iPad 3 (New iPad): Hands-on first impressions

[Ken Price]

Further observations:

Speaker: The speaker on the new iPad seems better than the one on the iPad 2. They're both tinny, mind you, but the speaker on the iPad 3 is serviceable. I wonder whether Apple upgraded that component. I never hear it mentioned in the press.

Stability: Contrary to popular opinion, Apple's products do not always "just work." My iPad 2 suffered from all too frequent crashing of apps, especially the Safari web browser, which is pretty pathetic in some ways. I have not noticed the same degree of instability with the iPad 3. Whether this is down to the iOS update (5.1) or some more magical mix of hardware I do not know.

Smoothness: The new iPad is not only zippier, thanks to the faster processor and graphics chip, but it's also smoother in operation. Sometimes the iPad 2 would "jerk" when closing an app group or moving from one app to another. The new iPad is smoother.

[Graybeard]

Dang! I just ordered an iPad3. I'm the happy owner of an iPad2. I wish I had read your evaluation before. Anyone want an unused iPad3?

[Ken Price]

Originally Posted by Graybeard

Dang! I just ordered an iPad3. I'm the happy owner of an iPad2. I wish I had read your evaluation before. Anyone want an unused iPad3?

You don't have to go that route. If you live in the U.S., Apple makes it easy to return the unit for a full refund. But wait. Use it. See if you agree with me and post your findings. I'm not saying the unit is bad at all. It's just that most reviews don't mention the stuff that I noticed. I'm keeping mine. Do I wish it were more like the iPad 2 in the ways that I find it deficient? Yes. But for me the added resolution of the screen along with the extra pep of the processors are just enough to make me want to hang on to it. The extra weight and bulk--and the heat--are the things that are bugging me the most about it, actually.

[Graybeard]

I agree Ken. You've got to evaluate things yourself. There's too much room for individual differences to totally rely on someone else's opinion on something like this.

[Ken Price]

Originally Posted by Graybeard

I agree Ken. You've got to evaluate things yourself. There's too much room for individual differences to totally rely on someone else's opinion on something like this.

More people are getting their "new iPads" now, and I see that I was spot on regarding the heat issue and the faster battery drain (over the iPad 2). The heat issue is particularly worrisome if you use the new iPad at a screen brightness of over 50 percent. I'm surprised that Apple, which is usually so concerned about usability, would release a product with this issue. The unit can get too hot to hold comfortably, and even warm, it's not so comfortable.

[brentj]

Originally Posted by Ken Price

The iPad 3's screen

• Yes, the screen of the iPad 3 has higher resolution. It's sharper. But it doesn't seem that much better than the iPad 2.

I'm comparing to an iPad 1 (which has the same screen as an iPad 2). The difference in resolution is noticable. I'm surprised, that on a photography forum, you would focus on text. The pictures are what really look nice. Side by side the pictures on an iPad 1 look almost blurry.

Originally Posted by Ken Price

The other things I've noticed about the iPad 3 screen are that, compared to my iPad 2 unit, it's calibrated to be a bit yellower than the iPad 2. The iPad 2 tends toward a bluer calibration.

I notice the difference in color calbraition with the V1 vs the V3 and I prefer that color calibration on the iPad 3. I have not noticed any issues with screen uniformity.

Originally Posted by Ken Price

• Size and weight
  
  It's been widely noted in the press that the iPad 3 is slightly heavier and slightly thicker than the iPad 2. The press almost always says that this difference is really not noticeable or that it's an acceptable tradeoff for a much improved screen. I'm here to tell you that the weight and thickness are noticeable. I prefer holding the iPad 2 and carrying it. Whether these differences are worth the benefit of the added resolution of the screen on the iPad 3 I will leave up to others to judge.

I don't notice an ounce or two when I'm carrying it around.

Originally Posted by Ken Price

• Heat
  
  The iPad 3 runs hotter than the iPad 2. It's therefore less comfortable balancing on my knee as I read the morning news.

This to me is a little absurd. The iPad3 will not head up because you are reading the morning news. That is not CPU intensive enough to make a bit if difference. I've watched 2 hour movies without any noticable heat buildup. And the buildup being reported in the news is never signifcant enough to make holding the iPad uncomfortable. I've stress tested mine and I can't even get it very warm, much less hot.

Originally Posted by Ken Price

Dictation / voice recognition

• 
  There's a new dictation feature in the iPad 3. It works in any app where the onscreen keyboard can appear. You press a button and speak. Unfortunately, you don't see what the gadget has understood-or whether it has understood you-until you finish speaking or leave dictation mode. Often it makes mistakes, and correcting those ends up taking more of your time than if you had just typed what you wanted to say to begin with. Verdict: pretty useless.
  

I've used this a number of times, and I've learned as long as I speak slow, it is actually pretty accurate. I dictate one sentence at a time, and it is faster than typing on the iPad screen.

Originally Posted by Ken Price

• Camera
  
  There's a higher megapixel camera on the iPad 3. So what?
  

They say the best camera you have is the one you have with you. I don't take pictures with my iPad very often, but when I do, I'm glad it's been improved.

Originally Posted by Ken Price

Speed

• 
  The extra speed afforded by the upgraded processor and graphics in the iPad 3 is slight but noticeable. This is surprisingly one of the nicest things about the new model for me, as I like things to happen almost instantly. The bump in speed is indeed slight, though, so it's no reason alone for iPad 2 owners to upgrade.

Coming from an iPad 1, this has been one of the biggest differences for me. Several of my feed reader apps that previously almost unusable, are now a joy to use.

Originally Posted by Ken Price

• Should you upgrade from the iPad 2 to the iPad 3?
  
  I don't think so, especially if you're happy with the iPad 2. Save your money.

Should you upgrade from an iPad 1? Depends on how you use it, but I'm loving my decision to get the iPad 3. Much of the complaints above in the original post seem a bit overstated.

Also, I have better battery life with my iPad 3 compared to my iPad 1. Your mileage may vary.

[SMason]

Nice to know

[dalethorn]

For nearsighted people or those who have good reading glasses, the iPad3 is a revelation. The smallest characters on real (desktop) Web pages are now clear and unambiguous, unlike the often hard to resolve characters on the older iPads.

The overall color and contrast are now more natural and reveal details better. The downside of this new screen is I can clearly see defects that didn't seem very apparent with the older iPads.

The iPad3 gets very hot if not held in hand away from the body. And I don't see a way to connect any of my USB laptop mats with built-in fans.

Edit: The iPad3 gets very hot under all conditions unless held free away from your body, or braced on a desk so that the entire bottom of the iPad3 is well clear of the desk.

[meinster]

I just got my new IPad 3. I do not notice any heat difference from the iPad 1. Benn using it straight for 3 hrs and it is not hotter than original iPad. As for battery, it is the same, of course if you have Bluetooth and are downloading videos/music of course battery is going to drain faster. It all depends on the usage you give it. My original iPad would drain faster if I was looking at YouTube videos.

[dalethorn]

My experience with the iPad3 is exactly the same as thousands of other users and has been reported extensively, particularly on the independent and credible news service Silicon Valley news.

With iPad3 on charge but turned off, no problem.
With iPad3 on but not charging and held away from anything that would contact the bottom plate, no problem.
All other conditions, it (and millions of others too) gets very, very hot.

It's not unusual, it's not a defect - it's part of the design, and (note) it's acknowledged by Apple.