After months of rumors and speculation, the new Apple iPad is finally here. While the tablet market is growing more and more crowded by the day, for some people, Apple is the only tablet manufacturer worth considering. With that in mind, which is the better buy: Apple's brand-new iPad, or the newly discounted iPad 2?
We've rounded up and compared some of the key specs and features for the two tablets in the table below. As you can see, both iPads share a number of similarities. They're almost exactly the same size, though the new iPad is slightly thicker and heavier than the iPad 2. Additionally, both tablets are quoted to be good for 10 hours of use over Wi-Fi, or 9 hours using a network connection (though in our own tests, we measured the Wi-Fi + 3G model of the iPad 2 at 7 hours, 30 minutes of continuous use). And while the iPad 2 has now been handily eclipsed in the processing power department, both tablets should be able to run the 200,000 apps available in the Apple App Store without a problem. So along with a $100 dip in price, the Apple iPad 2 (now only available in 16GB), remains an excellent option.
But that's where the similarities end. The new iPad includes support for 4G LTE on AT&T or Verizon's networks (if you buy a 4G version), which Apple claims can provide download speeds up to 73Mbps. We've never seen speeds like that in real-world testing, but 4G LTE is still blazing fast. Additional partners include Bell, Rogers, and Telus, and optional software can turn your tablet into a personal hotspot for up to five devices.
The new iPad is powered by the rumored dual-core Apple A5X processor, along with quad-core graphics. Apple claims this chip will provide four times the performance of Nvidia's impressive Tegra 3. That's a lot of power. But the real showstopper is the new iPad's 2048-by-1536-pixel retina display. That's double the resolution on the iPad 2's 1024-by-768-pixel display, and ups the pixel per inch (ppi) count from 132 to 264. For many, that alone will be worth the additional $100.
And yet there's more. The new iPad's iSight camera has been upped to 5 megapixels, and includes advanced optics with an IR filter, autofocus and white balance, and face detection. It also supports 1080p video recording, up from the iPad 2's 720p.
There's no Siri, but the new iPad does include voice dictation, so you can speak into the tablet, and it will type whatever you say. The new iPad is being priced the same as the initial pricing for the iPad 2. The Wi-Fi only model costs $499, $599, or $699, for the 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB versions, respectively. For 4G, those prices rise to $629, $729, or $829. The 16GB iPad 2, meanwhile, now costs $399 for Wi-Fi only, or $529 for Wi-Fi + 3G.
So which iPad should you get? The choice is entirely up to you, but I'd put my money on that dazzling new display.
For more from the launch event, see the slideshow below.