Description of iPad 3. Operating experience of the third generation iPad. Corps and childhood diseases

iPad 3 was released in the spring of 2012. He became the next after two generations of Apple creations. He got a lot of new things. Some parts were produced by Apple's competitor, Samsung. As a result of the collaboration, we may see a third iPad. What is it, iPad 3 A1430? The product description will help you understand the capabilities of the new product.

iPad 3 specifications

The screen of such a device is everything. Apple has outdone itself again. Improving the display means improving many components of the tablet. The new product is equipped with an excellent retina display. This display has high resolution, color saturation and holds 3,100,000 pixels. This number is 4 times more than the 2nd iPad model. This expansion is superior to many television screens.

The display, created using Retina technology, has a high pixel density, which allows you to hide these pixels from the human eye. The screen installed in the second model has a brighter transmission, while in the third the screen glow is dimmer. But at the same time, the color reproduction is excellent, although the white transmission goes into warmer shades. Some users have noticed that the viewing angle in the new model is slightly smaller than the previous one. But this is not tragic, because why look at the screen from an extremely uncomfortable angle?

Although the diagonal of the iPad remains the same as before, 9.7, the resolution has changed from 768*1024 to 1536*2048. Accordingly, the pixel density per inch increased from 132 to 264. The pixel size was almost halved - 96 kmk. The amazing feature is that the pixels are raised and separated from the signals. Therefore, the human eye is not able to distinguish them and sees the picture as a whole.

This technology allows you to take a fresh look at the images transmitted by the device. You will be able to notice what previously eluded your gaze and see the photographs in more detail and clearly. The rendering of colors is whiter, deeper and more vibrant, which never ceases to please the eye.

The A5X dual-core processor allows you to double the performance of graphics programs in the tablet compared to its predecessor. This allows the tablet to take games and their video display to a new level. You will be comfortable with the speed and perception of images from the screen. Signal processing has been improved and this will reduce “braking” to nothing. The device’s RAM has increased from 512 MB to 1024. At the same time, the number of GPU cores is 4.

The combination of processor power and four graphics cores allows you to display what is happening on the screen smoothly and dynamically. This is an important component for those who love gaming applications.

The technical characteristics of the iPad 3 allow you to surf the Internet, communicate on social networks, read, and conduct active work for up to ten hours. The battery capacity is 11560 mAh. The downside to this situation is that it takes about seven hours to fully charge from a completely discharged battery. This is not surprising, because the battery capacity has been increased significantly. The screen has an oleophobic coating, so you don't have to worry about cleaning it. After all, it's easy to do.

It has a built-in 5 megapixel iSight camera. The optics of this camera are designed for the iPhone 4S. Focuses by touching the screen. Recognizes faces on its own, so taking pictures is easy. You can also record video files in HD 1080p quality up to thirty frames per second. Image stabilization works when shooting video.

FaceTime's VGA camera allows you to see each other even if you are hundreds of kilometers away. This is available via a Wi-Fi connection or mobile phone. One touch and you see your loved ones! Shooting high-quality videos and taking high-quality photographs has become an integral part of modern life. Now photographs of loved ones have become even better and brighter.

Wi-Fi has become faster. Became twice as fast. It is dual-band: 2.4 GHz, 5.0 GHz. It is capable of gluing the channel and therefore reaches speeds of up to 150 megabits per second. Working on the Internet will become more enjoyable and faster. In addition to Wi-Fi, the iPad 3 has 4G. This allows you to use mobile Internet if Wi-Fi is not available to you or its signal is very weak.

Apple developers have improved mobile Internet via HSDPA communication up to 21 Mbit/s. Added the ability to transfer data via DC-HSDPA at a speed of 42 Mbit/s. The third model has the ability to connect to the LTE network with an available speed of 73 Mbit/s. Of course, if the device is within the coverage area of ​​such a connection.

The device's ability to connect to so many networks takes the device to the next level significantly. In the modern world, most of our active life is concentrated on the Internet, be it work or leisure, or communication on social networks. Having the ability to access the network and high transfer speeds largely determines which technical product to buy for use.

This tablet has completed the iLife software suite. Here, the new version of “garageband” will allow you to remotely connect up to four devices simultaneously. This application allows you to play music and record songs. In another application, you can use the captured videos to edit a trailer video.

The iFoto app makes it easy to navigate through your images. If you double-tap one photo, the system will find all similar images and display them on the screen. Multi-touch gestures can enhance your photos and you can add various photo processing effects. It's so easy, just a few taps!

When faced with difficulties, the Siri assistant will come to your aid. This assistant will not only deal with finding answers to questions, but will also make notes or remind you of a meeting. At the same time, Siri understands not only what you say, but also what you mean.

The physical parameters have changed slightly - the iPad 3 is thicker, 9.4 mm, instead of 8.6. The weight of the new model has become 50 grams more. It's not too much of a difference and you'll probably get used to it quickly. We added an access point mode function - Personal Hotspot.

The SIM card used is Micro. There is only one connector for the communication chip. In order to comfortably use the device, you need an iOS version no earlier than 5.1. In order to perform operations with the tablet through iTunes on a PC, you need to update it to 10.6.

For the previous model, iOS 4.3 and iTunes 10.2 were enough. For comfortable work, install updates periodically. The maximum installed version of iOS for iPad 3 is 9.3.5. If you install a newer version, the device will not work correctly.

