So the much-anticipated iPad 3 has been announced. The new model is certainly impressive, but the news didn't set the world alight, nor budge Apple's stock price significantly. Let's strip away that shiny case and see what's been upgraded, and who will stand to benefit from the improvements.
Two factors stand out as noteworthy. First is the screen - the new iPad boasts 2x the resolution of the second generation, at 2048x1536. That's considerably better than the resolution required for 1080p HDTV. Second is fast mobile data, with LTE modems in some models (where the previous generation was WiFi+3G or WiFi only).
Put the two together and Apple's media strategy is very clear. Unfortunately, that's not a strategy that will get much traction in SA without access to the Apple network of media partners. It will still be a great device for offline media, and it will certainly sell here because it is an extremely desirable gadget, but the real value will remain geographically limited for the time being.
The upgraded chipset is as much about driving that huge display as anything else. The bump from A5 to A5X means it's now a dual-core CPU, with four GPU cores for graphics. Twice the RAM (1Gb now) won't hurt either, but the iPad was pretty snappy to start with.
Storage remains unchanged, with 16, 32 and 64GB versions. With its very obvious usage as a media device, that sounds surprising at first - HD video runs to multiple gigabytes and the iPad lacks built-in expansion slots to increase that storage. The future of video, Apple seems to be saying, is definitely the cloud. Again, not ideal for those of us who aren't under that particular cloud.
Battery life should remain comparable with the iPad 2, Apple claims, despite those power-hungry upgrades. Four times the on-screen pixels, extra processor/GPU cores, and a thirsty LTE modem are all more demanding than the earlier model. Apple has upgraded the battery from 25 to 42.5 watt hours, which allows it to drive the beefier hardware for the rated 9 hours.
That chunkier battery (and screen wiring, apparently) means that Apple has had to compromise, very slightly, in vital statistics. The new iPad is 0.6mm thicker than the previous generation, and weighs 50g more. In any other product line, that wouldn't even rate a mention, but Apple's fixation on aesthetics highlights the compromise that must have entailed.
Little in the software update warrants mention, except perhaps for the omission of Siri. Again, without much South African support, that won't particularly trouble SA users, but it surprised many observers. iPads operate in less reliable network conditions than the always-connected iPhone, and the prospect of disappointed users may have persuaded Apple to withhold Siri from its tablet.
Prices will range from $499 for the Wifi-only 16GB model, to an eye-watering $829.00 for the LTE 64GB version. That means only one thing - Apple has worked its supply-chain wizardry yet again, producing a more valuable product for the same shelf price as its predecessor (which will now drop slightly in price - $399/$529 for 16 GB models).
Competitive pressure
Is the Android tablet market able to stand up to Apple's latest and greatest? Yes and no. The new iPad may actually not mean very much, competitively-speaking. The iPad is already the market leader, with 57% share, and good enough that the second generation won “Best Tablet” at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona last week despite being a year older than all its competitors. This new model is easily a full generation ahead of the Android tablet market, but mostly in terms of the factors that Apple cares about - particularly media playback. In other ways, the iPad is still behind in the areas where the competitors focus, such as price spread (the reduced price for the iPad 2 is still double the price of Amazon's Kindle Fire, which leapt to 14% market share after launch), expandability (most Android tablets feature SD card slots and USB ports), and ecosystem.
The case for business
Should enterprise users care? In very specific ways, yes. For access to enterprise applications, particularly remote desktop apps, having a tablet with a screen resolution comparable to a big desktop monitor is a distinct plus. Most of the other plus points are very solidly on the side of the consumer.
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