Review: Apple's fourth-generation iPad

Posted:
in iPad edited January 2014
Arguably the biggest surprise product debut from Apple in 2012 is the new fourth-generation iPad, a tablet that replaces its predecessor and doubles its performance after less than a year on the market.



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Overview
Lightning and other hardware changes
Performance
Wrap-up and score
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iPad review


Overview

The new new iPad retains almost everything from the old new iPad, including its price points: $499 for 16 gigabytes, $599 for 32 gigabytes, and $699 for 64 gigabytes. Cellular data options with 4G LTE connectivity are available for $130 more at each capacity, and for the first time ever Apple is offering an iPad model compatible with the Sprint network in the U.S.

Our test model for this review is the entry-level, Wi-Fi-only, 16-gigabyte model. It features the same design, A6X processor and Retina display as all of the other configurations available.

iPad review


Once it's out of the box, it's hard to tell the fourth-generation iPad from the third-generation model. Aside from the new Lightning port at the bottom of the device, the only change we found is the capacity of the device is no longer advertised on the back panel below the iPad logo.

Apple didn't do much to distinguish the latest iPad from the model it released in March. Even the box looks the same.

iPad review


But the most important change to the new iPad is found on the inside, in the form of its speedy A6X chip that is advertised to double the performance of the last iPad. But is this enough to justify this upgrade?



Jump to a section of this review
Overview
Lightning and other hardware changes
Performance
Wrap-up and score
Where to buy







Jump to a section of this review
Overview
Lightning and other hardware changes
Performance
Wrap-up and score
Where to buy




Lightning: One step forward, two steps back (for now)

iPad review


The design of the fourth-generation iPad is unchanged from its predecessor. It's the same size and weight, the same form factor, and has the same gorgeous Retina display. Even the Smart Cover accessory is unchanged (unlike the iPad mini, which has a tweaked ? and superior ? Smart Cover design).

There is one glaring exception, of course: The new fourth-generation iPad has the smaller Lightning connector port on the bottom, rather than the legacy 30-pin dock connector. A recent teardown of the latest iPad even found that the extra space offered by switching to the Lightning connector was simply left unfilled inside the device.

It's hard to get excited about the appearance of Lightning on the fourth-generation iPad. On the iPhone 5, iPod touch and iPod nano, the Lightning connector felt as though it helped Apple achieve new lighter and thinner designs that were not possible with the 30-pin connection slot.

iPad review


But the fourth-generation iPad has the same form factor and heft as its predecessor. The addition of the Lightning connector didn't do anything to improve the design of the device, and its inclusion is actually a short-term hinderance given the lack of Lightning accessories currently available.

The Lightning connector also runs at USB 2.0 speeds, matching that of the legacy 30-pin connection, so its appearance on the fourth-generation iPad does not provide any kind of speed boost for syncing.

iPad review


As it did with the iPhone 5, Apple chose not to make a dock accessory for the fourth-generation iPad. Presumably third-party accessory makers will fill that void, but in the interim it's a sacrifice that will undoubtedly bother some users.

Thankfully, Apple did update the USB and SD card adapter accessories to work with the new Lightning connector. This was a necessary change to keep the new device relevant for users who want to edit photos or videos.

iPad review


The fourth-generation iPad does ship with a higher amperage charger which cuts down on the time it will take to recharge the massive battery found inside the device. This is a welcome upgrade from the charger that shipped with the third-generation iPad. The upgraded 1.2-megapixel FaceTime camera is also a welcome upgrade with significantly better performance than the third-generation model.



Jump to a section of this review
Overview
Lightning and other hardware changes
Performance
Wrap-up and score
Where to buy







Jump to a section of this review
Overview
Lightning and other hardware changes
Performance
Wrap-up and score
Where to buy



Performance

This is where the fourth-generation iPad excels. The new A6X processor is a monster, doubling the performance of the A5X chip found in the third-generation iPad ? a device that was already one of the fastest on the market.

