iPad 3 March release date evidence builds

By Tom Phillips Published 16 January, 2012

Resolution so high it will "look like printed material".

Reputable news agency Bloomberg has thrown further behind weight rumours that Apple is readying iPad 3 for release this March.

Sources close to Apple apparently told Bloomberg that iPad 3 will ship in March, resplendent with quad-core processor and higher screen resolution.

Mass production is said to be already under way, with controversial Chinese manufacturer Foxconn running factories 24 hours a day to meet demand. Cringe.

The report stated that iPad 3 will support 4G wireless standard LTE, and have "more pixels on its screen than some high-definition televisions" - enough to make images "look like printed material".

The Bloomberg report backs up what we've already heard - that Apple will release iPad 3 in March and iPad 4 in October.

iPad.

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Phillips

Tom joined Eurogamer in 2010 and has quickly made his mark writing news and columns and coming up with puntastic straplines. Questionable beard. @TomPhillips151 on Twitter.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Phillips archive page.

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Comments (114) Latest comment 4 months ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • peterfll #1 4 months ago

    I thought it might be too soon, but then Apple announced the iPad 2 in March last year and started taking orders for it. So I guess it's plausible given that Apple often operate on a 12 - 18 month cycle for their product lines.

    Edit - it's been a while since I've been first poster, and I just realised the power you can wield by re-editing your post to say something completely contradictory, or completely irrelevant.




    PENIS.
    Edited by peterfll at 16/01/12 @ 22:12

  • Zozzilla #2 4 months ago

    Meh.

  • Miths #3 4 months ago

    "more pixels on its screen than some high-definition televisions"

    So 1281x721 then? :)

  • abigsmurf #4 4 months ago

    Now now, I'm sure Foxconn employees won't be working 24/7 on the ipads. At least some of that time will be spent being talked down from the roof. That counts as a break right?

    As for the ipad, not sure how much benefit there is to a 'retina' display in a tablet held much further away than a phone. It's yet another resolution and CPU/GPU combination for IOS developers to have to cater for though.

  • linksdad #5 4 months ago

    Its alright quad coring the cpu and all, but what is going to drive all those pixels?
    If they are running at 4X res, then to maintain performance in 3d the gfx core is going to have to scale accordingly.

  • Eraser #6 4 months ago

    More cores, more pixels, more everything. But in the end, it's still an iPad. So I say "no thanks" to you.

  • superted1974 #7 4 months ago

    Wow - if the first 6 posts are anything to go by this ipad 3 is going to boomb!

    Come on guys - it will sell millions.

  • wizlon #8 4 months ago

    Creating assets for iOS devices is going to be a nightmare very soon and images in 4 different resolutions is going to inflate the package sizes something crazy.

  • Dismiss #9 4 months ago

    Given that I use my iPad primarily for reading, browsing and remote desktop control, a (significantly) higher resolution is the only upgrade that would make sense for me.

  • Miths #10 4 months ago

    I've been eyeing the tablet market the last few months, but if and when I finally do buy one I'm definitely going with Android, just like my phone (Galaxy S2).

    Obviously iPad doesn't suffer severely in the screen size department like iPhone does against many recent Android phones, but I've nevertheless gotten so used to the extreme customizability of Android that I don't think I could go back to the simplified interface of an iOS device. Even if iPad/iPhone still have some games that make me look at them with envy (but then I only really use handheld devices for gaming on rare occasions, so it's really more out of curiosity I sometimes download games).

  • Darren #11 4 months ago

    I'm sure this will be a stylish, desirable piece of hardware but it's made by Apple and therefore will likely be obscenely overpriced as all their products are so I'll pass thank you. I'm still waiting for Apple to make something that is competitively priced and actually better than its rival product. I think I'm in for a long wait though. ;)

  • Zozzilla #12 4 months ago

    @superted1974 Only because the people who insist on buying every revision of all Apple's products have more money than sense. I'll be sticking with my iPad 2. It cost too much to just replace because the next one will have a slightly better screen.

  • abigsmurf #13 4 months ago

    @linksdad The GPU/CPU is thought to be the same as that in Vita.

    Of course the Vita has much faster ram, faster flash, much less OS Overhead and much lower level access to the HW than in the ipad but expect Apple to fill their presentation with lots of half truths and outright lies like they always do.

