The Complete iPad 3 Review: Retina Display, A5X, 4G LTE, And Camera

[RedJaron]

give me a 16:9 or 16:10 tablet capable running an independant 1080 or 1200 capable external display with a native miniHDMI connector for easy setup for presentations and video watching (does not need 3D support on external display). I also want removable storage for SD cards as an option, and a USB port or 2 if it is not too much to ask so I can hook up my video camera, or keyboard, or credit card swiper without dealing with a dock. Lastly, I want a minimum 128GB of internal storage on it for $300-400. I will take a slower processor, or lowered graphics for the sake of a minimum 128GB of storage. Lastly, I want full MS office to run on it, none of this web-based office365 junk, especially if I am going to be out and about and not wanting to waste my 4G plan just to run office.

Those specs for that price will not happen anytime soon. The storage alone will run you $200. Adding in the ports and everything just raises the price more. Not to say that's a bad desire, I'd like to see a product like that myself, but asking that price is a little ridiculous.

 

[KNO3]

Typically, you're looking at a tablet from less than a foot away

I think tom needs to find a ruler and take a good long look at it.

 

[iamtheking123]

I'm planning on buying a Gigabyte S1081. 10" Windows tablet that I can double as a carputer. Sue me...but I don't see a need for a second Android / iOS device beyond a smartphone.

 

[husker]

When competitor's tablets sacrificed weight and size to offer better technical specs over the past couple of years, they were considered inferior to the iPad for that very reason. Now that Apple has decided to make the iPad 3 thicker and heavier in order to offer better technical specs, it suddenly becomes a bold move that others will have to catch up to? It seems the playing field is not level in that the rules keep changing simply to match what apple is doing at the time.

 

[tipoo]

The 5 hour charge time is a pretty big putoff for me, and that's for slightly worse battery life than the 2. They really should have just included a larger capacity wall charger.

 

[dthx]

I think that no one ever argued about the quality of the iPad's hardware. The iPad 3 is no exception offering one of the best screens and battery life in the market. It's maybe thicker or heavyer than it's predecessor, but no one else does better at that performance level.
The problem is more that I'm so bored of seing IOS (and it's copycats) everywhere and I find it so limited when I use it compared to my Android smartphone that I'd never buy it and rather wait for a Win8 or good Android tablet (like a transformer with a better screen).

 

[lamorpa]

[citation][nom]Tomfreak[/nom]lol FAIL hard when I see keyboard are displayed on TV as well despite being docked and to make thigns worst one still need to carry the adapter around to plug HDMI......[/citation]
lol carry FAIL worst hard docked when I see are displayed and keyboard on plug as well to make thigns TV one need to the despite still being adapter around to HDMI bicycle......

 

[redeye]

the win8 tablets are "in name only" all of the app with have to be rewritten for the win8 tablet....
so the question is... why do it?... the market for Ipads is at lease 59 million...
so the effort required to make a great game needs the Ipad market share to justify the expense!
the mac computer does not have many games for for just this reason... there are more windows computers.

famous last words... there will never be a win8 x86 tablet that can game, because of the power requirements and the fact that laptops that do that exist. and keep getting better...
just slap a keyboard, cd screen, SLI/crossfire whatever, a power cord and away you go "p

 

[redeye]

[citation][nom]redeye[/nom]the win8 tablets are "in name only" all of the apps will have to be rewritten for the win8 tablet....so the question is... why do it?... the market for Ipads is at least 59 million...so the effort required to make a great game needs the Ipad market share to justify the expense! the mac computer does not have many games for for just this reason... there are more windows computers. famous last words... there will never be a win8 x86 tablet that can game, because of the power requirements and the fact that laptops that do that exist. and keep getting better... just slap a keyboard, lcd screen, SLI/crossfire whatever, a power cord and away you go "p[/citation]
i am quoting my own post so that i can post spelling corrections...

 

[hanskey]

Why would anyone buy this CR$&, when AMD will release Trinity based ultra-thins within the next couple of months?

For the same price as one of these nearly useless machines, anyone will be able get a full version of Windows 7 (64-bit) on an AMD powered ultra-thin notebook, and actually play modern PC games, at resolution superior to all existing console game systems and the fact that we can also use the built-in HDMI port to output said games to a TV is just icing on the cake (and with Eyefinity you can actually do multi-monitor output).


