IPAD 3 ~ Technology Reborn

iPad 3 similar to the iPad 2, with a similarly sized 9.7-inch touchscreen, the new iPad boasts a high-definition Retina Display (264ppi) with a 2048 x 1536 pixel resolution. That's 3.1 million pixels, approximately 1 million more than the average HD TV.

The processor is new too - an enhanced version of the A5 processor in the iPad 2, the A5X. It features quad-core graphics capabilities so should munch through complex 3D textures.

A 5-megapixel iSight camera has been built into the rear, offering backside illumination, a five element lens, hybrid IR filter and Apple's proprietary ISP. It's essentially the same as found on the iPhone 4S, with a few alterations here and there. Face detection has been added this time around as well.

The new iPad can also record video in 1080p, plus it has voice dictation. There's no full Siri this time around, but voice recognition will allow the device to convert speech into text.

Width-wise, the new iPad will be 9.4mm thick, chunkier than its immediate predecessor, and weigh 0.64kg. Its battery life is the same, however, with up to 10 hours of juice. And pricing structures are identical too: $499 (16GB), $599 (32GB) and $699 (64GB) for the Wi-Fi versions in the States. The 4G models will weigh in at $629, $729 and $829 respectively.

Similarly, prices for the UK remain unchanged, at £399 (16GB), £479 (32GB) and £559 (64GB) for Wi-Fi only. Whereas the 4G + Wi-Fi version will be £499, £579 and £659 respectively.

Specifications

Pros

dual core Processor
Fast processor(1000MHz)
High Pixel Density Screen, over 250ppi
lots of RAM (1024MB)
thin body measuring less than 0.37 inches

Cons

Lacks GPS
Lacks microSD slot
USB connector - have to use its cable instead of standard micro USB

Design

Device type:
- Tablet
OS:
- iOS (5.1)
Form factor:
- Candybar
Dimensions:
- 9.50 x 7.31 x 0.37 (241.2 x 185.7 x 9.4 mm)
Weight:
- 23.00 oz (652 g)
  the average is 16.6 oz (474 g)

Display

Physical size:
- 9.70 inches
Resolution:
- 2048 x 1536 pixels
Pixel density:
- 264 ppi
Technology:
- IPS LCD
Colors:
- 16 777 216
Touchscreen:
- - Capacitive, Multi-touch
Features:
- Light sensor

Battery

Capacity:
- 11560 mAh

Hardware

Processor:
- Dual core, 1000 MHz, Apple A5X
Graphics processor:
- - Quad core PowerVR SGX543MP4
System memory:
- 1024 MB RAM
Built-in storage:
- 64000 MB

Camera

Camera:
- - 5 megapixels
- Aperture size:
  - F2.4
- Features:
  - Back-illuminated sensor (BSI), Auto focus, Touch to focus, Video stabilizer, Face detection, Geo tagging
Camcorder:
- - 1920x1080 (1080p HD) (30 fps)
Front-facing camera:
- 0.3 megapixels VGA

Multimedia

Music player:
- Filter by:
  - Album, Artist, Genre, Playlists
- Features:
  - Album art cover, Background playback, Dolby Digital
Speakers:
- Earpiece, Loudspeaker
YouTube player:
- Yes

Internet browsing

Browser:
- - Yes
- Supports:
  - HTML, HTML5
Built-in online services support:
- Facebook, YouTube (upload), Flickr, Twitter

Technology

Positioning:
- Wi-Fi positioning

Phone features

Phonebook:
- Unlimited entries
Organizer:
- Calendar, Alarm, Document viewer (Office 2007, Office 2003, PDF, Other, .jpg, .tiff, .htm, .html, .key, .numbers, .pages, .txt, .vcf), Calculator
Messaging:
- Threaded view, Predictive text input
E-mail:
- - IMAP, POP3, SMTP, Microsoft Exchange