Google’s recent announcement of a 7 inch Google Nexus tablet has caused a considerable stir in the tablet market. While Google has mainly stressed on competition with Amazon and has avoided a direct clash with Apple by not releasing a 10 inch tablet, people would certainly compare it with iPad as well.
 
Google Nexus tablet would come with a 1.3GHz quad-core Nvidia Tegra 3 processor. In comparison to this, the new iPad contains a dual-core 1 GHz Cortex-A9. When it comes to the displays of both devices, the new iPad has a clear edge with its 1536×2048 resolution and a pixel density of 264 ppi. Google Nexus, on the other hand, would feature a resolution of 1280×800 pixels along with a pixel density of 216 ppi.
 
When we compare the cameras of both devices, iPad once again has an edge with its 5 mega pixel iSight camera, in addition to a VGA front facing camera. Google Nexus features only a single 1.3 mega pixel front facing camera. Considering that Google mainly intends on competing with Amazon Kindle Fire, this is still better since Kindle Fire does not have any camera at all. Connectivity on the new iPad is much better in comparison with Google Nexus. The new iPad has support for WiFi, 3G as well as 4G LTE networks, while Google Nexus so far only has support for WiFi networks, although support for 3G might be added soon.
 
The new iPad is available in 8 GB, 16 GB and 32 GB versions, while Google Nexus is available in two models of 8 GB and 16 GB. Besides, both tablets have no support for microSD card.
 
Finally comes the important factor of price and this is one factor that would attract large consumers towards Google Nexus. The 8 GB version of Google Nexus is available for $199 while the 16 GB version would cost $249. On the other hand, the 16 GB version of the new iPad can be purchased for $499. With an attraction of more than 600,000 apps and the latest version of Android, Jelly Beans, Google Nexus clearly has a chance of making it big in the market. Besides, it does not have to directly compete with iPad since both tablets belong to different domains of 10 inch and 7 inch displays.

Only three months have passed since the release of the new iPad and rumors have started surfacing that Apple is considering releasing another version of iPad this summer. The source which has claimed this happens to be Apple Daily, which is a Hong Kong based tech newspaper. According to this newspaper, Apple has been gearing up to launch another 9.7 inch version of its tablet as soon as this summer.

This certainly seems to be very impractical, considering that the new iPad has been doing pretty good in the market. But nothing can be said for sure about the tech industry these days since the trends keep changes at a very abrupt pace. As per the details of the report, the updated version of the iPad would come with “indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) panel technology to allow the device to feature an even thinner design and longer battery life.”

Another important change that would be seen in the updated version of iPad, as per the sources, is that Apple would change the panel supplier for its devices from Samsung to Sharp. There has been a legal battle going on between Apple and Samsung for more than a year now, where each is accusing the other of patent infringement. May be Apple does not want to relay on Samsung anymore and has hence decided to strike a partnership with Sharp instead.

There have also been other rumors regarding another iPad to be launched this year. Previously, a tech source claimed that Apple has been preparing for the launch of a 10 inch iPad in the quarter 4 of 2012. But so far there isn’t any official backing of these rumors and everything is purely based on speculations. Besides, it seems highly unlikely that Apple would launch another iPad only three months after the launch of the new iPad. Apple also needs to work on the updated version of iPhone that is set to be released in the fall of this year. So to see what actually happens, we would have to wait for a few months.

While Apple fans are overall quite content with the new iPad, there are still many who prefer iPad 2. But regardless of the version, the limited space on 8 GB or 16 GB version of the new iPad can be problematic, particularly when you are traveling frequently. The Retina Display of the new iPad has turned many users from simple users to power users. People who previously used to only check mails and occasionally browse on their iPad now like to do much more things. Besides, the powerful processor of the new iPad, coupled with Retina Display, is a huge attraction for gamers. However, under such a situation, the 16 GB version can be quite a limitation and users indulging in too much use would certainly need to go for higher capacity version. There are many games and apps that exceed much more than 1 GB and a total memory of 16 GB seems next to nothing. Excessive use on 16 GB version would eventually force you to delete some of the previous content which you might not like.
 
The 16 GB version is also not recommended for people who have to travel quite frequently. This is because, quite naturally, one needs books, movies and other content to pass his time during traveling. However, 16 GB, being very limited, can hardly contain more than a handful of HD movies. This once again forces you to delete the previous content which you might not like. So basically if you like to travel a lot and want to purchase the new iPad, you should certainly go for something like 32 GB or 64 GB version since 16 GB would not be sufficient enough to fulfill your needs. Same applies to people who like to watch HD movies or play high end games.
 
