Apple iPad 2 reviews are popping up around the Internet from tech sites, techies, and media outlets who were lucky enough to get their hands on the new tablet before they go on sale tomorrow. The glowing reviews shed more light on iPad’s potential to outshine its competitors this year, though some reviewers did mention some drawbacks like the poor camera quality. iPad 2 comes with new features, a new body, a new inside, and everybody thinks it will be as much or a bigger success than the first-generation iPad.
Walt Mossberg – All Things Digital
Walt likes the iPad 2, calling it the “best tablet for average consumers,” and thinks it makes the old iPad and Xoom look “bloated”. But he’s not happy about the quality of the rear facing camera for taking pictures and lack of 4G support. He suggests not buying the iPad 2 if you have a first-generation iPad as it is “evolutionary rather than revolutionary.”
As new contenders move into the field, Apple isn’t likely to keep its 90% share of the booming tablet market. But the iPad 2 moves the goal posts, by being slimmer and lighter, boosting speed and power, and holding its price advantages, available apps and battery life. As of now, I can comfortably recommend it as the best tablet for average consumers.
Jason Snell – MacWorld
For Apple’s competitors in the tablet-device market, the iPad 2 is a bucket of water to the face. After more than a year of struggling to catch up to the original iPad, here’s a new model that addresses many of the iPad’s deficiencies, dramatically improves its speed, and doesn’t cede any ground on price, features, or battery life. The iPad 2 raises the bar Apple set a year ago—and it’s time for the rest of the industry to scramble again to catch up.
For everyone else, the iPad 2 is a triumph, an iPad that’s even more iPad than the original. And the original one was really good. The first iPad was a bolt from the blue, a device that defined an entire category, and a tough act to follow. The iPad 2 follows it with aplomb.
MG Siegler – TechCrunch
A week ago, after its unveiling, I got some hands on time with the new hardware and my initial assessment was that it pushed a device that already had no true competition, even farther ahead. But now I’ve had the chance to actually use the thing non-stop for a week. Is my feeling the same?
Actually, it’s even stronger.
The original iPad was considered a huge hit — but that was with no real competition. The iPad 2 has some competition — right now, the Xoom, and many more are coming. But I have no doubt that the iPad 2 will be an even bigger hit than the original.
Joshua Topolsky – Engadget
It might frustrate the competition to hear this, but it needs to be said: the iPad 2 isn’t just the best tablet on the market, it feels like the only tablet on the market. As much as we’d like to say that something like the Xoom has threatened Apple’s presence in this space, it’s difficult (if not impossible) to do that. Is the iPad 2 a perfect product? Absolutely not. The cameras are severely lacking, the screen — while extremely high quality — is touting last year’s spec, and its operating system still has significant annoyances, like the aggravating pop-up notifications. At a price point of $499, and lots of options after that (like more storage and models that work on both Verizon’s and AT&T’s 3G networks), there’s little to argue about in the way of price, and in terms of usability, apps like GarageBand prove that we haven’t even scratched the surface of what the iPad can do.
For owners of the previous generation, we don’t think Apple’s put a fire under you to upgrade. Unless you absolutely need cameras on your tablet, you’ve still got a solid piece of gear that reaps plenty of the benefits of the latest OS and apps. For those of you who haven’t yet made the leap, feel free to take a deep breath and dive in — the iPad 2 is as good as it gets right now. And it’s really quite good.
David Pogue – The New York Times
Some of the iPad’s new features play industry catch-up. A 5-megapixel camera on the back (no flash) can also record high-definition video. If you’ve never used a tablet as a camera, you’re in for a treat; the entire screen is your viewfinder. It’s like using an 8-by-10 enlargement to compose the scene.
There’s also a low-resolution front camera that’s useful for video calls, like clear, sharp Wi-Fi calls to iPhone 4, Touch, and Mac owners using Apple’s FaceTime software.
But that price detail may turn a lot of heads. It means that for the first time, your heart can succumb to the iPad mystique — without having to ignore the practical input from your brain.
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