In addition, unlike the iPad3 owner, we'll be able to accurately and beautifully stream anything to a TV with that same built-in HDMI, we'll have 2-3 USB ports, and a HARD DRIVE, all at 17mm-22mm thickness and comparable weight to the iPad, with longer battery life (12 hrs, but ~6hrs at full load, from what I've read).


PLUS, a Trinity ultra-portable ... HAS A KEYBOARD, and Windows 7 64-bit still has more "apps" than any other platform, thanks to Windows backwards compatibility!



Don't be a sucker - don't buy into the iHype. Instead, wait a month or so and get a Trinity ultra-portable for the same price with loads more features and performance.

 

[user 18]

I'd like to see the Blackberry Playbook added to the benchmarks here.

I'm quite enjoying it because of its smaller size, similar storage capacities, and lower price. My family owns both the iPad 2 and the Playbook, and I immensely prefer the latter. The iPad feels almost fragile in my hand, like I'll break it just by holding it. The Playbook is not appreciably heavier, and is much easier to take with me on the go.

 

[Guest]

Can you please use smaller letters? I'm almost blind tryint to read this site.

 

[bobwya]

[citation][nom]hanskey[/nom]Why would anyone buy this CR$&, when AMD will release Trinity based ultra-thins within the next couple of months?
....
[/citation]

Two words for ya : "decent display"

 

[hanskey]

Two words for ya : "decent display"

Yeah. That's not good enough to justify paying laptop prices for a machine with far fewer features, that can't play modern PC games, like Mass Effect 3.

Besides, I counter with these two words:

"No Keyboard"

 

[scannall]

[citation][nom]hanskey[/nom]Don't be a sucker - don't buy into the iHype. Instead, wait a month or so and get a Trinity ultra-portable for the same price with loads more features and performance.[/citation]


I have a laptop. Tablets are not laptops, and vice versa. 2 different markets, with a little crossover. Would you also suggest I get a monster gaming rig instead of a laptop, since it can play games better? I have one of those as well.

I like iOS. I like the design and performance of the iPad. I have an Android phone, that I find underwhelming but it works well enough. And is $70 a month cheaper than an AT&T or Verizon iPhone plan.

So, this year I will pick up an iPad.

 

[hanskey]

I have a laptop. Tablets are not laptops, and vice versa. 2 different markets, with a little crossover. Would you also suggest I get a monster gaming rig instead of a laptop, since it can play games better? I have one of those as well.

I like iOS. I like the design and performance of the iPad. I have an Android phone, that I find underwhelming but it works well enough. And is $70 a month cheaper than an AT&T or Verizon iPhone plan.

So, this year I will pick up an iPad.

Historically you are correct about the Venn diagram of the tablet and utra-portable laptop markets.

However, I think that is mainly due to ultra-thin laptops historically being priced anywhere from 2 to 3 times what a tablet costs (Mac Air runs about $1200 for the base model and Intel based utra-portables are maybe $100 bucks cheaper). Ultra-thin manufacturers have historically not targeted the same market as tablets because Mac and Intel have historically insisted on keeping up exorbitant prices by forcing the manufacturers to use more expensive materials.

AMD is betting that it can change this, and has reportedly told Trinity based ultra-thin laptop manufacturers to use cheaper materials to open up ultra-thin market to the mainstream consumer for the first time in the history of the ultra-portable notebook market's existence. The forthcoming introduction of Trinity based ultra-portables, should produce prices as low as $400 (and probably less when the price war starts), and Intel promising i3 Ultra-thins as low as $600. I think there will actually be quite a bit of cross-over in these markets, because the price of ultra-portable notebooks will actually overlap the prices for tablets for the first time in history, and I'm not alone in this or AMD wouldn't have spent so much R&D to created chips specifically targeting that market. Shortly, we'll have a choice of getting a Windows system, with the ability to play modern games, a large hard drive and a built in keyboard, or getting a tablet ... for the same price! You may sacrifice some small amount of portability, but that sacrifice will be minimal or if there is any sacrifice, since ultra portables are only about 17mm - 22mm thick, and weigh about the same as a tablet, and often have better battery life.