Finally, if you are just a home user and also don’t have much interest in high end games and can afford watching films in reasonable resolution, 16 GB won’t hurt. If you use your iPad for occasional browsing, watching films at intervals and playing around with a few documents, 16 GB can actually be more than sufficient for you. But still, it is better to go for more space then regretting later, although budget limit also comes into play here. So before you purchase the new iPad, make sure that you have evaluated your memory requirements.

Bad news for the owners of iPad 2 and 3^rd generation iPod touch: the updated features available in iOS 6, including Siri, would not be applicable on those devices. Apple has a sort of convention of supporting only the latest devices and this is exactly what has happened with the latest updated version of iOS.
 
The updated version of iOS was recently launched by Apple during the World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC) of Apple in San Francisco. In this latest version of the operating system, some 200 new features have been added, including Siri for the new iPad as well as various other social networking features. The updated features would also be applicable on devices such as iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, fourth generation iPod as well as both version of Apple TV.
 
Other than Siri and various other social networking features, Apple has also launched its own version of Google Maps in this software update. This was precisely the reason why Apple dropped support for Google Maps in its App Store recently. In the Apple version of these maps, there would also be support for 3D version which could be activated form the device with a single button. Similar 3D support has also been demonstrated by Google recently and would be incorporated in Google Maps.
 
The updated software has enhanced social network integration with websites such as Facebook and Twitter. According to the updated features for Facebook, users would now be able to post on Facebook from within the apps. Besides, they would now also be able to pull images from photo albums and identify locations from maps, all within the apps. Besides, birthdays and events on Facebook would be automatically synchronized with users’ calendars.
 
There are also certain improvements made in the Apple browser, Safari. The browser now supports live synchronization of tabs with Mountain Lion which would allow the synchronization of the browsing experience across all Apple devices of a user using iCloud. This means that if there is a tab opened on your iPad, you can leave it just that way and check it instead on your iPhone.
 
So there are significant improvements in iOS 6 but unfortunately, these improvements would only be seen on the latest Apple devices.

Apple has updated various specifications during the transition from iPad 2 to the new iPad. These changes include both hardware and software aspects of the device. So for a person considering purchasing the new iPad, it would be important to know the technical specs of the new iPad and what to expect.
 
To start with, the new iPad has support for the 4G LTE network unlike iPad 2 which is certainly good. As for the size and weight of the device, while the physical dimensions of the new iPad are similar to iPad 2, the weight of the new iPad is noticeably greater than the previous version. Increase in weight would certainly be an inconvenience for many people but this is something that can be compromised. Good news about display is that the display of the new iPad would contain a considerably higher resolution of 1536 x 2048 pixels along with a pixel density of 264 ppi. The operating system for the new iPad has also been updated to iOS 5.1.
 
There is also a considerable improvement in the camera of the device. The new iPad comes with an improved 5 mega pixel rare end camera which is equipped with features such as auto-focus, touch focus, geo-tagging, HDR, as well as face detection. This camera can also record videos in 1080p format at the rate of 30 frames per second. In addition, there is also a 0.3 mega pixel front facing camera.
 
Overall internet data speeds are quite improved in the new iPad. Having support for 4G, the new iPad uses HSDPA, HSUPA, LTE and EVDO Rev.A. The web connection on the new iPad is also considerably faster than iPad 2. As for the price of the new iPad, the WiFi only version costs $499 for 16 GB model, $599 for 32 GB model and $699 for the 64 GB model. As for the version equipped with 4G connectivity, it would cost $629 for 16 GB model, $729 for 32 GB model and $829 for the 64 GB model.
 
While there are some downsides to the new iPad such as increased weight, same processor, no micro SD card support, and the same battery power, overall the advantages and enhancements of the new iPad pretty much compensate for the negative points. However, with the decreased price of iPad 2, it is still a perfect alternative to the new iPad, particularly if you are not much interested in the cutting edge technology.

We have the latest version of the Apple iPad while Samsung has also announced the next version of its famous tablet Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 during the Mobile World Congress. Among the Android tablets, Samsung’s tablet is the most popular tablet in the market while Apple’s iPad is, as we already know, the most popular tablet of all time. A brief comparison of these two giant devices is in order.

