The iPad 3 is finally here!
Apple’s world famous iPad, the tablet that beats all other tablets hands-down, has been long awaited, but finally people can get their hands on it. The latest technological wizardry from Apple went on sale a couple of days ago, to many people’s delight. In London, some people began queuing outside the flagship store in Covent Garden the day before to make sure they got their hands on one.
One chap called Anjum Malik, a 38 year-old from East Ham in London, hand this to say about the new iPad and his endeavours to get one. “I got here at 3am yesterday and spent all night here. I want to give the iPad to my wife. I love everything by Apple. The cost doesn’t matter, I just love Apple products.” With people like this in the world, no wonder Apple has managed to sell 55 million iPads since the tablet computer was launched back in 2010.
Was it too early?
In an ironic turn of events, Apple may have jumped the gun a little with its release of the iPad 3, because many people have been trading in their older iPad in addition to some cash to get their hands on the latest version. In fact, it has been reported that there has been a 324% increase in the trade-in of tablets overall, with the iPad making up almost 80% of that figure. It seems people will exchange their tablet and sell mobile phones just to get the most up to date version of Apple’s popular tablet.
iPad 2 vs iPad 3
Before you run out the house to go and buy one of these attractive pieces of kit, it’s worth knowing exactly what you are getting with the new, and more expensive, model. On a side note, the iPad 2 has now dropped in price because of the release of its successor, so for those of you on a budget it could be just the thing.
Let us begin with the display, because this really is the big difference between the two. The iPad 2 was equipped with a 1024×768-pixel resolution screen, at 132 pixels per inch. Well this has effectively been doubled in the iPad 3, with a 2048×1536-pixel resolution display at 264 pixels per inch, which is being dubbed the high-resolution Retina display.
Next up is the new camera on the back of the iPad 3, because the one on the front hasn’t changed. The new 5 megapixel iSight camera has autofocus, and all you need to do is tap the screen to get the camera to focus on what you’re pointing it at. It can also record HD video at 1080p, a step up from the iPad 2’s 720p. In addition it has a new processor inside, the A5X, making it faster, although there has been an extra 0.6mm added to the iPad 3’s depth compared to its predecessor. It also weighs an extra 50 grams.
Other features that have been improved include the jump from 3G to 4G, so lets hope that 4G networks get rolled out soon. Last but not least, it uses Bluetooth 4.0 technology instead in Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR technology. Apart from that nothing much else has changed, only the price obviously. For the same memory size and connectivity options, expect to pay an extra £70 to get the brand-spanking new iPad 3 instead of its older brother the iPad 2.
How to get your hands on the new iPad
So if you want one of these new gizmos you’re going to have to join a long line of other people that are dying to get their hands on it. On the other hand, if you’re an Orange mobile phone customer already with a contract, you can benefit from a reduced price iPad 3. That’s right, go to Orange to pay just half the price, £199, for an iPad 3. All you have to do is enter into a £25 per month, 24 month contract (a total cost of £600 over the duration of the contract) and it will be yours. For newbies to Orange, you will have to pay an extra thirty quid, so it’s £229.
If waiting outside a shop overnight or getting a new phone contract doesn’t take your fancy, then head over to the Apple iPad store and order one direct from the company. Be prepared for a long wait though, because no doubt they have a large backlog of orders to send out already.
Click the picture below to check the specs of the device.
Article written by Jessica Line.She is a freelance writer from England who is contracted to write
for everything from 2012 cruise brochures to some of the leading sports sites on the Internet.