The model's navigation is supplemented with support for GLONASS (except for Wi-Fi models) and iBeacons . Bluetooth version is now 4.0. HFP profile appeared and PBAP , Bluetooth LE support.

Conclusion: although there are some uncomfortable aspects to use, such as weight and thickness, the new model pleases with its internal changes. The display takes images to the next level. The processor combined with RAM and GPU took the graphics quality of video games to the next level.

With the updated camera, you can record high-quality video, take photos and make video calls. Making communication with loved ones more accessible. The quality of images has reached a new level and viewing pictures has now become even more enjoyable. Apple tablets have long been loved by the world, and the company never ceases to delight fans with improvements.

ABOUT The appearance of a new iPad model began to be discussed almost immediately after the release of the iPad 2 (spring 2011). In the fall of 2011, Apple had already announced the launch of iPad 3 releases. The release date was also announced - March 2012, and on March 7, the presentation of the iPad 3 took place in San Francisco. However, from that moment on, it was customary not to number models, but to link them only to years. Thus, starting with iPad 3, the version number is not used in the name. It was officially called simply The NewiPad. However, the appearance of the next model less than a year later and earlier than announced, the name of which sounded “4th generation,” forever turned The New iPad or iPad 2012 into the iPad 3.

The new model had a choice of black and white housing, a choice of memory capacity of 16 GB, 32 GB or 64 GB, and was remembered for its support for 4G and, most importantly, a seriously improved “Retina” display, with increased pixel density and a resolution of 2048x1536 (versus 1024x768 on the iPad 2), which was expected, but never arrived in the second model.

This iPad is also notable for the fact that it is the first one released after Steve Jobs.

Tim Cook

In the photo: Apple CEO Tim Cook at the presentation of the new version of the iPad in March 2012.

The first users of the third iPad immediately positively noted the quality of the display, camera and processor power of the new model.

In general, visually, the Apple iPad 3 tablet retained all the basic capabilities, design and concept of its predecessors, becoming only a little more massive.

After long-term use and in comparison with previous and subsequent models, the third generation iPad was remembered by users as a powerful, stable and reliable tablet, however, with one “but” - if you do not update it to the latest version of the OS. More on this later.

IOS versions of the third iPad

The 3rd generation Apple iPad tablet launched with version IOS 5.1, and the latest for iPad 3, OS version 9.3.5, was released in 2016. Starting with version IOS 7, the design has completely changed - skeuomorphism (three-dimensional design), which in turn made working with the device as clear as possible even for a child, has been replaced by a stylish, trendy flat design.

Users, however, noted that the iPad worked fastest on version 6.1.3.

Firmware

iPad 3 allows you to install the new version of iOS completely free of charge from the official website. There you can also find out the latest OS version for your model.

We remind you: in the winter of 2018, Apple, unexpectedly for everyone, officially allowed downgrade - changing the firmware to older versions of IOS, the so-called. kickbacks, thereby violating the established policies of Apple. Perhaps this happened due to a wave of outrage over the low performance when installing software, especially on devices with a worn-out battery. Currently rollbacks are available only for certain versions and models.

Many note the highest performance in the history of IOS and the successful interface 6.1.3, nostalgic for IOS 6.1.3, which provided maximum autonomy for the device. According to reviews, 6.1.3 is the last iOS that provided charging for the whole day, while keeping all applications active.

It is considered ideal for the iPad 3 and legendary in terms of Apple's original philosophy. Business design, minimalism, performance, coordinated operation of all components, battery stability - all this is lacking in the latest devices from Apple, which, according to experts, are becoming more and more similar to Android devices.

By the way, for 4s and iPad 2 Apple is still signing up for 6.1.3. However, the situation may change, so check your specific situation at a particular moment on the website ipsw.me, where you can download the firmware version. For those who decide to rollback, experts recommend backing up first.

Latest version of IOS iPad 3

iOS 9.3.5 firmware is the latest for iPad 3 and final for iOS 9. Quite stable, but resource-intensive. Users do not recommend using it, since there are noticeable system freezes and it is generally uncomfortable to work on it. According to reviews, it is worth updating to iOS 9.3.5 only in one case - if you are already on version 9. For iPad 3 after 6.1.3, it will be more comfortable to update only to version 7 or 8. Who wants to get performance, but not an outdated voluminous design – it’s best to go with version 7, it consumes less resources than versions 8 and 9.

iPad 3 specifications

Main technical characteristics of iPad 3
operating system	iOS 5.1 – iOS 9.3.5
CPU	Apple A5X 1 GHz, 2-core (GPU 4 cores 250 MHz)
Flash memory	16 GB / 32 GB / 64 GB
RAM	1 GB
Display	9.7″, Retina 2048×1536, IPS matrix, LED backlight, glossy, anti-fingerprint and multi-touch support
Net	Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, 4G lte
Inputs and outputs	30-pin dock connector, 3.5mm mini-jack, microphone, built-in speaker, Micro-SIM card slot
Location	Wi-Fi, compass, Assisted GPS, GLONASS, mobile network
Battery	42 Wh, built-in, lithium polymer
Cameras	Back cover – 5 megapixels, front – VGA
Sensors	3D gyroscope, accelerometer, light sensor
Dimensions	241 × 186 × 9.4 mm
Weight	652 g

Let's look at some important characteristics in more detail.

Battery

The Apple iPad 3 tablet was equipped with a more powerful battery than its predecessors. Given the new screen, this is rather a necessary measure.

