Sandy
Apple's new iPad goes on sale in the US tomorrow, and although the first full reviews find some minor faults they all suggest it will maintain its postition as the top tablet thanks to an array of incremental improvements.
The device goes on sale in the UK on 25 March. Here's our review of the US reviews:
The New York Times: The "improvement in thinness, weight and speed transforms the experience", says David Pogue. "But the shocker here, though, is that the iPad 2 actually costs less than its comparably equipped Android rivals, like the Xoom and the Samsung Galaxy Tab," he adds.
The Wall Street Journal: "While it’s evolutionary rather than revolutionary like the first model, the changes Apple has made are generally pleasing and positive," says Walt Mossberg. "But, despite gaining a faster processor, and the front and rear cameras, it still carries the same base price of $499, which competitors have so far found hard to match," he adds, echoing favourable price comparisons made by every reviewer.
MacWorld: Like other reviewers, Jason Snell was impressed with the new iPad's battery life. "Despite the boosts in processing power... the iPad’s all-day battery life, perhaps its killer feature, remains intact," he notes. As for software, the iOS 4.3 upgrade is "is hardly earth-shattering, but does offers a few nice new features", such as AirPlay wireless video streaming for third-party apps.
Engadget: Most reviewers' biggest gripe is with the quality of the iPad 2's front an rear cameras. As Joshua Topolsky explains: "Let's just put this out there: the iPad 2 cameras are really pretty bad." They are good enough for video calls, he says, but "neither one of these produces remotely satisfying results for still shots, and in particular (when compared with something like the Xoom), the back camera just seems utterly second rate."
USA Today: Edward C Baig sums Apple's latest creation up: "The iPad 2 doesn't deliver everything on your tablet wish list. But when it comes to the ever-evolving state of the art, iPad 2 is second to none." Like other reviewers, he notes the screen is no improvement on the first iteration - perhaps a target for the Apple engineers who are doubtless at work on iPad 3.
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