iPad 3, upgrade from iPad 2?
Admit it, it’s been on your mind since the new iPad was announced last March 7. Well, there have been a lot of speculation around the iPad 3 and now that we do know a few things about it, you can at least make a preliminary tablet PC comparison between your iPad 2 and the upcoming Apple tablet.
What do we know about the iPad 3?
At the device’s announcement, some people got to try it out and check out its features. According to iPad news, the tablet PC has a Retina display, a 5 megapixel rear camera, and a dual core A5X processor. Let’s check each of them out.
The new processor is basically the same one as the iPad 2’s A5 (dual core that can churn out 800 MHz to 1 GHz), though the A5X is packaged with a quad-core graphics chip as well. This new chip gives the iPad 3 enough juice to output great graphics.
The Retina display has a resolution of 2048 x 1536 pixels (a standard HDTV has 1920 x 1080), approximately 4 times as the resolution of the iPad 2. According to iPad review sites, the new display outputs crisper images, text, and videos. The iPad 3 handles high definition movies and video games quite well, so you’d probably be impressed if you watch often media or play games on your current slate.
Shutterbugs should also find the new camera impressive: it has been upgraded from the 0.7 megapixel camera of the iPad 2 to a 5 megapixel camera capable of recording video in 1080p. Other improvements include LTE (long-term evolution) technology, Wi-Fi sharing capability, and a better battery. The addition of LTE allows users to download at speeds of up to 42 Mbps, while Wi-Fi sharing allows users to turn their iPad 3 into a Wi-Fi hotspot. The iPad 3 also features a dictation function that lets users dictate their emails and documents.
So should you start looking for trade-in options?
Whether or not you should upgrade depends on your preferences. Do you like watching HD movies, playing video games, and recording video on your tablet PC? If so, then you may want to get the new iPad as soon as it hits the shelves. If you aren’t quite impressed with the new features though, then you’re probably better off sticking to your iPad 2 in the meantime.
The iPad 3 comes in 2 flavours, Wi-Fi only and Wi-Fi + LTE, and is slated for release in North America in March 16.