iOS 7 really shows that iPad 3 is a trial product

[Paradoxally]

Geekbench is just a benchmark tool, it's not meant to be indicative of daily usage. YMMV.

The iPad 3 is not slow on iOS 6. iOS 7 is slow because it's a beta and it's mostly optimized for A6(X).

 

[jmmo20]

The Apple A5X really isn't any powerful than Apple A5... The quad core graph card really was made for higher resolution. iOS 7 on iPad 3 is like a snail moving on her ground. Everything just take a second to respond. The experience is day and night compare with iPad Mini , iPhone 4S and even iPod Touch 5G...IOS 7 just butter smooth on these devices and I am sure iOS 7 runs great on iPad 4 and iPhone 5.

iOS 7 really shows iPad 3 just a trial product for hat retina display.

Except that ios 7 hasn't been released yet and therefore you are running a BETA version aimed at being a developer environment.

I never complain about users installing betas but this is getting beyond ridiculous.

 

[Tubamajuba]

To me, iPad 3 just for Apple to test how retina display. The A5X is there for test general performance with iPad 3 and see if it needs a more capable processor.

iPad 4 released half year after iPad 3 shows that Apple conclude A5X isn't really good for powering the retina display. So they decided to discontinue iPad 3 and push for iPad 4.

You can argue Apple wants to unifies the lighting connector, but Apple can do so with revision of iPad 3, much like Apple did with iPad 2 with 32nm processor.

The fact that Apple put a better processor in there means A5X wasn't a good choice.

Apple didn't need to release a product to the mass market to test it. They've tested dozens of different things within their internal labs that have never made it to market.

That said, I agree that the iPad 3 is definitely slower than the iPad 2, iPad mini, and iPad 4. On iOS 6, the difference is imperceptible in most cases unless you're either looking for it or using graphics intensive apps. On iOS 7, however, it really shows everywhere. Beta 4 is still ridiculously slow for me, but certainly better than the past betas. I'm not going to be concerned until iOS 7 goes to the GM phase, of course. A beta is a beta no matter how you slice it, so I'm hopeful but concerned.

 

[err404]

I use both an iPad 2 and 3 side by side daily. The performance is nearly identical. Actually the 3 is a bit more stable due to the extra RAM.
The subjectively the only area where the 3 falls behind is in a few games that require a high fill rate. Fortunately many of these games are optimized to use a sub-retina resolution on the 3.
Overall the retina display makes the 3 much nicer to use IMHO.
Actually I'm glad that I skipped the 4 because the 4 never got to stretch its wings. The iPad mini resulted in the A5 CPU getting an extra year of life-support. The 4 is in the awkward position where apps are optimized for the 2/3/mini so the performance difference is less noticeable then it would have otherwise been. The 5 is the one I want. It should come out with a complete line of devices at a new CPU spec.

 

[iapplelove]

I have been running iPad 3 since beta 2 and it's been more stable than my iPhone 5 up until beta 4

 

[WeegieMac]

I use both an iPad 2 and 3 side by side daily. The performance is nearly identical. Actually the 3 is a bit more stable due to the extra RAM.
The subjectively the only area where the 3 falls behind is in a few games that require a high fill rate. Fortunately many of these games are optimized to use a sub-retina resolution on the 3.
Overall the retina display makes the 3 much nicer to use IMHO.
Actually I'm glad that I skipped the 4 because the 4 never got to stretch its wings. The iPad mini resulted in the A5 CPU getting an extra year of life-support. The 4 is in the awkward position where apps are optimized for the 2/3/mini so the performance difference is less noticeable then it would have otherwise been. The 5 is the one I want. It should come out with a complete line of devices at a new CPU spec.

The 4 and 5 should enjoy near identical gaming performance, but that's the problem with annual updates. Developers don't get to push the latest platform to the max, but at the same time the previous gen remains relevant for longer, especially in the case of the 4.

 

[SakuraSuki]

What's even funnier is that Sakura here doesn't realise he too is a "victim" of the so called Apple test product with his wonderful iPad mini ... at least using his analogy.

Apple has been using Retina displays since the iPhone 4 in 2010. The iPad 3 had a Retina display and yet the first mini didn't? Why? Are we meant to believe Apple didn't have the capability to put a Retina display into the mini?

No, they clearly knew they could stick near two year old technology in a shiny new, smaller, package with a new port and even those who paid full price for an iPad 2 would flock to, essentially, buy the same product again only smaller.

If iPad 3 was a test product for iPad 4, the iPad mini sure as hell was a test product for the smaller form factor before Apple put some serious specs into it.

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Never had the iPad 3 lag like that, you're over exaggerating .... grossly. Now get back to your iPad mini test product.

1. What choice do I have? A heavy and bulky iPad 4 takes long time to charge and hard to carry or a light weighted but with bad display and you can hold by one hand. I tell you I will choose a light weighted one.