The latest iPad has the same 1 gigabyte of RAM, but its ARMv7 processor is clocked at 1.39 gigahertz, outpacing the 1-gigahertz processor in the third-generation iPad.

For a raw head-to-head comparison, we used the official Geekbench application for iOS. The new fourth-generation iPad and its A6X CPU earned an overall score of 1,768, which more than doubled the 744 score earned by the third-generation iPad and its A5X CPU.

Performance


Performance


For a real-world test, we did a side-by-side comparison of the fourth-generation iPad with its predecessor. We launched Epic's Infinity Blade II simultaneously on both devices, with each loading the same game save state from iCloud. The fourth-generation iPad was significantly faster, loading the level almost immediately, while the third-generation iPad sat for more than five seconds at a blank black screen.

The power of the A6X chip was not quite as evident when we tested Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto III. Load times were slightly faster when creating a new game, but the difference was not as pronounced as with the more graphically taxing Infinity Blade II.

The A6X chip also helps to boost website rendering on the Safari browser. In general, we found that sites loaded between a half-second and full second faster on the latest iPad than they did on the third-generation model.

The performance benefits with the new iPad can also be seen in boot-up time. Here, the fourth-generation iPad was again significantly faster than the third-generation model.

Even with this significant performance upgrade, Apple advertises that the fourth-generation iPad still gets up to 10 hours of surfing the Web on Wi-Fi, watching video or listening to music. Our tests found this to be the truth, as we achieved three days of moderate use before a recharge was needed, about in line with our use of the third-generation iPad.



Jump to a section of this review
Overview
Lightning and other hardware changes
Performance
Wrap-up and score
Where to buy







Jump to a section of this review
Overview
Lightning and other hardware changes
Performance
Wrap-up and score
Where to buy



Should you upgrade?

iPad review


If you're an iPad 2 owner, making the leap to an iPad 4 is an easy recommendation. The device's Retina display is gorgeous, and the speed boost is a significant upgrade compared to even the third-generation model, let alone the 2011 edition.

For those who bought the third-generation iPad when it launched recently in March, it's hard to recommend the fourth-generation model. Yes, the latest iPad is twice as fast as the third-generation iPad, but the "iPad 3" was already one of the fastest tablets on the market.

The upgraded forward-facing camera is welcome, but not likely worth the price of an upgrade for most users. And the new Lightning connector is actually a detriment in the short-term, as compatible docks and accessories are not yet on the market.

iPad review


The iPad mini and the iPhone 5 have made it clear that the full-size 9.7-inch iPad lineup needs to go on a diet. Unfortunately the horsepower ? and accompanying giant battery ? necessary to drive the device's Retina display make that technical hurdle insurmountable for now. It's hard to believe that a major redesign for the iPad isn't in the cards for late 2013.

But not everyone can wait that long. If you are in the market to buy a new tablet this holiday season, and the iPad mini isn't big or powerful enough to suit your needs, the fourth-generation iPad is the best option on the market. Those who bought a third-generation iPad this year should give this one a pass.

Score: 3.5 out of 5

3.5 stars


Pros:
  • Blazing fast performance from the new A6X chip.
  • Same battery life even with double the speed.
  • Retina display remains a major selling point.
  • The largest ecosystem of tablet apps by far.
Cons:
  • Just as heavy as the third-generation model.
  • The quick upgrade cycle is a surprise for recent buyers.
  • Lightning accessories remain MIA.
  • Why wasn't the tweaked Smart Cover designed for the full-size iPad?

How to save time and money when buying

From time-to-time, Apple's authorized resellers will offer discounted pricing, expedited shipping, free styluses, easy financing and other incentives. Shoppers can always see the latest up-to-date pricing from all of these leading resellers in our iPad Price Guides ( relevant portion below ), as well as any material incentives offered.

