- Conclusion Get the lowdown
- Features How they compare
- Performance Real world benchmarks
- Differences Technical showdown
- Reviews Word on the street
- Competition Others to consider
- Discussion Answers and opinions
Compare with...
- Google Nexus 10
- Google Nexus 7
- Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1
- Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1"
- Sony Xperia Tablet S
Rated 87% by by c|net (Mar, 2012)Whether it's a simple round of Scrabble or an intense romp through Grand Theft Auto 3, the iPad's combination of Retina Display and quad-core graphics processor add up to a dramatic improvement for gaming.
Conclusion Which is better for you?
Features Key features of the Apple iPad 3 compared to the Apple iPad 2
“9.7
iOS 6
Rated 80% by by TrustedReviews (Sep, 2012)This would be a great feature for designers and artists, or even those who like handwritten notes, and would complement the Retina Display very nicely.
9.7”
iOS 5
screen size
9.7"
9.7"
iPad 3 by Roaming-Seer--RoamingSeer (Jun, 2012)The big screen makes it fun to take pictures or videos as I recently did at the National Air and Space Museum.
iPad 2 by S.-JentschPeople loved the small size of netbooks, but the keyboards and displays were often too small.
screen resolution
iPad 3 by Gabriel (Aug, 2012)This a Great product, the retina display is simple great, much more stable because of the memory and the graphics in games are much better.
iPad 2 by S.-Lir (Feb, 2012)On another note, I am happy that Samsung manufactures the retina display for Apple.
memory
| 0 GB | 1 GB | 1 GB |
camera resolution
| 0 MP | 0.3 MP | 0.3 MP |
iPad 2 by Vincent-E.-Martin--Darkbard (Mar, 2011)The front camera can also be used for (VGA) video recording of up to 30 frames per second with audio, as well as still camera pictures.
processor
iPad 3 by Vincent-E.-Martin--Darkbard (Apr, 2012)Featuring an Apple designed Dual-core A5X, low power, high performance processor, the 1.44 pound (1.46 pounds for the Wi-Fi + 4G) iPad 3 is a tad thinner than the iPad 2, though the screen size stays the same.
iPad 2 by GabrielArg (Jun, 2011)I agree that because applications are similar and they both share the same iOS, the experience might not seem that different, but once you get your hands on it, the bigger screen, the dual core processor, larger memory and longer battery result in much much better overall experience.
Performance Real world tests of Apple iPad 3 vs Apple iPad 2
cpu speed
iPad 2 by Leo-StarkSpeed: the iPad is super quick with its A5 processor, running apps like a charm and browsing the Internet sometimes faster than my laptop.
sunspider 0.9.1 benchmark
battery life
10 hour
10 hour
iPad 3 by The Verge (Mar, 2012)Another nice perk is that if you buy into the Verizon version, not only do you get your LTE service on the iPad, but you also can use the device as a wireless hotspot at no extra charge (AT&T says they're working on it, but they don't offer the same luxury).
iPad 2 by c|net (Mar, 2011)The iPad's device features, such as Bluetooth 2.1 (A2DP, EDR), Wi-Fi 802.11 n, 3G, and 10 hours of battery life, are all here, and in many cases are still the bar by which other tablets are judged.
