Apple iPad 2 review

There’s no doubt that the original Apple iPad has been a huge success, with more than 15 million sold since it went on sale in April 2010. Since many people hold off buying Apple products until the second generation is launched, the iPad 2 could be even more popular.

With so many rival tablets being launched this year, it’s no wonder Apple has been quick to get the iPad 2 onto shelves. However, although there’s been plenty of hype surrounding Android 3.0 devices, particularly over the Motorola Xoom, the new tablet OS is still in its infancy. By comparison, Apple is onto its second generation already. We’ve got one of the first units available to find out what you get.

The first thing you notice is that the iPad 2 is thinner, lighter and faster than the previous iPad; but in several respects it’s actually the same. For example, while we imagined Apple would put a much higher-resolution screen into the iPad 2, it has exactly the same 9.7in 1,024×768 panel as the original. We’re not saying it’s a bad screen – far from it – but it’s not nearly as impressive as the Apple iPhone 4, where the pixel density makes it virtually impossible to discern individual pixels.

So what is new? Well, the front and rear cameras are certainly useful. The front camera’s 640×480 resolution is just about good enough for FaceTime, Apple’s video calling application. You’ll be able to make FaceTime calls to other iPad 2s, iPhone 4s and Macs. As with the iPhone 4, you can freely switch between the two cameras while using FaceTime or when taking photos and videos.

Unfortunately, although the rear camera can technically shoot video in 720p at 30fps, quality is far from great. Instead of the 5-megapixel camera in the iPhone 4, it appears that the iPad 2’s sensor is the same as that in the iPod Touch 4th Generation. Colours tend to look flat, but the lack of detail and presence of compression artefacts is more of a problem in both videos and still images. Also, there’s no LED flash as you get with the iPhone 4. Overall, quality’s good enough for some occasional impromptu shots, but you’ll still want a dedicated video camera for anything where quality is important.

The iPad 2 does have one significant upgrade: the new dual-core 1GHz Apple A5 processor. This has potentially twice the power of the single-core 1GHz A4 chip in the old iPad. RAM is doubled from 256MB to 512MB, and given the efficiency of the OS this should be plenty. Apple says that the graphics are up to 9x faster, and the PowerVR SGX 543MP2 is certainly a lot quicker on paper with four times as many pixel pipelines – though we’ve yet to find a way to test this properly using actual in-game benchmarks.

Browsing performance is better than on the original iPad, with pages loading faster. Running the SunSpider JavaScript test the old iPad completed the test in 3,450ms; the iPad 2 completed the test in 2,168ms. Websites were generally quicker to load, too. While the BBC took around seven seconds to load on the iPad, the iPad 2 did the same job in less than five seconds.

It’s fair to say that the iPad 2 feels a lot more responsive, too. Opening apps, such as iPod, and browsing the web are all faster and more responsive. The extra core in the processor gives the iPad 2 more system resources to change between apps and run tasks, making it much faster overall.

Switching from landscape to portrait is extremely smooth, and even faster than on the original iPad. It’s good to see that iOS 4.3 reintroduces the feature to turn the slider (above the volume buttons) from a Mute switch to an orientation lock.

Despite increased performance (and a thinner case), battery life is just as good. Playing H.264 video with wireless disabled, the iPad 2 lasted a staggering 17 hours and five minutes.

Other additions include a three-axis gyroscope – the same as the iPhone 4’s – which works with an accelerometer for better detection of the iPad 2’s position in space. This will be most useful for games. Unfortunately, the Wi-Fi model lacks a GPS receiver, so geo-tagging photos and videos can only be done via Wi-Fi positioning, but you still get a digital compass.

Although the weight reduction doesn’t sound much on paper, it makes a big difference in practice. The iPad 2 feels far lighter and wasn’t as much of a strain to hold for long periods as the old model. At 601g, it’s the lightest 10in tablet around – Motorola’s Xoom weighs a ‘hefty’ 730g.

The new iPad is arguably the best-looking tablet as well, especially the white version, which we expect will prove more popular than black. There are six models to choose between, and they’re the same options as the original iPad: 16, 32 or 64GB of storage, all with the option of 3G. Prices for each model also remain the same, making the iPad 2 appear good value compared to its rivals.

However, the price doesn’t include the clever magnetic Smart Cover, which automatically wakes the iPad when you open it, and puts it into standby when you clip it back on and close it. It has a microfiber lining, which helps rub fingerprints and smudges off the screen when you move around, plus it can be folded into a Toblerone shape to acts as a stand when you’re using the iPad on your lap or table.

The standard cover will cost around £25, but leather ones will cost around £43. Another annoyance is that the HDMI adaptor will cost around £25 – it would have been far better if Apple had installed a mini HDMI port. As usual, there’s no card slot whereas almost every rival tablet has one for increasing storage.

Hardware is important, but software equally so. It’s here where the iPad has a big lead. The OS is incredibly easy to use, with neat and clear icons to launch your apps on the home screen. Everything about the OS is slick and fast to use from zooming in by pinching to firing up the latest games. As with other iOS devices, there’s just a single physical button to interact with the OS: one click takes you back to the home screen, two brings up the task switcher.

Then there are thousands of apps to choose from, all optimised for the iPad’s large screen – two of particular note are iMovie and Garage Band. The former makes it surprisingly easy to edit video clips on the iPad’s screen, while the latter is equally appealing to musicians, and could be enough of a reason for some to buy an iPad. PhotoBooth comes preinstalled and lets you have some fun with the iPad 2’s new cameras. It will feel familiar to anyone that has the application on their Mac and allows you to apply wacky effects to live video from the cameras, and snap photos when you see the effect you want.

However, don’t forget that all this software, bar iMovie, works on the original iPad, and few require the iPad 2’s extra power. All of this makes it hard to sum up the iPad 2 easily. If you’ve got an original iPad, there’s little reason to upgrade to this version; if you’re buying a new tablet, this is the best one you can buy. All you have to do is decide which one’s best for you. Looking at the prices, the 32GB Wi-Fi only model (£499) appears to be the best value.