Frame

The body of the iPad 3 is thicker and heavier than its predecessor and most of the models that followed it, but thanks to this it is more reliable - even if dropped it may not be damaged. The thickness and weight are explained by a more powerful and voluminous battery.

Keyboard

What was notable about the iPad 3 at the time of its release was a keyboard with the ability to dictate by voice (the Siri voice assistant in different languages ​​is not yet available in this model).

iPad 3

Camera

The iPad 3 offered a more powerful iSight camera with autofocus and an advanced optical system that allows you to create better quality photos and videos than on the previous two models. Video recording in Full HD 1080@30p resolution has become available.

Screen

The most anticipated feature of the iPad 3 was the Retina screen, with super resolution and a 3x4 aspect ratio, on which pixels are 4 times larger than previous versions and yet they are not visible to the human eye. Photos look richer on it, games are more realistic.

Touchscreen

The edge of the matrix is ​​wide enough to allow you to comfortably hold the device in your hands without touching the touch screen.

Display

A viewing angle of 178 degrees allows you to watch movies comfortably.

Replacing glass and touchscreen

The screen is covered with protective glass with a touchscreen, which can be replaced if necessary - either glass together with the touchscreen panel, or all of this separately. Replacing the glass is also possible at home - but taking into account the fact that antennas and microcircuits are attached under the edges of the touchpad, and very delicate work with the case is required.

Features of apple ipad 3

Let us remember that the idea of ​​​​creating a tablet came to Steve Jobs in 2010, the essence of which was to abandon the combination of keyboard, computer and monitor and replace it with one universal portable device that would be convenient and beautiful. Considering the purpose of the iPad, the Apple iPad 3 tablet surprisingly copes with its tasks even after so many years since its introduction.

It is noteworthy that it was the iPad 3 with an improved screen, which had no analogues, that became the first devices that Android smartphone users wanted to purchase and were appreciated by them.

But is an iPad 3 necessary in 2019 and how much does it cost to purchase it?

Let us note how the apple ipad 3 tablet differs from other models of the entire ipad line.

• iPads 3 and 4 differed from the latest generations of iPads by having the largest battery capacity, so the latest models still hold a charge worse.
• The pixel density of the third generation model was also ideal for the iPad – 264 dots per inch. This density turned out to be optimal regardless of the screen diagonal. By the way, the 9.7 diagonal in the iPad 3 also turned out to be optimal and the most popular.
• This is the first iPad to introduce the new revolutionary Retina screen, combined with a reliable battery and a nostalgic “natural” design (in the case of iOS 6.1.3).

At the same time, it has high performance. For this reason, it is considered rare and special.

Price policy

At the time of release, the iPad 3 cost $500 without taxes, and with a 4G module - $629 without taxes.

Buy now iPad 3

Nowadays, an iPad 3 with iOS 6.1.3 can only be purchased used for $100 or less, or used for a thousand dollars as a “museum exhibit.”

A huge number of Apple fans became interested in retro versions when, in mid-2018, official rollbacks to older versions of the OS suddenly became available. It is iOS 6.1.3 that has become and remains the most popular for rollback. After it, no other was considered so clear and convenient in terms of interface logic and so stable in terms of optimization.

Surprisingly, the main applications we use today, downloading them from the App Store will be compatible with 6.1.3, although they will be older and simpler versions.

iPad 3 video review

We were eagerly awaiting the new iPad. In the second version of the device, Apple did not please with a super-resolution display, ordering us to wait for the third iPad. iPad 2 “only” received a thinner body, a processor with a graphics subsystem and a camera. Fans had to wait until the spring of 2012 for the new display. And now, when the iPad 3 with a new screen has finally come out, voices are heard again that, somehow, revolutionism will not be enough. But is it worth asking for more? Developers have not yet been able to increase the battery life of devices (perhaps this is the main problem with tablets) or install processors as powerful as those found in desktop PCs. A breakthrough has happened with display resolution - and this is already quite a lot.

The display, called Retina, is the main trump card. Other changes in parameters are in one way or another related to the “maintenance” of the screen (new processor and more capacious battery). The innovativeness of the display is not immediately visible to everyone and not immediately. But many owners of the second iPad have already discovered an obvious difference in image quality and began to sigh with envy. Where and how the advantages of the display manifest themselves, what benefits a screen with a resolution of 2048x1536, unavailable on any other device, promises the user, we will try to figure out in our review.

Equipment and design

The device comes with a power adapter, a cable, a pin for opening the SIM card slot, as well as a brochure and traditional branded apple stickers.

Externally, the third iPad is practically no different from the second. Like the second, the third iPad has no ends, thanks to the highly rounded back cover. The case has become a little thicker (from 8.8 mm to 9.4 mm), the tablet has become heavier, apparently due to a more capacious battery installed to power the powerful screen.

The control buttons also have not changed compared to the second version of the device: the Home key, the power button, the sound switch and its control. The speakers and a proprietary connector for a cable or docking station are located at the bottom end of the case (more precisely, on the smooth surfaces between the back cover and the front panel). On top there is a 3.5 mm headphone output and a power button.

Retina display

If you already own an iPad 2, then the main question for you is whether the old device is worth replacing with a new one. The most important thing here is not to accidentally bump into the screen of the new iPad, since what you previously thought was a wonderful display may be completely disappointing in comparison with the new Retina screen.

