If you think you should buy the new iPad, think again. We have a breakdown of the qualities and drawbacks of the fourth generation Apple iPad here that will help you in making a decision on the purchase. Apple iPad is by far the most popular of tablets out there, and has become an icon on its own. But the real question here is whether you should buy it if you already own iPad 3.
Android tablets like Samsung Galaxy Tab and Google Nexus 7 are competing hard with iPad for a place in the market. This is not reason alone to go with iPad. See the advantages and disadvantages here.
Tech Specs
Instead of looking at the technical specifications of iPad 4, we will compare them with the previous iPad here.
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Property
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iPad 4
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iPad 3
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Display
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9.7 inch LCD IPS res: 2048×1536; 264 ppi (Retina DisplayTM); oleophobic coating.
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9.7 inch LCD IPS res: 2048×1536; 264 ppi (Retina DisplayTM); oleophobic coating
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Processor
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Dual-core A6X 1.4 GHz
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Apple A5X 1 GHz
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Graphics
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PowerVR SGX554MP4 (quad-core)
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PowerVR SGX543MP4 (quad-core)
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Connectivity features
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HSPA-42mbps; LTE-73mbps (Besides other basic technologies)
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HSPA: 42mbps; LTE-73mbps (Besides existing technologies)
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Dimensions
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Height
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241.2mm
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Height
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241.2mm
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Width
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185.7mm
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Width
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185.7mm
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Depth
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9.4mm
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Depth
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9.4mm
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Weight
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662g
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Weight
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662g
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Operating System
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Apple iOS 6.0.1
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iOS 5.1
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Battery
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Li-Polymer 11560 mAh (up to 10 hours of heavy usage)
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Li-Polymer 11560 mAh (up to 10 hours of usage)
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Camera
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iSight (5MP) with 1080p HD; FaceTime 1.2MP with 720p HD
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iSight (5MP) with 1080p HD; FaceTime 1.2MP with VGA 480p
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Storage
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16/32/64 GB
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16/32/64 GB
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RAM
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1 GB
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1 GB
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Connector
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Lightning Connector
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30-pin connector
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Special Features
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AirPlay Mirroring
AirPrint
Smart cover and cases, etc.
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The technical specifications are almost exactly the same as the previous version of iPad. The iPad 4 is not a full-fledged upgrade release. Instead, it simply replaces the existing iPad 3 so that the customers can get the latest technologies. Apple has already discontinued the production of iPad 3 to make way for iPad 4.
The important question is whether you should buy iPad 4 or not, and quite simply put, you need not if you already own iPad 3 or even iPad2. However, if this is your first time to purchase a tablet, then iPad 4 is a very good buy. Let’s look at further reasons.
Technical Features
On the latest iPad, hardware changes are minimal if any. You could simply go with the existing iPad 2 or 3 to get the same functionality and performance. Although the speed available on LTE is future-proof, I would have loved a recognizable boost in RAM and the processing power. Although the processor has been upgraded, it is not up to the mark to run upcoming iPad apps and games that may be resource-thirsty.
The previous iPad had 30-pin connector which worked well with Apple accessories. The current Lightning connector has become the new Apple standard and you have to purchase adaptors separately in order to use this connector with your existing equipment.
When you buy the iPad 4, you only get only a dock connector to USB cable. You have to purchase Apple Digital AV adaptor or the VGA adaptor based on the TV you have in order to stream videos over cable. iPad supports video out in a number of formats—480p, 576p, 720p, 1080p. The only thing is you need the appropriate adaptor for the purpose.
The Performance
The dual-core processor performs perfectly with apps and games. And with new quad-core graphics chip, game performance is at its best of course. However, you can expect almost a similar performance with iPad 3 too.
The display involves trademarked Retina technology found on Apple devices since iPhone 4S. It gives the maximum pixel density (with smaller pixels of course), so that the individual pixels are not visible to naked eye. Brightness and contrast available on the Apple display is average (below those of Microsoft Surface and Google Nexus 7). The display also gives the most natural colors as opposed to AMOLED screens.
Apple iPad’s Display is probably not protected with Gorilla Glass. Otherwise, Apple could have properly marketed it. There is an oleophobic coating that prevents oil deposits from your fingertips, thus making the display clearer during tapping.
Overall, the performance is one of the main reasons why people buy iPad.
The Price of the New iPad
Apple has not revamped the price structure of the fourth generation iPad. Unlike iPad Mini, iPad 4 with the proper features is priced right (at least according to Apple terms). Here is the price structure of various versions of iPad.
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Version
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Price
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iPad with Wi-Fi
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16 GB
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$499
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32 GB
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$599
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64 GB
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$699
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iPad with Wi-Fi & Cellular
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16 GB
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$629
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32 GB
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$729
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64 GB
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$829
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You can buy iPad 4 fromBest Buy, Amazon, or the Apple Store.
Conclusion
In your decision to buy iPad or any such tablet, price and the specifications are important considerations. The major advantages of iPad 4 are its ability to tackle Wi-Fi and cellular connectivity much better than even existing smartphones. The tablet is powerful enough and with Apple iPad app store containing nearly 300,000 apps, you can do a lot of stuff with this iPad.
And hence, if you already do not own a tablet and are trying to decide whether to buy one, then my recommendation is go, purchase the iPad 4. On the other hand, if you already own the third generation iPad or even the second generation one, then it is not worth your while to even think about upgrading, as iPad 4 is not in any great way different from iPad 3.
[Image from Apple]