Now that the iPad 2 is officially launched lets see how it fares against the competition and its own predecessor.
Many expected Apple to push the tablet game further but that did not happen as Apple chose to equip the iPad with performance enhancing upgrades that bring it at par with the competition but do not break any new ground.
People might be a bit confused with the hardware upgrades as Apple chose not to mention the amount of RAM crammed in the device and also made no mention of the number of megapixels in both the cameras. Though they did mention that the front camera is VGA and the rear camera can shoot HD video.
The iPad now has an Apple A5 1 Ghz processor along with the expected dual camera upgrade. A HDMI dock has been added as an accessory. Apple chose not to upgrade the screen and they did not even add a SD card slot.
Apple has managed to make the iPad thinner with a thickness 8.8mm, which is even thinner than the upcoming BlackBerry Playbook. Apple has added larger speakers and has made many under- the hood changes to the iOS.
The iPad will come with iOS 4.3 which will have better Airplay support, and will also include the Wi-Fi hotspot capabilities found in the Verizon iPhones.
In spite of an underwhelming hardware upgrade Apple introduced iconic Mac OS apps such as PhotoBooth, iMovie, and Garage Band for the iPad, which will definitely give it an edge over its Honeycomb and BlackBerry competitors who have more eye candy. Users will also be able to use the dual cameras for video chat using Face Time.
Here's a direct comparison of the iPad 2 with some of its contemporaries like the Motorola Xoom, BlackBerry PlayBook and the original iPad.
| Feature | Apple iPad 2 | Motorola Xoom | BlackBerry Playbook | Apple iPad |
| OS | iOS 4.3 | Android 3.0 Honeycomb | BlackBerry Tablet OS | iOS 4.2 |
| Dimensions (mm) | 241 x 185 x 8.8 | 249.1 x 167.8 x 12.9 | 1 30 x 190 x 10 | 243 x 190 x 13.5 |
| Display | 9.7'' 1024 x768 | 10.1 1280×800 | 7'' 1024x600 | 9.7'' 1024x768 |
| Weight | 613 g | 730 g | 400g | 730g |
| Processor | Apple A5 1GHz dual-core | NVIDIA Tegra 2 1GHz dual-core | Texas Instruments 1Ghz dual-core | Apple A4 1Ghz |
| RAM | Unknown | 1GB DDR2 | 1GB | 256MB |
| Connectivity | HDMI, Dock Wifi 802.11 a/b/g/n Bluetooth 2.1 | 3.5mm, micro USB 2.0 HS Corporate Sync, Wi-Fi 2.4GHz & 5GHz 802.11b/g/n Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR + HID | MicroUSB, miniHDMI 3.5mm, Wifi 802.11 a/b/g/n Bluetooth 2.1+EDR | Proprietary Connector,Wifi 802.11a/b/g/n Bluetooth 2.1 |
| Network | 3G | 3G, 4G LTE upgradeable 802.11n w/Personal Hotspot | 3G and 4G | 3G |
| Camera | Dual camera's VGA front HD back facing | 5 MP rear-facing with dual LED Flash 2MP Front-facing | 5 MP rear-facing HD 3 MP front-facing HD | None |
| Memory | Up to 64GB onboard | 32GB onboard SD card support After software update, | Up to 64GB onboard SD card support | Up to 64GB Onboard none |