Compare enlarged screenshots of the iPad 2 and iPad 3 screens:

The display is really great. This is not to say that he is downright mesmerizing, but there is an explanation for this. There are practically no applications, games and websites designed for this resolution yet. Of course, Apple did its best before the presentation of the new product and transferred the corporate website to mega-resolution, but it is difficult to find other content for this display. Of course, over time, games will definitely appear specifically for the iPad 3, but for now we can simply note that images, letters and colors look several orders of magnitude better on Retina. By the way, by increasing the resolution the number of icons on the display has not increased at all. Everything remains the same - twenty icons.

Of course, we couldn't resist the temptation to test the tablet's various capabilities on the new screen. Maps, for example, work exactly the same as on the second iPad. One might expect that they would display a larger area, but no - they have not yet been adapted to the new resolution. But the capabilities of the display are revealed when viewing photos in high resolution, and also when reading, when the number of pixels allows you to enlarge text and images without losing quality.

Therefore, we draw the first conclusion - the new iPad will be the choice of users who read from TFT displays or work with graphic files. The screen is stunning and makes the iPad 3 a clear favorite among other tablets on the market.

Browser

The story about the browser, in fact, will be a continuation of the story about the Retina display. The browser is the same - the usual Safari. The situation here is better than with cards. Apple's proprietary browser on the iPad can display sites laid out in columns on full screen. But when faced with the “fluid” design of sites, the browser displays their web pages in a peculiar way, violating the author’s layout of the site. But in general, the innovations of the new iPad ensure that images are well rendered (thanks to the new screen), and page loading is high speed (thanks to the powerful processor).

As in previous versions of Safari, the browser does not support flash. For this reason, videos on some pages may not play.

Assessing the performance of the third iPad on the Internet as a whole, we again come to the conclusion that the new screen needs new content and layout. It is unlikely that website creators will specifically develop versions of websites for the high resolution of a Retina display. But as a device for surfing the web while lying on the couch at home, the iPad 3 justifies itself, even despite the mentioned problems with displaying sites. Non-specialists usually simply don’t notice such little things.

Photo

Viewing photos is another opportunity to evaluate the potential of the new display. An example would be a display of images from the Heritage program.

Games

And this is what screenshots from video games look like, for example. The image quality is beyond praise.

Video

But the quality of the video on the screen of the third iPad is not much different from the picture on the iPad 2. Despite all expectations, even video in the maximum resolution of 1080p is quite comparable to 720p (this is the maximum video resolution for the iPad 2). Plus, large 1080p files take up too much memory space. And if there is no difference in quality, who in their right mind would upload huge films in 1080p? In addition, the usual “low” resolution formats, such as DVD rips, work here with a bang.

We've sorted out the display as a whole, and now let's turn our attention to the capabilities of iOS 5 installed on the third iPad. The terrible truth about the iPad 3 is that apart from the new screen and innovations in the form of a more powerful processor and battery, the software of the tablet is no different from the previous model. So the owner of previous iPads will be painfully familiar with the filling of the device. For those users who are just getting ready to plunge into the wonderful world of iPad iOS 5, let’s go through the functions and applications that will be most in demand by these lucky ones.

Camera

The second iPad had, frankly, a weak rear camera. In the new version, the tablet received a full 5 megapixels, so now the iPad 3 has a camera no worse than the iPhone 4. But not better either. And in general, taking photos on an iPad is a dubious pleasure. But if there are any amateurs, let’s say that the camera shoots well. There are problems with focusing, noise is detected in low light, but the automatic white balance is adjusted without problems and works very accurately.

Videos can be shot in high resolution Full HD 1080p at 30 frames per second. By the way, the videos are of better quality than the photos. The picture is sharp and rich, and with sudden movements the image is not blurred.

For both photos and videos, you can enable geotagging, that is, assign geographic coordinates to pictures and videos.

iPad 3 as a reading device

It is unlikely that there will be a person who decides to buy an iPad 3 solely as a reading device, but according to statistics, the main activity of tablet owners is reading books and documents. What opportunities does the iPad provide us with in this regard? Here's what: in addition to Apple's main iBooks reading program, the tablet offers many paid and free applications. But even the standard iBooks is very pleasing: visually turning pages is simply mesmerizing! The program allows you to read e-books in EPUB and PDF formats, and this is very cool, since you can find books in these formats on the RuNet in almost any online library. Books are flipped through with visual effects that are pleasing to the eye, simulating the turning of pages in a real book.

PDF documents

Files in PDF format, which are simply impossible to read on 6-inch readers, are reproduced much better on the iPad. Moreover, documents are read better on Retina than on the iPad 2 display. Files in A5 layout can be placed on the entire screen without resorting to scaling. The advantages of the new screen will manifest itself in greater clarity and contrast of letters. The A4 format is more difficult to read: just like on the second iPad, the part of the text that you want to read needs to be enlarged - you won’t be able to read the entire page at a comfortable scale, since the 10-inch screen is too small for this.

Notes

Back in the second version of the iPad, notes were made a separate application. The program is completely simple. Single-level notes - you can add text, take screenshots or camera shots. There is a much more convenient alternative for the application in the form of the Evernote program.

Cards

The maps look great on the new screen. If necessary, they are easily scaled using multi-touch.

The iPad can determine location via Wi-Fi, although it is often not very accurate. But route planning is supported - you can choose automobile, pedestrian and bus options for moving from point A to point B.

Mail

From one version of iPad to another, mail practically does not change. So in the iPad 3 we see the same two-column mode of operation of the mailbox - all the headers of the letters are displayed on the left, and on the right in a large window we see an open letter.