This will be really great for people that want the portability of a tablet, but don't want to sacrifice the functionality of a laptop, since tablets are nowhere close to being laptop replacement devices. In addition, the new ultra-thins should present an interesting choice to anyone willing to spend ~ $650+ for Asus Transformer Prime TF201 and a docking station with a keyboard or about the same for an iPadX with a docking station, and HDMI perpherials. I can certainly see many people going for the ultra-thins which don't require any peripherals to do excellent HDMI output.

Certainly you should make up your own mind and get what fits your needs the best, but at least wait to see what AMD can offer you when they release the Trinity laptops, because you might be surprised at what you can get for the same money you'd spend on a tablet of roughly the same weight and size. Obviously the low-end tablet market (Kindle Fire) probably won't be impacted by this very much, but iPads (in particular the iPad3) are certainly not the low-end.

 

[scannall]

Historically you are correct about the Venn diagram of the tablet and utra-portable laptop markets.

Certainly you should make up your own mind and get what fits your needs the best, but at least wait to see what AMD can offer you when they release the Trinity laptops, because you might be surprised at what you can get for the same money you;d spend on a tablet of roughly the same weight and size. Obviously the low-end tablet market probably won't be impacted by this very much, but iPads (in particular the iPad3) are certainly not the low-end.

I am interested in seeing what Trinity brings to the market. And may very well replace my current laptop with one of those if it pans out. I am also interested in Trinity for an HTPC. I do have quite a few uses for a tablet that any laptop can't quite do well, so I will get an iPad as it most suits my needs in that area.

I'm not putting down Trinity, or laptops at all. I am looking forward to it, and will likely spend money there. Just saying for some of my uses a tablet is better suited, and there is nothing wrong with having both.

 

[hanskey]

I am interested in seeing what Trinity brings to the market. And may very well replace my current laptop with one of those if it pans out. I am also interested in Trinity for an HTPC. I do have quite a few uses for a tablet that any laptop can't quite do well, so I will get an iPad as it most suits my needs in that area.

I'm not putting down Trinity, or laptops at all. I am looking forward to it, and will likely spend money there. Just saying for some of my uses a tablet is better suited, and there is nothing wrong with having both.

I completely understand where you are coming from, but if you can wait to get that iPad until the incipient price-war has a chance to settle in, then I would. I ended up getting a Kindle Fire just recently, because it fit a usage hole (wife and I wanting to surf and watch TV at the same time, which didn't work so great with the one laptop) and the Fire was the only tablet I thought was even close to correct pricing for what you get.

Personally, I'm also really looking forward to the price war AMD is about to instigate, because I think we'll all be winners, regardless of what tech we get in the portable market, because prices should drop precipitously over the next several months. Trinity should force tablets and ultra-thins to finally be correctly priced for their functionality, both of which are (IMO) highly overpriced markets right now when you consider what you are actually getting.

Since you mention using a Trinity as an HTPC ... I've got an A8 Llano, and the new Trinity should have slightly better performance at less power, so let me assure you that it will make a great HTPC, because the Llano machine is great for that right now! There's nothing I love more than being able to play Mass Effect 3 on the TV, with a wireless keyboard and mouse, and then being able to switch the video input, pick the laptop off the table and keep playing when my wife wants the TV. I used to be reluctant to get games, because I rarely could play them, because all I had that could play games was my desktop and that meant that I could never game and hang out with my wife while she watches TV. Wife wins, ergo I never beat ME1 and still haven't played Dragon Age, but with my Llano that has all changed and Trinity can only improve on that experience.

It's an exciting time for consumers, if nothing else!

 

[scannall]

I completely understand where you are coming from, but if you can wait to get that iPad until the incipient price-war has a chance to settle in, then I would. I ended up getting a Kindle Fire just recently, because it fit a usage hole (wife and I wanting to surf and watch TV at the same time, which didn't work so great with the one laptop) and the Fire was the only tablet I thought was even close to correct pricing for what you get.

Personally, I'm also really looking forward to the price war AMD is about to instigate, because I think we'll all be winners, regardless of what tech we get in the portable market, because prices should drop precipitously over the next several months. Trinity should force tablets and ultra-thins to finally be correctly priced for their functionality, both of which are (IMO) highly overpriced markets right now when you consider what you are actually getting.

