Apple iPad 2 Review

The time has come to release our Apple iPad 2 review.  Although I’ve had access to the second generation tablet since launch, deciding whether or not it was deserving of the crown for best tablet seemed premature and as such, the review was put on hold. Today is the day, the cards have been dealt and it’s time to compare hands — did the iPad 2 live up to the hype or has Apple’s incredible marketing chops oversold the slate?

Quick Review
The iPad 2 improves on the original by incorporating a lighter and thinner design and most importantly, two cameras.  The slate’s competitive price point and vast library of dedicated applications combines for a compelling package.  We’d still like to see the display resolution increased, an update to iOS and an improved rear-facing camera, but we imagine Apple will address these issues with the iPad 3.

Build Quality / First Impressions

Regardless of your feelings towards Apple, the company manufactures beautiful hardware — the iPad 2 is no different.  Carved out of a single piece of aluminum, the razor thin body has shaved off 33 percent in thickness and up to 15 percent in weight.  Even more impressive is the device manages to maintain the same 10-hour battery life as the original.

In hand, you quickly get the sense that this is an engineering feat – to be able to pack 10 hour battery life in such a thin device is quite an accomplishment.  The glass display is flush, the aluminum casing is smooth and when paired with a Smart Cover, the package becomes elegant.  Unfortunately style is a bit like spec sheets — looking good on paper in only half the story.

Hardware:

The now infamous A5 chip powers the second generation iPad.  Utilizing dual 1 GHz cores (reportedly clocked @ 900 MHz), the iPad 2 outshines the original in nearly every department.  RAM has been bumped from 256 to 512 MB and the graphics chip has been upgraded from the PowerVR SGX535 to the PowerVR SGX543MP2.

What this means in real world usage is you can expect up to 9x better gaming performance.  The prerequisite, of course, is that developers explicitly target the new hardware such as Epic Games has done with Infinity Blade (Unreal 3 Engine).  The iPad 2 also adds a three-axis gyro which should improve gaming as well.

Prior to its release, the iPad 2 was rumored to sport a Retina Display, more than double the original’s 1024×768 resolution for a pixel density of 300+dpi (currently 132 dpi).  Unfortunately this was only a rumor and the display remains unchanged.  While the LED-backlight multi-touch display has incredible viewing angles and color accuracy thanks to IPS technology, a resolution bump would have been welcomed.

Since we’ve seen the question asked and there appears to be confusion, here’s what you need to know about Location Services.  The WiFi model only offers a digital compass whereas the WiFi/3G models have assisted GPS (aGPS) and of course, cellular radios.

In practical terms this means the only location-based information available for the WiFi-only model will come from either (a) a paired iPhone which will transmit location in 20 second intervals or (b) WiFi networks.  If using your tablet for navigation, regardless of manufacturer, is critical you’ll want the 3G/WiFi version.  While pairing a WiFi tablet to a smartphone shares location data, the interval between transmitting that information makes street navigation extremely difficult.

The biggest change for the iPad 2 is the addition of two cameras; a rear 720p HD video, 1 megapixel shooter and a front-facing VGA camera, the same sensor used on the iPhone 4.  Still shots using the rear camera are the weak point, but understandable since its primary purpose is HD video recording.  The same can be said about the front-facing camera.

Without a doubt, the iPhone 4 front-facing camera is nearly identical to that of the iPad 2.  Neither is as sharp as the 2-megapixel camera on the Motorola Xoom, however its excellent color accuracy delivers a rich image.  If using a tablet to takes photos is a high priority, the iPad 2 will fall short of your expectations.

Not exclusive to the iPad 2, but nonetheless important, is the release of the Apple Digital AV Adapter which allows video mirroring of your iPad 2′s display to your HDTV in up to 1080p (depending on source). The same adapter can be used on the iPhone 4 or original iPad, but output is limited at 720p due to the A4 chip — the same chip in the latest Apple TV.  If you’d like more freedom, the iPad 2 can wirelessly stream video to your HDTV using AirPlay and an Apple TV. Apps can also be streamed over AirPlay, but the support must be enabled by the developer.

Apps:

There are more than 90,000 dedicated apps for the iPad.  While most of the apps do not target the new hardware inside the iPad 2, upcoming gaming title will look to exploit the potential of the new silicon. Compared to the competition, Apple stands alone as the only tablet OS with a substantial collection of applications to help differentiate its tablet.

Currently, Android Honeycomb is fueled by just over 60 featured applications, specific for the OS.  The remaining applications are designed for smartphones but resized, albeit better than Apple’s rendering method, for the larger displays.  BlackBerry OS is even further behind, but that may change once it adds support for Android apps.

When the original iPad was released it quickly became known by many as a giant iPod touch.  In order to differentiate any tablet from its respective smartphone OS, applications which make use of its larger, higher resolution display must be released.  It’s a bit ironic to still hear the iPad be called a giant iPod Touch when you compare App libraries.

Complaints

iOS 4.x feels a bit dated.  While the addition of multi-tasking was nice (and much needed), the general design and UI needs a refresh. Hopefully the iOS 5 launch later this year will provide that change. When comparing iOS to Honeycomb, the iPad’s notification system and multi-tasking previews fall short.

As much as I love the razor-thin design, the curved edges make the charging port and buttons difficult to locate.  While gorgeous to look at from afar, everyday users will quickly become annoyed after fumbling around with the sync cable.

My last complaint is not specific to the iPad 2, but a complaint towards iOS in general.  The time has come for wireless synchronization — at least over WiFi.  Having to connect iOS devices to a computer is unnecessary.  My proposal is a happy medium –require the sync cable during the initial setup, but then allow all future syncs to be completed over WiFi.

Value

The iPad 2 start at $499 for the 16GB WiFi model and quickly jumps up to $829 for the 64GB WiFi/3G.  Historically Apple products command a premium in the marketplace, but since the iPhone’s release in 2007, Apple has shown it can offer tremendous value without breaking the bank.

As the saying goes ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder’.  The same can be said about value, specifically when decided if a tablet is a smart buy.  Compared to the competition, Apple’s entry price of $499 is excellent, but not so much to a potential laptop buyer.

There are plenty of netbooks and entry-level laptops that offer more features, better performance and cost less than an iPad 2 or any other tablet for that matter. To help determine if a tablet is right for you, I recommend taking a look at our feature on understanding the target audience of the iPad.

Assuming you fit the bill and you’re determined a tablet is right for you, the feature set and materials of the iPad 2 are top notch.  Not to mention Apple products, on average, maintain excellent resell value should you decide to sell the tablet down the road.

Also, Apple products come with a 1 year warranty which grants you access to great customer service.  Simply setup an appointment at your local Apple Store and you’ll be able to quickly exchange your slate for a replacement model should anything go wrong (water damage/lost/stolen iPads excluded).  Additionally you can extend that warranty to 3 years by purchasing the optional Apple Care add-on.

Verdict

The iPad 2 is every bit powerful as it is stylish.  The substantial performance boost over its predecessor is best demonstrated in gaming and the web browser.  While the lack of Flash support may be a deal breaker for some, if you’ve used Flash on the Motorola Xoom you’d know the performance can be painfully slow.

If your needs align with the iPad 2′s capabilities, the build quality and performance will undoubtedly justify its price.  Combined with the largest collection of apps designed for a tablet, the iPad 2 remains the tablet to beat, taking the title from the original iPad.  In time this may change, but until Android Honeycomb offers a comparable library of applications, Apple has the best game in town.

CF Rating: 9/10
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Tagged as: Apple, Apple iPad 2, iOS, iPad 2