3rd Generation iPad Reviews: Retina Display "Stunning", LTE Speeds Impressive

ipad3

The embargo has lifted on the reviews for the 3rd Generation iPad, and they are starting to trickle out. Here are links and summaries of some of the more prominent reviews:

Macworld Review and Video

- Text in most apps will automatically take advantage of Retina display, though with some exceptions (Kindle App)
- "The third-generation iPad had a frame rate 1.6 times that of the iPad 2"
- 3rd Gen iPad almost identical physically to iPad 2
- Video quality of 1080p video recorded was "very good" even in low light
- "AT&T’s LTE network in San Francisco was impressive." with 14.5Mbps/20.6Mbps download and upload rates.


LoopInsight Review

- "Remember how startling it was to go from one of those giant standard definition projector TVs to an HDTV? That’s what this is like."
- Screen is a huge difference from iPad 2.
- Movies and photos are crystal clear

TechCrunch

- "Once you see and use the new iPad, there will be no going back."
- LTE: "Really fast. Faster-than-my-WiFi fast."
- LTE: 40 mbps down and 20mbps up on Verizon
- Bigger battery, and does get noticeably warm in lower left corner after prolonged use.

The Verge Review and Video

- "I'm not being hyperbolic or exaggerative when I say it is easily the most beautiful computer display I have ever looked at."
- Verizon LTE: 22Mbps down, 21Mbps in mid-town Manhattan
- Battery tests almost matched Apple's claims.


AllThingsD

- "If you already own an iPad 2, and like it, you shouldn’t feel like you have to rush out to buy the new one."
- Was able to use smaller font sizes to read books and email on 3rd Gen iPad vs iPad 2

NY Times

- "Really, the new iPad should have been called the iPad 2S."
- "Apple just took its white-hot iPad and added the latest screen, battery and cellular technologies."

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Dark Blue and Orange

iPhone 17 Release Date, Pre-Orders, and What to Expect

Thursday August 28, 2025 4:08 am PDT by
An iPhone 17 announcement is a dead cert for September 2025 – Apple has already sent out invites for an "Awe dropping" event on Tuesday, September 9 at the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California. The timing follows Apple's trend of introducing new iPhone models annually in the fall. At the event, Apple is expected to unveil its new-generation iPhone 17, an all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17...
iPhone 17 Pro Iridescent Feature 2

iPhone 17 Pro Clear Case Leak Reveals Three Key Changes

Sunday August 31, 2025 1:26 pm PDT by
Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 17 series on Tuesday, September 9, and last-minute rumors about the devices continue to surface. The latest info comes from a leaker known as Majin Bu, who has shared alleged images of Apple's Clear Case for the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, or at least replicas. Image Credit: @MajinBuOfficial The images show three alleged changes compared to Apple's iP...
xiaomi apple ad india

Apple and Samsung Push Back Against Xiaomi's Bold India Ads

Friday August 29, 2025 4:54 am PDT by
Apple and Samsung have reportedly issued cease-and-desist notices to Xiaomi in India for an ad campaign that directly compares the rivals' devices to Xiaomi's products. The two companies have threatened the Chinese vendor with legal action, calling the ads "disparaging." Ads have appeared in local print media and on social media that take pot shots at the competitors' premium offerings. One...
iphone 16 pro ghost hand

iPhone 17 Pro: 5 Reasons Not to Upgrade This Year

Monday September 1, 2025 4:35 am PDT by
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 series this month, and the iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to get a new design for the rear casing and the camera area. But more significant changes to the lineup are not expected until next year, when the iPhone 18 models arrive. If you're thinking of trading in your iPhone for this year's latest, consider the following features rumored to be coming to...
iOS 18 on iPhone Arrow Down

Apple Preparing iOS 18.7 for iPhones as iOS 26 Release Date Nears

Sunday August 31, 2025 4:35 pm PDT by
Apple is preparing to release iOS 18.7 for compatible iPhone models, according to evidence of the update in the MacRumors visitor logs. We expect iOS 18.7 to be released in September, alongside iOS 26. The update will likely include fixes for security vulnerabilities, but little else. iOS 18.7 will be one of the final updates ever released for the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR,...

Top Rated Comments

*LTD* Avatar
176 months ago
The display alone, ALONE, makes this worth it. Never mind everything else.

Retina is a phenomenal enhancement of the User Experience. It isn't just a spec.
Score: 37 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mikethebigo Avatar
176 months ago
Holy cow, 9.3 score on The Verge. This is going to be epic.
Score: 33 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kugino Avatar
176 months ago
it's somewhat ironic that tech writers are the ones who tend to be dismissive about these kinds of "incremental" updates. maybe it's b/c they're so focused on the specs and numbers that have surrounded computers for the last couple of decades.

nevermind that it's really really hard to get it that slim and the screen that beautiful while at the same time increasing the battery by 40%, putting in a new camera system, and all the while, keeping the price the same.

tech writers, for some reason, have no idea how hard it is to make something...maybe that's why they write and not make.
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Menopause Avatar
176 months ago
What do you mean ALONE? Nothing else changed. Well, the size and weight have increased but that's hardly a plus.

Umm.. there's monstrous quad core graphics, better cameras, double the RAM? Did you just wake up? :p
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AppleScruff1 Avatar
176 months ago
For people complaining about the 3rd gen. iPad, you really can't. It offers a phenomenal user experience. The app store, ease-of-use, responsiveness and ecosystem were already amazing, but now you have an iPad with an ultra-high resolution display, more speed, better graphics, a better camera and dictation.

Enjoy it. There's nothing else comparable to the iPad right now.

There hasn't been a tablet comparable to the iPad since it was released.
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MacinDoc Avatar
176 months ago
Looks like the reviews are going to make all of us pre-orderers just a little more happy tonight.

Come on, Friday!
The screen was the reason I bought it. I fail to see how a spec bump would affect user experience as much as the display, which is the whole point of the device.
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)