It is possible to automatically configure the receipt and sending of letters from addresses of Gmail, Yahoo!Mail, MS Exchange, MobileME and AOL services. But in general, the mail is not impressive and in this form is suitable for those users who receive and send only a few letters a day. More active users will most likely prefer to use some third-party email application, like Gmail, for example.

YouTube

Despite the fact that the iPad 3 does not support flash, they decided not to deprive users of the pleasure of watching videos on YouTube. The popular video service is available through the corresponding application. It is very convenient to use.

FaceTime

This application allows the user to make calls when Wi-Fi is available, if your interlocutor also uses FaceTime on a second, third iPad or iPhone 4. When making a call, you can switch from the front camera to the rear one and show your interlocutor, for example, the environment around you in the room.

Photo Booth

This utility is designed to create photo effects when shooting. You need to select an effect, start shooting and the image will be processed taking into account the selected effect.

Settings

The Settings section has not changed compared to the iPad 2.

Case heating

The first lucky people who bought the iPad 3 managed to fill the Internet with cries that the new tablet was so hot that it burned their hands. We tested the device for overheating and can state: yes, the iPad gets hot, but not that much. There will definitely be no burns.

When using the most popular entertainment on the iPad 3, which for the vast majority of users will be reading books, surfing the Internet and playing games, the tablet does not heat up at all. It's only when you seriously load the processor with processes such as processing graphics files or running a powerful toy that the heating of the lower left part of the rear surface of the device is detected. And the iPad gets warm when it's plugged in and you're using the same high-performance apps. In these situations, the heating is noticeable, although it is still quite tolerable for the hands. This fact can hardly be considered a serious problem, since ordinary users rarely run programs that seriously load the processor.

Performance

Although the second iPad did not suffer from performance problems, the third managed to outdo it in this regard. Applications open at supersonic speed, pages in the browser load very quickly, and even games with “heavy” graphics run much faster.

Operating time on one battery charge

Contrary to expectations, the presence of a powerful display had virtually no effect on the battery life of the device. We make a nod to the powerful battery, the capacity of which has increased to 11560 mAh. The manufacturer initially assured the public that the third iPad would have no less battery life than the second. And it turned out to be true. In Internet mode, that is, with the wireless communication modules always turned on, the iPad 3 lives for almost 11 hours. When watching videos with communications turned off, the tablet lasts approximately 10 hours. Finally, when reading a book without using Wi-Fi/3G modules, the iPad 3 lasts more than 11 hours. The results of the second iPad in the same modes are best by a couple of tens of minutes, which allows us to conclude that the battery life of the old and new models is quite comparable.

conclusions

Let's move on to the final part of our testing, where we will determine the advantages and disadvantages of Apple's iPad 3 tablet and make a final verdict regarding the iPad 3.

Minuses:

• no software differences from the iPad 2 (same iOS 5, same set of programs);
• lack of distribution of content with a resolution of 2048x1536 (sites, games and applications);
• inability to use the 4G module;
• heating the case.

Pros:

• Retina display, with a resolution of 2048x1536 not available on any other device;
• more powerful processor, increased performance;
• better camera compared to iPad 2;
• powerful battery (possibility of long battery life);
• Identical branded accessories for iPad 2 (suitable for iPad 3).

As a result, we can conclude that Apple has once again presented an iconic product that has several undoubted advantages and advantages over its competitors. This is a more powerful processor and an absolutely crazy screen resolution of 2048x1536 for a tablet. Plus a new camera that was carried over from the iPhone 4s. Of course, there is also 4G support, but it is not relevant for Russians, since 4G from Yota uses a different frequency in Russia.

Obviously, the iPad 3 is better than the iPad 2, but as we see, the second version of the device has not been discontinued and both of these modifications are sold in parallel. The second iPad became a kind of budget version, and the third became a top-end version, more expensive and having advantages that Android tablets do not yet have. This way, you can decide on a purchase based on your budget.

And if Android models are able to successfully compete with the iPad 2, then the hero of our review has no competitors yet. You could even say that there are just tablets and there is a third iPad. Although among the Android models there are several more than worthy devices, in our opinion, they are not yet able to compete on an equal footing with the iPad 3.

Most likely, we will soon see the fifth generation iPad and it will be significantly different from the “two”, which has undergone a couple of upgrades. In the meantime, I want to talk about the experience of using the good old iPad of 2012.

Corps and childhood diseases

There's not much to say here. If the iPhone of all generations had a bunch of specific problems, and with laptops not everything is simple, and the previous generation iMac had dust flying under the display protection, then the third generation iPad just works and that’s it. Scratches and abrasions are clearly visible on the aluminum case, all this is very easy to get, I don’t even know how the scratches appeared on this sample. Looks like I didn't drop it. If you treat your equipment thriftily, it is better to immediately take care of purchasing a cover that protects the back panel. Because the screen doesn’t really need protection; it quickly becomes covered with fingerprints, but it’s not so easy to leave a scratch. The buttons work fine, but the design of the connector is very annoying; unlike the fourth-generation iPad and iPad mini, the old-style plug needs to be inserted only with the correct side - moreover, it’s not just inserted, but pushed in with a crunch. I have seen scratches near the connector on many iPad users, this is normal - I personally approve of Apple’s initiative to switch to Lightning. It may not be great to change all the cables, but it sure is a lot more convenient.

