IPad 3 (New iPad) vs iPad 2 – Do I need to buy the latest model?

Posted: May 3, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Hardware, News | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

March this year saw the release of the third generation of iPad, namely the iPad 3 or the New iPad, as Apple itself has baptised it. According to Apple Store, the iPad 3 costs almost one thousand kronor more than the earlier model. Have you finally decided to acquire an iPad but are uncertain which model is really worth buying? Or do you already have an iPad 2 and wonder if it is worth replacing your existing iPad with this new one? Here I shall try and help you make that decision. If you wish to find the answer without the comparative analysis, please go to the last section “Conclusion”.

Screen

The new iPad has a higher resolution screen, which Apple calls a Retina display, than the iPad 2. This new display contains four times as many pixels – double the pixel count in terms of width and height – as on the iPad 2. All this results in the images being sharper and more detailed thereby looking more vibrantly true to life.

Processor

The processor for the iPad 3 has also been ehanced since the earlier generation. Apple calls the processor the A5X and it has quad-core graphics that handle four times as many pixels as the iPad 2. This means that everything works really fast when you surf, the iPad responds directly. The high-resolution Retina display on the new iPad would not be possible without the new and powerful A5X-processor, according to Apple.

Camera

Apple calls the camera on the iPad 3 the iSight camera. This 5-megapixel iSight camera features improved optics. The iPad 3 enables filming in HD 1080p compared with the iPad 2 where it is only possible to film in HD 720 p.

Dimensions and weight

The height and width are the same on both models, 241.2 mm high and 185.7 mm wide. The iPad 3 is somewhat thicker, 9.4 mm compared with 8.8 mm and the newer model weighs slightly more also. The Wi-Fi model for the iPad 3 weighs 652 grams whereas the Wi-Fi + 4 G model weighs 662 grams as against 601 g and 613 g respectively for the iPad2.

Colour

Both these models are available in black or white.

Wireless

The greatest difference between the models where wireless connection is concerned is that the new model offers 4G compared with 3G for the earlier model. Unfortunately, 4G will not be available in the Nordic market. Another difference is that the Bluetooth technology is better on the new model (Bluetooth 4.0 technology) in comparison with Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR.

Battery life

Has the battery life been reduced on the new iPad model now that the screen and the processor are much more power-hungry? The battery life is still claimed to be up to 10 hours when web browsing over WiFi, video playback or listening to music. However, if you surf over the mobile data nework there is no difference between the two models with both having a battery life of up to nine hours.

Price

The iPad 3 costs about $118 more than the iPad 2, with a price tag starting at $499. If you purchase the iPad 3 you can also choose more storage space. Besides 16 GB which is available on both models you can choose 32 GB and 64 GB on the iPad3. But you must expect to pay another couple of hundred U.S dollars.

Summary of iPad 3 (new iPad) vs. iPad 2

  iPad 3 (New iPad) iPad 2
Screen High-resolution Retina display. 2048 x 1536 pixel resolution with 264 pixels per inch (ppi) 1024 x 768 pixel resolution with 132 pixels per inch (ppi)
Processor A5 X A 5
Camera iSight-camera: 5 megapixels with autofocus, press for focus, face recognition in still shots, video recording in HD (1080p) up to 30 frames per second with audio, video stabilisation Rear-facing camera: Video recording, HD (720p), up to 30 frames per second with audio, still images with 5 x digital zoom
  FaceTime camera for images of VGA quality and video with up to 30 frames per second Front-facing camera: Video recording, VGA, up to 30 frames per second with audio, still images of VGA quality
  Geotagging of photos and video Geotagging of photos and video over Wi-Fi
  Press to check the exposure for both video and still images
Dimensions and weight Wi-Fi model Wi-Fi model
  Height: 241.2 mm Height: 241.2 mm
  Width: 185.7 mm Width: 185.7 mm
  Depth: 9.4 mm Depth: 8.8 mm
  Weight: 652 g Weight: 601 g
 
  Wi-Fi + 4G model Wi-Fi + 3G model
  Height: 241.2 mm Height: 241.2 mm
  Width: 185.7 mm Width 185.7 mm
  Depth: 9.4 mm Depth: 8.8 mm
  Weight: 662 g Weight: 613 g
Colour Black and white Black and white
Wireless Wi-Fi model Wi-Fi model
  Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n) Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n)
  Bluetooth 4.0 technology Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR technology
  Wi-Fi + 4G model Wi-Fi + 3G model
  4G LTE (700, 2100 MHz),2 UMTS/ HSPA/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz), GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz) UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz), GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
Battery life Up to 10 hours’ battery life on web browsing over Wi-Fi, video playback or listening to music Up to 10 hours’ battery life on web browsing over Wi-Fi, video playback or listening to music
  Up to 9 hours’ battery life when web browsing using mobile data network Up to 9 hours’ battery life when web browsing using mobile data network
  Charging via AC power adapter or USB connection to computer Charging via AC power adapter or USB connection to computer
Price Wi-Fi model Wi-Fi model
  $499.00 16 GB $399.00 16 GB
  $599.00 32 GB Wi-Fi + 3G model
  $699.00 64 GB $529.00 16 GB
  Wi-Fi + 4G model
  $629.00 16 GB
  $729.00 32 GB
  $829.00 64 GB

