Must Read: No niche for iPad: Why I returned mine

Topic: Apple

There's not enough in the rumored iPad 3 specs for me to upgrade, how about you?

Summary: We are pretty certain to see a new iPad announced in March, but the specs are just rumors at this time. Given what we believe may be in the iPad 3, is it enough for you to upgrade?

Matthew Miller

By for The Mobile Gadgeteer |

It took a bit of effort for me to obtain my Apple iPad 2 last March and I use it just about every day. I had the first iPad and probably could have been just fine sticking with it, but I wanted the new form factor, processor, and integrated 3G. The only thing I have ever thought could be improved, particularly when reading ebooks, is the display on my iPad 2. It's pretty certain that the iPad 3 will have a higher resolution display, but that is not enough for me to upgrade again (at least that is what I say now).

There is quite a bit of information from different sources prior to the 7 March announcement, which is a bit unusual for Apple so I am not convinced that all the rumors will come true. The rumored updates include the following:

  • Display resolution of 2048x1536 pixels (currently the iPad 2 is  1024x768 pixels)
  • Quad-core Apple A6 processor
  • 4G LTE radio for Verizon and AT&T connectivity
  • Better front and rear cameras

The improved resolution will be great, gaming will likely be better with the improved processor and/or GPU upgrade, connectivity will be faster, and photos will be better. I usually only play Words with Friends so don't care about the improved processor, I primarily connect via WiFi and when on the road the AT&T 3G works just fine, and I NEVER use the rear camera with the front camera only used about 3 times for test FaceTime chats. Thus, for ME, it doesn't make much sense to buy a new iPad 3. I also paid over $900 for my current 64 GB 3G iPad (there is about a 10% sales tax here in Washington).

The thing about Apple events, and the hope I have, is that they will reveal something amazing and new with the next iPad. If just the rumored updates above are in the next iPad, will you be upgrading?

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Topics: Apple, Hardware, iPad, Mobility, Processors, Wi-Fi

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95 comments
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  • RE: There's not enough in the rumored iPad 3 specs for me to upgrade, how about you?

    If it has LTE I might consider buying one as I can use my phone SIM and unlimited data plan in the Tablet or my phone.
    slickjim
    Reply Vote

    • RE: There's not enough in the rumored iPad 3 specs for me to upgrade, how about you?

      @Peter Perry Really Peter? Is that so you can spend the next year doing nothing but complaining about Apple, as you've done for the past two years, and tell us all again how you're precious zoom is better than anything Apple has to offer?

      I doubt you even have any Apple products, and are just so jealous of others all you can do is whine, because you can't really afford them.

      How's your evil twin Todd bottom, toddy bottom, would die for Apple, NZ doing?
      T-Wrench
      Reply Vote

  • RE: There's not enough in the rumored iPad 3 specs for me to upgrade, how about you?

    You forgot about software. The next iPad is almost guaranteed to have Siri, which could definitely be a buying point for some people. I know it was for the 4S. I personally won't be upgrading. I don't understand the folks that update their system every time new stuff comes out when the old stuff is working perfectly fine for them.
    Aerowind
    Reply Vote

    • I don't see Siri as very useful on the iPad

      @Aerowind I have Siri on my iPhone 4S and really only use it to create reminders. It's decent, but needs a server connection and also the backend has to be up and running. I often get an error when I use it and I don't see a lot of people talking to their iPads as a way to use them.
      palmsolo (aka Matthew Miller)
      Reply Vote

      • RE: There's not enough in the rumored iPad 3 specs for me to upgrade, how about you?

        @palmsolo (aka Matthew Miller) <br><br>Siri has turned into a phenomenon. Just like Siri was a huge part of the driving force behind the iPhone 4s, I think it will also be the same with the new iPad (not that it needs help selling now).
        dave95.
        Reply Vote

      • RE: There's not enough in the rumored iPad 3 specs for me to upgrade, how about you?

        @dave95 It really hasn't... Having owned the 4s for three months, and knowing at least 5 other people with the Phone, I can honestly say, Siri is not a phenomenon.