  • Feanor #14 4 months ago

    iPad 4 in October still sound unlikely.

  • des #15 4 months ago

    meh
    Edited by des at 16/01/12 @ 15:26

  • mr2ange #16 4 months ago

    @Miths Dude, 720p tvs are 99% 1366 x 768, not 1280x720 as people think, you're thinking pc monitor res my friend.

    edit - so you're saying 1367 x 769, i see :)
    Edited by mr2ange at 16/01/12 @ 15:25

  • FireMonkey #17 4 months ago

    @Darren - You forgot to add that it will also be obsolete in a years time and if you own anything other than the latest version Apple fans will start sneering at you.

  • evnewell #18 4 months ago

    I'm pleased to hear this, even though I will never buy an apple product again. I can't stand iTunes and I can't stand closed software. Everything about apple's philosophy repels me as a consumer... but

    They do seem to make the best hardware - and they do set the standard for all the other companies to follow. So I'm pleased to hear that the iPad3 will have these improvements. That means that in a year, I'll be able to get something similar from Samsung which will run on android.

    iPad and iPhone are toys, while the android devices are straight up computers. If I want a toy, I'll probably buy a Vita.

  • Zozzilla #19 4 months ago

    @diddy1978 STOP SHOUTING

  • Eldritch #20 4 months ago

    iPad and iPhone are toys, while the android devices are straight up computers. If I want a toy, I'll probably buy a Vita.
    You're taking the piss, right?

  • DozyKipper #21 4 months ago

    @linksdad I would guess that because it is exactly 2x more pixels in height and width that games will stick to being made in 1024x768 but will be scaled up. Because the res is exactly 4x the smoothing will make everything look OK.

  • jetsetwillie #22 4 months ago

    copy and paste tired, generic over used apple hate here

  • super_monty #23 4 months ago

    Apple do update their products often but i never feel the need to get the latest model because they work so well even years after.

  • coolbritannia #24 4 months ago

    You all act like an apple device immediately implodes the second a new model is released. I've owned multiple upgrades of the gameboy, xbox 1, xbox 360, ipod, iphone....what's the big deal?

  • StooMonster #25 4 months ago

    @super_monty Apple do update their products often

    I must be missing something.

    Do other manufacturers update their hardware less frequently than every 12 to 18 months? Do HTC keep the same phones for two years? Do Dell keep the same laptop models for more than a year?

    I didn't realise Apple updated their product lines more frequently than any other hardware company.

  • RedRain #26 4 months ago

    @coolbritannia The difference being they dont release a new one every 12 to 16 months and my biggest hate no USB/SD ports i still cant beleave they get away with that

  • jonbwfc #27 4 months ago

    @abigsmurf You seem very certain of the exact technical specifications of a product that hasn't even been officially acknowledged yet.
    Edited by jonbwfc at 16/01/12 @ 15:55

  • Eldritch #28 4 months ago

    iTunes is a bad joke, and Apple have a serious problem with scammers who seem to be able to charge random people 80 EUR via Click & Buy for in-app purchases they never made. In fact, Apple does bugger all to stop them.

    But their hardware is still nice.

    So, it's a mixed bag. Such is life.

  • manic_mouse #29 4 months ago

    @Darren A long wait?

    http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/11/07/29/pc_makers_struggling_to_match_macbook_air_pricing_ahead_of_ultrabook_launches/

    http://bestandroidgadgets.devhub.com/Android/612753-price-comparison-on-top-android-tablets-versus-ipad-2/

    Also, love the people spouting the usual garbage about iPhone's being obsolete in a year etc.

    You morons do realise that Apple support their devices far longer than any Android?

    http://www.thatsitguys.com/articles/android-iphone-update-chart-theyre-all-fragmented

    It would be great to come into comments to listen to intelligent, well informed opinions rather than the bile demonstrated in this thread.
    Edited by manic_mouse at 16/01/12 @ 15:56

  • UncleLou #30 4 months ago

    As for the ipad, not sure how much benefit there is to a 'retina' display in a tablet held much further away than a phone.

    I don't know, being used to the iPhone 4's screen, I notice I have to make text on the iPad bigger even if I hold it at the same distance. A high-res screen could tempt me to update - along with more RAM, admittedly, as I cautiously bought the 16GB version, not anticipating I'd use it as excessively as I do.

