The embargo has lifted on the reviews for the 3rd Generation iPad, and they are starting to trickle out. Here are links and summaries of some of the more prominent reviews:
- Text in most apps will automatically take advantage of Retina display, though with some exceptions (Kindle App) - "The third-generation iPad had a frame rate 1.6 times that of the iPad 2" - 3rd Gen iPad almost identical physically to iPad 2 - Video quality of 1080p video recorded was "very good" even in low light - "AT&T’s LTE network in San Francisco was impressive." with 14.5Mbps/20.6Mbps download and upload rates.
- "Remember how startling it was to go from one of those giant standard definition projector TVs to an HDTV? That’s what this is like." - Screen is a huge difference from iPad 2. - Movies and photos are crystal clear
- "Once you see and use the new iPad, there will be no going back." - LTE: "Really fast. Faster-than-my-WiFi fast." - LTE: 40 mbps down and 20mbps up on Verizon - Bigger battery, and does get noticeably warm in lower left corner after prolonged use.
- "I'm not being hyperbolic or exaggerative when I say it is easily the most beautiful computer display I have ever looked at." - Verizon LTE: 22Mbps down, 21Mbps in mid-town Manhattan - Battery tests almost matched Apple's claims.
- "If you already own an iPad 2, and like it, you shouldn’t feel like you have to rush out to buy the new one." - Was able to use smaller font sizes to read books and email on 3rd Gen iPad vs iPad 2
- "Really, the new iPad should have been called the iPad 2S." - "Apple just took its white-hot iPad and added the latest screen, battery and cellular technologies."
Apple may have canceled the super scratch resistant anti-reflective display coating that it planned to use for the iPhone 17 Pro models, according to a source with reliable information that spoke to MacRumors.
Last spring, Weibo leaker Instant Digital suggested Apple was working on a new anti-reflective display layer that was more scratch resistant than the Ceramic Shield. We haven't heard...
Apple has completed Engineering Validation Testing (EVT) for at least one iPhone 17 model, according to a paywalled preview of an upcoming DigiTimes report.
iPhone 17 Air mockup based on rumored design
The EVT stage involves Apple testing iPhone 17 prototypes to ensure the hardware works as expected. There are still DVT (Design Validation Test) and PVT (Production Validation Test) stages to...
Wednesday April 30, 2025 3:59 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple is preparing to launch a dramatically thinner iPhone this September, and if recent leaks are anything to go by, the so-called iPhone 17 Air could boast one of the most radical design shifts in recent years.
iPhone 17 Air dummy model alongside iPhone 16 Pro (credit: AppleTrack)
At just 5.5mm thick (excluding a slightly raised camera bump), the 6.6-inch iPhone 17 Air is expected to become ...
Apple will likely manufacture its 20th anniversary iPhone models in China, despite broader efforts to shift production to India, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
In 2027, Apple is planning a "major shake-up" for the iPhone lineup to mark two decades since the original model launched. Gurman's previous reporting indicates the company will introduce a foldable iPhone alongside a "bold"...
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch, which launched on April 24, 2015. Yesterday, we recapped features rumored for the Apple Watch Series 11, but since 2015, the Apple Watch has also branched out into the Apple Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch SE, so we thought we'd take a look at what's next for those product lines, too.
2025 Apple Watch Ultra 3
Apple didn't update the...
Tuesday April 29, 2025 1:30 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
Wednesday April 23, 2025 8:31 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices.
Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025:
Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
Tuesday April 29, 2025 3:36 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
All upcoming iPhone 17 models will come equipped with 12GB of RAM to support Apple Intelligence, according to the Weibo-based leaker Digital Chat Station.
The claim from the Chinese leaker, who has sources within Apple's supply chain, comes a few days after industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that the iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max will all be equipped with 12GB of RAM.
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it's somewhat ironic that tech writers are the ones who tend to be dismissive about these kinds of "incremental" updates. maybe it's b/c they're so focused on the specs and numbers that have surrounded computers for the last couple of decades.
nevermind that it's really really hard to get it that slim and the screen that beautiful while at the same time increasing the battery by 40%, putting in a new camera system, and all the while, keeping the price the same.
tech writers, for some reason, have no idea how hard it is to make something...maybe that's why they write and not make.
For people complaining about the 3rd gen. iPad, you really can't. It offers a phenomenal user experience. The app store, ease-of-use, responsiveness and ecosystem were already amazing, but now you have an iPad with an ultra-high resolution display, more speed, better graphics, a better camera and dictation.
Enjoy it. There's nothing else comparable to the iPad right now.
There hasn't been a tablet comparable to the iPad since it was released.
Looks like the reviews are going to make all of us pre-orderers just a little more happy tonight.
Come on, Friday!
The screen was the reason I bought it. I fail to see how a spec bump would affect user experience as much as the display, which is the whole point of the device.