Look what kind of product Apple currently offer? iPad 2 has exactly same resolution with iPad Mini, so it is clear to me that iPad Mini is better option. iPad 4 is just as heavy and bulky as iPad 3, so iPad 4 is no go for me as well. iPad Mini is just right for me.

I will sell my currently iPad mini when retina one release.

Going back to technology. Apple throw a retina display to iPad 3, result a heavy bulky iPad compare with iPad 2. The charge time was doubled. If you were to fit same panel into iPad mini, what do you get? A heavy bulky iPad with smaller display, that is it.

2. I am not exaggerating. Clearly you never tried to type Chinese or Japanese. The lag issue is there. I am not saying it lags every time I type, but it annoys me when it lags.

 

[WeegieMac]

1. What choice do I have? A heavy and bulky iPad 4 takes long time to charge and hard to carry or a light weighted but with bad display and you can hold by one hand. I tell you I will choose a light weighted one.

Look what kind of product Apple currently offer? iPad 2 has exactly same resolution with iPad Mini, so it is clear to me that iPad Mini is better option. iPad 4 is just as heavy and bulky as iPad 3, so iPad 4 is no go for me as well. iPad Mini is just right for me.

I will sell my currently iPad mini when retina one release.

Going back to technology. Apple throw a retina display to iPad 3, result a heavy bulky iPad compare with iPad 2. The charge time was doubled. If you were to fit same panel into iPad mini, what do you get? A heavy bulky iPad with smaller display, that is it.

2. I am not exaggerating. Clearly you never tried to type Chinese or Japanese. The lag issue is there. I am not saying it lags every time I type, but it annoys me when it lags.

You think the retina display would add substantial weight to the mini, enough to match iPad 3/4's weight, now that's hilarious ... You have the test iPad mini, enjoy. Don't reply to me again.

 

[SakuraSuki]

iPad 3 run significantly warmer compare with iPad 2, I repeat iPad 2. iPad 4 has exactly same battery as iPad 3, it takes lesser time to charge because of that 12W charger, but that just reduced the charge time around 40 minutes.

That's being said, iPad 3 does offer similar battery performance with iPad 2.

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You think the retina display would add substantial weight to the mini, enough to match iPad 3/4's weight, now that's hilarious ... You have the test iPad mini, enjoy. Don't reply to me again.

You are the one being hilarious. What is the point for iPad mini? Really, think about that? If you were to make a iPad mini not substantially lighter than iPad 3, then what is the point to make it?

The whole purpose for iPad mini is light weighted, cheaper iPad. If you were to put same pixel into smaller display, you are not only required to have better processor, at least same amount of memory and larger battery? If you keep the same battery, same processor, same memory used on iPad mini, then change to retina display, what will you get? For sure, the performance will be sluggish, battery life would be terrible.

 

[JonHimself]

I was shocked to learn that the original iPad was inferior to iPad 2... also was shocked that the iPhone 4 was inferior to the 4S.

 

[TacticalDesire]

I do notice some micro stutters on the iPad 3 that I don't notice in the mini. It's hardly a crisis though.

 

[throAU]

iOS 7 on iPad 3 is like a snail moving on her ground.

iOS 7 has not been released yet.

Thus, making evaluations based on DP performance is dubious at best.

If it was blindingly fast that's a good sign, but who knows what debugging options are left enabled and what optimisations are left.

Anyone who's built software knows - first you get things working, then you make them faster.

 

[truettray]

iPad 3 run significantly warmer compare with iPad 2, I repeat iPad 2. iPad 4 has exactly same battery as iPad 3, it takes lesser time to charge because of that 12W charger, but that just reduced the charge time around 40 minutes.

That's being said, iPad 3 does offer similar battery performance with iPad 2.

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You are the one being hilarious. What is the point for iPad mini? Really, think about that? If you were to make a iPad mini not substantially lighter than iPad 3, then what is the point to make it?

The whole purpose for iPad mini is light weighted, cheaper iPad. If you were to put same pixel into smaller display, you are not only required to have better processor, at least same amount of memory and larger battery? If you keep the same battery, same processor, same memory used on iPad mini, then change to retina display, what will you get? For sure, the performance will be sluggish, battery life would be terrible.

Dude you're just pissing people off.. and not really telling us anything of value. We all discussed this back with the iPad 3 came out. The iPad 3 is not a "trial" device. It does what it needs to do. It's basically an iPad 2 with a retina display... and that's okay!

 

[Draeconis]

something something beta something something.

..is complete.

 

[Sir Ruben]

I love my iPad 3 and use it all the time, however it has always noticeably stuttered from day one. I say noticeably because that's usually something you'd expect from an Android device NOT an Apple device.