  • dadrester #31 4 months ago

    @coolbritannia
    You all act like an apple device immediately implodes the second a new model is released...what's the big deal?

    You clearly don't have a 3GS running iOS5. Yesterday I typed an entire 40 character text message before it managed to render what I had written. Sluggish doesn't cover it.

  • Bander #32 4 months ago

    @abigsmurf If the PSVita is rendering games at less than its native resolution (according to Digital Foundry), which in turn is less than the resolution of the iPad 1 and 2, it's not going to be enough to make something genuinely pretty on iPad 3 unless developers ignore the resolution.

    Apple aren't making this for games developers. They just know that screen resolutions are something they can easily market (as proven by the Retina Display).

  • Ryze #33 4 months ago

    @Miths

    Probably 1367 x 769, mate.

  • Eldritch #34 4 months ago

    @UncleLou The iPod touch 4 I have really spoilt me when it comes to pixel density. Now everything else looks pixelated and blurry. I really hope the iPad 3 will have at least the same pixel density as the iPod touch / iPhone 4...

  • UncleLou #35 4 months ago

    iPad and iPhone are toys, while the android devices are straight up computers. If I want a toy, I'll probably buy a Vita.

    They are? Using mine 70% of the time to read newspapers I used to have print subscriptions to, saving money in the process. There aren't comparable Android apps out, I've checked. If I wanted to tinker, I'd consider an Android. For my personal "serious" purposes, there is sadly no alternative atm.

  • WadiumArcadium #36 4 months ago

    I feel a bit sorry for people who have to upgrade to the newest one immediately when it comes out. Sounds decent though.

  • darkmorgado #37 4 months ago

    Really?

    If people are stupid enough to upgrade immediately to what is, by all accounts, a minor upgrade, then why do they deserve sympathy?

    Fools and their money, etc.

  • MENTAL1ST Verified Senior Software Engineer, Picsel UK Ltd. #38 4 months ago

    So 1281x721 then?

    Nope, 2048 * 1536.

    It seems a little silly to have a higher-than-1080p screen at 9.7 inches, but then you can typically get your face a lot closer to an iPad than a static TV, or even a computer monitor.

    They've got to have something for that CPU / GPU combination (likely to be very similar to the one in PSVita) to do.

  • Brownstudy #39 4 months ago

    I know this makes me deeply uncool but I'm very excited about ipad 3. I'm not an apple fanboy but I do love using their stuff. Had an iPhone 3GS a while back but lost it during a drunken cab journey. I decided to try something else and went for the htc hd7. With the windows phone 7.5 update it was, on paper, as good as an iPhone. But it just wasn't anywhere as enjoyable to use and the sound quality was horrible. Now I've got the 4s. It's incredible. I can't wait to replace my shitty netbook with the new iPad.

    There's a rumour that it will be encased in carbon fibre - my favourite material. I certainly hope that's true.

  • PinktotheLast #40 4 months ago

    @WadiumArcadium

    I've bought both iPads so far. You can get upwards of £200 for a recycled iPad, and as the base model costs £400, that's £200 a year to update something I use for at least 2 hours a day, and often alot more.

    It makes perfect sense to me. Well at least no less sense than keeping up with the equally unnecessary pursuit of gaming which I also enjoy.

  • Eldritch #41 4 months ago

    @MENTAL1ST Doesn't seem silly to me at all. There's no such thing as too much pixel density. And if you want the same kind of image quality as on the iPhone 4, 2048 * 1536 is the resolution to go for.

  • MENTAL1ST Verified Senior Software Engineer, Picsel UK Ltd. #42 4 months ago

    It's yet another resolution and CPU/GPU combination for IOS developers to have to cater for though.

    Actually if it works the same as the retina display iPad 4, iOS does a lot of the legwork for you automatically, and will probably sharpen all the OS-drawn text and system UI elements even in old apps for you. And the CPU/GPU are (following past form) effectively just faster versions of the same ones in iPhone 3GS.

  • DjSolid_AGR #43 4 months ago

    iDon't care

  • CaptainQuint #44 4 months ago

    Haters gonna hate, but the iPad 2 is by far the best thing I've bought in ages. Anything which gets people out of being hunched over a PC like Gollum in his undies was only ever gonna be a positive, worthwhile purchase.

