iPad 2, but still managing roughly 10 hours nonetheless.

If you were wondering that the New iPad overheats and that is a big downer, don’t bother. We used the device for a few hours continuously and yes, it does get hot, hotter than the iPad 2, but it isn’t a major deal breaker, and does not make it particularly uncomfortable to use. Every device heats up and Apple claims that the temperature of the device is in limits.

If you aren’t sure about upgrading from the iPad 2 to the New iPad, here’s a quick look at the specifications comparator between the iPad 2 and the New iPad.

Particulars	New iPad	iPad 2
Chip	A5x (Dual-core Apple A5X custom-designed, high-performance, low-power system-on-a-chip with quad-core graphics)	A5 (Dual-core Apple A5 custom-designed, high-performance, low-power system-on-a-chip)
Display	High-resolution Retina display. 2048-by-1536-pixel resolution at 264 pixels per inch (ppi).	1024-by-768-pixel resolution at 132 pixels per inch (ppi).
Camera	Back camera: iSight camera: 5-megapixel with autofocus; tap to focus; face detection in still images; video recording, HD (1080p) up to 30 frames per second with audio; video stabilization. Front camera: FaceTime camera with VGA-quality photos and video at up to 30 frames per second.	Back camera: Video recording, HD (720p) up to 30 frames per second with audio; still camera with 5x digital zoom. Front camera: Video recording, VGA up to 30 frames per second with audio; VGA-quality still camera.
Wireless Connectivity	Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n) Bluetooth 4.0 technology	Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n) Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR technology
3G/4G	Yes	Only 3G
Battery Life	Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi-Fi, watching video, or listening to music Up to 9 hours of surfing the web using cellular data network Charging via power adapter or USB to computer system 11,560 mAh	Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi-Fi, watching video, or listening to music Up to 9 hours of surfing the web using cellular data network Charging via power adapter or USB to computer system 6,930 mAh

The pricing and availability in India hasn’t officially been announced but we expect the device to launch between April and May 2012. The international pricing of the device is as follows:

Particulars

New iPad

iPad 2

Price

16GB WiFi only- $499 (Rs. 25,000 Approx.)
32GB WiFi only- $599 (Rs. 30,100 Approx.)
64GB WiFi only- $699 (Rs. 35,150 Approx.)
16GB WiFi + 4G- $629 (Rs. 31,600 Approx.)
32GB WiFi + 4G- $729 (Rs. 37,000 Approx.)
64GB WiFi + 4G- $829 (Rs. 42,000 Approx.)

Wi-Fi

$399.00 16GB

Wi-Fi + 3G

$529.00 16GB

(Official price in India: Starting at Rs. 24,500 for 16GB Wi-Fi model and Rs. 32,900 for 16GB Wi-Fi + 3G model)

NOTE: (The pricing for the New iPad is a direct conversion. The launch price in India will be higher.)

Camera Quality
Clicking pictures from your tablet isn’t the ideal option but it’s an option nonetheless. Apple has bumped up the rear camera on the New iPad to 5MP, and given it the ability to shoot video in 1080p HD. The front-facing camera is the same as the iPad 2.

In our tests we found that the rear camera, even though better in its performance than the iPad 2, is still not the best 5MP snapper out there. The images though crisp, still contain a bit of noise and rely heavily on the lighting condition of the environment. The addition of features such as face detection and tap to focus are a nice addition but clicking pictures from a tablet is still not the best experience.

The video recording capabilities of the device are good. Full 1080p HD videos look clear and the audio captured from the onboard mic gets the job done pretty well.

All in all, the upgrade to the camera is a move in the right direction, though you will still look silly holding up a 10-inch device to click photos.

Verdict
It is clear that the New iPad is the crème-de-la-crème of tablets available in the market today. The price point is still maintained same as the iPad 2 (India pricing structure still needs to be announced however) and it packs in quite a punch under the hood. So the big question: is it worth the upgrade? Well, if you are an iPad ‘one’ user, or a user of any other tablet available in the market, then yes, you should consider the upgrade. If you are an iPad 2 user however, we suggest you skip this iteration and wait for the fourth generation iPad as that will be a more value for money upgrade for you.