Still, one of the easiest ways to save on a new iPad purchase is to sell your existing iPad or mobile device to one of the many trade in services, which in many cases pay hundreds of dollars for old iPads, for instance, based on the model and condition.





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Overview
Lightning and other hardware changes
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Wrap-up and score
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 75
    red oakred oak Posts: 1,087member
    Yawn..

    You failed to grasp in your 3.5 score this was meant to be iterative. And, what are your 4.0 and 5.0 tablets? If your in the market today, what would you buy instead?

    The Verge rated it 9.3/10 by the way
  • Reply 2 of 75


    Who cares what "The Verge" rated it, they always bloat their review scores anyway (send them a steaming pile of dog crap and they'll rate it 8's and 9's.

  • Reply 3 of 75
    The iPad is probably still going to get the march refresh, this is just comparing to the iPad mini, iPhone. It now has a smaller similar competitor.
  • Reply 4 of 75

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Curtis Hannah View Post



    The iPad is probably still going to get the march refresh, this is just comparing to the iPad mini, iPhone. It now has a smaller similar competitor.




    I agree.  This is iPad 3.5.  It will be refreshed with a thinner version like the mini and iPhone5.  This is a surprise move on Apple's part to deal with the new 10" tablet in the market.   

  • Reply 5 of 75
    mstonemstone Posts: 11,510member


    Apparently with the iPad mini being such a holiday season gift-worthy device they wanted to move the entire iPad lineup to November release cycle. Although the iPad 4 is faster, the iPad 3 is still plenty fast. I can't imagine that just the inclusion of the Lightning connector would be worth the release cycle disruption for the full sized iPad. This will hold them over until next November because without a redesign for an entire year and a half would seriously cut into the late cycle sales. I don't expect refreshes on any iPad until next November.

  • Reply 6 of 75
    sflocalsflocal Posts: 6,092member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by mstone View Post


    Apparently with the iPad mini being such a holiday season gift-worthy device they wanted to move the entire iPad lineup to November release cycle. Although the iPad 4 is faster, the iPad 3 is still plenty fast. I can't imagine that just the inclusion of the Lightning connector would be worth the release cycle disruption for the full sized iPad. This will hold them over until next November because without a redesign for an entire year and a half would seriously cut into the late cycle sales. I don't expect refreshes on any iPad until next November.





    I dunno mstone... I tend to think Apple wanted to say goodbye to its legacy 30-pin ports with the iPhone5 going forward.  I wonder if Apple will update the 4/4s phones with Lightning ports to completely walk away from it.



    The sooner Apple is off the legacy port, the quicker everything accessories and integrated systems can reflect the move.



    I love the new connector schema.  It's nice to just plug it in and not worry if it's the right orientation.

  • Reply 7 of 75
    the next one will be thinner. Oh, for what reason? why is thin better than extreme battery life. This whole thin thing is just a gimmick, a feature with little to no benefit. back when, carrying around some 10 pound device, ok, but we are at the point of ridiculousness when the first thing out of a reviewers mouth is how thin the new product is. as if that makes it better than one .001 mm thicker.
  • Reply 8 of 75
    mstonemstone Posts: 11,510member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by sflocal View Post




     


    I dunno mstone... I tend to think Apple wanted to say goodbye to its legacy 30-pin ports with the iPhone5 going forward.  I wonder if Apple will update the 4/4s phones with Lightning ports to completely walk away from it.



    They can't just walk away from it as they are legally required in California to support that old 30 pin charging connector for something like five years. I think they wanted a speed bump to keep them competitive until the next redesign which I'm thinking will be the normal one year cycle starting now. While they were upgrading the CPU they had the opportunity to replace the connector as well. Not having a new case in this model to me indicates it was not a long planning type of refresh but a immediately necessary placeholder type, that is if they do intend to move the annual release date to November. Otherwise they would have just called it a mid-cycle speed bump like they did with the iPad 2 and not changed the name to iPad 4.