    There's really no need to update to the latest iteration, though.

  • flaming.carrot #45 4 months ago

    @darkmorgado People upgrade because the want the product and think it's worth the money asked. Nothing stupid in that - some people buy a brand new car every couple of years too, guess they are stupid too.

  • telboy007 #46 4 months ago

    Eventually iPad 2 only apps appeared, is there anything with the iPad3 (other than the resolution) that could see me missing out on stuff?

    Edit: The post above has suddenly answered all my questions. :D
    Edited by telboy007 at 16/01/12 @ 16:18

  • MENTAL1ST Verified Senior Software Engineer, Picsel UK Ltd. #47 4 months ago

    I'm sure this will be a stylish, desirable piece of hardware but it's made by Apple and therefore will likely be obscenely overpriced as all their products are so I'll pass thank you.

    iPads are probably Apple's most reasonably priced product compared to their competition.

  • Eldritch #48 4 months ago

    @flaming.carrot In a way, they are, because a car is (still) considerably more expensive than an iPad. Okay, depends on the car.

  • Syrette #49 4 months ago

    What exactly will the iPad 4 be able to offer if it's released in the same year then?

  • alexbulluk #50 4 months ago

    The only resolution that would make sense is 2048x1536 - which will require a pretty meaty CPU/GPU combo to produce good looking games. I hope this isn't going to be an excuse for Apple to slap on another £100 or something.

    Still. I'm a sucker for Apple products, so I'll probably be upgrading my iPad 2 in a few months then :/

  • TazerFan #51 4 months ago

    Cool, about ready for an upgrade anyhow.

    Er, 3 of you don't like that? I wonder why. My iPad 1 has become terribly laggy since installing iOS5 so I'm eager to get a faster iPad.
    Edited by TazerFan at 17/01/12 @ 16:58

  • onezeonx #52 4 months ago

    @Syrette free porn for all!

  • onezeonx #53 4 months ago

    @Eurogameruser have ever you just made up all these ipad 3 specs or do you have links to back them up?

    Not attacking your post just would like to know.

    Also when are the ipad 3 getting announced?
    I'm trying to wait but I want a tablet asap and ipad 2 or Samsung Tab 10.1 are tempting me!

  • Lamb #54 4 months ago

    I don't believe 4G will come out here until next year and then they better have some decent price plans or they shouldn't bother.

  • goldbug #55 4 months ago

    @wizlon Four different resolutions! Noooooo! It'll be like having to build software for the PC. . . fifteen years ago. . .

  • ZizouFC #56 4 months ago

    I skipped the iPad 2 and stuck with my iPad 1... I think I'll skip another generation.

    There have been maybe 5 iPad 2 only games so far? 3 years is pretty good going. No need to upgrade every year.

  • Letsalljusthavefun #57 4 months ago

    In relation to Foxconn, this letter was released today by Tim Cook (CEO of Apple): http://bit.ly/xtdKc5

    Obviously, there is an element of PR going on here, and if there was genuine care about the products manufacture it wouldn't be made in China, but nonetheless it's nice to see that at least some work is being made to make the working conditions as good as possible.

  • rogermellie #58 4 months ago

    @dadrester

    Strange, I do and mine always runs silky smooth.

    My 3G (iOS4) did lag when compared to iOS3, but no where near the level that was reported in the press.

  • abigsmurf #59 4 months ago

    @jonbwfc It's been known for a while that Apple would go for that CPU/GPU combination and they've been using rubbish cheap flash and ram in every portable device they've released.

  • Frankie_Lee #60 4 months ago

    @Darren Normally I'd agree, but there hasn't been a comparable device from Android etc that is significantly cheaper, so I guess it's not particularly overpriced?

  • linksdad #61 4 months ago

    I wonder if they have a screen breakage rate as high as the current one - and expect £250+ quid for the pleasure of repairing the fucking thing. cunts.

