If you own an iPad 2 should you upgrade to the new iPad 3? The answer is no unless you have more money than sense, but there is a case for upgrading from the first model to Apple’s latest offering.
If you own an iPad 2 should you upgrade to the new iPad 3? The answer is no unless you have more money than sense, but there is a case for upgrading from the first model to Apple’s latest offering.
The first thing you notice about the model is that Apple has eliminated number though they are claiming that that the Australian version is 4G which is a bit of a furphy as it will not run on the new Telstra 4G network due to spectrum problems.
The decision by Apple to not deliver a customised version for the Australian market speaks volumes about the attitude that Apple has towards the local market.
In recent weeks Companies like HTC with their Velocity smartphone and in particular Samsung with their new 4G Note Smartphone and their 4G 8.9″ Galaxy tablet have gone out of their way to deliver local Australian market devices that work on the Telstra network.
The first thing you do notice is that the new Apple iPad has a significantly sharper Retina Display screen though it is thicker than the iPad 2.
It is also faster due to the use of an A5X CPU.
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When compared to the 4G Samsung 8.9″ Galaxy Tab which delivers blistering speeds when running 4G Vs the top end 3G capability of the iPad 3 the Samsung device is well out in front, and there is not much difference in the screen quality.
Despite the faster process and the improved screen the new iPad does warrant an upgrade or the expenditure of over $500?
The device is identical to the iPad 2 but it is 0.6mm thicker and when stripped down to Wi Fi weight it comes in at 662g which is heavier than the new Toshiba 10.1″ A200 tablet.
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It’s also 100g heavier than the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 which will be running Android 4.0 and delivering 4G speeds shortly.
The most impressive part of the new iPad is the new display though I am not certain what impact on battery life the new screen will have as we have not been able to test battery life. This display delivers 264 pixels into every inch, twice as many as on iPad 2. Overall, the resolution is 2048 x 1536, versus 1024 x 768 for the iPad 2.
On my calculations the new iPad weighs around about 9% more and is about 7% thicker than the prior model which is not much when you pick it up, owners of the first iPad will notice a big difference.
The Wi Fi version which is selling in Australia for $498 comes with entry level storage of 16 gigabytes. The new iPad can be bought in 16, 32 or 64 GB.
The new iPad has a home button on the front and a rocker switch on the right edge to either mute the sound or lock the orientation.
What apple has not done is move to a micro USB charging structure despite saying that they would to the European Economic Commission.
The Apple 30-pin connector remains the only physical socket on the device along with a headphone jack.
A big improvement is the use of a 5megapixel camera with the device featuring both a front and rear cameras. The front camera, meant mainly for video chats, hasn’t changed. But the rear camera now has a 5-megapixel capability Vs what appear to be 1 megapixel quality with the first model.
The new device is nice but not worth $$498 if you already own an iPad 2.
The three major carriers have all announced monthly-payment plans for the new iPad. Telstra’s consumer prices begin at $48 a month for 24 months for a 16GB model with Wi-Fi and 3G access; that amount allows for 1GB of data per month.
Vodafone plans start at $47 a month – not only $1 cheaper, but offering 2GB of data, twice the Telstra dose.
Big W is offering a 7.5% discount which is the cheapest deal we have been able to identify.
Optus starts at $38 a month over 24 months – but that rate includes only 500 megabytes of data. A 1GB plan for the same model is $41 a month, while a 2GB plan starts at $45.
Cut-price operator Amaysim – which uses the Optus network – doesn’t sell the tablet itself, but does offer pre-paid mobile broadband plans for people who have acquired an iPad elsewhere. Its plans start at $9.90 a month for 1GB of data; 2.5GB costs $19.90/month; 4GB is $29.90; and 10GB costs $99.90/month. Or you can just pay for the data you use at 5c a megabyte (eg, $50 for a gigabyte).
Retail chains offering the new iPad include a number of Woolworth’s Big W outlets; Dick Smith Electronics (also part of Woolworths); Target (Coles/Wesfarmers); and JB HiFi. The Big W offers start at $498 for the basic 16GB Wi-Fi only model, for which Apple’s rrp is $539 – a 7.6 percent cut.
