iPad 2 debuts in San Francisco
Tablet editor Stephen Hutcheon takes a look at Apple’s latest iPad, which boasts a thinner body, front and rear-facing cameras and is twice as fast.
It may look like iPad 1.5 rather than iPad 2, but critics have so far lavished praise on Apple’s new wundertablet, which is thinner, lighter and faster than the first iPad.
Analysts say the incremental update will be enough to cement Apple’s technical superiority in the tablet space, which has seen a raft of new competitors in recent months. Apple already controls 90 per cent of the tablet market, so competing models based on Google’s Android and Microsoft’s Windows platforms face an uphill battle.
Steve Jobs, on medical leave, demonstrates the Mobile MIM application for iPad2.
Photo: AP
The new iPad 2 is lighter (590 grams versus 680 grams) and thinner (from 13.4mm to 8.8mm) than its predecessor and boasts significant upgrades such as a new A5 dual-core processor, more internal memory, faster graphics and dual front and rear-facing cameras.
It ships in Australia on March 25 but prices have yet to be announced. Telstra has already said it will carry it.
Engadget’s hands-on test found the iPad 2 to be “insanely fast” and praised the “sleek, super thin” design.
Tablets for 2011
The extremely thin iPad 2. Photo: Stephen Hutcheon
CNET liked the addition of FaceTime video chat and the new GarageBand and iMovie apps, while Gizmodo fawned over the iPad 2′s new Smart Covers, which use magnets to attach to the device and allow it to automatically wake up from sleep mode.
“You peel the plastic (or leather) screen-casing off bit by bit, until you can fold it over and use it to prop up the iPad for some browsing, typing or viewing. It’s origami!,” gushed Gizmodo.
PC Magazine concluded: ” It’s slick, and it’s thin. Really thin, and lighter too; it’s much easier to hold than the original iPad. And it’s fast, thanks to a dual-core A5 processor.”
Foad Fadaghi, telco analyst at Telsyte, said although several competitors were on the horizon, the iPad 2 may have swung the pendulum back in favour of Apple.
“The iPad 2 re-affirms Apple’s place as the leader in media tablet devices. We continue to believe the iPad 2 will be the number one selling tablet in Australia in 2011,” he said.
Anthony Agius, founder the Australian Apple community site, MacTalk, said the iPad 2 was a “nice update to a legendary product that is miles ahead of the currently available competition and even better than planned products from competitors”.
But longtime Apple watcher and founder of MacTheMag, Matthew Powell, said in many ways the iPad 2 was not the radical step that many people were expecting.
“The screen resolution [1024x768] is the same as the original, there’s no Thunderbolt or other additional ports – but the point, from Apple’s perspective, is that it didn’t need to be,” said Powell.
“Apple leads this space by a very long margin, and by adding features like front- and rear-facing cameras and a dual-core CPU it extends that lead. Add in the reduced thickness and weight, and it’s pretty cool from a hardware perspective.”
But Powell pointed out that competitor tablets from LG and BlackBerry-maker RIM also include a fast dual-core processor and cameras.
Mark Novosel, telecommunications analyst at research firm IDC, said he had expected the iPad 2 to have dual cameras and be thinner and lighter, so he wasn’t surprised. But he said he was disappointed that Apple didn’t increase the resolution of the display.
“It would have been nice to see a Retina-type display with a much higher pixel density comparable to the iPhone 4′s industry leading display,” said Novosel.
“It would have also been nice if Apple included a micro HDMI port on the iPad 2 rather than requiring users to pay extra for a HDMI output dongle that connects through Apple’s dock connector.”
Novosel also expected the iPad 2 to be even lighter than it is, as it’s still heavier than the 10.1-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab. He also queried the meager 0.7-megapixel camera on the back, which doesn’t offer the resolution of the 5-8 megapixel cameras on competing models.
“Overall the iPad 2 is an incremental update rather than a revolutionary new device,” said Novosel.
“It will be enough to tempt more users to get an iPad, however, it is unlikely to entice many current owners to upgrade.”
iPad 2 key specifications
9.7-inch display (1024×768)
1GHz dual-core Apple A5 processor
16GB/32GB/64GB storage
Front VGA and rear 720p camera
8.8mm thick and weighs 590 grams
Available in black or white
Sourced & published by Henry Sapiecha
