By Ichkrub, founder/editor-in-chief of Bangkok tech site Nerds Without Borders
The new iPad is scheduled to launch on April 27 2012 here in Thailand. Now the three major telecommunication networks – AIS, Dtac, and TrueMove – have already opened their registration for this latest tablet from Apple. So what’s good about the new iPad? Should you upgrade? Let’s find out.
The hardware
The new iPad looks almost identical to iPad 2 – it supposed to be less than a millimeter thicker due to the curve at the back of the iPad. But for me, there’s no difference. But the new iPad is definitely heavier.
The display
The most important update on the new iPad is the “retina display” with its 9.7-inch screen delivering a whopping 2048 x 1536 resolution. It is higher than any HDTV resolution. It is stunning, if you are an iPad 1 or iPad 2 owner and don’t really want to upgrade to the new iPad, please avoid looking at the screen. It is incredible or as Apple would say, it is “resolutionary,” like thatthat “wow” moment you had when you upgraded from iPhone 3GS to the retina display on iPhone 4. You will feel the same on the new iPad.
The new iPad display is a lot better than the display on iPad 2. You can see the big differences, especially when you are reading an ebook or any text when browsing on Safari.
The camera
Well, I must say, holding an iPad to take a photo will make you look ridiculous, but hey, people still do it. I’m sure you’ve seen many people using the iPad to take their photos. But all the iPad 2 owners should know that the camera on the iPad 2 sucks big time. It is very bad. Anyhow, the new iPad has improved the camera and it’s now shooting at 5 megapixels. It is actually pretty good, even in low light. If you snap a photo with your iPad, you will be happy with the result on the new iPad. Oh, and it records full HD 1080p video as well. Check out the photos taken from the new iPad below.
The speed
The new iPad is equipped with something Apple calls the A5X chip vs the A5 on the iPad 2. At the center of that chip is an ARM-based, dual core SoC clocked to 1GHz, along with a quad-core GPU. Apple has upgraded the RAM in the iPad from 512MB to a full 1GB, and you’ll find Bluetooth 4.0, as well as Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n on board. Sounds good right? But does it run that much faster than the iPad 2? See the new iPad speed test on the video below to get an idea of the speed when playing a graphic heavy game like Infinity Blade II
The new iPad supports 4G LTE network, I know, 4G in Thailand? We barely have a proper 3G. You will still be able to use 3G though. So don’t you worry.
The software
The new iPad is running iOS 5.1 which is now running on all of the iOS devices. So I’m sure everyone is familiar with that by now. Is there Siri on the new iPad like iPhone 4s? Well, almost. There is no Siri voice command assistant on the new iPad, however, there’s a Voice Dictation which lets you speak to create text. If you like speaking and have a good enough accent, this could be a useful tool for you.
Apple has also launched the iPhoto app, as well as shaping up the GarageBand app. With the new A5X chip, it makes these applications run on the new iPad as smooth as ever before.
So, should you buy the new iPad?
The new iPad has a stunning retina display, which will wow everyone who takes a look at it. But apart from that, it’s pretty much the same as the iPad 2. If you like taking photos, the camera is way better on the new iPad. The look is no different. Is the look outdated? Well, the iPad 2 still looks pretty good to me. Is the new A5X chip makes a big difference on the iPad speed? For me, not that much. And of course, you cannot use 4G LTE network (yet) in Thailand. So if you own an iPad 2 and love the new retina display, and like taking photo with your iPad. Then you might want to consider upgrading.
But if you are still holding on to your original iPad. Then yes, this is better than the first iPad in every way. You will enjoy the amazing crisp retina display, the speed, the camera, and everything else.
Only a few more days before the new iPad launch in Thailand on the 27th April 2012. Now the prices have been revealed from Dtac, which are likely to be the official prices, whether you buy from iStudio or other telecommunication networks like AIS and TrueMove.
The new iPad 4G + Wi-Fi 16GB : 20,500 baht
The new iPad 4G + Wi-Fi 32GB : 23,500 baht
The new iPad 4G + Wi-Fi 64GB : 26,500 baht
What do you think? Will you get the new iPad?