Source: http://store.apple.com

Conclusion

First-time buyers

If you are a first-time buyer of an iPad and able to fork out a further thousand kronor then I believe it may be worth buying the latest iPad, that is the iPad 3. You will acquire a much enhanced screen experience and sharper colours as well as a somewhat faster response when you handle your iPad. In addition, it will probably have a longer second-hand market life.

If you are keen to have a model where you can surf over the mobile network it may appear, at first sight, to be worth choosing the iPad 3 since you then acquire access to the 4G network. But what is important to bear in mind here is that not all countries yet have an extensive 4G network; what is more the subscription costs much more than a 3G subscription. Nor does the Ipad 3 have 4G support in all markets.

Should you decide to purchase an iPad3 and wish to pay another couple of thousand kronor you will acquire larger storage space. Besides 16 GB, there is also the option of acquiring 32 GB and 64 GB.

However, if your budget is streteched when you buy an iPad and feel that every krona is important then by choosing the iPad 2 you will in no way be disappointed. It is important to emphasise that the iPad 2 is no slouch by any means. Indeed, the iPad 2 saw the introduction of numerous much-needed improvements compared with the original iPad – two cameras, an improved design (it no longer wobbles when placed on a table) and a much faster processor.

iPad 2 owners

If you are already the owner of an iPad 2, I advise you to enjoy what you have and wait for the next generation. I don’t think it’s worth the extra money to get the new model just to acquire a better screen and a faster response when surfing. Moreover, both these models look very similar and have the same battery life.

However, if you need more storage space, are a technology freak or into graphic intensive gaming and have no shortage of money then why not buy the latest model. J

Please state if this article helped you to make your choice or if you have any comments.

How-to-do-it guides for your iPad

Introduction to The New Ipad 3 – Look – Speed – Screen – Price

Posted: March 10, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Hardware, News | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

The other day Apple released the new Ipad to the world. As always when Apple does this the expectations was huge. It can´t be easy to be Apple this days with a brand with extreme expectations and demanding fans. However there is a reason for it. Smart people building a huge brand and great products, products that are at least in my opinion not so innovative that Apple claims themselves but the fact remains, they are just a little bit better than their competitors. Being better gives a lot of possibilities like high pricing and advantages like massive volumes, which of course is a strong combination in all businesses. People simply accept paying extra for having the best product out there in a particular segment, whether it´s a smartphone, computer or tablet.

So back to the latest new product launch of New Ipad 3 taking place Wednesday 7 March. I will give you some short headlines of the most important news that you should know about. Within short ThessanW is publishing a longer article “IPad 3 (New iPad) vs iPad 2 – Do I need to buy the latest model?” and my guess is it will go deeper in to the technical issues and compare Ipad 2 vs The New Ipad 3. I´m sure It will be worth reading. Don´t miss it.

Look – The New Ipad 3

The look of the New Ipad 3 is very similar to the Ipad 2. It´s a little bit thinner but on the other hand a little bit heavier. To be honest. I´m not sure there is so much more to improve about the look, at least not thickness and screen. If it gets thinner It will break and the screen is pretty much covering the entire width and height of the Ipad already.

But the look of the new Ipad 3 is definitely an improvement, however a small one. But since the Ipad 2 was the best looking tablet on the market before this is now the best looking tablet on the market.

The New Ipad 3 size and weight:

  • Height: 9.50 inches (241.2 mm)
  • Width: 7.31 inches (185.7 mm)
  • Depth: 0.37 inch (9.4 mm)
  • Weight: 1.44 pounds (652 g)

Connections and speed - Wi-Fi and 4G – The New Ipad 3

The new Ipad 3 is equipped with ultra fast 4G LTE = Hyperfast connection to the Internet.

The earlier Ipad has been delivered with different connection options, wi-fi and wi-fi + 3G. First came the wi-fi Ipad were you had to be at your office, home or some other wi-fi spot to connect to the Internet. Depending on how you use your Ipad this will be various important but in my opinion tablets without a constant access to the Internet is a joke in 2012. At least when it comes to personal use.

