What this review will do is consider the differences between the iPad and the iPad 2, and how these changes affect the overall impression of the device - whilst at the same time treating the iPad 2 as an entirely new device on the market (which it is) and give it the fair assessment that it deserves. There are plenty of reviews, guides and analysis of those aspects on Pocket-lint already, and we feel that now, as we reach Mk.II of Apple's iOS tablet experiment (or revolution depending on how you judge it), that you're au fait with the iPad basics, such as the App Store and all the joy that brings, and the general behaviour of the iOS platform. If Apple had rolled out iOS 5.0, it may have been a different story, but we can only deal with what we've got (for now, at least)...
So let's jump straight in with the obvious: it looks a lot more svelte than it's big brother. We don't want to say sexy here, let's just say that the iPad 2 is a damn fine looking piece of "tronic" (electronic). From the front, when taking it out of its box you may not notice the changes straight away (unless you've opted for the white iPad 2 that is). Sure, you'll probably notice the ultra-slim silver trim around the edges - but surely not even the most eagle-eyed user will notice the front-facing camera at first sight.
No, it's only when you pick up your iPad 2 that you'll really notice the difference: 15 per cent lighter doesn't sound a lot, but those 117 fewer grams (Wi-Fi and 3G version) makes a big difference in the hand. As does the 4.2mm trimmed off the thickness: the iPad 2 is so thin at the edges that it is almost blade-sharp.
The iPad 2's curved edges make for easier manipulation of the buttons too as you push up against the device rather than sideways on. The 30-pin dock connector is still down the bottom as per the Apple norm as is the speaker grill - although this is now curved up around the bottom corner and is much bigger. The result is bigger, clearer sound, and it's also much less of an issue when it comes to accidentally covering it up when playing games.
You've also now got a couple of camera lenses on show. On the front you'll see the 0.3-megapixel video calling camera which is capable of shooting 640 x 480 30fps (the brightness sensor has been bumped up above it), and on the rear you'll see the 0.7-megapixel, 720p video shooting (again, 30fps) camera to which you can apply a 5x digital zoom. The cameras mean the inclusion of a couple of new Apple pre-installed apps, FaceTime and PhotoBooth, both of which will be familiar to Apple-users already. We also found that the front camera works within the (albeit iPhone-stretched) Skype app which gives the iPad 2 a fair head start over Android rivals at the moment.
Using the rear facing camera in public is something that is certainly going to draw attention and not for the self-conscious. Holding what amounts to an A4 pad in front of your face to take a picture isn't easy and even then the picture quality you'll get is sub par at best. Add in the smart cover (an optional £39) and you've then got the worry about what happens to that, as you'll inevitably end up holding it while you hold the iPad 2, whilst you also try and take a picture. Although it does fold back on itself. But let's be fair - is the iPad going to become your camera of choice when on the move? It is unlikely to see the easy snappy action that your mobile phone gets, so perhaps it isn't a huge practical issue. Photos can be shared and videos thrown into iMovie (an optional £2.99).
Like the iPhone you get touch focus and a digital zoom and there are a number of apps to help you make the most of the camera. Included and entertaining for about 2 minutes is an iPad version of PhotoBooth. It's really there to show off the power of the new iPad and its dual-core processor, but it will no doubt entertain your kids for longer than it will you.
But it's inside the device that you'll really notice the improvements. No, we're not advising you to hack open your new toy - just fire up some apps and take a look just how quickly they load. The iPad 2 now sports a dual-core A5 processor, with double the RAM (now DDR2) at 512MB. These hardware upgrades, along with Imagination Technologies' PowerVR SGX 543MP2 (in theory more than twice the horsepower of the SGX 535 found in Apple's A4 chips) means a 9x increase in graphics performance.