  • DrStrangelove #62 4 months ago

    I think the iPad offers better value than its competitors.

    a) comparable android pads are in a similar price range.
    b) Apple products have exceptional resale value, so if you later sell it again, your net cost is going to be lower than with competing produts.
    c) the software lineup still is greater for the iPad.
    d) the highly standardised nature of the iPad means you're going to have fewer compatibility problems than with one of all those Android tablets with their different concepts, different resolutions, different performance, etc.
    e) while some competitors also certainly offer high quality, I'm never quite so sure about it as I am with Apple, who just seem to put a lot of thought in everything. Look at the two Sony tablets recently reviewed here, I know they can make a great product (like Apple) with the Tablet S, but literally at the same time they also make utter tat like the Tablet P. Everyone knows Apple will never make rubbish like that. Just makes me feel more confident with my buy.

    I'm not an Apple fanboy, mind. I do appreciate their products, but I have an Android phone, simply because it does everything I want from a smartphone, but at a third of the iPhone's price. I don't see the same happening with tablets anytime soon. If I buy a tablet someday, it will quite certainly be an iPad.

  • jonbwfc #63 4 months ago

    @linksdad Well , you could try, you know, NOT BREAKING THE SCREEN.

  • norsende #64 4 months ago

    "Hey even if it's faster and all, it's still an iPad which I still can not afford, so I must hate on the product!!!"

  • gruntboy #65 4 months ago

    The Bloomberg report backs up what we've already heard - that Apple will release iPad 3 in March and iPad 4 in October.
    Not really. It backs up the first part (iPad 3 in March), but makes absolutely no mention of iPad 4 in October.

  • gamingdave #66 4 months ago

    It has to be 2048*1536 if they are upping the res, and I would be very surprised if they didn't in this one.

    The iPhone has come in 2 resolutions, one double the other, which allows for very good scaling of those apps written for the earlier devices. It also means as a developer you can build one set of assets for the higher res device then scale them down for the other.

    I would be very surprised if the iPad didn't follow the same way

  • Skooch #67 4 months ago

    I hope this is true, a release in March coincides with me being in the US, so would probably pick up a reduced price iPad 2. I too hate iTunes and the lack of USB/SD but it's a nice bit of hardware that's very sexy to use.

    EDIT: Negged for expressing an opinion! Oh, I do love EG comments section sometimes...
    Edited by Skooch at 17/01/12 @ 14:49

  • septimus #68 4 months ago

    It's going to be nice. It will perform better than any Android tablet, it will sell better and it will have more apps and games. You'll all still bitch about it in these comments.

    New year, new device.... and a repeat of last year.

    There will be some amazing things on Android, but only a few select devices will be able to make use of them.

  • kangarootoo #69 4 months ago

    What a grumpy and predictable thread.

    I finally got an iPad 2 last year, and I think it is brilliant. Web browsing, email, reading books and music recording can now all be done on a device that is light, to hand and takes zero seconds to "boot". Fomr many tasks, a PC or handheld console will do the job better, but for many many everyday tasks there is simply nothing to touch it.

    I am pleased with my purchase, and glad I bought one, and really don't care if some people don't feel the same way. It is utterly fine with me that some people don't want one, and it is utterly fine with me (yet still equally irrelevant) that many people do.


    And for the record, I've never used an Android tablet. I just know several of the key apps I like aren't available, and that is the deal breaker. I don't care about customising the interface, and I barely ever use iTunes on my PC. The app store on the iPad is innocuous enough. Maybe it could be better, but I don't really care as its simple and just works.

    Anyway, that is my experience for the little it is worth. Use whatever device suits you best, don't worry about what anyone else is using, and cheer up.

  • Bander #70 4 months ago

    @MENTAL1ST For an iPad's screen to fill my field of vision to the same degree as the 1920*1200 monitor at my computer desk, I would have to hold it 18cm away from my nose. I'm going to make myself permanently cross-eyed if I even try to focus at these distances.

    The traditional 72dpi is the sweet spot at arms length, although most desktop monitors run close to 100dpi now. 150 to 200 dpi is about right for a phone that you hold 30-50cm away. Anything more might look 'like print' but it's a waste of RAM, CPU/GPU time and battery life, unless you absolutely have to read text that's a fraction of one millimetre high.

    Also, as stated above, the expected CPU/GPU combination is going to be in trouble if even PSVita games are drawing to a just a 720*480 buffer (that's about 9 times fewer pixels) with a similar quad core processor.
    Edited by Bander at 16/01/12 @ 21:42

  • BearFishPie #71 4 months ago

    Will be interesting to see whether Apple pull the iPad 2 completely, with the 3 as a straight replacement, or keep it as a 'budget' option...

