Oh my, it’s been a long time since I last wrote a blog post, so here I am to clear the backlog~~~~ I picked up an iPad4 a few days ago. Apple has now completely shaken up the iPad naming convention. After the interim “new iPad,” the current iPad lineup consists of the 7.9-inch iPad mini, the 9.7-inch iPad2, and the iPad with Retina display, also known as the iPad4. You can see a spec comparison of these three iPads here:http://ipad.duowan.com/1210/214973147936.html
As you can see, apart from the screen, the iPad mini represents a major upgrade over the iPad2~~~~ So if you need a compact and portable iPad, the iPad mini is an excellent choice. The iPad2, however, is in an awkward position: with its outdated specs and relatively high price, probably not many people will buy it~~~~ Compared to the iPad2, the iPad4 has far too many upgrades to list, but compared to the iPad3, the only changes are in the processor, front-facing camera, and data port; everything else is identical. Therefore, iPad3 users have absolutely no need to upgrade to the iPad4.
I’ve been using an iPad2 for a while and had long coveted a Retina iPad. With the launch of the iPad4, I decided it was the perfect time to make the switch~~ I bought it on Taobao at a very reasonable price. It was a brand-new, sealed Hong Kong version, with no credit card surcharges and free shipping included. I sold my iPad2 directly; originally, I planned to list it on social media, but then I checked the Aihuishou website and found they offered a recycling price of 1,810 yuan. Very satisfied with that, I contacted Aihuishou directly to try out their service. I made a phone appointment that day for a next-day home pickup. The staff came the following day, inspected the device, and paid me immediately. It was quick and convenient, and you can even choose to complete the transaction at a subway station or Starbucks. If you transact at Starbucks and the recycling value exceeds 700 yuan, they’ll even treat you to a free coffee.
Now let’s talk about the user experience, which is, of course, relative to the iPad2…
Compared to the iPad2, the changes are significant. It has become thicker and heavier, albeit just slightly. Fortunately, the Smart Cover remains compatible. The screen is absolutely stunning, and the speed is incredibly fast—apps open almost instantly. The camera has finally graduated from being practically useless to actually usable, and like the iPhone, it now features Siri and voice dictation. The new Lightning connector is tiny, much smaller than I expected:
Let’s focus mainly on the screen:
The Retina display feels as crisp as printed material; you can’t see individual pixels at all…
The image below is from the iPad2:
The image below is from the iPad4:
As you can see, not only has the resolution improved, but the color saturation has also increased somewhat… Although I feel the saturation boost might be a bit excessive, probably forced by Samsung…..
Lock screen:
Home screen:
An image from iWeekly:
Close-up photo:
Reading RSS in Reeder feels just like reading print media:
Viewing images is also exceptionally clear. Here is the original image:
Display effect on the iPad:
Close-up photo:
As for improvements in camera quality and speed, there are plenty of photos and videos online~~~ Feel free to refer to those, or better yet, go check out the actual device yourself~~~~ Overall, for users of the iPad1/2, upgrading to the iPad4 is definitely worthwhile, but for iPad3 users, there’s absolutely no need~~~~~
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