        Everyone I know, including myself, used it to play around with at first but eventually we all stopped using it for the most part.

        Of course, the reason why Siri is not practical is, it has no true hands free mode!

        After 3 months of frustration, I sold the phone and put VLINGO on my Rezound and now I have true handsfree mode where I can just say, "Hey VLINGO" and never have to touch the phone.
        slickjim
        Reply Vote

      • RE: There's not enough in the rumored iPad 3 specs for me to upgrade, how about you?

        @Peter Perry
        +1

        " I can honestly say, Siri is not a phenomenon."

        Not sure how anyone can look at Siri (beta) being a phenomenon. Did it help sell a few iPhones? Almost certainly. As a feature that actually gets used though? I see no evidence that it is a phenomenon in that sense. Of course it is used but it has not changed the way that smartphones get used which is what I would expect a phenomenon to be. It is a marketing phenomenon though. I'll give Apple credit for that.
        toddbottom
        Reply Vote

      • RE: There's not enough in the rumored iPad 3 specs for me to upgrade, how about you?

        @toddbottom, Peter Perry

        Apple has just scratched the surface with Siri (beta). What makes you think they won't continue to improve it? Voice recognition technology has been around for years but has failed to create much buzz with consumers. Siri managed to create a huge buzz within weeks, months of the iPhone 4s release. For Beta software, that to me is a phenomenon. Millions of consumers are currently buying the iPhone 4s because of Siri (beta software). This same buzz will easily transfer over to the iPad, if the rumors are indeed true.
        dave95.
        Reply Vote

      • Actually, it really didn't

        " Siri managed to create a huge buzz "

        No, Siri (beta) was advertised a lot and sure, the Apple loving blogs were all buzzed about it. Then Siri (beta) was back in the news because no one could use it since the servers crashed. Since then, Apple has released a couple more commercials and have tried to generate buzz but from what I've seen, they've failed. Yes, iPhone 4S is selling fantastically well and some of it is probably because of how Apple used Siri (beta) in its advertising. I don't think Siri (beta) is currently living up to the expectations that Apple set for it though.

        "What makes you think they won't continue to improve it?"

        Of course they will continue to improve it. They bought Siri from a third party that itself licensed Nuance technology so this is Siri (beta) v0.9. Your claim is that Siri (beta) is currently making a buzz and that is not true. It has the potential to change the way we use smartphones but it has not demonstrated any of that potential. I still don't see anyone using it other than to ask it to open the pod bay doors. I can imagine that it would be very useful for people wearing bluetooth headsets or in cars where it is basically a copy of Microsoft Sync but noone I know uses it much after the first few days of playing. Will it get better? Of course. At the same time, all the other voice control systems out there will also improve.

        Siri (beta) is not anything new. Its buzz has been all Apple generated. The buzz is not coming from people using Siri (beta). People love iPhone 4S and are buying iPhone 4S, playing with Siri, and then going back to the way smartphones have been used for 2 decades now.
        toddbottom
        Reply Vote

      • RE: There's not enough in the rumored iPad 3 specs for me to upgrade, how about you?

        @toddbottom<br><br> [i]Actually, it really didn't.....No, Siri (beta) was advertised a lot and sure, the Apple loving blogs were all buzzed about it. Then Siri (beta) was back in the news because no one could use it since the servers crashed.[/I]<br><br>Hence the reason it's in beta. Only the Apple hating crowd would view this as some negative, ignoring the fact that it's in beta? Could it also be that servers have been overwhelmed by the number of users trying to use Siri? An actual positive for Apple, not negative as you're suggesting? We know that Siri already doubled iPhone users data volumes, when compared to the previous gen iPhone and iPad users. We know that Siri already accounts for 25% of Wolfram Alpha queries (Wolfram Alpha receives over a million daily visitors, and is in the top 5000 websites online). Parody is already being made of Siri (a good indication it's getting used/noticed by the gen public). Competing voice services have been out for years and none have managed to garner this much attention Siri is getting. This is not Apple generated attention as you're claiming. <br><br>I am sure Apple anticipated problems when they released a "beta" software out in the world, like everyone else. And with those problem comes public scrutiny and backlash (some silly like the abortion clinic incident). But this is all part of the plan I think by Apple, and all part of establishing a more human connection with voice technology on the users devices. Whereby the user may feel that he/she has a relationship with something more human than machine. Siri is not supposed to be perfect, just like humans are not perfect creatures. She may not have an answer for every question. Siri sometimes can be sassy, sometimes funny and sometimes she has a little attitude. This is by design by the original creators. The Siri team is one of the largest software teams at Apple, just incase you want an idea how important the technology is to Apple. It's only getting started folks.
        dave95.
        Reply Vote