  • Bilstar #72 4 months ago

    Oh god noooooo. This is neither gaming news nor interesting. They're obviously churning out a new iteration every year. They have been doing it and they will continue for the foreseeable future. Pleeeease can we not clog the gaming news sites with this AGAIN? For ANOTHER year? Please? It's tech news. Yes I know it plays some games.

  • septimus #73 4 months ago

    @Zozzilla Or you just don't have enough sense to be able to earn enough money? ;)

    Harsh but fair; your blanket comment is stupid. I have sense and can afford to upgrade if I want to. I have other far more important expenses to deal with and most important of all a family to look after; but still I work hard and can afford the odd luxury. I hate that more money than sense judgement shit.

  • vert1go #74 4 months ago

    Resolution so high it will "look like printed material".
    My Kindle does that at 600x800.;)

  • smelly #75 4 months ago

    "resolution so high, that the graphics card wont be able to cope, so game will run like a dog".. Doubtful they've learned lesson from ipad 1.

  • mowgli #76 4 months ago

    @Darren yeah, that doesn't apply to the tablets.

  • ED209 #77 4 months ago

    My favourite material is felt.

  • weebl #78 4 months ago

    @abigsmurf Yes, because you know both systems at such a low level, probably down to each register and clock cycle. The expertise on which such insightful comments are so regularly made on here never ceases to amaze me.

  • LOLLERS #79 4 months ago

    I'll buy one if you get a free tour of the manufacturing plant with every purchase.

  • jonbwfc #80 4 months ago

    @vert1go Really? Now I've got a kindle and I love it. Genuinely one of the best gadgets I've bought in ages but anyone who describes e-ink as being just like the printed page has had a bump on the head. It's very nice, very readable (more so than tablet screens IMO) but you can certainly, absolutely see the pixels. It may 'look like printed material' but only printed material done on a dot matrix printer some time in the mid-80s.

  • thesonglessbird #81 4 months ago

    I don't care about the resolution. I just want more RAM. Developing for the iPad can be a real pain in the arse sometimes due to memory constraints. The iPad2 isn't all that bad, but it could still be better.

  • arcam #82 4 months ago

    By March my £89 Touchpad should have Ice Cream Sandwich on it, so I'll be happy :D

    But on that note, the release of ICS means Android has literally only just become a worthy competitor to the iPad, so for the first time the iPad should have a lot of realistic alternatives this year.
    Edited by arcam at 16/01/12 @ 19:52

  • eviroboy #83 4 months ago

    iPad 3 ¬_¬ I imagine it'll start up like Robo-Cain in Robocop 2, only with Steve Job's head maniacally laughing at you, constantly.

  • karaokequeen3 #84 4 months ago

    Bring it on :)
    Edited by karaokequeen3 at 16/01/12 @ 19:50

  • eviroboy #85 4 months ago

    Disconnect all your Apple devices, like NOW! Steve Jobs IS The Lawnmower Man.

  • darkmorgado #86 4 months ago

    @CheeseChipsAndBeans

    "RIP PC gaming. The days of a a big desktop sat up the corner of a room are GONE."

    Something tells me that slicing fruit in half with a finger gesture on a casual touchscreen device isn't going to kill off the most enduring hardcore gaming platform in the world anytime soon.

  • giapel #87 4 months ago

    Most factories run 24/7 lol

  • sanctusmortis #88 4 months ago

    IIRC, current rumours suggest a quad core CPU running a 2560*1440 screen. Pretty amazing how far we've come from that first iPad eh?

  • evnewell #89 4 months ago

    @UncleLou I see what you're saying. and depending on what your priorities are, obviously apple makes a very competitive device - that's all fine, but reading articles on your device doesn't make it any less a toy. Until the iOS platform is open to anyone to develop on, and until I can treat it like a portable HD without the mandatory use of iTunes, it will always be a toy to me.

  • evnewell #90 4 months ago

    @evnewell I understand the negz I'm receiving. But you've got to accept that certain people really care about the control they have/don't have when they buy into a platform. I don't mind that my PS3 is a closed format specifically because it's a toy. If I were to buy a computer that would only run photoshop through something like itunes, i would find that unacceptable.

    I won't deny Apple's appeal, but to me their format is unacceptable.

