The All-new iPad

• By
• Shawn Conner

The stunning retina display of the iPad 3

The latest version of the iPad comes with more power and an even clearer display

Already on its third iteration, the iPad is evolving faster than our ability to process its improvements. But, at the risk of the fourth version being released before this review sees print, we thought we’d look at the iPad 3, the latest groundbreaking Apple tablet.

How It Works: Slightly thicker and heavier than the iPad 2, the iPad 3 has the same size of screen but four times the resolution (2048 x 1536), making the Retina display one of, if not the, best tablet displays on the market (it’s clearer than HDTV). Processor performance is as fast as its predecessor, but the new model’s speed is more impressive when taking into account the superior screen resolution. The iPad 3 has a bigger battery than the iPad 2 and can handle over 10 hours of HD video playback at a time.

What It Does: The 5-megapixel camera gives you full HD video capability, while a front-mounted camera allows for video-chatting. The device is Wi-Fi enabled, but also available (for more money) with 4G LTE for ultra-fast browsing, downloading and streaming capabilities wherever you can connect to a 4G LTE network. With iOS 5, the latest Apple operating system, the iPad now has a camera shortcut next to the “Slide to unlock” bar (similar to iPhones with iOS 5). Typing has never been a strong point of the keyboard-less tablet, but the voice dictation feature lets you speak to the device and transcribes your words onscreen.

Why You Want It: With what many reviewers are calling the best tablet display on the market, and one of the fastest-working processors, the latest iPad once again trumps the competition; iPad 1 owners and those contemplating the purchase of their first tablet take note. But if you already have the iPad 2, the 3 might not be a sufficient enough upgrade to warrant busting out your credit card.

Best Buy lists the 16GB iPad 3 with Wi-Fi at $519.99, but add 4G to the mix and you’re looking at $649.99. The iPad 3 also comes in 32 and 64GB sizes, with and without 4G; the priciest is the 64GB unit with 4G, which lists at $849.99.

Originally published in TVW. For daily programming updates and on-screen Entertainment news, subscribe to the free TVW e-newsletters, or purchase a subscription to the weekly magazine.