Replacement issue

I’ll try to offer you my own view on this hot topic; many people ask whether it’s worth replacing the penultimate generation iPad with a new version. I just have an iPad 3, bought in Munich last year. The main differences of the new version are a new processor, a Lightning connector, and an improved FaceTime camera. There is an opinion that if you switched to iPhone 5, then it is worth replacing the iPad, at least to avoid confusion with wires. It doesn't seem worth it to me. The difference in performance is noticeable, but not so great, I’m generally silent about the differences in the camera, most users don’t use FaceTime on iPad very often, at least in Russia, but iMessage is much more popular and in demand. Accordingly, I personally have no intention of replacing my old iPad with a new one; it makes sense to wait and see what Apple introduces in 2013. It seems to me that the new iPad may well use the design of the iPad mini, that is, a very thin frame next to the display and a proprietary feature where the edges of the display do not respond to accidental presses. Surely it will be lighter, thinner, probably with Retina and 4G support, it may well be that the list of versions will change - now for the fourth generation it is 16 GB, 32 GB, 64 GB and 128 GB, the younger version may disappear.

Accessories

iPad owners are lucky people because they can choose hundreds of different accessories for their device. Here I will try to give advice on things that are really necessary, and you can always look at reviews of a variety of add-ons in the Apple section.

I'll start with the cases, I myself tried hundreds of different ones and eventually settled on Apple's SmartCover, the black leather version. This addition has a drawback, it is very easy to unfasten, but the advantages outweigh it - it practically does not increase the size of the device, it is easy to use as a stand, it looks good, nothing superfluous. The disadvantage is clear, the back is without protection, if you are afraid of scratches, then the solution will not work. In general, Apple does not produce many accessories, but all of them, as a rule, are sensible. Let's not just remember the Bluetooth headset announced along with the first iPhone. In addition to the SmartCover, you can also look at the SmartCase, another proprietary addition, but I don't like it because it increases the size quite a bit. But it also protects the back; if you are afraid of scratches on aluminum, then you should pay attention to this option. As for other accessories, I repeat, the choice is very large, I would recommend paying attention to the products of Ozaki, SwitchEasy, HardGraft, among the inexpensive ones I liked the Denn case, I wrote about it recently.

Headphones, as you know, are not even included with a simple model without a remote control. The choice is great, but I still remain faithful to the Apple In-Ear Headset with a remote control, although now I increasingly use the EarPods included with the iPhone 5. Both the first and the second are not that expensive, the In-Ear Headset has a big plus - they are comfortable Silicone nozzles, I would recommend choosing between these two models. Naturally, with the iPad you can use any headsets designed for Apple technology, from expensive Bowers & Wilkins to nameless models. However, Apple models remain the best choice here, I’m willing to bet about reliability and sound quality, I’ve been using In-Ear Headset for several years, I haven’t noticed any problems, except that the cable turned from white to gray - and in general this is typical for all original cables . Just look at the power supply for MBP 15, only six months have passed, and the cable has already turned grey.

Speakers, here I will once again remind you that now there are a lot of universal speakers; you can connect a variety of gadgets to such devices using Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. What you don’t need to do is buy a special speaker with a cradle for the iPad, that is, so that the size of the cradle allows you to install the tablet. Who knows, maybe in a year you will already have a new iPad? And there is another connector. Therefore, buying the same Jawbone Big Jambox or one of the Samsung speakers (such as DA-E750) looks much preferable. I use a simple Jambox with my iPad when traveling, but at home I connect it to the audio system using a cable, that’s also an option.

For the third generation iPad there is an interesting proprietary accessory that allows you to connect an HDMI cable to the tablet and immediately display the image on the TV. If you watch movies on VKontakte, the quality will be very poor, I tried it in conjunction with a Full HD TV. If you upload movies yourself to AVPlayer, then it’s quite normal - we’re talking, for example, about TV series in normal quality. It’s interesting that I’ve had this adapter lying around idle for a long time, but now I often use it outside the city, the iPad works like a kind of VCR.

There is no need to buy cases with keyboards; as a rule, they are not very good. It’s better to buy a short Apple keyboard and an Incase Origami little thing to connect the keyboard and tablet, it’s a very convenient thing. The keyboard will come in handy later when used with other gadgets, for example, if you connect a monitor to a laptop. Or if you want to type text paired with an Android smartphone. To be honest, I hardly use the keyboard with the iPad, because I have a MacBook Air 11.

There are a great variety of car holders, and it is difficult to say which one will suit you - it all depends, ultimately, on the car too. In general, I would recommend paying attention to universal holders for tablets - not only for the iPad, so that the mount is movable and can be used for other devices. I know that many people use iPad in the car not only for navigation, but also as a TV or music center, in this case it is worth choosing a model with maximum memory and 3G.

Which version should I choose?

