Besides the iPad mini, Apple is launching another new iPad on Friday -- the 4th Generation iPad. The embargo has been lifted on those reviews as well, though they contain no real surprises. The 4th Generation iPad came out only seven months after the 3rd Generation model.
The changes include a faster A6X processor running at 1.4GHz allowing the device to run twice as fast as its predecessor. The new processor doesn't worsen battery life. Engadget's testing even showed it to be slightly improved. The front facing camera has been upgraded to take HD video, and the only other external change is the replacement of the 30 pin dock connector with the new smaller Lightning connector. CNet sums it up:
The latest iPad adds several tweaks and improvements to secure its position at the top of the tablet heap. It's better all around, but third-gen owners need not apply.
The other interesting effect the new iPad has on Apple's product line is that it increases the gap between the iPad 2 and the "new iPad". Apple has chosen to keep the iPad 2 at the $399 starting price point and simply retired the 3rd Generation model, replacing it with the new one. That $100 difference between the two models now represent a larger feature gap than before.
Lovely. My "new iPad" lasted all of 7 months. Is that the shortest product life cycle ever for an Apple product?
(Of course, it still works fine, and I will continue to use it. It's just never a nice feeling knowing your product got superseded by the new model -- twice as fast even -- while yours isn't even out of warranty yet. Oh well...)
Got my iPad 3 in April and see no compelling reason to get the 4. Will wait another cycle or 2 as long as this one works for me.
You shouldn't feel compelled at all to upgrade. I am glad you aren't. THe iPad3 is a great piece of hardware and there is no reason to move from it to the new iPad refresh.
Tuesday November 28, 2023 3:09 pm PST by Juli Clover
Apple is ending its credit card partnership with Goldman Sachs, according to The Wall Street Journal. Apple plans to stop working with Goldman Sachs in the next 12 to 15 months, and it is not yet clear if Apple has established a new partnership for the Apple Card. Apple and Goldman Sachs will dissolve their entire consumer partnership, including the Apple Card and the Apple Savings account....
Tuesday November 28, 2023 12:18 pm PST by Juli Clover
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Apple is discontinuing in-house modem development after several unsuccessful attempts to perfect its own custom 5G modem chip, according to unconfirmed reports coming out of Asia. According to the operator of news aggregator account "yeux1122" on the Naver blog, supply chain sources related to Apple's 5G modem departments claim that the company's attempts to develop its own modem have...
Monday November 27, 2023 7:03 am PST by Joe Rossignol
As the end of 2023 nears, now is a good opportunity to look back at some of the devices and accessories that Apple discontinued throughout the year. Apple products discontinued in 2023 include the iPhone 13 mini, 13-inch MacBook Pro, MagSafe Battery Pack, MagSafe Duo Charger, and leather accessories. Also check out our lists of Apple products discontinued in 2022 and 2021. iPhone Mini ...
Tuesday November 28, 2023 3:55 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Google Drive users have been warned not to disconnect their account within the Google Drive for desktop app, after a spate of reports of files going missing from the cloud service. Alarm bells began ringing last week on Google's community support site when some users reported files mysteriously disappearing from Google Drive, with some posters claiming six or more months of data had...
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(Of course, it still works fine, and I will continue to use it. It's just never a nice feeling knowing your product got superseded by the new model -- twice as fast even -- while yours isn't even out of warranty yet. Oh well...)