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4th-generation iPad

Review: 4th-generation iPad

We review the new 4th-generation iPad with Retina Display

At the iPad mini event, Apple did something that it hasn't done in quite some time: it surprised us. With most of the company's recent products leaking well before their announcements, the days of being thrown for a loop at an Apple event appeared to be over. But thrown for a loop we were, when Apple announced a new 4th-generation iPad.
We knew that a new iPad was coming, but it was supposed to be a new 3rd-generation iPad with a Lightning connector. Instead, we got a new model with not only the new connector, but updated front-facing cameras, and a new A6X chip. A modest upgrade, yes; but a much bigger one than anyone expected.
Now that the iPad 4 is here, is it worth upgrading? Or should you hold out for the inevitable 5th-generation model? Let's take a look.

Design

It's deja vu, all over again

If you've ever used a 3rd-generation iPad, then you're already familiar with the 4th-generation iPad's design. The only external difference is that the older iPad's larger 30-pin port is replaced by the tiny Lightning port.
Otherwise it's the same aluminum build, tapered back, and 9.4-mm thickness. Even the weight stays the same, at 653 g (1.44 lbs). The difference between this iPad and the last is like the jump from the iPhone 3G to 3GS or iPhone 4 to 4S: it's all on the inside.

Display

The best display in the business hasn't changed at all

Nothing has changed here either. It's the exact same 9.7-inch, 2048 x 1536 Retina Display found in the 3rd-generation iPad. Text looks nearly like printed paper, photos are crisp and vibrant, and games like Infinity Blade II and N.O.V.A. 3 offer an absurd amount of graphical detail.
The only other tablet display that compares to the iPad's is the nearly 300 pixels per inch (PPI) screen found in the Nexus 10. We'll have to wait to see these two side-by-side, but there's nothing to complain about in this stellar display.

Performance

The iPad 4 blazed through GTA 3

The iPad 4 is only upgraded in one major area, but it's quite an upgrade. Its A6X chip features a 1.4GHz dual core processor, along with quad core graphics. Apple promised over twice the performance of the 3rd-generation iPad. This was no bloated claim: the new iPad sizzles.
The iPad 3 never felt slow to me, but it also wasn't noticeably zippy. The iPad 4 is. If you've used an iPhone 5, expect similar speeds here. Apps open and close instantly, pictures snap in rapid-fire fashion, and intensive gaming is flawless. Putting the new tablet through Geekbench paces yielded a score of 1766, a huge improvement over the iPad 3's 757.
One of the big places you'll notice the A6X is in loading screens. Apps and games which previously took several seconds to load are now ready in less than half of that time.
The new iPad blazed through one of the more processor-intensive productivity apps, Photoshop Touch. Applying filters, tweaking lighting levels, and making selections all went much quicker on the 4th-generation iPad. Adjusting selections, which used to be interrupted by constant processing, now happens almost in real-time. Adobe hasn't updated its app in any way for the A6X chip, so this boost is without any help from the software.
If the 3rd-generation iPad doesn't feel slow to you, then you might want to keep a distance from this 4th-generation model. After using it, the old one will feel slow.

Cameras

The new(er) iPad's front-facing camera (right) takes much clearer pictures

The front camera was upgraded in the 4th-generation iPad, and it's a noticeable improvement. It's still only 1.2 MP, but that's significantly higher than the VGA front shooter in the iPad 3.
As you can see in the above (non-processed) samples, the new front camera will make your friends look significantly sharper on the 9.7-inch screen.
The rear camera is basically the same as the one in the iPad 3, but Apple is advertising the addition of some of the optics from the iPhone 5. You can see below that it isn't a huge difference, but the new camera does appear to let in a bit more light:

The rear camera is mostly the same, but it does appear to have some improved optics

Wi-Fi

Gizmag's homepage rendered faster, but it was due to the A6X chip, not faster Wi-Fi

Apple claims that the new iPad has improved Wi-Fi capabilities, supporting dual-band (2.4GHz and 5GHz) 802.11n and channel bonding. Depending on your connection, you may see faster network speeds.
On the 20Mbps DSL-based network I tested it on, I saw no difference from the 3rd-generation iPad. Speed tests clocked the 4th-gen. model at roughly the same speeds. Uploads, downloads, and latency were all in the same ballpark. Perhaps those with faster home networks will see improved performance, but I wouldn't recommend basing your purchase on this.

Software

The App Store is still one of the iPad's biggest advantages

Apart from its Jony Ive-helmed design, the biggest reason to choose the iPad over rivals like Surface RT and the Nexus 10 is its software. The App Store has over 275,000 native tablet apps, many more than any of its competitors. A great computer is nothing without great software, and the iPad delivers.
The new iPad presently ships with iOS 6, and you can immediately update it to 6.0.1. Siri, Facebook/Twitter integration, Maps (for better or worse), and all of the familiar staples of iOS are waiting. For more detail, you can see our overview of iOS 6.