Often when choosing an iPad, people have the same question: which version to take? How much memory, do you need 3G support? I periodically conduct such consultations among friends. And it all starts out banal, everyone needs top versions, but in fact it turns out that 16 GB + Wi-Fi is quite enough. It seems to me that you shouldn’t spend money on some incomprehensible benefits in reserve. My iPad mini is just the 16 GB version with Wi-Fi, and this is more than enough for me, literally for all occasions. See for yourself, you can probably listen to music from your smartphone and you won’t need tens of gigabytes for your iPad library. Watching movies on the road is great, but, as a rule, there are some nuances. If you have a long flight, more than ten hours, how many movies will you watch during that time? Considering that you will have to sleep anyway? Well, two, three. Just in case, you can copy four or five into memory, but even in this situation, 16 GB is more than enough. Especially if you don’t use AVPlayer, but prepare movies using iTunes (that is, convert so that the size of the original file becomes smaller). As practice shows, most often on tablet users it is programs rather than content that take up the most memory, so assess your needs soberly. Let's say the iPad in question has 64 GB of memory, it's been in use for a long time, so what's in the memory? See for yourself. But I took the tablet with me more than once. A little music, a couple of films, I just took with me on trips, everything else is programs. More often I watch movies online, Ivi is installed, and no one has canceled VKontakte. You can have different attitudes towards this network, but many tablet owners register with VKontakte in order to watch a variety of cinematic masterpieces.

Even more interesting with 3G. Don't forget that your iPhone or Android smartphone can work great as a hotspot, so a SIM card for a tablet is sometimes bought by many people along with their tablets, then used several times, and then happily forgotten about. No, there are exceptions, and many of you reading this review buy such SIM cards for normal use of the browser while roaming, for comfortable use of Safari in a cafe (if there is no Wi-Fi there), I can think of a hundred more options. Maybe you can tell me. But it’s like with memory, when buying, you shouldn’t take 3G in reserve, it’s better to immediately figure out whether you will use it or not. With the very first iPad I used a SIM card, with the second one too, but with the third one and the mini I don’t see the need. If I find myself in a place where there is no Wi-Fi, it’s easier to turn on the hotspot in the iPhone. How to throw money at the SIM card installed in the tablet. Another question is, if 4G appears in the new iPads, working with our operators, then we will need to think about connecting. Well, when choosing a third generation iPad, think carefully.

By the way, if you are planning to buy such a tablet for a child, then it is better to forget about 3G, but don’t skimp on memory, educational toys and other smart applications sometimes “weigh” a lot. Here you definitely need to take either 32 or 64 GB.

Here I want to say that the price range for the third generation iPad is very wide; if you search, you can find the cheapest version (16 GB + Wi-Fi) for 18,000 rubles. I sincerely believe that the secondary market should not be discounted, unlike smartphones, this often happens - a person buys an iPad, tries to use it, then puts it in a distant drawer. That is, it is easy to find a device in perfect condition at a good price. After rummaging through flea markets for five minutes, I found a white iPad 3 64 GB + Wi-Fi for 20,000 rubles, it seems to me that the offer is not bad - in general, it’s worth looking, especially if you need a device “for slaughter”, for constant use in the car or for child.

Programs

Surely you have your own set of software for the iPad; my device is mainly used as a replacement for a laptop in meetings, a bedside TV for watching videos, a music box in the bathroom or kitchen. The fact is that all iPads, including mini, have excellent speakers. You can take your iPad with you, go to the balcony, turn on music, and look at the surrounding picturesque views. I said above that there is practically no music on the tablet; I mainly use Soundcloud. In addition, with the release of iTunes in Russia, I bought iTunes Match, here is an excerpt from an article about the launch of the service:

“Russian iTunes users also have access to iTunes Match, this service helps you store your entire music library in iCloud, it costs 799 rubles for a year of use, I have already subscribed. Although it makes sense to do this only for those who have several Apple devices, a smartphone, a tablet, a laptop (or two laptops), an iMac. The point is that I can send the entire library from the MacBook Pro to the sky, and then access it from the iPhone without any connection to the computer. How much volume can be uploaded to the cloud? iTunes Match has a limitation, but it is not related to the size, but to the number of songs, now it is more than twenty thousand, I don’t think many of you have at least a thousand songs on your hard drive.”

After turning on the service on the laptop, all the tracks were transferred to the “cloud” for quite some time. As you can see, duplicates, tracks purchased from iTunes, matching compositions, etc. are marked in iTunes on the laptop. Just turn on iTunes Match on your iPad to choose which tracks to download to your device and which to leave in the cloud. In the screenshots you can see what it looks like, an icon appears next to the track name, a cloud and an arrow; if you click it, it starts downloading to your device. For me, iTunes Match is a very convenient way to access music from all devices, considering that I am constantly testing something, this feature is good.

Now briefly about the rest of the programs, I’ll try to simply list them and explain my choice. We will talk about what is almost always available on the iPad, and what’s more, on all iOS devices. I download a lot, look at it, delete it.

SoundCloud, the most convenient program for those who love electronic music, something like a social network where they share mixes, artists post new tracks, and sometimes allow you to download new songs. I also upload my podcasts here. This cloud is installed on all Apple devices, I recommend you try it too.

KORG iElectribe, just for pampering, a kind of exotic.

Shazam, music identification software, iPad version.

NARR8, I don’t even know what to call the utility - it contains comics, popular science literature and other interesting things. Watch our video for details.

As you can see, I actively use "Kiosk" As a rule, I buy magazines before traveling. In general, in this regard, the iPad has long replaced paper magazines for me, but what’s the point of carrying a paper issue if you can download everything here, read it and not litter the trash can later.

In 2012, the new iPad was released - a device that radically changed the idea of ​​tablets. The abundance of technical innovations in its composition made it the best-selling tablet in the world. A unique Retina display, an Apple A5X gadget chip based on a dual-core processor and quad-core graphics, a gigabyte of RAM, fourth-generation Bluetooth, a powerful 5 MP camera capable of recording video in full resolution and a powerful battery ensured the iPad new 3 a resounding victory over its competitors.

