iPad w/ Retina Display: The iPad (3rd Gen) Killer

Every time Apple is about to launch a new product, rumors are being floated on the web. And even before the product makes an official debut, chances are people have already seen it from online leaks. But if there is one Apple product that was not foreseen by the public, it would be the iPad with Retina Display (4th Gen).

Image by Apple

Why? The new iPad (3rd Gen) has just been around for barely 8 months and it has not even celebrated its first birthday yet. But to everyone's surprise, Apple has announced a new iPad with Retina Display, together with the iPad mini, effectively killing and burying its predecessor, the iPad (3rd Gen), six feet under.

Image by Apple

Again, why? Was the iPad (3rd Gen) so bad that it had to be discontinued? Was it met by lackluster sales? Has Apple gone crazy? No. No. And No. In fact, the iPad (3rd Gen) was one of Apple's best-selling products. The most plausible reason for this is that the iPad (3rd Gen) does not make use of Apple's new proprietary dock/port, which is the Lightning connector, which debuted with the iPhone 5 and iPod touch (5th Gen). That's why Apple has come up with a old new iPad that makes use of the Lightning connector. Other incremental changes to the new iPad are basically add-ons to entice you more.

Image by Apple

So what does the new iPad with Retina Display (4th Gen) look like? Is it really any better than its predecessor? Is it worth the upgrade if you already own the iPad (3rd Gen)? Let's find out.


The 4th Gen iPad shares most of the specifications of its predecessor. It is 9.4 mm thin (thick) and weighs just 1.44 pounds. Its chassis is carved from a single piece of aluminum and like its predecessor, come in 2 colors: black and white. On the front, you will see the 1.2-MP Facetime HD camera. The iconic home button is still situated below the iPad's screen. At the back, the 4th Gen iPad retains its 5-MP snapper (still without a flash) that records 1080p FullHD videos. Below the new iPad, you will see the all-new Lightning port (which is reversible and charges faster) and a loudspeaker. The left side has no buttons at all and the right side contains the volume rocker and the mute/rotation control switch. Overall, nothing has been changed on the design of the 4th Gen iPad, save for the new Lightning port. It is still sleek, solid, classy but definitely breakable.

Image by Apple

With a 9.7-inch LED-backlit IPS TFT display with a 2,048 x 1,536 resolution, the iPad with Retina Display (4th Gen) has basically the same display as the iPad 3. With four times the number of pixels in the iPad 2 and a million more than an HDTV, the 4th Gen iPad has a large, crisp, beautiful display.

Image by Apple

Let's move on to the 4th Gen iPad's primary camera. It is equipped with a 5-megapixel iSight camera that records 1080p Full HD videos. With an ƒ/2.4 aperture, a hybrid IR filter, and a five-element lens, it captures light efficiently to produce a sharper and brighter overall image. Basically, it uses the same camera module used on its predecessor. As mentioned above, it also has a secondary front-facing camera of HD quality. FaceTime on the 4th Gen iPad works over Wi-Fi or cellular, depending on which model/variant you buy. And yes, you can also use it for taking self-portraits or recording 720p HD video.

Image by Apple

Aside from the Lightning connector and bumped-up secondary camera, the only major difference of the iPad with Retina Display from the iPad 3 is its processor. It is equipped with the all-new dual-core A6X chip, which is said to deliver up to twice the CPU and graphics performance of the A5X chip.
It should make the new iPad feel faster and even more responsive. For its GPU, it uses a PowerVR SGX543MP4 module with quad-core graphics. And with a 10-hour battery life, the new iPad packs a lot of power indeed.

Image by Apple

The new iPad is also 4G LTE-capable, which will work with most LTE carriers worldwide. If 4G LTE is not available in your area, the new iPad also work with other advanced networks such as HSPA, HSPA+, and DC-HSDPA so you can download content, stream video, and browse the web at amazing speeds. Should you decide to get the Wi-Fi only version of the new iPad, good news! It now has a dual-band (2.4GHz and 5GHz) 802.11n Wi-Fi and support for channel bonding, wherein download speeds can reach up to 150 Mbps.

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With over 275,000 apps dedicated to the iPad from the App Store, you'll surely make the most out of the new iPad. Available in 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB variants, with 1 GB RAM, make sure you choose the variant with higher storage as the new iPad has no option for memory expansion, which is the case for all iOS devices. The iPad with Retina Display will run on iOS 6 out-of-the-box, which features Siri, a new Clock app, new Maps and navigation app, better iBooks app, better iCloud integration, Facebook and Twitter integration, better Game Center, App Store, AirPlay, AirPrint, and whatnot! The new iPad also has Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi, Internet hotspot and tethering features, accelerometer, gyroscope, compass, GPS (for the cellular version), and so on. Like other iOS devices, it lacks a native YouTube app and the Google Maps app.

Image by Apple

Like its predecessor, the iPad with Retina Display also has a Smart Cover and a Smart Case, which can be bought separately. It's the cover that wakes up, stands up, and brightens up the iPad. The Smart Cover snaps perfectly into place to protect the iPad's screen without adding bulk. The Smart Case covers the iPad (both front and back) yet still retains the thin, light design of iPad. Like the Smart Cover, it folds easily into a stand for reading, typing, and watching video. Both the Smart Cover and the Smart Case are available in 10 different colors, including a (PRODUCT) Red color exclusive to the Online Store.

Image by Apple

Already available for pre-order, the iPad with Retina Display will start shipping on November 2, 2012. LTE variants will be available in late November 2012.

So nobody guessed that Apple would kill the iPad 3 in as short as 8 months, which is unprecedented. But then again, it's Apple. While it's not worth it to upgrade to the 4th Gen iPad if you already own an iPad 3, those who own an older generation iPad would surely feel the difference when they purchase Apple's flagship tablet. Apple's latest is indeed the greatest, at least for Apple fanatics. Join me again next time for an overview of Apple products that have been recently released on the market.

Check out my review on the new iPod touch, the new iPod nano, the iPhone 5, the new iPad mini, the new iPod shuffle, and iOS 6.

Images above taken from Apple's website unless stated otherwise.

Til then...

xoxo Nash