Who is it for?

Is it worth upgrading?

When Apple announced the 4th-generation iPad, iPad 3 owners were furious, as their seven-month-old devices were deemed obsolete. There is, however, one big problem with this assessment: the 3rd-generation iPad is far from obsolete. Though the older model is off the market, the iPad 4 is essentially the same device with some improved guts.
Apart from those obsessed with having the latest-and-greatest (and those with money to blow), iPad 3 owners don't even need to consider upgrading. Is the 4th-generation iPad better? Sure. But not by wide enough of a margin to justify dropping an extra US$500 (or more), just a few months after buying its predecessor.
First-time iPad buyers and owners of older iPads (original or iPad 2), though, are in for a treat. The new iPad has one of the best displays you've seen on anything, an attractive design, and turbo-charged performance.

Two caveats

If you're in the market for a new iPad, there are only two reasons to balk at this 4th-generation model: the iPad mini, and the possibility of a new model in March.
If Apple released this iPad 4 only seven months after the iPad 3, who says we won't see an iPad 5 in a few more months? I'm not sure if Apple would abandon its typical iPad release slot and crunch all of its big announcements into the (Northern Hemisphere) autumn. This model was likely released to maximize holiday sales; a bigger update could be just around the corner.
Then there's the iPad mini. Though it sorely misses the larger model's Retina Display, it sports an airy new design, it's more portable, and holding it with one hand is extremely comfortable. If you can tolerate its 1024 x 768 display (1/4 the pixels of the iPad 4's display), it may be a better buy than the full-sized tablet. See our iPad mini review for more.


This article taken from review of  Will Shanklin

iPhone 5 vs. Galaxy S III

There's nothing like a good rivalry. Whether it's Ali vs. Frazier, FC Barcelona vs. Real Madrid, or Magic vs. Bird, gritty duels have a way of getting people pumped. In this Digital Age, consumer tech has its own sets of sworn opponents: in the 80s it was Apple vs. IBM, later we saw Windows vs. OS X, and gamers even have Playstation vs. Xbox.

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In 2012, however, the biggest tech rivalry is the match between the two biggest players in mobile: Apple and Samsung. This one has gotten nasty, extending into international courts. Things only get more interesting with the release of Apple's iPhone 5 this week.
A great product is much more than the sum of its parts, but – even in this post-PC era – specs can matter. If one phone has a quad-core chip with 2GB of RAM, and another a single-core CPU with 128MB of RAM, the first one will be much faster. Likewise, a display with 320 pixels per inch (ppi) will look much sharper than one with 163ppi. You'd be foolish to worship at the altar of specs, but technical details can still shed some light on the subject.
So, with many grains of salt in hand, let's see how Apple's newest iPhone stacks up against the current cream of Android's crop, the Samsung Galaxy S III:

Dimensions

Say what you will about Samsung's originality, but its devices are beloved by millions. The Galaxy S III has an expansive surface, but measures thinner than the previous two iPhones.
The iPhone 5, meanwhile, is Apple's first redesigned handset in over two years. It's longer than the iPhone 4/4S (by 8.6mm), but maintains the same width. At 7.6mm thick, the iPhone 5 is also one of the thinnest smartphones around (the Droid Razr measures at 7.1mm, but it has a protruding hump).

Weight

The iPhone 5 is light. Though the iPhone 4/4S was far from a hulking monstrosity, the new model is 28 grams lighter. Part of this is due to its thinner design (and internal components), but its aluminum backing is the biggest reason. The past two iPhones had glass backs, which naturally added some heft.
Though it may feel heavy next to the iPhone 5, you can do much worse than the Galaxy S III. Despite sporting a monstrous display and a wider build than Apple's latest, it's still a relatively light smartphone.

Display

The iPhone 5 offers the first change in screen size since Apple entered the industry in 2007, boosting the iPhone display from 3.5 to 4 inches. Rather than adding a huge screen with the same 3:2 aspect ratio, though, Tim Cook & company lengthened it. It shifts to a narrower 16:9 aspect ratio: larger, but you can still reach your thumb across the screen.
The Galaxy S III, meanwhile, has a display that is both longer and wider than the iPhone's. If you aren't concerned with thumb reach, the S3 offers significantly more screen real estate.
Size isn't everything though. Apple is promising 44 percent greater color saturation over the iPhone 4/4S. The touch-sensing electrodes are also nearer to the display's surface, moving one step closer to the illusion of ink on paper.

