To say Apple’s iPad 2 is an easy tablet to review is somewhat of an understatement. The device, a follow up to last year’s wildly successful (and currently market-defining) iPad 2, is nearly identical when it comes to software, and though improved, closely related on the hardware side as well.
Apple’s Newest iPad 2
With a 9.7-inch, 1024 x 768 display, the general size and shape of the device has remained the same, and though inside there’s a new dual core A5 CPU, more memory, and a pair of new cameras, most of the iPad 2‘s changes are cosmetic.
So this new iPad 2 model, a thinner, sleeker, faster variant of the original may not be breaking lots of new ground, but it’s already at the front of the pack. But is the iPad 2 worth an upgrade for those that took the plunge on the first generation? More importantly, does the device have what it takes to bring new owners into the fold?
iPad 2 Hardware
The iPad 2 is both all about – and not about — the hardware. From an industrial design standpoint, the iPad 2 just seriously raised the bar on sleek, sexy computer hardware. If you’re an owner of the original model, you know it was no slouch in the design department, but its latest iteration takes it to a whole other place.
The first thing you’ll probably notice about the iPad 2 is that it’s thin — unbelievably thin. At its thickest point, the tablet is just 0.34-inches (compared with the first iPad’s half an inch of girth). The device is slightly shorter than the previous model (at 9.5-inches tall), but also slightly less wide (just 7.3-inches versus the iPad’s 7.47-inches).
It looks and feels amazingly sleek when you hold it. As Steve Jobs pointed out at the launch event, the device is thinner than the astoundingly thin iPhone 4 – quite a feat considering what’s packed inside the slate.
In all, it’s an incredibly handsome and svelte package. Pictures don’t quite do the iPad 2 justice — it feels really, really great in your hands. Not only does the construction give it a feeling of heft and permanence, but the thin profile combined with the new, tapered edges make holding the device a real joy. The iPad 2 is beautifully and thoughtfully crafted.
iPad 2 Internals / display / audio
Much has been made about what is – and isn’t — inside the new iPad. For starters, Apple has replaced last year’s A4 CPU with a new, 1GHz dual core chip it’s calling the A5 (surprise surprise). There’s now 512MB of RAM in the iPad, bringing it up to iPhone 4 standards. That still seems on the low side to us — a device in this class should probably be sporting 1GB, though we had no memory issues. The screen is identical to the previous model, a 1024 x 768, 9.7-inch IPS display.
On the wireless front, you can nab either a WiFi (802.11a/b/g/n) only model, a Verizon 3G version, or an iPad of the AT&T / GSM variety. Bluetooth 2.1+EDR is on board, as is an AGPS chip in the 3G versions. All the models come equipped with an ambient light sensor, an accelerometer, and a new addition: a three-axis gyroscope.
iPad 2 Performance
The iPad 2 is equipped with a 1GHz, dual-core chip called the A5. The CPU is clocked at 800MHz. When we first handled the device, it seemed noticeably faster to us, and even after a week with the tablet, it’s still zippier than the previous model by a long shot.
The CPU and graphics performance of this iPad 2 tablet felt extremely impressive to us.
iPad 2 Battery life
Not surprisingly, Apple promises major battery life on the iPad 2. Though the device has been physically trimmed down, the company says users can expect the same longevity we witnessed in the previous version. In our testing, this was 100 percent true.
For the first few days we used the device we didn’t even bother plugging it in. In fact, even during heavy use – 3G and WiFi on, app testing, browsing, news reading, emailing, picture / video taking, and music listening – we neglected to plug the iPad 2 into a socket for a span of about five days. When we did plug it in, the battery percentage was still only hovering around the low 30s.
In our standard video test the iPad 2 managed an astonishing 10 hours and 26 minutes of non-stop playback. That beats Apple’s own claims, and bests its nearest competitor – the Xoom – by about 2 hours.
To say we were impressed would be an understatement. The iPad 2 fully delivers when it comes to battery life.
iPad 2 camera shots
Even with the lower quality sensors, Apple still gets to span the gap between the original iPad and its new competition. At the end of the day, the company is putting its flag in the ground when it comes to tablets with cameras, but it feels like it’s done the bare minimum to make it happen.
We won’t lie: we’re disappointed by how low end these cameras feel. We don’t expect to be doing photo shoots with a tablet (in fact, we find using a tablet in this manner to be tremendously awkward), but that doesn’t mean we want a camera that produces results reminiscent of our RAZR. In short, it feels like the iPad 2 has a serious photon deficiency.
iPad 2 Software
It wouldn’t be a new iOS product without an iOS update, and the iPad 2 ushers in iOS 4.3, a minor update which touts a few bells and whistles. Notably, Apple has improved browser performance, added broader AirPlay support, mercifully added an option to toggle your mute switch for rotation lock duties, and (on the iPhone at least) brought Personal Hotspot to GSM devices (but not the iPad 2).
Alongside the iPad 2 update, Apple also introduced two fairly major pieces of software — GarageBand and iMovie for the iPad.
iPad 2 Browser
Apple claims big gains in the speed and performance of the new iOS browser thanks to the introduction of the Nitro JavaScript engine to the underlying Mobile Safari software. In our testing, we scored a fairly healthy Sunspider number of 2173.1ms (while Google’s V8 returned a score of 338). Nothing to freak out about in comparison to the laptop numbers below — but compare those digits to the iPhone 4 and original iPad running 4.2. Of course, the Motorola Xoom is neck and neck with the iPad 2 in terms of browser performance, which shows that speed is most certainly not Apple’s domain alone.
In general use, the browser is noticeably faster and more responsive than on the previous iPad, which is a good thing considering that the browsing experience still doesn’t quite give you a desktop experience. That said, the iPad 2 gets a lot closer to the speed and fluidity you see on your laptop — and it’s obvious Apple is putting time and effort into making this complete.
iPad 2 iMovie
iMovie for the iPad wasn’t quite the revelatory experience that GarageBand was, but the application provides loads of utility for video editing on the go. In a kind of blown-up version of the iPhone app, iMovie now lets you edit both videos you’ve shot on the device and imported files in a touchy-feely environment that’s actually more intuitive than its desktop counterpart – at least in a some ways.
As with other versions of the software, you get a set of movie templates and associated effects which you can apply to your clips.
iPad 2 Wrap-up
It might frustrate the competition to hear this, but it needs to be said: the iPad 2 isn’t just the best tablet on the market, it feels like the only tablet on the market. As much as we’d like to say that something like the Xoom has threatened Apple’s presence in this space, it’s difficult (if not impossible) to do that.
For owners of the previous generation, we don’t think Apple’s put a fire under you to upgrade. Unless you absolutely need cameras on your tablet, you’ve still got a solid piece of gear that reaps plenty of the benefits of the latest OS and apps.
For those of you who haven’t yet made the leap, feel free to take a deep breath and dive in – the iPad 2 is as good as it gets right now.