Just open the BBC News app for example. Side-by-side with the first iPad the app is loaded with the current news stories around 2 seconds faster. But it's when clicking on video content that you'll see the difference. As the iPad changes into video mode, the news story is up and running in a fraction of the time that it used to take. You'll also see a massive difference when clicking a link in an email, attaching photos to an email, changing between apps within the multi-task bar, or changing to Street View on Google Maps. Basically, it does everything your the original iPad does, only much faster. Hell even swiping around the homepage feels faster.
Battery life still seems as good as ever, we've been taking our iPad out and about all weekend - using the Orange 3G connection to download apps and browse, as well as using both cameras and we've still got alot of juice in the tank. Apple is stating "the same amazing 10-hour battery life" and we're not going to argue with that. We've certainly not noticed a difference from the fisrt iPad.
And, despite the lack of a higher resolution display (it's the same 1024 x 768 display as the original), games look superb and play without any stutter. We gave Neon Battle HD a testing and, despite it being a terrible game, it performed much smoother than on an iPad 1. Real Racing 2 HD, which has been "iPad 2 optimised" was noticeably different as well - the edges of vehicles were much less jagged and light effects were a lot more natural. Real Racing 2 HD also has the added bonus of, with the optional HDMI connector, outputting the game to your TV in glorious 1080p, leaving the screen for maps and the like. It's amazing.
So far so good. But there does of course have to be a few negative points from somewhere, and with the iPad 2 (or at least with the three new iPads we've got our hands on - 64GB Wi-Fi and 3G version from Orange, Vodafone and Apple) there seems to be a bit of a glitch with backlight bleeding. The glitch isn't noticeable on the usual homescreen, or on most apps, or browsing. It's only when viewing at a dark image, or viewing a movie with night scenes that it becomes apparent. The backlights are clearly visible around the edges, creating a yellowish tint, which destroys the overall atmosphere of the scene or image.
A quick look on Google highlights that we're not the only users suffering this issue - and a call to the Apple Store indicates that it's quite popular. The Apple rep did say, to be fair, that they would exchange any damaged product but stated that it was a known issue and it may happen again on a replacement device. Our advice would be to wait around a few weeks for a new batch (even if the problem is only sporadic) - although, looking at the iPad 2 sales news, you've probably got no choice but to wait anyway.
Now, in the introduction we did state that we'd treat the iPad 2 as a new device, judging it on its own merits. But it's just so damn hard to not be a bit annoyed at Apple. And not because it is holding stuff back for the next version (as it always does with all of its devices) such as NFC, or direct HDMI out, but because it missed the obvious inclusion that would have led to the iPad 2 putting the original into the shade, and create an instant wow-factor. We know that an iPhone 4 higher-resolution "Retina display" would probably be too costly in terms of manufacturing to include on a 9.7-inch screen. But would it have caused too many heart-attacks in the Cupertino boardroom to include a higher resolution display?
The Motorola Xoom is going to come packing a 1280 x 800 display, as is the skinnier-than-thou Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 - the two devices that will probably be the iPad 2's main competitors when it comes to tablet supremacy for 2011. It may well be that Apple has missed a trick in not altering the iPad 2's display from the 1024 x 768, 132ppi, LED-backlit IPS LCD as was used in the original. It's certainly a shame to have the power of the dual-core A5 chip, with its 9x faster graphics, and not have a sparkly new display to show its capabilities off.
In a survey of the 632 users who queued up at the Regent Street store for the launch of the iPad 2, 33 per cent said they wanted it for games - they won't be disappointed. We're sure that game developers will make good use of the newly introduced three-axis gyroscope giving you a total of six-axis when you combine the accelerometer - but it's the speed that makes the iPad 2 another heavyweight Apple product that will sell by the millions.
Whether that speed alone is enough to convince the nay-sayers, who are slightly underwhelmed by the iPad 2's release (could iPad 1.5 have been a better moniker?), or even prove to be enough to battle the Android threat from the likes of Motorola, HTC and Samsung, remains to be seen. There are elements of the iPad 2 that will frustrate, its reliance on the PC is certainly one and the way it handles notifications is another.
Over all the iPad is a great product,
And with a black friday sales price of $449.99, it's worth every penny
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