  • Reply 9 of 75
    mac_128mac_128 Posts: 3,454member
    mstone wrote: »
    Apparently with the iPad mini being such a holiday season gift-worthy device they wanted to move the entire iPad lineup to November release cycle. Although the iPad 4 is faster, the iPad 3 is still plenty fast. I can't imagine that just the inclusion of the Lightning connector would be worth the release cycle disruption for the full sized iPad. This will hold them over until next November because without a redesign for an entire year and a half would seriously cut into the late cycle sales. I don't expect refreshes on any iPad until next November.
    Mstone, if that's true ... I'm really sad they didn't fill the void created by eliminating the 30-pin dock connector with a stereo speaker. Hard for me to believe that Apple will let their flagship device go an entire year lacking something the mini has ... If you are correct, I would expect another refresh in the Spring to address this issue.

    Sflocal -- I doubt the iPhone 4 would get the refresh of the lightning port, as its a "free" phone with understandable limitations, the least of which is what kind of docking connector it uses. Since iOS 6 doesn't implement 2/3 of the features anyway, limited to 3G, no SIM support, and there's a whole market glutted with 30-pin dock connectors for the iPhone 4 series, I doubt Apple would take the time with the 4 considering it will be gone in less than a year. The 4S however, may be a different story. For all practical purposes it is a mini iPhone 5, and since it will be around for at least another year replacing the 4 as the "free" phone, I fully expect Apple to make the switch to lightning mid-cycle. Moreover, they might just update the 4 form factor and offer it as a smaller alternative to the 5 next year, for those who don't care for the longer form factor (wishful thinking on my part as I don't care for the longer 5). It also allows them to offer a clear option for the discounted phones from the premium model -- why give away the 4" screen when you can charge a premium for it? So it is an investment worth making sooner rather than later.
  • Reply 10 of 75


    Perhaps we will get a whole new product category in the spring. TV or something new.

  • Reply 11 of 75
    mstonemstone Posts: 11,510member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by sflocal View Post


    I love the new connector schema.  It's nice to just plug it in and not worry if it's the right orientation.



    The new connector does fell really solid but I never had an issue with the orientation on the 30 pin. Of course for people using docks it was a non-issue but even with a cable like i am doing in my kitchen for my iPad 3, I never really remove the cable from the wall plug. After a while the coil of the cable has a memory so it is lying in the same orientation and I always plug it in correctly the first time without looking.

  • Reply 12 of 75


    I think Apple wanted to blunt the MS Surface, Nexus and Fire hoopla with these two iPad releases and that seems to have worked. 


     


    In addition Apple wanted to raise the bar and widen where it squats on the tablet market, and they succeeded in that too.


     


    Apple can jerk the market one way or another any time it wants and by releasing these tablets at this time it also served notice to its competitors that it can choose to be unpredictable. Most people can't appreciate how much this disrupts the competition's planning and strategy.


     


    April - May 2013, watch for a new device, not necessarily upgraded iPads.

  • Reply 13 of 75
    mstonemstone Posts: 11,510member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Mac_128 View Post




     

    Mstone, if that's true ... I'm really sad they didn't fill the void created by eliminating the 30-pin dock connector with a stereo speaker. Hard for me to believe that Apple will let their flagship device go an entire year lacking something the mini has ... If you are correct, I would expect another refresh in the Spring to address this issue.


    One reason I doubt we will get a Spring refresh is that obviously they had a risk reward scenario in disrupting the current release cycle so I find highly unlikely that they will do that yet again in 6 months. People who bought an iPad 3 are not particularly happy about their device being devalued so soon. To do that yet again to the new iPad 4 buyers seems unreasonable unless they plan to switch to a permanent 6 month release cycle which seems unlikely in my opinion.