A noteworthy aspect with regard to both these tablets is that you won’t find many hardware changes in both of them, even though there are several software enhancements, among them being 4G LTE capability for both.  With respect to the physical structure of these devices, even though Galaxy Tab is a bit thicker compared to iPad, its weight is slightly lower. The weight of iPad happens to be 662g while the corresponding weight of the Samsung tablet is 588g. With respect to the screen resolution, the new iPad has clear edge with its Retina Display, having a resolution of 2048 x1536 and a pixel density of 224 ppi. The resolution of Galaxy Tab 2, on the other hand, is 800 x 1280 pixels along with a pixel density of 149 ppi. When we compare the processing power of these devices, once again, Apple seems to have an edge. Surprisingly, Samsung didn’t upgrade its device to the anticipated quad core processor and instead decided to retain the 1 GHz dual core processor along with 1 GB or RAM memory. The new iPad, in comparison, runs on efficient dual core Apple A5X processor, with its widely acclaimed architecture.

From the software side, the battle between iOS and Android continues. Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 would come with Ice Cream Sandwich which has an extremely well designed user interface while Apple tablet would run the latest version of iOS, that is, iOS 5.1.

There was no update in the camera feature of the Samsung tablet as well and it remains to be the same 3.15 mega pixel camera with a resolution of 2048×1536 pixels and HD video recording in 720p format. Apple’s new iPad, on the other hand, contains a 5 mega pixel rare and camera with 1080p video recording along with video stabilization. So basically the bottom line is that the new iPad has a clear edge over the latest Samsung tablet and its pretty evident that some fine hardware and software enhancements have been made by Apple while Samsung, although contrary to the expectations, didn’t really impress the tech buffs.

Apparently many of the iPad users in Australia are not happy with Apple because of the LTE concerns and for those users Apple is willing to offer the refunds. Australians users had massive expectations that the new iPad would fully support the 4G/LTE network offered by Telstra, but the device is not able to fulfill the required functionality. Due to this many users have been blaming Apple for misinformation. Apple, on the other hand, is ready to issue refunds to such users even though Apple maintains the official stance that the company never claimed that it would fully support the 4G/LTE network in Australia. This statement was released by Apple senior counsel Paul Anastassiou. Apple has also published the compatibility issues that are being faced by the new iPad in Australia on its website.

Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is also considering taking Apple in court because of the same reason, since before the release of the new iPad it was announced that the device would be capable of the 4G/LTE technology and since the device actually fails to do so, this means misleading of the consumers. At present, the new iPad is available in two versions. One version works specifically for WiFi networking while the other one works for the wireless networks provided by mobile phone carriers. This means that the areas where 4G is available, in the United States, the device would work with this technology while the areas where this technology is not available, the device would operate with 3G capabilities. But the problem here seems to be that of the frequency band. In Australia, the frequency band used by the 4G network is 1800 MHz but the required frequency band for the 4G operation of the new iPad happens to be 700MHz or 2100MHz. This mismatch in the frequency bands has created problems for 4G support in Australia. There is, however, no frequency band mismatch in areas such as US, Canada where the new iPad works perfectly well with the networks such as AT&T, Bell, Rogers, and Telus. For the time being, there is no official statement from Apple about the kind of measures that would be taken to resolve the 4G compatibility issue in Australia. All we know is that users who are not happy with this outcome can have their money back.

The new iPad from Apple has been here for some days now and it has been making a lot of headlines. While it isn’t exactly an all new product from Apple, it does come with upped specs, especially with that Retina display that has wooed many. While Apple has already shipped three million new iPad tablets within three days of launch, it’s time to see why you should or should not buy this tablet.

Why you should buy it?

The most significant feature and the first thing that you will notice the moment you lay your hands on the new iPad is its ultra-high, ultra-clear Retina display. With an A5X processor which supplements the tablet with quad-core graphics, you are able to get a very vivid tablet experience. Talk about having a true feel of gaming, surfing the web or watching movies.

Also, the new iPad comes with iOS 5.1 which is incredibly refined and sleek. To put it in a few words, there are no glitches or breaks with this nifty piece of software. Also, Apple has been able to keep the battery life of the tablet constant even when all that power goes into juicing up the 2048 x 1536 display. That’s a real achievement although there have been indications that the new iPad gets more warm than iPad 2 when it is working. Finally, for those who have wanted an Apple tablet with high-speed 4G connection, the new iPad is their dreams come true.