With 4G we will come to a point where we stop thinking of the speed of our Internet connection. Remember just a few years ago  every one talking about what bandwith you had at the office or at home. Does days are over, right? we are so used to high speed connections so it´s not an issue anymore. We can download and stream unlimited GB without any problem. With 4G growing we will see the same phenomena with our handheld connections in tablets and phones. So that the New Ipad 3 has 4G is a necessity. I will definitaly not invest any money in a budget Ipad without 4G. At start the 4G options will be limited to AT&T and Verizon.

My guess is that wathing TV and movies with tablets over the Internet will explode with 4G LTE. Samsung is one step ahead launching Samsung S2 with 4G and their tablet Samsung Tab with 4G before Apple and the other competitors. But as Apple proven before it´s not all about being first. It´s more important to be better.

The chip in The New Ipad is new and called A5X. Apple A5X has dual-core with quad-core graphics. Can´t say much about the actual experienced speed yet.

Screen – The New Ipad 3 with Retina screen

The screen is definitely one strong factor for The New Ipad 3 with a new Retina screen with 4 times more pixels than Ipad 2. In short that means better details and feel for graphic. That rimes well with my guess that we will use tablets more and more for watching movies or TV. Then the screen will be of huge importance. The resolution is amazing 2048 x1536. Remember that HD TV for example is 1920 x 1080. The screen is exactly 9,7 inch and Apple managed to deliver 3.1 million pixels in this limited space. That just has to look great.

Price – The New Ipad 3

Pricing starts at $499 with the Ipad with Wi-Fi and 16GB memory.  32GB-version is $599 and 64GB is $699. With Wi-Fi + 4G and 16GB $629, 32GB $729 and 64$ 829$. In my opinion there are only two interesting bundling to choose from and that is the $729 and the $829 versions. With all new free cloud services for storage of video and pictures (for example Dropbox – read our article “Five reasons to us Dropbox“) i think the $729 is a smart buy.

Conclusions – The New Ipad 3

The New Ipad will stay around and the version with 4G LTE technology feels future-proof. I don´t think we will understand the power of the new Ipad 3 until we have better availability to 4G. So depending on where you live and what timeframe you have in mind the new Ipad 3 is a great buy, and particularly the 4G – 32GB version. And remember that without 4G there will be limited possibility to get well paid for it, when it’s time to replace it with a new gadget.

So what about that strange name “The New Ipad” ? My guess is that the reason for Apple not naming it Ipad 3 is simply because the single biggest improvement (from a user perspective) is 4G, and it would be confusing mixing number 3 with 4 :) So The “New Ipad” isn´t that bad after all.

Thank you for reading this post. Please comment below! What´s your opinion on the features and looks of The New Ipad 3? Don´t forget to check out our free Ipad guides with smart tips and tricks at http://www.comaroundfree.com/?query=ipad

Related links:
Free guides and tips http://www.comaroundfree.com/?query=ipad
Apple Store – Buy The New Ipad 3 http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/shop_ipad/family/ipad
Apple The New Ipad 3 release video http://youtu.be/AEngFNb5CRU
Five reason to use Dropbox http://comaround.wordpress.com/?s=dropbox

The next iPad

Posted: January 31, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Company stuff, Hardware, News | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

Nobody knows yet what Apple’s next tablet will be called, what it’ll include or what it’ll look like. What we do know, however, is that it’s expected to be released some time in February or March this year, so hopefully Apple will be publishing specs in the near future.

In other words, this article is based on rumour and forecasts on what people are saying about the next Apple table.

Inside

So, what might you expect to find inside the shell of the next iPad?

I think it’s very likely that Apple will be inserting a new processor. If the rumour claiming that Siri will be included in the next iPad turns out to be true, this will be a must; just like they were forced to upgrade the iPhone 4s with a more powerful processor to get Siri to work.
Rumour also has it that it’ll include a quad-core processor. This has led to speculation on whether Apple will go for OS X Lion as the operating system rather than iOS 5. With a new processor inside, we can also expect to see a better battery compared with the predecessors.

It should go without saying that the new iPad ought to include better cameras on the front and rear. But just how good these cameras will be, we don’t know as yet. Hopefully we’ll be seeing an 8-megapixel camera with 1080p for video, but unfortunately a 6-megapixel camera with 720p seems to be more a realistic option as things stand at present.

Outside

So, what might you expect to find outside the mass of technology inside the next iPad?

After much toing and froing, it finally seems that the iPad 3 will have a Retina display just like the iPhone 4s. So, with space for a new battery, a new display and – we hope – more new goodies than the rumours on the Internet have mentioned, we can probably expect the new iPad to be slightly thicker than the older one.

We can also expect it to be available in both black and white.

More rumours

Rumours claim that the next iPad will have an HDMI port. I’ve also read forecasts claiming that it could come with a Thunderbolt port, but I’ve not found any particularly strong sources to suggest that these rumours might be true. I just thought it might be worth mentioning.

Don´t  forget to check out our guides for iPad

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