  • LLT_taz #91 4 months ago

    Ok well it seem like i'm the only apple fan here, I control my music via my iphone stream tv/movies on my apple tv.. and want to show my last photo to a friend down the pub i use cloud... Apple is much like Nintendo, it tries to use easy user experience to its advantage.. not all of us like the Android Os and even more don't like Windows mobile ....

  • sabreman #92 4 months ago

    There is a good chance I may treat myself to one of these. I did have an Apple 1 - the kids loved it so much that we were convinced that it would get crunched as invariably it was left on the lounge floor. Youngest is now 5 and past the Angry birds craze, so a new iPad is on the cards.
    Edited by sabreman at 16/01/12 @ 22:21

  • BlinkeredAxis #93 4 months ago

    Someone in a review pointed out that to control console-type games your hands are twice as far apart as they were with the original xbox controller, and everybody thought THAT was way too big. Good for casual games then, but not a gamers machine.

    I'd like one for on the train though.

  • KopparbergDave #94 4 months ago

    The usual fanboy thing going on here from the PC elitist types looking down their nose at what Apple have done and some people making up blatant nonsense. For the record the iPad is in a different era next to any of the other tablets i've tried out. Same with the iPhone. As for the upgrading yearly, so it's ok for a myriad of differently specced Android phones to be released but for Apple to have the audacity to have one yearly update for each of it's product lines is somehow scandalous.... they usually make big leaps from generation to generation, massively improved screens, cameras, memory, processor and graphics chips, and then charge the same as last year or often they are known to reduce their prices.... why is that evil or sinister? I think it's great for people, and Apple stuff tends to last at least three years of software updates until (like the iPhone 3G) it maybe starts showing it's age, but that's not surprising to tech folk, I bet whatever Android phone is the shit now is a lacklustre device in 18 months time, if it's not fallen to bits since build quality from the other companies is sometimes pretty suspect next to Apple's precision perfect sculpturing! ;p

    Jeez so many fanboys with a chip on their shoulder about Apple, just cos a company has the balls to choose how they want to do things (in a way no different to the console manufactures for example who shaft people left right and centre... proprietary peripherals/memory cards for example), actually make it enjoyable and user friendly and maybe charge a premium usually, but it's premium millions of supposed sheep feel is worth paying, like I do, so you don't have a crappy device which lacks proper support after 6 months like most of the crap out there. The Apple ecosystem is improving steadily, the prices are coming down, you can still buy your music and videos elsewhere and use them on an Apple device, and everything you buy you can re-download as much as you want and can use on multiple devices (potentially saving a lot for a family for example)... what's wrong with any of that!?

    Oh and if you're complaining about Apple how about Nintendo who are shovelling decade old tech into their 'new devices' and charging way over the top for it........

  • darkmorgado #95 4 months ago

    @KopparbergDave

    An Apple fanboy calling people who don't like Apple products "sheep"?

    The irony is strong in this one.

  • coolbritannia #96 4 months ago

    @dadrester I did have a 3GS running iOS5. I upgraded to the 4S when my contract was up.

  • Bravestinsane #97 4 months ago

    While im probably one of the most anti-apple people there is even i am tempted by a iPad.

    Already have a powerful gaming PC and i wanted a laptop to do work on, but considering a iPad instead, i already have a PC so a iPad will probably get more use out of me than a laptop, therefore more of my moneys worth.

    While i hate apples pricing system, i would never buy a iPhone or a Macbook, or anything else, but iPads pricing wise are competitive not much difference in competition and price when it comes to tablets.

  • bemani247 #98 4 months ago

    Post deleted at 23:59:39 17-01-2012

  • Caimbeul #99 4 months ago

    And all for the cost of a small car!

  • mowgli #100 4 months ago

    @darkmorgado the anti Apple brigade have long been considered the sheep now, in another wonderful internet twist, keep up.

  • Casserole #101 4 months ago

    Poor Foxconn workers, give them a sodding break.

  • Bullet_Tunnel #102 4 months ago

    ipad 4 coming soon... get those soul tokens saved up, ipad 5 the next month. Capitalism, taking existence from avaristic fools since 1980's.