CPU

Remember when I said specs weren't everything? These chips are great examples. On paper, the processors in both versions (North America and international) of the Galaxy S III are superior - faster clock speed and an equal or greater number of cores. But early tests reveal that Apple's custom A6 SoC is a beast, breaking records in Geekbench and Sunspider benchmarks.
Unsurprisingly, the A6's closest rival in those tests has been the Galaxy S III. Both editions of the handset deliver some of the best smartphone performance you'll see in 2012 ... but they may not match the wicked speed of the iPhone 5.

RAM

Another big factor in performance, RAM is evenly matched at 1GB in the iPhone 5 and the global Galaxy S III. The US/Canada S3, meanwhile, doubles the memory with a whopping 2GB.

Storage

Here's another closely-matched category. The 64GB version of Samsung's flagship launches soon, and the only other difference is the microSD card slot that it (and most Android phones) offer.
As always, more flash memory means you're spending more money.

Wireless Connectivity

After over 18 months worth of LTE-equipped Android phones, Apple has now given us an iPhone with "true 4G." Those who live in an area with available coverage will see cellular data speeds that are faster than many home broadband connections.
The Galaxy S III also supports LTE, like most high-end Android phones from the last year or so.

Battery

The biggest reason for Apple taking its sweet time delivering LTE? It took a while to get battery life up to snuff. Early LTE phones like the HTC Thunderbolt and Motorola Droid Bionic sometimes struggled to last a few hours. We finally saw an LTE phone with great battery life in the Droid Razr Maxx, and the Galaxy S III is no slouch either. It should last a full day for most users.
We've yet to put an iPhone 5 through the paces, but Apple promises better battery life than the iPhone 4S, even while on LTE. Early reviews suggest that it lives up to this promise, but we'll update after getting our hands on one.

Camera

You can't go wrong with either camera. At least before the iPhone 5, many valued the S3's shooter as the best on the market. Despite many similarities to the 4S' camera, Apple is promising key improvements over its predecessor - including better low-light shooting.
Apple is highlighting a new panorama shooting feature in iOS 6 (exclusive to the iPhone 4S and iPhone 5). Though it offers Apple's customary polish and attention to detail, there are already several quality third-party panorama apps on both iOS and Android, and a similar stock panorama feature on the S3.

Intangibles

Though Apple design guru Jony Ive isn't part of the iPhone 5, he does represent those elements of Apple's appeal that can't be drawn from tech specs alone. While rival manufacturers focus more on specs, marketable features, and pricing, Apple's main focus is on the customer's experience. That includes the feeling one gets from holding, viewing, and using the product. With its combination of lightness, unprecedented thinness, and beautiful design, the iPhone 5 may epitomize this philosophy more than any prior Apple product.
The Galaxy S III, on the other hand, is today's Android flagship. In a crowded field of high-end smartphones, that's no small feat. In other words, if a friend asked for advice on the one Android phone to buy, you'd be wise to recommend the Galaxy S III.
The Galaxy S III isn't quite on the software cutting edge, sporting the nearly year-old Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (skinned with Samsung's Touchwiz UI). Samsung did, however, cook up several unique features: S Beam (which utilizes its Near Field Communication chip to enable peer-to-peer sharing), a variety of social sharing features, and its (less intelligent) Siri rival, S Voice.
The iPhone 5 ships with iOS 6, which heralds the arrival of a new Apple Maps app - including Siri-powered turn-by-turn navigation - and system-wide Facebook sharing. It also brings incremental improvements to Safari, Mail, iCloud, and Siri.
Long-term Apple customers will notice another big difference this year: Apple has redesigned its bundled earbuds. Now known as Earpods, the tiny headphones promise a more secure and comfortable fit, as well as improved acoustics. As a standalone $30 product, these aren't high-end models for audiophiles, but they do look to drastically improve on the old earbuds.
One last iPhone update to keep in mind: Apple added a new connector to the iPhone 5. Dubbed Lightning, it's smaller, promises faster speeds, and is reversible. Unfortunately, it also requires you to buy a $30 adapter to keep using all of your old docks, speakers, and other accessories. It was time for the old 30-pin connector to go, but it would have been nice to see a cheaper (or bundled) adapter for those old accessories.

Summing Up

So which phone is better? Who's the grand poo-bah of the smartphone market? Much of that will come down to your preferences. If you've already dug your heels into either the Android or iOS camp, then your mind was likely made up long ago. But if you haven't yet chosen a side, we recommend you head to a retail store to get some hands-on time with both phones. It's hard to go wrong with either one.
As the iPhone 5 begins to arrive on people's doorsteps (and in the hands of weary Apple Store campers), we'd love to hear your thoughts about it. Does it live up to expectations, or feel like another incremental update?

"reposted from article of"

By Will Shanklin
September 20, 2012