The reviews are in for Apple’s (AAPL) newest iPad, and generally, they contend that the machine is a desirable upgrade, and perhaps keeps Apple ahead of other tablet makers.
The bottom line:
David Pogue, New York Times: “For the same price as before, you can now get an updated iPad that�s still better-looking, better integrated and more consistently designed than any of its rivals. And if you already have the iPad 2, here�s an even brighter side: At least this time around, you don�t have to feel quite as obsolete as usual.”
Walt Mossberg, The Wall Street Journal: “Since it launched in 2010, the iPad has been the best tablet on the planet. With the new, third-generation model, it still holds that crown.”
Edward Baig, USA Today: “If you’re a tablet newbie, there’s no better choice on the market than an iPad, provided � and this is a pretty big if � price isn’t an issue and you don’t want a tablet that would fit in your pocket, such as the $199 Amazon Kindle Fire.”
Joshua Topolsky, The Verge: For owners of the iPad 2, this isn’t necessarily a slam dunk [...] However, if you’re in the market for your first tablet, or upgrading from the original iPad or an Android device, do not hesitate. The new iPad is the most functional, usable, and beautiful tablet that any company has ever produced.”
The details:
Pogue: Pogue starts off by teasing Apple about not giving the new model a version number. He thinks it should be called the “iPad 2S” because it’s “not exactly new” but has been “tastefully enhanced.” Apps re-written for the sharper “Retina Display” of the device are “just incredibly sharp and clear” while unretouched apps don’t see as much benefit. Pogue notes that everyone will lose some of their flash storage space, including iPhone owners, because apps tweaked for the Retina Display are universal binaries that will consume two to three times as much space on every iOS-device. The Verizon LTE service Pogue tested was “really, really nice,” with download speeds of up to 29 megabits per second. Pogue got 9 hours on all-day testing of LTE. You feel the difference in thickness, though, if you’re used to the old model, he contends.
Mossberg: Calls the “key upgrades” of Retina Display and LTE “massive” changes to the device. The Retina Display is like “getting new eyeglasses,” and is the “most spectacular display” he’s seen on a mobile device.” Mossberg found the claim to consistent battery life was met. Mossberg thinks the extra weight and bulk is worth it, as those key features keep the product at the top of the tablet game. Mossberg fond LTE “felt like I was always on WiFi.” Owners of the iPad 2 needn’t feel like they need to get this, but if you do a lot of e-reading, this “new model could make a big difference.”
Baig: The lack of Siri, and the general lack of new, new features is “no big deal,” Baig contends. The new unit “snatches the crown” from the old as the best you can buy in the tablet market. The display is “spectacular” (are they reading from a script?) and “a screen to die for.” It’s like getting “Lasik” surgery, he contends. Baig found LTE to be “really zippy” in the San Francisco and Austin, Texas areas. Web pages loaded “much faster.” Still images, and video, captured with the enhanced camera were “generally pleasing,” helped by the “stabilization” feature. He found the voice-dictation to be “decent enough.” He found the unit got through “an entire day of being worked hard with no battery problem.”
Topolsky: The unit is a “slight bit thicker [...] and, yes, it’s somewhat heavier, but that’s about it.” You’ll notice the weight, he says, but “only the most particular (and whiny) critics will have an issue.” Topolsky finds the industrial design “classic,” as always, but gripes about things that shouldn’t have been done to begin with, like the placement of the headphone jack on the upper left corner. The Retina Display “makes all other displays look pedestrian by comparison.” It’s “outrageous,” “stunning,” “incredible,” “otherworldly,” he says. Even up close, he notes it’s hard to see the pixels. The new “A5X” processor seems “every bit as powerful as it should be.” LTE service “screams,” similar to Verizon 4G phones. He got downloads of more than 22 megabits per second. Battery life lived up to Apple’s claims. Pictures with the new camera were “pretty favorable.” HD videos were “crisp and stutter-free.”
Apple shares are up $6.49, or 1%, at $596.07 and briefly hit $600.
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