I'm guessing this week I will have large leaps in performance next year. 28nm CortexA15+A7, PowerVR 6 series, and low power LTE chipsets should be a sight to behold.
My same thinking. If you own a tablet or smartphone already, I wouldn't recommend upgrading to a new one right now. Better wait for Cortex A15, 28nm, based products, which will be available in the next months (Qualcomm Krait, ...) The same with the iPad, if you own an iPad 1 or 2 it just doesn't make sense to get the new iPad. The Display might be impressive, but it doesn't give you a huge improvement. You still can't use it outdoors as an eReader, you still can't do more with it. The software remains the old one, the compatible apps hasn't changed.
I agree with jameshatt. I sold my iPad 1, threw in an extra $200 for the new iPad, and plan on doing the same next year for the new new iPad. Maybe then I'll wait a couple/few years before another upgrade.
Using it right now to type this and have to say miss my old ipad2. The weight difference is enough to be annoying, screen has odd brightness patches with some color gradient when held at angles. Plus the screen transitions are a little slow sometimes.
I have none of these problems and have gone back and forth between the two all day. Don't notice a weight difference and the resolution difference is HUGELY noticeable.
Maybe there's more than one reason Apple is just calling this "iPad" and not iPad 3. It seems like this current model is a stop-gap between iPad 2 and a properly shrunken A5X. I mean, that's a massive APU for a low power device. I could only imagine how much better it could be once properly reduced to 28nm. They could likely raise the clocks and still get better battery life. That, or just go back to the thinness and weight of iPad 2.
No matter. I just bought an Iconia A500 and love it. Sure, it's a little heavy, but it has a USB2.0 port on it. I plugged in a wireless keyboard+trackpad and it just started working! Now that's a tablet! :)
You can plug a USB keyboard into the iPad camera kit (on sale at any Apple store) if for some reason you hate the idea of using a bluetooth keyboard. I've no idea if a plugged in trackpad would work, though my guess is not.
I don't understand why people think that Apple had to increase the battery because of the second GPU. It's wrong! Apple had to increase the battery capacity because of the higher resolution display, which results in smaller pixels, which results in worse light transmittance, which requires a much brighter backlight, at least an additional LED row, together with brighter LEDs in general. So the display backlight consumes probably four times the power the old one did. And because the LED backlight is and ever will be the most power hungry peripheral in a smartphone/tablet, it's the thing which made Apple switch to such a huge battery.
The display is definitely a likely component, but so are the GPUs. They've added two more, and overall the GPUs will be used more often to drive four times the pixels. It all adds up.
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dagamer34 - Friday, March 16, 2012 - link
I'm guessing this week I will have large leaps in performance next year. 28nm CortexA15+A7, PowerVR 6 series, and low power LTE chipsets should be a sight to behold.Death666Angel - Friday, March 16, 2012 - link
Won't Krait with Adreno 3xx come this year?UpSpin - Saturday, March 17, 2012 - link
My same thinking.If you own a tablet or smartphone already, I wouldn't recommend upgrading to a new one right now. Better wait for Cortex A15, 28nm, based products, which will be available in the next months (Qualcomm Krait, ...)
The same with the iPad, if you own an iPad 1 or 2 it just doesn't make sense to get the new iPad. The Display might be impressive, but it doesn't give you a huge improvement. You still can't use it outdoors as an eReader, you still can't do more with it. The software remains the old one, the compatible apps hasn't changed.
jameskatt - Saturday, March 17, 2012 - link
Get the iPad 3.The Retina Screen makes every app better.
READING is a pleasure. Every letter is sharper than before.
Games will have much clearer resolution than before.
The iPad 3 is much more FUN than the iPad 2.
Then next year, sell your iPad 3 and buy the iPad 4.
No use in waiting a year when it comes to Apple products.
The best is always more fun now.
Arnulf - Sunday, March 18, 2012 - link
Spoken like a true believer. Brainwashed much ?douglaswilliams - Tuesday, March 20, 2012 - link
I agree with jameshatt. I sold my iPad 1, threw in an extra $200 for the new iPad, and plan on doing the same next year for the new new iPad. Maybe then I'll wait a couple/few years before another upgrade.I do wash my brain, but not every year.
Lord 666 - Friday, March 16, 2012 - link
Using it right now to type this and have to say miss my old ipad2. The weight difference is enough to be annoying, screen has odd brightness patches with some color gradient when held at angles. Plus the screen transitions are a little slow sometimes.Steelbom - Saturday, March 17, 2012 - link
It shouldn't. You could return it for a different model.steven75 - Sunday, March 18, 2012 - link
I have none of these problems and have gone back and forth between the two all day. Don't notice a weight difference and the resolution difference is HUGELY noticeable.tipoo - Sunday, March 18, 2012 - link
Apple tends to be very easy with returns/exchanges, why not go get one without that screen problem.And after that, work out your wrists :)
MonkeyPaw - Friday, March 16, 2012 - link
Maybe there's more than one reason Apple is just calling this "iPad" and not iPad 3. It seems like this current model is a stop-gap between iPad 2 and a properly shrunken A5X. I mean, that's a massive APU for a low power device. I could only imagine how much better it could be once properly reduced to 28nm. They could likely raise the clocks and still get better battery life. That, or just go back to the thinness and weight of iPad 2.No matter. I just bought an Iconia A500 and love it. Sure, it's a little heavy, but it has a USB2.0 port on it. I plugged in a wireless keyboard+trackpad and it just started working! Now that's a tablet! :)
name99 - Friday, March 16, 2012 - link
You can plug a USB keyboard into the iPad camera kit (on sale at any Apple store) if for some reason you hate the idea of using a bluetooth keyboard.I've no idea if a plugged in trackpad would work, though my guess is not.
UpSpin - Saturday, March 17, 2012 - link
I don't understand why people think that Apple had to increase the battery because of the second GPU. It's wrong!Apple had to increase the battery capacity because of the higher resolution display, which results in smaller pixels, which results in worse light transmittance, which requires a much brighter backlight, at least an additional LED row, together with brighter LEDs in general. So the display backlight consumes probably four times the power the old one did. And because the LED backlight is and ever will be the most power hungry peripheral in a smartphone/tablet, it's the thing which made Apple switch to such a huge battery.
Steelbom - Saturday, March 17, 2012 - link
The display is definitely a likely component, but so are the GPUs. They've added two more, and overall the GPUs will be used more often to drive four times the pixels. It all adds up.XBoxLPU - Monday, March 19, 2012 - link
They had to increase the battery because of the LTE chipdoobydoo - Tuesday, March 20, 2012 - link
They had to increase the battery life for the GPU's, the higher resolution screen, AND the LTE chip.macs - Saturday, March 17, 2012 - link
Probably this is too big for the next iPhone. I still hope for an A6 - Cortex A15 this fall...The Ugly Truth - Saturday, March 17, 2012 - link
http://www.change.org/petitions/anandtech-forum-en...Freedom of expression and freedom to have an online life outside of AT forums reach is all we ask.