New iPad 3 review
Key Features: 9.7in, 2,048 x 1,536 Retina Display;
Apple A5X dual-core CPU;
16-64GB storage;
30-pin dock connector;
Bluetooth 4 and Optional 4G
Manufacturer: Apple
New iPad 3 Reviews - Design and Build
The Apple iPad line is the best-selling tablet range of all time and when it came out the iPad 2 set some pretty high expectations for the tablet market, so to say that most people were excited about the potential of the iPad 3 – officially called the “new iPad”, which is ridiculously confusing - is a bit of an understatement.Looking for the best iPad alternatives? Have a read of our Best Tablets Guide.
But does it live up to the hype? In most ways, the answer is a resounding yes. The new iPad, or iPad 3, sports the highest-resolution screen ever seen in a mobile consumer device; internals with more graphics power than most handheld consoles barring the PlayStation Vita; seriously improved cameras; and it’s all still stuck into a relatively light and slim aluminium shell. Yet despite this the new iPad maintains the same 10-hour battery life and will cost you no more than its predecessor did.
However, if you weren’t a fan before, there might not be enough to this latest model to change your mind. There are even one or two minor downsides compared to the iPad 2, and it’s fair to say that in many ways the Android competition has caught up.
Pricing:
New iPad Wi-Fi: 16GB - £399, 32GB - £479, 64GB - £559
New iPad Wi-Fi 4G: 16GB - £499, 32GB - £579, 64GB - £659
Design and Weight
From a design standpoint, Apple hasn’t fixed what wasn’t broken. If you didn’t have them side by side, the iPad 3 could easily be mistaken for its predecessor’s twin. It’s virtually identical in every regard, save that at 9.4mm it’s nearly a whole millimetre thicker and also weighs a little more at 652g for the Wi-Fi version or 662 with 4G.
That’s quite considerable, and it’s a bit of a shame that the iPad 3 has gotten heavier where tablets with slightly larger screens and better connectivity, like the 568g Asus EeePad Transformer Prime or 558g Toshiba AT200 (review coming soon), have managed to keep their weight below that of the iPad 2.
Of course there’s good reason for this extra weight. The new Retina Display requires beefier specs to push pixels onto it, which in turn meant that Apple had to up the battery capacity to maintain the new iPad’s nine-hour plus figure. However, the difference in the hand is telling, and while the AT200 feels like you could hold it in a single hand without strain for extended periods, the iPad 3 is definitely a tablet that’s more comfortably held with both. The extra thickness also means your existing accessories might not fit, though most should be fine. We’ll be sure to let you know in a little more detail soon, once we’ve tried a few.
So dimensions are very similar, and the new iPad’s look hasn’t changed much either. It’s still an attractive slab of immaculately finished aluminium with a glass front, and it’s still available with black or white bezels. As is usually the case with Apple products, build is superb, with no signs of flex, creak, or poorly fitted seams. The smooth aluminium back still feels great, though it is perhaps a little less grippy than we might like. Of course, the same complaint can be leveled at many competing tablets.
