Posts Tagged ‘Ipad 3’
March 30th, 2012 | 
Author: Apple has finally pulled back the curtains on its new iPad, although confusion remains over precisely what to actually call it. Apple is sticking with the `new iPad` moniker but most are calling it the iPad 3 in order to differentiate it from the first and second generations of this popular tablet range.
The iPad 3 makes many impressive technological leaps forward and few are in doubt that it is once more going to be considered as the world`s best tablet. Its battle for supremacy begins with the impressive Retina Display, which at 2048×1536 resolution is twice that of the previous two iPads and considerably higher than every other tablet available to date.
Apple has improved the processing might of the iPad 3 thanks to the inclusion of the new A5X processor. It still has two physical cores like that of the iPad 2 but Apple is claiming that it can achieve quad core graphical fidelity, which is something that will doubtlessly be debated by tech lovers.
In order to address complaints about the iPad 2`s bog standard camera, the iPad 3 features a new iSight five megapixel snapper which is a definite step in the right direction. Full HD 1080p video capture is possible and this footage looks great on the new high-res Retina Display. The iPad range has always been a favourite of creative, arty types and now its photographic abilities are finally being brought up to scratch.
The iPad 3 is the first of Apple`s tablets to feature 4G network connectivity. While previous generations have had the option of 3G available, this represents a significant leap when it comes to mobile data speeds. Of course 4G is not available in every country and so its relevance will depend on your location. You can still pick a Wi-Fi only iteration of the iPad 3 if 4G connectivity is not central to your needs. Onboard storage ranging from 16GB to 64GB is also in tact from previous generations, although as mentioned earlier it is likely that the larger app sizes will make the higher capacity models more popular this time around.
The Apple iPad 3, or the new iPad, is already selling out across the globe, with sales figures sure to dominate popular smartphones like the Galaxy S2 white from Samsung. The positive and negative aspects of the tablet are hardly likely to influence serious Apple fans, because the cult surrounding the iPad itself is arguably more important.
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Google`s Android operating system is making a surprising resurgence in the tablet market, leaving current kings Apple looking a little less dominant, according to BBC News.
The iPad and the iPad 2 have held sway over the tablet market which they have essentially helped created in its current form, but now the 68 per cent share of sales which Apple enjoyed in previous quarters dropped to 58 per cent in the final three months of 2011.
Android, on the other hand, was on the rise, with sales of tablets based on the operating system accounting for 39 per cent of sales in this sector. Meanwhile Microsoft, which does not have a dedicated tablet operating system on the market, made up just 1.5 per cent of units sold in Q4 2011.
The total tablet sales figures for 2011 came to almost 67 million across the world. This is a dramatic increase over the 18.6 million which were bought in 2010, the year of the first iPad`s launch.
The most obvious failures in 2011 were Research in Motion (RIM) and HP. HP gave up on its WebOS-based TouchPad tablet in the middle of the year, selling it at a seriously discounted price point after it had failed to find a niche in the market amongst the iPad and Android alternatives. Meanwhile the BlackBerry Playbook was RIM`s attempt to get its own piece of the pie, although it too has been discounted in an attempt to improve sales.
What will be most interesting in 2012 is the battle between Apple and Amazon, whose Kindle Fire tablet arrived at the tail end of 2011 and the impact of which has yet to be truly examined. The Kindle Fire is about half the price of the basic iPad 2 and runs a heavily modified version of Android 2.3, so the two are not exactly direct competitors. But in the tablet market, anything goes and Apple will be worried about slipping even more market share as Amazon flexes its muscles.
Of course this could all change once the iPad 3 hits shelves, because Apple is thought to have big plans up its sleeve. The most important asset of the iPad 3 will doubtlessly be its display, because a resolution hike is anticipated to bring it in line with Android-based rivals. A quad core A6 processor and much improved onboard cameras are also on the cards according to rumors, which might make iPad 3 devices the most popular free gifts for anyone picking up a new mobile phone contract in 2012.