    • RE: There's not enough in the rumored iPad 3 specs for me to upgrade, how about you?

      @Aerowind I agree Aerowind. I still have the first generation, and have thought about possibly upgrading, but we'll have to see what's really offered with the new version.
      T-Wrench
      Reply Vote

  • I will not be upgrading

    My iPad 2 is still working fine, I don't want to talk to my iPad (Siri makes sense on a bluetooth phone while in the car but on a tablet? stupid idea) and I'm going to wait to see how good WOA tablets are. I would recommend anyone with an iPad to wait for WOA as well. We are constantly told that Apple products last forever so it isn't like anyone's iPad is broken yet and I agree, iPad 3 looks to be such a minor improvement over iPad 2 (and even iPad 1) so not worth spending another $500+.

    If WOA tablets meet expectations, I will be buying one of those, not an iPad 3.
    toddbottom
    Reply Vote

    • RE: There's not enough in the rumored iPad 3 specs for me to upgrade, how about you?

      @toddbottom
      I confess that I haven't been following WOA very much. What would you be looking for that an iPad doesn't do? Also, if what you want is Windows, what will WOA do for you that current offering don't? Just form factor, or something more?
      use_what_works_4_U
      Reply Vote

      • RE: There's not enough in the rumored iPad 3 specs for me to upgrade, how about you?

        @use_what_works_4_U

        They say WOA will have a classic desktop, that i would presume, means all the management tools for your servers etc built into the OS the same as you would use on your PC/laptop at work. Same VPN, same RDP, same snapins for all your certificates and AD tools etc etc. (hopefully anyway)
        danjames2012
        Reply Vote

      • RE: There's not enough in the rumored iPad 3 specs for me to upgrade, how about you?

        @use_what_works_4_U
        Great questions, here are my answers, in order of importance:
        1. Office. I have a bluetooth keyboard and a stylus for my iPad but the digitizer is not as accurate as it could be and the office programs available for the iPad are weak. I was really hoping to be far more productive than I'm able to be on my iPad. WOA has the potential to be the productive tablet I was looking for.

        2. Being able to buy and run applications once and have it run on my smartphone, tablet, and computer, is a nice feature not available with the iPad. It would require me to buy a WP7 phone, something I'm not totally sure I want to do although Nokia and MS have come a long way since WP7.0.

        3. I have become increasingly dissatisfied with Apple's business practices and their monopoly in the tablet and near monopoly in the smartphone market. Even if WOA is only just as good as iPad, I'd rather support the little guy than Apple the monopolist. Consumers win when the market isn't so lopsided and when there is more even competition. I won't buy WOA if it sucks but if it is as good as iPad, I would use Apple's unethical business practices as the tie breaker.
        toddbottom
        Reply Vote

    • RE: There's not enough in the rumored iPad 3 specs for me to upgrade, how about you?

      @toddbottom

      [I]I would recommend anyone with an iPad to wait for WOA as well.[/I]

      Why? What would WOA bring to the market that would drive iPad users to switch platforms? Can you list the advantages? Will it be cheaper? More Apps than iPad and iOS? Longer battery life? Sexier hardware?
      dave95.
      Reply Vote

      • RE: There's not enough in the rumored iPad 3 specs for me to upgrade, how about you?