Since you mention using a Trinity as an HTPC ... I've got an A8 Llano, and the new Trinity should have slightly better performance at less power, so let me assure you that it will make a great HTPC, because the Llano machine is great for that right now! There's nothing I love more than being able to play Mass Effect 3 on the TV, with a wireless keyboard and mouse, and then being able to switch the video input, pick the laptop off the table and keep playing when my wife wants the TV. I used to be reluctant to get games, because I rarely could play them, because all I had that could play games was my desktop and that meant that I could never game and hang out with my wife while she watches TV. Wife wins, ergo I never beat ME1 and still haven't played Dragon Age, but with my Llano that has all changed and Trinity can only improve on that experience.

It's an exciting time for consumers, if nothing else!

I'm looking forward to new things myself. I just personally really can't stand Android. My own preference is iOS. Some folks like Android better, and good for them. It just isn't for me is all. I am looking at either the base iPad 2, or the newest one for 100 more. Being retired I really don't need a contract model.

 

[hanskey]

I'm looking forward to new things myself. I just personally really can't stand Android. My own preference is iOS. Some folks like Android better, and good for them. It just isn't for me is all. I am looking at either the base iPad 2, or the newest one for 100 more. Being retired I really don't need a contract model.

Yeah, iOS vs Android is a very personal preference and while I prefer Android, I certainly understand others preferring iOS. I find that Andriod is good enough, and I buy into it because I don't like how Apple limits choice, and also because Android is rooted in OSS movement. People crucify Microsoft for monopolistic shenanigans (myself included), but Apple is actually much worse about keeping high prices through limiting choice (see: iTunes). However, those considerations don't matter to many people, and I respect their choices and preferences.

It does appear that Apple is starting to get more aggressive about pricing the iPad2. I think I've seen them advertised for around $300 for the base model, and while I'm not able to convince myself to pay more than $200 for a tablet because of their limited functionality and storage, I understand that others will make different decisions because they have different needs and preferences.

If you need an iPad 2 now, it's not such a bad time to get one, but, as with all computing, if you can wait you'll get more machine for your dollars in a few months.

Happy hunting!

 

[halcyon]

The New iPad is okay. I prefer it over the previous generations and the competition. The crisper screen is a big deal for me but dang, I knew it took longer to charge but didn't realize it was taking THAT long.

 

[__-_-_-__]

[citation][nom]hardcore_gamer[/nom]I'm waiting for an x86- Windows 8 tablet.[/citation]
you already have tons of them around. and way cheaper then icrap.

 

[Guest]

**YAWN** So how does this bright new hi rez screen enhance user experience coming from iPad 2? I have the 2 & tried this newer ver, none the better so far.

What's with the reviews harping on sharper text? Nothing to do with better experience or WOW factor for 2's users

 

[halcyon]

[citation][nom]uberduper[/nom]**YAWN** So how does this bright new hi rez screen enhance user experience coming from iPad 2? I have the 2 & tried this newer ver, none the better so far.What's with the reviews harping on sharper text? Nothing to do with better experience or WOW factor for 2's users[/citation]
I was just thinking earlier today how much more I enjoy using the new iPad with its sharper screen. I guess it depends on the value you place in such. I'm a visual person and that which enhances visuals will often place well with me. I was looking at some photos today and noticing how much detail the new screen allows to be seen. I know, though, that to some such things are trivial and I think that's why some don't think the new iPad is a notable improvement.

 

[mikearnold01]

Why don't you just try out a new Playbook before you fork out all that money, over $500 for a 16G? Oh and you have to buy Apple's proprietary adapters to use any ports on the machine, huh..you can get a 64gig here in Canada for $300 bucks and has alot of that the new Ipad has last year!Like industry standard hdmi output..And what the hell is a .3 megapixel camera? Really?Isn't that technology from like 8 years ago? My Playbook has a 5 megapixel rear AND a 1080p front facing camera..as well as true multitasking and html5 support as well as Adobe flash/Air..which the Ipad still doesn't have as well as access to the whole Android market, which with the new OS2 free upgrade my Playbook does ..plus it fits in my pocket.Don't need a purse to carry it around. You should really update your review on the Playbook I see is still on your main page from a year ago?

..its not really fair. They're the top seller here and rated well higher in customer satisfaction at well known superstores carrying them, like FutureShop or

BestBuy.. do some research before you buy into the hype, you'll be glad you did.