Maybe Apple should take a leaf out of Samsungs book and code the device to overclock itself when running benchmarks

 

[flottenheimer]

Apple has been using Retina displays since the iPhone 4 in 2010. The iPad 3 had a Retina display and yet the first mini didn't? Why? Are we meant to believe Apple didn't have the capability to put a Retina display into the mini?

No, they clearly knew they could stick near two year old technology in a shiny new, smaller, package with a new port and even those who paid full price for an iPad 2 would flock to, essentially, buy the same product again only smaller.

Stop, stop, stop. Please.

 

[WeegieMac]

Stop, stop, stop. Please.

If you'd bothered to follow the actual conversation you'd see that I was taking the piss out Sakura's trial product analogy by spinning it round on his own device.

Either follow what's happening or don't bother leaping at the first post that gets you all excited and uptight.

Ok, Chuckles? Good.

 

[Skika]

Are we meant to believe Apple didn't have the capability to put a Retina display into the mini?

Actually this is probably the truth. If iPad mini had a retina THEN it would be a trial device. Now it is not.

 

[Sym0]

Am I the only one who loves the iPad 3? I have had it for 10 months now and my wife has one too. I have never noticed UI lag. It's always buttery smooth.

I only use it for reading, forums, mags, RSS feeds, Internet searching and heaps of youtube. It handles all that in pretty retina glory without a problem.

If I feel the need for speed ill sit on my rMBP 15 which makes the iPad look like a 386 DX33...

 

[stooovie]

Some people are more sensible to lags and stutters, some are not. iPad was clearly not the design Apple would want to keep, hence the iPad 4 a few months later. iPad 3 struggles with the retina resolution - GPU cannot keep up. It was the same with original iPad - that's why Infinity Blade hasn't the same advanced shading as the iPhone 4 with slower CPU had.

 

[WeegieMac]

Actually this is probably the truth. If iPad mini had a retina THEN it would be a trial device. Now it is not.

There are no "trial" products. That was the whole point, I was mocking Sakura's analogy.

Although I do personally think the iPad mini is a con, putting near 2 year old tech in a shiny new package? To each their own, but only Apple could pull off selling old iPad 2 innards inside a smaller package.

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Some people are more sensible to lags and stutters, some are not. iPad was clearly not the design Apple would want to keep, hence the iPad 4 a few months later. iPad 3 struggles with the retina resolution - GPU cannot keep up. It was the same with original iPad - that's why Infinity Blade hasn't the same advanced shading as the iPhone 4 with slower CPU had.

As I have said here one hundred thousand times, I have sat with my (now my wife's) iPad 3 and my new iPad 4 and run the following games side by side:

Real Racing 3.
Need For Speed Most Wanted.
Infinity Blade 2.
Mass Effect.
Dead Space.
Deus Ex The Fall.
Modern Combat 4.

There is very little between the versions other than the odd graphical effect (motion blur when using nitrous on NFS was the only noticeable one) and an improved frame rate on the iPad 4. However the iPad 3 didn't run these games at 20fps and make them unplayable, they were perfectly playable. NOVA 3 is the only title which shows a real gulf between the 3 and 4 due to being able to run at full resolution and enable all effects on the iPad 4.

Now, having seen footage of Modern Combat 5 and Asphalt 8 I believe the iPad 3 will struggle to keep up with the 4 on newer titles, but they will still run in a perfectly playable manner.

 

[sonicrobby]

The Apple A5X really isn't any powerful than Apple A5... The quad core graph card really was made for higher resolution. iOS 7 on iPad 3 is like a snail moving on her ground. Everything just take a second to respond. The experience is day and night compare with iPad Mini , iPhone 4S and even iPod Touch 5G...IOS 7 just butter smooth on these devices and I am sure iOS 7 runs great on iPad 4 and iPhone 5.

iOS 7 really shows iPad 3 just a trial product for hat retina display.

I think the beta is just a trial product. You shouldnt blame the hardware while running trial software.

 

[WeegieMac]

Am I the only one who loves the iPad 3? I have had it for 10 months now and my wife has one too. I have never noticed UI lag. It's always buttery smooth.

I only use it for reading, forums, mags, RSS feeds, Internet searching and heaps of youtube. It handles all that in pretty retina glory without a problem.

If I feel the need for speed ill sit on my rMBP 15 which makes the iPad look like a 386 DX33...

Mate, there are far too many people on here who like to regurgitate what they are told by others or have read and believe it makes them experts. 99.9% of the people spouting this nonsense have never used both the 3 and 4 side by side for an extended period of time like myself.

 

[TroyBoy30]

ive got a 3rd gen and 4th gen in the house. never noticed a difference between the 2.

 

[iCole]

I never felt that my iPad 3 was slow. It can be sluggish sometimes in the appstore and when using the 4 finger swipe between apps, but in general, it works really fine. I love it.