Differences What are the advantages of each
Advantages compared to the 2 64 GB, WiFi + AT&T 3G, White
| Latest and greatest OS | iOS 6 | vs | iOS 5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newer iOS; Get all the latest features and apps with a more recent version | |||
| Much higher resolution screen | 2048 x 1536 | vs | 1024 x 768 |
| 4x higher resolution screen | |||
| Much sharper screen | 263 ppi | vs | 131 ppi |
| More than 2x sharper PPI; enjoy photo-realistic, crisp images | |||
| Significantly higher resolution rear camera | 5 MP | vs | 0.92 MP |
| Around 5.5x higher resolution rear camera; Can be used like a point-and-shoot camera | |||
| Much faster Bluetooth | 24 Mbit/s (Bluetooth v4.0) | vs | 3 Mbit/s (Bluetooth v2.1 + EDR) |
| 8x faster Bluetooth | |||
| Marginally newer | Mar, 2012 | vs | Mar, 2011 |
| Release date over a year later | |||
| Supports voice commands | Yes | vs | No |
| Somewhat common; Can be operated hands free | |||
| More RAM | 1 GB | vs | 0.5 GB |
| Twice as much RAM; Better able to run big apps with lots of content | |||
Advantages compared to the 3 64GB 4G AT&T
| Slightly lighter | 589 g | vs | 662 g |
|---|---|---|---|
| More than 10% lighter | |||
| Slightly smaller | 241 x 186 x 9 mm | vs | 241 x 186 x 9 mm |
| Around 10% smaller | |||
Reviews Word on the street
Apple iPad 3 | Apple iPad 2 | ||
 |  
| 
| |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Rated by 190 users at amazon.com Rated 100% by by AgingBoomer Rated 20% by by reviewman (Jul, 2012) Rated 80% by by x59htes (Apr, 2012) | Rated by 1131 users at amazon.com Rated 100% by by Hernando-Hernandez (Nov, 2012) Rated 100% by by AmazonShopper (Sep, 2012) | |
network technology
Apple iPad 2 64 GB, WiFi + AT&T 3G, White | Rated 83% by by c|net (Mar, 2011)Verizon's iPad uses a CDMA 3G modem and lacks the SIM-swapping feature of AT&T's GSM modem, making it a poor choice for international jet-setters.
Apple iPad 3 64GB 4G AT&T | Rated 93% by by The Verge (Mar, 2012)The new iPad is also equipped with a greatly improved camera on its back (a 5 megapixel shooter, not unlike the one featured on the iPhone 4), new 4G LTE options (for both Verizon and AT&T), and a considerably more powerful processor.
Apple iPad 3 64GB 4G AT&T | Rated 100% by by Vincent-E.-Martin--Darkbard (Apr, 2012)iPad 3 64GB Wi-Fi +4G even allows you to choose whether or not you want to download your business contacts and calendar; sweet!
wifi
Apple iPad 3 64GB 4G AT&T | Rated 100% by by Vincent-E.-Martin--Darkbard (Apr, 2012)No matter what hardware version (Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi + 4G, 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB) you chose the Ultra-Portable, iPad 3 64GB Wi-Fi +4G is a simple device with very few moving parts.
Apple iPad 2 64 GB, WiFi + AT&T 3G, White | Rated 20% by by discerningshopper (Jun, 2012)I ordered and paid for an AT&T 3G model with WiFi, thinking I would primarily use it on WiFi and then activate the 3G when needed.
Apple iPad 3 64GB 4G AT&T | Rated 100% by by Vincent-E.-Martin--Darkbard (Apr, 2012)The policy can also control other aspect of the iPad 3 64GB Wi-Fi +4G's including third-party e-mail account creation; Windows SharePoint Services and Windows File Shares access; message size limits; attachment downloading, as well as a host of other security related features and functions.
expandable
Apple iPad 2 64 GB, WiFi + AT&T 3G, White | Rated 40% by by AJ (Jul, 2011)I received the ipad 2 (Wi-Fi +3G) but without the SIM card slot, and they didn't accept to return it or replace it.
Apple iPad 2 64 GB, WiFi + AT&T 3G, White | Rated 83% by by c|net (Mar, 2011)The AT&T iPad model uses a GSM modem and a micro-SIM card slot, allowing you to easily swap in compatible micro-SIM cards from foreign carriers when overseas.
cpu
Apple iPad 3 64GB 4G AT&T | Rated 100% by by Vincent-E.-Martin--Darkbard (Apr, 2012)The iPad 3 (available in black and white body styles) can be had with 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB of memory, and all iterations are fitted with a 1GHz Apple A5 custom-designed, high performance, low-power processor.
Competition What else you should consider
 | 1 | Google Nexus 10 OK operating system |
 | 3 | Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 OK sunspider 0.9.1 benchmark |
 | 4 | Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1" 4-way tie: Biggest screen |
 | 5 | Sony Xperia Tablet S 2-way tie: Lots of expandable storage |
 | 6 | Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga Largest amount of storage capacity |
 | 7 | Dell Latitude 10 2-way tie: Lots of expandable storage |
 | 8 | Asus PadFone 2 Quite higher resolution rear camera |
Discussions Get involved, ask your question about the Apple iPad 3 and Apple iPad 2
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Popular Questions
August 31, 2012
Is it worth upgrading to the new iPad just for the retina display?
I have an iPad 2 that is well used, but still has some life left in it. I was thinking I may retire it and get a new iPad, but is the screen really worth it?
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Answers 