External features and design of the device

Externally, the device is practically no different from the previous model. With the same overall dimensions, The new iPad has greater thickness (9.4mm versus 8.8mm for the iPad 2), increased weight by 50 grams, a larger camera lens and a metal base for the synchronization socket.

At a quick glance, it is almost impossible to distinguish one iPad from another. In order to “identify” the iPad new 3, you will have to pick it up - it is heavier than its predecessor due to the powerful battery with increased capacity. The manufacturing company Apple thus provided power to all the high-tech components of the legendary tablet.

Display

The most striking innovation of the new iPad 3 is the unique 9.7″ Retina LED display. Anyone who has ever used a tablet gets a dose of adrenaline when they look at the screen of a working iPad new 3. The display resolution is 2048x1536 (264 dots per inch, which is twice as high as the iPad 2). This significantly exceeds the resolution of Full HD (1920x1080) devices, allowing the small screen to display sharp images with amazing detail. The screen pixels are invisible to the eye (hence the name Retina), it is ideal for those who are used to working with a tablet for a long time. These are mainly fans of bright and dynamic games, readers of fascinating books, photographers and connoisseurs of Internet surfing.

The color saturation of the screen is increased by 44%, the IPS matrix ensures viewing content or video without distortion and color shifts at large screen angles. The oleophobic coating of the display will keep it clean, and automatic adjustment of screen brightness makes working with the iPad 3 even more convenient.

Camera

The gadget's camera can easily be called revolutionary. The decision to install the advanced full-frame 5 MP iSight camera on the tablet from the iPhone 4 with a five-element lens made the iPad 3 a leader among tablets. Automatic image stabilization and autofocus allow you to shoot on the go, and the backlight sensor makes it possible to take photos and shoot videos with Full HD resolution (30 fps) even in low light. The front camera of the iPad new 3 has a resolution of only 0.3 MP, which is quite enough for communicating via Face Time.

Performance

When creating the tablet, Apple developers focused on graphics that clearly demonstrate the outstanding capabilities of the Retina display. Leaving for the main work a processor based on two ARM Cortex A9 cores with an operating frequency of one gigahertz, the company’s specialists focused on working with graphics 4 graphics cores PowerVR GPU, enhancing the capabilities of the hardware with one gigabyte of RAM. As a result, iPad 3 new demonstrates the enormous capabilities of the display when working with graphic, Internet applications and powerful games. The operating speeds of the Apple iPad 2 and iPad 3 are almost identical; The quality of graphics output on the latter’s display makes it the envy of graphomaniacs. Any games that the tablet can handle will certainly delight players with high quality textures and depth of graphics.

Functionality

Apple's new tablet The new iPad 3 is capable of playing Full HD video on the screen. To check this, you only need .

A powerful processor allows you to almost instantly load the heaviest applications, work with graphics and video. A large amount of RAM makes it possible to keep a large number of applications in minimized mode without the slightest impact on performance.

iPad 3 works with Bluetooth 4th generation, supports WiFi and broadband Internet access in 3G/4G format. It is possible to use the tablet as an access point for five different devices.

Working with applications

Working with third-generation iPad applications has become more productive - in addition to increasing the speed of work, experts note an increase in their capabilities (we are talking about graphic applications, web applications and video processing programs).

Working with the browser on the Apple iPad new is noticeably more detailed in the content; small text in the background is easily distinguishable and readable, which is a real technological breakthrough for a tablet with a small screen size. If the standard browser does not suit you, you can always use another one, for example, .

A powerful 5 MP camera allows you to work with photo and video editors capable of processing full HD video on a tablet. All The new iPad applications work quickly and have a large performance reserve.
The unusually high resolution of the Retina screen will appeal to lovers of reading - thanks to the high clarity of the image, the eyes practically do not get tired.

The high-tech filling of the gadget allows you to scale maps to the finest detail without the risk of slowdowns and freezing.

Gamers will appreciate the ability of the Retina display and quad-core graphics accelerator to work together. Now even relatively old games shine with color and surprise with the quality and depth of texture rendering. The new ones immerse you in their unreal atmosphere twice as quickly. The absence of the slightest graphics defects makes the Apple tablet a real dream for every graphomaniac gamer.

For those who work with text, the voice typing feature will be useful. The disadvantages of this option are that it recognizes only English and the program ignores punctuation marks.

Autonomous operation

iPad 3 is considered one of the most durable tablets. It was not for nothing that Apple specialists increased the weight of the new product. Despite the “gluttony” chipset and the unique Retina display, the gadget is able to work in autonomous mode for 10 hours declared by the manufacturer. The battery has a huge capacity of 11666 mAh. will be able to give the user of the device three hours of games with three-dimensional graphics, more than six hours of watching full-length films or eleven hours of fascinating reading. It is noted that the indicators vary greatly depending on the screen backlight brightness used.

Pros and cons of using Apple The new iPad

Among the disadvantages of the gadget are:

• slight heating of the case during prolonged use of games or “heavy” applications;
• the high resolution of the Retina display (2048×1536) implies the use of specialized content;
• The software set of iPad 3 copies the set of the previous model;
• the uselessness of the 4G module in our conditions.

The advantages of iPad 3 are:

• unique high-resolution Retina display;
• expanded processor capabilities compared to previous models (especially related to graphics processing);
• a powerful battery that allows the tablet to work offline for up to twelve hours.