Why you should not buy it?

One of the major down-sides of the new iPad is that although it furnishes the same battery time as iPad 2, it takes much, much longer to recharge. Also, as mentioned earlier, the new iPad warms up a lot more than iPad 2 and you may have to put it down at times, which is further exacerbated by the fact that it weighs more than iPad 2 and is thicker (essentially a departure from Steve Jobs’ philosophy of getting things only thinner). Moreover, whereas the new iPad does have a 5-megapixel camera which is really good, the front-facing camera still remains VGA. So if you were planning a FaceTime chat on the new iPad, that’s still going to be a poor experience.

While you may be all prepped up to spend a solid $500 on this tablet, you may feel a little disappointed because essentially, the only thing that significantly stands the new iPad apart from iPad 2 is its Retina display – and that distinction blurs when you realize that iPad 2’s price is hovering near $350 since the launch of the new iPad.

Most of the people who are planning to purchase the new iPad had not even gotten their hands on the device and we already have the news that it has been jailbroken. This is certainly impressive since the jailbreak of iPad 2 took quite a long time. This time, however, just a couple of weeks after the announcement of the device from Apple, jailbreak video has been released on YouTube. Watching the jailbreak of iOS 5.1 itself was not much of a huge task, but the limited time in which this has been done is certainly impressive. This came as a shock for many people since they thought that the jailbreak of the new iPad would also take as long as it took for the jailbreak of the previous version.
 
The person who undertook this process of iOS 5.1 jailbreak has previously also performed several tricks related to iPads. The popularity of the videos from this hacker can be estimated from the fact that there were 28 likes on the video even before it was completely uploaded. People are surely excited to see a jailbreak video of the new iPad even before they have actually purchased the device. This means that the jailbreak process can be performed right after you get your hands on the device and you would not need to wait for an eternity, like you had to in case of iPad 2. This video spanned 4 minutes and 39 seconds and demonstrates the jailbreak process in details.
 
Among all the hustle and bustle in the technology, this latest piece of news is certainly a source of another excitement for Apple lovers, particularly those who have already purchased the new iPad or are seriously considering having one. This also shows the increasing interest of people in the tablet devices compared to the conventional desktops and laptops. Even though we didn’t see many grand changes in the latest version of iPad, the popularity of the device would most probably be retained, given the brand loyalty of Apple users and the status symbol that iPad has become. Anyways, now that you have the method to jailbreak the new iPad, you can try it out on your new device and utilize the full potential of the device.

Now that the new iPad was released everyone would want to have it particularly when it is quite reasonably priced. But it seems that Apple would make sure that the older versions of iPad keep selling and for this, Apple is drastically lowering the price of the previous versions. During the last Apple event during which the new iPad was announced, it was also announced that Apple would continue the sale of the previous version of iPad on a lower price. Apparently this move was a result of the constantly increasing competition in the market of the mobile devices.
 
The new iPad is no doubt a worth having gadget in the presence of amazing specs such as Retina display, iSight camera and faster A5X processor. The price of new iPad would start from $499 just like the previous version when it was released last year. But still, if your budget is constrained and you can’t really afford to go for this latest version, you don’t need to worry since the price of the previous version has been drastically lowered. If you go to the special deals sections on Apple’s online store, you would find some amazing offers there. For example, you can purchase a WiFi, 16 GB OG iPad with a nominal price of just $299. But what is even more amazing, with the addition of merely 50 more bucks, you can actually get you hands on a second generation iPad with 16 GB storage. Further, if you happen to be a premium user, there is even more attractive offer for you. For premium users, the store has a special offer of 64 GB Wifi and 3G version of iPad 2 for $679. Good thing is that all these devices are accompanied with a one year warranty. Interestingly, there are rumors that soon another tablet with a jaw-dropping price of just $129 would be made available on the online store, although it has not arrived as yet.
 
This is certainly a wise and timely move from Apple. Although Apple is still at the top of the tablet market and iPad happens to be the most popular tablet of all time, Android tablets has been giving tough competition to Apple for the last couple of years. Keeping this in consideration, Apple really needed to bring something extra to retain its position in the market, and the above offers are a manifestation of steps in this direction. Further, Apple is also expected to release a mini iPad, which would be a 7 inch device, to compete smaller tablets such as Amazon Kindle Fire and Galaxy Tab 7.