A year ago, the world was shocked when Apple launched its 9.7-inch touch screen tablet. Now, 60,000 apps later (according to Apple, who counts every conceivable option) and just a few weeks after the first real Android 3.0 tablet contender hit the streets (Motorola Xoom), the iPad 2 has sauntered onto the playing field. Yet, the reality with the iPad 2 is that Apple has taken an iterative approach. In many ways, the iPad 2 is a crowd pleaser because it does not rock the boat. While the iPad 2 doesn't deliver everything on your tablet wish list—no sharper display, 4G, Flash or SD memory card slot. It does finally offer FaceTime video chat and "snappier" performance thanks to Apple's souped-up, dual-core A5 system-on-a-chip. In the end, the iPad 2 is second to none in terms of an ever-evolving state of the art device.
At 241mm tall, 186mm wide, and 8.6mm thick, the iPad 2 is just a hair smaller than the original iPad and it's thinner than the iPhone 4. It has a curved edge that makes it look a bit more 'space age' and, surprisingly, easier to grasp because you can curve your fingers more easily around the bezel. Apple revealed several improvements consumers had been demanding since the release of the first iPad. The new tablet is slimmer, lighter, faster, and it is packing two cameras and a few new features--all for the same price as the original. It creates the illusion of being much smaller, somehow fitting easily into a bag, even if that bag is on the small side. Sure, it is only a smidgen smaller than the original iPad when talking dimensions, but the thickness makes it feel dramatically smaller. At just 8.8mm thin, it is thinner than the iPhone and every other tablet out there. Its curved rear also helps create the illusion it's been on a bit of a diet. To protect your tablet, use iPad 2 transparent skins available through Best Skins Ever.
The most dramatic change is the weight. At 680 grams, the iPad 2 is 80g lighter than the first iPad. Apple has made a second-generation iPad that feels lighter and more nimble. Its newfound mobility means it has lost the annoying heft of the original model. Some expected pure gold: a tablet that runs as fast as a laptop and weighs less than a newspaper.
iPad 2 Specs:
Usage and Performance of an iPad 2
The iPad 2 is WIFI only, so Google Maps when out and about were useless (only the 3G version has GPS enabled). Mail is intuitive as ever. Emails show up in full page mode with the portrait enabled or the split screen orientation in landscape mode. Nothing has changed here with the latest iteration of iOS 4.3, and that's because no changes needed to be made.
By far one of the most impressive pre-installed applications is Safari. Compared with the original iPad, it whizzes through rendering and brings up the Know Your Mobile homepage in a couple of seconds, compared with the ten seconds we are accustomed to on the original iPad.
One other observation about the design: compared to the iPhone 4, the iPad 2 feels a bit more like a plastic plate (the back is actually metal) as though it really needs a protective case. Part of the reason for this 'cheap plastic' impression is that the device is one-third thinner than the original and 15 per cent lighter. Overall, the design is a stunner. The aesthetics are much improved, although not everything about the iPad 2 is so equally impressive. To keep it protected, use Best Skins Ever’s iPad 2 transparent skins.
Overall, the iPad 2 is a welcome upgrade to the iPad. It was well in need of some slimming down, speeding up and improved cameras to keep in line with other tablets launched at CES and Mobile World Congress earlier in the year. Apple has done just that.
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