I know this topic is going to be pretty 'meh' for most of you, but I'm posting this just for some who are curious. I got my hands on the new iPad (I'll just call it iPad 3 throughout my post) today. Mods please move/lock/delete this post if needed.
- Starting off, the graphics are gorgeous. I didn't really expect the iPad 3 graphics to be special, but it shocked me. A lot. It was stunning and possibly the best display on a tablet. Still it could be best for you to go see it for yourself. For me, once I saw it - I never want to look at my iPad 2 again. Even my iPhone 4 screen looks inferior compared to the 9.7" Retina Display.
- I did some iBooks stuff and web browsing and I must say the speeds are slightly faster compared to the iPad 2. Graphics (images/videos) wise - its all very fluid. It's far juicier than the iPad 2.
- The camera is still... meh. However I must admit its a far tremendous improvement from the iPad 2. It's just decent, not fantastic. If a flash were added it could change the experience further.
- The keyboard hasn't changed much, but there is dictation, which worked horribly at the store. I won't say much as the store was very noisy with Lady Gaga music playing in the background. Nope, Siri isn't on iPad 3. However I see no reason why Apple won't include it in later iOS updates on the iPad 3.
- I have yet to try its ultrafast 4G, as M1's 4G LTE spectrum runs on 1.8 GHz and 2.6 GHz. So far all my experiences are on Wi-Fi and it's pretty good - no disappointments.
- From far, it's literally impossible to tell between the iPad 2 and iPad 3 (unless you turn on the screen duh). They look near identical from the front. The iPad 3 has a slightly bigger camera and the weight difference is noticeable. It's 1.46 pound weight really felt like a brick on the hand. If you are a long iPad 2 user, you could take some time getting used to the weight difference.
At $838 (in Singapore) for the 4G version iPad 3 (16GB), it's pretty much worth for the first buyer. It is slightly cheaper than the iPad 2 at launch and has all the basic fundamental stuff.
Will I upgrade? Yes. I will sell my 2 and get the 32GB Wi-Fi + 4G, and possibly squeeze in a review after a few weeks of use. So far the iPad 3 hasn't proved to be much of a disappointment, and the screen is simply beautiful. It really sold me.
That's about it I guess.