The long wait is over. Apple is out with its 3rd generation iPad and it would go on sale in selected countries from 16th March. The new iPad isn’t thinner & lighter, but is sure is faster and brings in LTE to iOS finally!
The iPad 2 has had a great run last year with over 15 million units sold in Q4 alone. Apple now claims that the iPad sold more than any PC, beating 15 million PCs shipped by HP. Lets take a look at the iPad journey. From the 1st iPad in 2010 to the 2012 iPad 3.
Apple iPad 1st Gen vs iPad 2 vs New iPad
From a modest single-core A5 processor to a quad-core beast named: A5x, Apple has come a long way.
| iPad | iPad 2 | The new iPad (3rd Gen) | |
| Display | 9.7 inch backlit IPS LCD | 9.7 inch backlit IPS LCD | 9.7 inch backlit IPS LCD |
| Resolution | 1024 x 786 | 1024 x 786 | 2048 x 1536 |
| Processor | 1 GHz Apple A4 | 1 GHz dual-core Apple A5 | Dual-core CPU with quad-core GPU A5X |
| Graphics | PowerVR SGX 535 | PowerVR SGX 543MP2 | PowerVR SGX 543MP4 |
| Memory | 256 MB RAM | 512 MB RAM | Â 1 GB RAM |
| Storage | 16 GB/ 32 GB / 64 GB | 16 GB / 32 GB / 64 GB | 16 GB / 32 GB / 64 GB |
| Front camera | None | VGA | VGA |
| Rear camera | None | 1.3mp 720p | 5MP / 1080p |
| Cellular radio | EDGE plus tri-band HSPA | EDGE plus quad-band HSPAOrCDMA / EV-DO Rev. A | EDGE plus quad-band HSPA, HSPA+ and DC-HSPA at 42 MbpsOrCDMA / EV-DO Rev. A and LTE at 72Mbps |
| WiFi | 802.11 a/b/g/n | 802.11 a/b/g/n | 802.11 a/b/g/n |
| Bluetooth | 2.1 + EDR | 2.1 + EDR | 4.0 |
| Accelerometer | 3-axis | 3-axis | 3-axis |
| Gyroscope | No | 3-axis | 3-axis |
| Thickness | 13.4 mm | 8.8 mm | 9.4 mm |
| Weight | 680g (WiFi)730g (WiFi + 3G) | 601g (WiFi)608g (WiFi + CDMA)613g (WiFi + GSM) | 652g (WiFi)662g ( WiFi + 4G) |
| Battery life | 10 hours on WiFi9 hours on 3G | 10 hours on WiFi9 hours on 3G/EVDO | 10 hours on WiFi9 hours on 3G/LTE |
| Price | WiFi:$499 (16 GB)$599 (32 GB)$699 (64 GB)
WiFi + 3G: $629 (16 GB) $729 (32 GB) $829 (64 GB) |
WiFi:$499 (16 GB)$599 (32 GB)$699 (64 GB)
WiFi + 3G (GSM/CDMA): $629 (16 GB) $729 (32 GB) $829 (64 GB) |
WiFi:$499 (16 GB)$599 (32 GB)$699 (64 GB)
WiFi + 4G (GSM/4G): $629 (16 GB) $729 (32 GB) $829 (64 GB) |
| Smart-cover | No | Yes | Yes |
| Voice Dictation | No | No | Yes |
| Internet Tethering | No | No | Yes |
| HDMI output dongle | No | Yes | |
| Color | Black | Black and White | Black and White |
| Facetime | No | Yes | Yes |
The iPad (3rd Gen) In Pictures
Click the images to enlarge
iPhone / iPod touch downloads