        @dave95.

        They have already shown 1 feature that makes it better than an ipad...

        Side by side apps... that you can resize on the fly.

        Show me that on an Ipad?

        Add to that swapping between apps just by swiping? and they have document a load of other stuff, it is basically a PC os on a tablet, rather than a phone OS on a tablet.
        danjames2012
        Reply Vote

      • RE: There's not enough in the rumored iPad 3 specs for me to upgrade, how about you?

        @dave95.
        All of the above? However, those would be a bonus, I'm not pinning my hopes on any of them.

        I answered your question above. My prediction is that iPad 3 is going to be an iterative advance over iPad 1 and 2 just like iPhone 4S was barely an improvement over iPhone 4 (though a huge improvement over iPhone 3GS). If I'm wrong then great, maybe I'll buy iPad 3. If I'm right then anyone who already has an iPad would be foolish to spend hundreds of dollars for extremely minor improvements. And don't give me garbage about CPU speed increases. You Apple fanbois can't keep claiming that iPad and iOS are fluid, fast, and wonderful and then try to tell us that oops, iPad and iOS are actually slow, jerky, and awful but if you buy the iPhone 4S or the iPad 3 then suddenly everything will be great. My iPad 2 and iPhone 4 didn't (won't) magically get slow and jerky and awful just because Apple decided to release a new version with the MHz increased a bit. And Siri (beta) on iPad? Garbage. Useless. Siri (beta) makes sense on a smartphone since there are many cases where you use your smartphone while walking or driving and voice interaction is ideal. Siri (beta) on iPad is a gimmick, a solution to a problem that doesn't exist.

        So yes, it would be foolish to rush out and spend hundreds of dollars for a very minor improvement (if any at all) considering we know that a whole new crop of innovative tablets are on the way. I'm waiting, I've already convinced 3 people to wait, and I will continue to convince people to wait. If you already know for sure that WOA tablets will be terrible, you buy your iPad 3. I'll be very happy for you.
        toddbottom
        Reply Vote

      • RE: There's not enough in the rumored iPad 3 specs for me to upgrade, how about you?

        @danjames2012 The iPad actually does something similar through the use of gestures... the problem is the apps aren't on the screen at the same time... With the iPad, the apps are tull screen and swiping 3 fingers sideways will flip back and forth between running apps.

        Honestly, this feature is very big for the iPad and I love it on the Air.
        slickjim
        Reply Vote

      • RE: There's not enough in the rumored iPad 3 specs for me to upgrade, how about you?

        @danjames2012<br><br>[i]They have already shown 1 feature that makes it better than an ipad...Side by side apps... that you can resize on the fly.[/i]<br><br>There are those who felt metro on WP7 was this great improvement over the grid of icons on iPhone and Android phones also, and because of this it will do well. But that didn't get them any much phone sales. There were those who felt the Zune with its metro interface was better than the iPod, but that did not get them much sales either. <br><br>I listed features consumers are looking for in tablets now, large selection of apps, battery life, price and ecosystem. From what I've learnt so for, I'm not convinced WOA will do any better than what WP7 is doing. Or any other tablet company that came before it. WOA is a restart from scratch, just like everyone else. But with the "Windows" umbrella branding to make it seem like a worthy competitor against the iPad and other tablets. But that "Windows" umbrella will also push venders to up the price on their tablets, foolishly thinking that "Windows" is the value proposition here. Not apps, not battery life, not price but Windows, file explorer and Office.<br><br>@toddbottom <br><br> [i]Siri (beta) on iPad is a gimmick, a solution to a problem that doesn't exist.[/i]<br><br>How do you know when the device is not even released yet? I rather take my bets on the company with the proven record of turning technology into useful features, for the rest of us. The world didn't think they needed tablets also until Apple introduced their iPads. "Who needs a $500 iPad running a phone OS when you can buy a netbook that can do so much more". Right.
        dave95.
        Reply Vote
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