We make it our business to bring you the
finest gadgets the world has to offer. In our Hit List you’ll find our picks of
the best stuff, updated each month with the most favourably reviewed kit. Hit
List starts with Apple’s devices themselves: on this page we look at the
current iPad and iPhone line-ups, and the iPods are rated overleaf. Later
you’ll find the accessories most worth your hard-earned cash, from audio gear
to cases, keyboards and stands. And finally we round up the best apps and games
from the iTunes Store. Only the best buys make it into Hit List.
iPad (third-generation)
The new iPad features an amazing Retina
display
The
new iPad features an amazing Retina display
Likes
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Retina display
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5-megapixel camera
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Dictation feature
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FaceTime integration
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Improved graphics
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A5X chip: video-mirroring
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Same launch price as iPad 2
Dislikes
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Some third-party apps not yet optimised for
Retina display (apps that are will take up more space)
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4G not available in the UK
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Battery takes longer to charge
The runaway success of the original iPad
and the Pad 2 - which is still on sale at a reduced price - meant the
third-generation model had a lot to live up to. (It’s Just called the iPad,
confusingly, but you may hear it referred to as the new Pad or the third-gen
iPad in certain circles.) With this version of its tablet, Apple chose to focus
on a few areas of improvement, while keeping the package largely the same.
By far the most important feature is the
9.7m Retina display, and its 2048x1536 resolution results in pin-sharp images.
Photos reveal details that weren’t there before, and watching an HD movie is
just like having a home cinema in your lap.
With
this version of its tablet, Apple chose to focus on a few areas of improvement,
while keeping the package largely the same.
To power the screen. Apple has added its
A5X chip, which blows aways other iOS devices in graphics processing. It also
comes with a 5-megapixel camera that’s better than that of any other tablet,
and while Sin didn’t initially make the move to iPad as some expected, OS 6 has
corrected that omission — turn to page 24 for more information on iOS’s new
features. The new iPad isn’t smaller or lighter than its predecessor, but it’s
got a truly remarkable screen and a much better camera.
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Details
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Wi-Fi
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$598.5
(16GB), $718.5 (32GB), $838.5 (64GB)
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Wi-Fi + 4G
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$748.5
(16GB). $868.5 (32 GB). $988.5 (64GB)
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Website
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www.apple.com
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iPad 2
Reduced in price and a decent alternative to
the new iPad
Likes
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US$105 cheaper than new Pad
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Fast and user-friendly
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3G model means you’re not paying extra for 4G,
which is not yet available in the UK b’
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Still a stunning device
Dislikes
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Now only available in 16GB capacity
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Camera is poor, especially compared to the new
iPad
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No Retina display
Reduced
in price and a decent alternative to the new iPad
Few Apple fans are going to spare a thought
for the humble old iPad 2 now that its successor has hit the shops. But this is
the same sparkling, all-conquering tablet we loved just a few months ago, and
it’s had US$105 slashed off its price tag too.
A quick go on the iPad 2 and you’ll
understand just why it proved so popular. Instantly switching on, it enables
you to access the internet and all your favourite apps with the kind of finger
interaction that made the Phone popular. The large screen makes it ideal for
reading books and watching video, and gaming is on a whole new level. The
third-generation iPad’s A5X chip gives it the edge in gaming terms, but this is
still a powerful platform with a wealth of games.
The
large screen makes it ideal for reading books and watching video, and gaming is
on a whole new level.
The two biggest differences between this
and the third-gen Pad are the screen and the camera. The display here looks
sharp, bright and clear - right up until the second you read some text on the
new iPad’s Retina display. The difference in non-text environments is less
marked, but is likely to increase as developers take advantage of the extra
detail.
The price is now US$105 below the
equivalent new Pads, but all but the lowest storage versions (of both Wi-Fi and
3G models) have been discontinued: it’s 16GB or nothing. This is likely to fill
up quickly if you watch films and play games.
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Details
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Wi-Fi
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$493.5
(16GB) Wi-Fi + 3G: $643.5 (16GB)
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Website
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www.apple.com
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