  • Reply 14 of 75
    slurpyslurpy Posts: 5,382member


    What an idiotic 1st post. The Verge has a ton of low review scores, and may in the 4-6 range. A 9 or above is extremely rare, and an 8 is not that common. Sounds you're a troll that gets butthurt when Apple products get good reviews on that site, like all the commentators who accuse them of 'bias', even when Joshua Topolsky is a self admitted Android fanboy, who loves the Nexus, but still generally reviews Apple products highly, because guess what? Theyre great products. 

  • Reply 15 of 75
    mmm. Still no memory card slot for camera, audio, movie data.

    Still not buying.
  • Reply 16 of 75
    mac_128mac_128 Posts: 3,454member
    mstone wrote: »
    One reason I doubt we will get a Spring refresh is that obviously they had a risk reward scenario in disrupting the current release cycle so I find highly unlikely that they will do that yet again in 6 months. People who bought an iPad 3 are not particularly happy about their device being devalued so soon. To do that yet again to the new iPad 4 buyers seems unreasonable unless they plan to switch to a permanent 6 month release cycle which seems unlikely in my opinion.
    I hear ya, but I don't see the iPad going an entire year without stereo speakers either, when there's a big honkin' cavity inside the iPad that can easily take one.

    Apple has to be somewhat careful here. Apple enthusiasts and early adopters are driving the current mini craze, as evidenced by the repot that a majority of buyers already have an iPad at home. But the customers who will make the mini a long term success are the ones who only have enough money to buy one tablet. If the mini has stereo speakers and the iPad doesn't, customers may opt to pay less for the mini just to get the speakers when they would have paid more for the larger iPad, then decide they like that form factor better and never upgrade to the iPad and spend more. Not that this example alone will cause Apples margins to slide significantly, but Apple has to make the iPad the best of the product line. It has to have everything the mini has at a minimum, whatever else it brings to the table.

    Perhaps Apple will get into an incremental updating scheme, where they make minor tweaks to a product over its life, thus delaying major overhauls until they are actually warranted, completely breaking the predictable 6-month to a year product refreshes, which give their competition a timetable on which to compete. This also allows Apple to release a product which isn't 100% ready to roll out the door and then update it as they have time to address it, or perhaps adding something the competition has as soon as it becomes a perceived threat, not waiting 6-9 months until a product refresh.

    Frankly, I'm surprised Apple announced this at all rather than just doing it quietly as they have traditionally done with the Macs all these years. Perhaps it had something to do with the Slate release after all. But truly, the last concern Apple has is devaluing the customers product. Once you buy a product from Apple, all bets are off. It's been this way since the beginning. I have an iPad 3, and this little speed bump bothers me not at all. And if they add a second speaker in March, it still won't bother me. But if I walked into an Apple Store to buy my first iPad, it would bother me a lot that the more expensive iPad didn't have the same stereo speakers as the less expensive mini.
  • Reply 17 of 75
    mac_128mac_128 Posts: 3,454member
    fyngyrz wrote: »
    mmm. Still no memory card slot for camera, audio, movie data.
    Still not buying.
    And yet I load photos from my camera, and movies from flash drives and SD cards all the time, with a simple little adapter called the Apple Camera Connection kit. And I only do this when I'm in the field as needed. When I'm at home, I transfer all of these things wirelessly. Music is really not an issue in the field, since my library is already set up the way I want it, and anything else I want on the fly I can simply e-mail or Dropbox into the iPad, or better yet, just stream on demand using Spotify.

    Honestly, I've never seen the need for built-in memory expansion. Something tells me you wouldn't buy this mini even if it did have a card expansion slot.
  • Reply 18 of 75
    I love mine. Unfortunately, the kids also really like it. Even they can tell the difference the faster processor makes with drawing Apps.
  • Reply 19 of 75
    adonissmuadonissmu Posts: 1,776member
    I was considering a 4 but I already have a mini. Not sure the 4 is worth it.
  • Reply 20 of 75
    I want docks Apple! Give us docks!!!
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