Review: iPad 2

With much fanfare and the usual lengthy queues, the Apple iPad 2 was launched mid-March. New in this version are the cameras at front and rear, a more slimline and lightweight design, and the choice of black or white front surround. Apart from those changes, it resembles its predecessor very closely indeed. The 9.7-inch IPS screen is exactly the same as the previous version, but there’s now a new capacity – 64GB – to add to the existing 16GB and 32GB models, each with a Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi+3G variant. But how much of the iPad 2 is evolution and how much revolution?

As someone who holds an iPad only infrequently, the 603g iPad 2 wasn’t noticeably lighter or more streamlined on first blush. The new white version is attractive, and the overall design is slightly more curved than before, but in all honesty the difference between 12.5mm thickness and 8.6mm thickness is only going to be obvious to those who hold an iPad day in and day out.

The new cover ($59), however, is a revelation and worth adding to your purchase. It’s magnetic, clipping onto the side of the iPad 2 seamlessly and simply. It’s foldable in three places, which makes for a convenient stand, and closing the cover also shuts off the screen. Really, the cover is the most revolutionary part of the new iPad2, even though you have to pay extra for it, and it’s an utter delight.

We conducted a set of tests side-by-side to compare the iPad 2 and Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. Take photos, for example (no pun intended). The iPad 2 took slightly better shots in good lighting conditions, such as outdoors or in our well-lit office, but when we headed into the dungeon of the Test Centre, the Galaxy Tab far outdid the iPad. The graininess and overall noise of the iPad was particularly noticeable in dim lighting. That graininess and noise extends to video quality, and there are virtually no settings or adjustments possible on the default app. It’s perfectly acceptable for Facetime or YouTube, however.

When it comes to audio, the iPad 2 has great bass notes, but the sound isn’t as crisp nor are the individual component sounds as delineated as with the Galaxy Tab.

But the iPad2 definitely has its strengths. The 1.2GHz dual core Apple A5 processor helps the touchscreen feel much more responsive, and it’s incredibly nimble at scrolling through screens, launching apps and navigating. It’s easy to get used to the more complex range of touch navigation in iOS 4.3. It was also consistently faster loading webpages over our Wi-Fi connection than the Tab, though the difference was slight and the Tab was a preproduction model.

The battery lasted the claimed ten hours, even when playing videos and games the entire time. To give you an idea, Morgan Spurlock’s 20 minute TED talk (in HD) used up exactly 3% of the battery.

What else is there to say about the iPad 2? The range of free apps is small but useful, but be prepared to have to hunt for them in the gigantic Apple App Store, and to have nags for the full paid versions everywhere. Games, particularly in HD, however, are immersive and feel like a fuller, richer experience when designed for the tablet.

It’s fantastically designed and user-friendly, but the blunt truth is that to get the most of the iPad 2, you’re going to have to spend money over and above the purchase price. It’s not so much an upgrade as an update, so we’d only really recommend it for newcomers to the tablet scene. Having said that, if you’re after flexibility and potential from the get-go, try the Samsung instead.

RRP:

16GB Wi-Fi only: $799
32GB Wi-Fi only: $949
64GB Wi-Fi only: $1099
16GB 3G and Wi-Fi: $998
32GB 3G and Wi-Fi: $1,149
64GB 3G and Wi-Fi: $1,289

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