  • jetsetwillie #103 4 months ago

    @bemani247 how does a new ipad make your ipad any less useful. and surely (unless you have shit for brains) you knew that there would be a new ipad this year. you do realise this is pretty standard far ANY electronics company. that £1000 sony TV i bought last year has been replaced 2 or 3 times since i bought it. but i new this would happen because i have been outside before and do not live in a cave

  • alcides #104 4 months ago

    PENIS is never irrelevant.

  • CamberGreber #105 4 months ago

    2500x1500

    CBR/CBZs on the go here we come.

  • DodgyPast #106 4 months ago

    Not all android phones will be shit in 12 months. Galaxy S2 has ICS incoming and I'm sure it'll still be a decent phone in its 3rd year with a bit of hacking. Pretty much why I chose one.

    As to the ipad 3, it looks like a more than worthwhile upgrade. Personally my preference for flexibility over polish makes me more interested how this spurs on the android tablet manufacturers... But that that doesn't diminish the value of the ipad 3.

  • MancunianPsycho #107 4 months ago

    @norsende "I own an iPad so that makes me better than you!!!"

  • porcupinetree #108 4 months ago

    @bemani247
    You sound like a troll, if you actually had an Ipad you would know that it's tech will last you another couple of years, without any problems.
    And you don't have to upgrade every generation of hardware.
    I still use my macbook from 2008, no slow downs, works like a swiss clock. Actually I was lying, since i got my ipad I haven't used my Macbook for anything else than for updating my Ipad!
    My pc laptop had to be formated every 6 months, not even mentioning the antivirus program with all it's updates.

    It's always the same story... Some of us want a system that just works and that's easy to use!

    I use my Ipad for reading and surfing the net, Flipboard anyone?

    For me the Ipad is the best tech i've had the pleasure of using, it's just perfect for me.

    btw I play most of my games on the 360, so no brand preferences for me. Maybe one day Sony tablet will rule them all and i'll be the first in line! ;)
    Edited by porcupinetree at 17/01/12 @ 19:39

  • Roland_on_the_Ropes #109 4 months ago

    Might finally splash out and get me one of these having being tempted by the iPhone 4S and iPad 2 in the last few months. Still on my two year old 3GS which works better now than it did at launch (courtesy of iOS 5) though have heard the many stories where 3GS's have bricked.

    While not an Apple-exclusive consumer I have been impressed with the 3GS and my very old iPod and which haven't given an ounce of trouble since I bought them.

    So gonna stick my toe into the apple-flavoured water once more...

  • immateriaux #110 4 months ago

    I'm on a iPhone 3GS and iPad 1; the iPad has completely replaced my need for a laptop and become as essential as the phone. And so far, no-one from Apple has called around to my house and threatened me for not upgrading these - not sure if that's happened the others who complained earlier here? I must have escaped somehow.

    Anyhow, both devices are working extremely well, however, a retina display on the iPad is a real carrot, especially when reading books and editing photographs on the move. Then there's the draw of "more" - more power, more RAM: music making apps I have will render quicker and extra RAM will mean doing more and being able to swipe in and out of more running apps, something I only recently discovered I could do on iOS5. As soon as I can afford it, I'm definitely snapping this up, it's a timely update.

  • bemani247 #111 4 months ago

    @jetsetwillie point taken, its just worried me since on the app store youre already seeing games 'not compatable with Ipad 1' etc written in the descriptions

  • scoop #112 4 months ago

    There'll be no October iPad... this is the same line the "analysts" have been touting for the past 2 years. It's annual, and it's one product per line - iPhone, iPad ... not half a dozen like other manufacturers churn out.

    In all, a much more pleasant experience for a developer, and equally more reassuring for users. We still support Gen2 devices; it costs us nothing, and they get pretty much the same experience minus shaders & resolution.

    Regarding a retina iPad, it will most likely perform only slightly faster than an iPad 2, with the added fill-rate. But how many games make use of iPad2/iPhone5's power? 2?
    Edited by scoop at 18/01/12 @ 11:25

  • Retroid #113 4 months ago

    I'm more than willing to recycle anyone's old iPad2 FOR FREE once they upgrade to iPad3.

    /Waits patiently for someone to accept his gracious offer

  • superdelphinus #114 4 months ago

    don't really see a huge amount of point in mega resolutions in an ipad (though i probably will when i see it). I usually hold mine far enough from my face that i don't see pixels in any event