iPad 2 vs iPad 3...Screen Difference is Difficult to See...Read On

[Booji]

I've said it many times, at a first glance, it doesn't seem like a massive difference. But live with one for more than a week or two, and you simply can't go back to the older iPad displays.

Same with me. When I got the 3 just after it was released, I gave the 2 to my wife. At first, I had some buyer's remorse because for the most part, at initial glance it looked the same.

But after the apps were updated for retina, and I got used to the screen, I went back to the 2 and realize how stunning the 3's screen really was. My wife still can't tell the difference, but we will leave it at that

 

[Mak47]

The difference in displays is night and day.

The only way you can't see a difference is if you've got poor near/intermediate vision and aren't correcting it 100%.

It could also depend on the website your comparing. Non-retina ready sites and low resolution images will look about the same on each device. Most website text will still render nicely in iOS Safari though.

 

[kokhean]

After installing Cydia packages, look at the text.
Send a Chinese word in an iMessage and view it in the lock screen.
And for a tweak that really shines in the iPad 3, that tweak is called Quasar.

 

[danielceleste]

I need some help…

I have an iPad MD368C which is a black iPad 3 + 64 GB + 4G / LTE…I Googled the model number and it matches what I bought / ordered (feel free to Google it yourself)…

I was at work today and a colleague of mine who had his iPad 2 at work wanted to compare the screen on his iPad 2 to the screen on my iPad 3…we placed the iPads side by side and visited the same web sites, looked at the same photos, etc...

To the surprise of both of us we could not see the difference which leads to the questions what is the best method / test for highlighting the difference between the iPad 2’s non-retina display and the iPad 3’s retina display…

Thanks in advance…


Joel

To see the difference, move more closely to the screen and slowly flip pages in iBooks. Also, slowly use 5 fingers to close apps.

 

[WilliamLX]

Wow, I can't even look at an iPad 2 since getting my 3. The difference is enormous! I see pixelation throughout the entire UI on the 2, it's simply absent on the 3. I can't fathom how it's not very noticeable to someone.

I don't own the new iPad 3 (I own the original and my wife has an iPad 2), but am considering upgrading to the iPad 3. I visited my local Apple shop and played with an iPad 2 and an iPad 3 side by side. To be honest I could see no difference in the quality of the display. I feel the same about the iPhone. I have an iPhone 4S and an iPod Touch 3rd gen. Again while there is a colour quality difference I can't see any difference in clarity! I did notice a very very small difference in the speed of the iPad 3 compared with the iPad 2 but it was not really significant. All in all I didn't think that the iPad 2 was enough different from the original to upgrade and having played with the 3 along side a 2 I now also do not think that the iPad 3 is enough different to warrant an upgrade, except for the fact that my current iPad will not get the iOS 6 update. This is the only reason I am still considering the iPad 3.

 

[docprego]

I don't own the new iPad 3 (I own the original and my wife has an iPad 2), but am considering upgrading to the iPad 3. I visited my local Apple shop and played with an iPad 2 and an iPad 3 side by side. To be honest I could see no difference in the quality of the display. I feel the same about the iPhone. I have an iPhone 4S and an iPod Touch 3rd gen. Again while there is a colour quality difference I can't see any difference in clarity! I did notice a very very small difference in the speed of the iPad 3 compared with the iPad 2 but it was not really significant. All in all I didn't think that the iPad 2 was enough different from the original to upgrade and having played with the 3 along side a 2 I now also do not think that the iPad 3 is enough different to warrant an upgrade, except for the fact that my current iPad will not get the iOS 6 update. This is the only reason I am still considering the iPad 3.

I guess this is a case of to each his own. But I can say with 1000% certainty that the screen on the new iPad is incredibly sharp and clear compared to the iPad 2. I really can't understand how it's not obvious to someone. Look at the text underneath icons and you will see individual dots that make up the letters on the iPad 2, on the new iPad you will only see solid letters

For photos or solid images the difference may be less apparent.

 

[Saberon]

I don't get it either. I bought my mom and iPad 2 for mothers day and recently picked up a 3 for myself last week. She could not see any difference whether we were seeing text, picture or any apps.

I couldn't believe it. It's a night and day difference in clarity. It's like viewing SD vs HD to me. Ah well. She's really happy with her 2 and that's all that matters.

 

[WilliamLX]

I don't see the pixelation on my iPad or my wife's iPad 2. I think you would need a magnifying glass to differentiate the two. TBH I think some here are seeing a huge difference with 'the eye of faith'. LOL.

 

[Saberon]

Magnifying glass? Give me a break. I can hold it feet away and still tell the difference. The text looks pixelated on the 2.

Why don't we take your desktop or notebook and reduce the pixels by 4x and see how it looks.

 

[MacAuditor]

Guys, it's a waste of money buying an iPad 3... and no need to upgrade every year. All you need is one laptop. iPad is an optional item, and it's not even needed.

 

[Star56]

Guys, it's a waste of money buying an iPad 3... and no need to upgrade every year. All you need is one laptop. iPad is an optional item, and it's not even needed.

So you get to decide what people should buy?

You keep spamming the forums with your anti ipad 3 comments. Perhaps it is time to up your meds.

----------

I don't see the pixelation on my iPad or my wife's iPad 2. I think you would need a magnifying glass to differentiate the two. TBH I think some here are seeing a huge difference with 'the eye of faith'. LOL.

Your full of sh@t and you know it. The PPI is an objective difference, no faith required.

Perhaps you have some cognitive impairment that has effected your visual cortex?

 

[jabingla2810]

I can't believe this threat is this long.

The iPad 3 has 4 times as many pixels in the same space, if you can't see the difference you should see an optician.

The iPad 2 is still a great device. It's just that now there is an iPad with a much better screen.

 

[BluePhoenixRa]

I don't see the pixelation on my iPad or my wife's iPad 2. I think you would need a magnifying glass to differentiate the two. TBH I think some here are seeing a huge difference with 'the eye of faith'. LOL.

THIS.

Best joke ever. Have you ever thought of doing stand up comedy sir? That's more of your place.

Eye of faith..magnifying glass..pft..pathetic. Maybe consider getting yourself one.

Guys, it's a waste of money buying an iPad 3... and no need to upgrade every year. All you need is one laptop. iPad is an optional item, and it's not even needed.

Why are you even wasting your time posting here if you don't like the iPad..? o.o
Or are you being sarcastic!

 

[mac jones]

I don't see that much of a difference with the two iPads.

The Retina MBP, on the other hand, is a big difference for me.

But it's probably what I use iPads for, which is mostly badly scanned pdfs, which on a retina is silly.

If I was on the web with it, or reading a lot of text, I would want to use the better screen. (I don't know about games).

But the Retina gets warm; something the iPad 2 is free of.

 

[dingclancy]

For me, it is the difference between going from a laptop screen to a 27 inch imac. If you are used to your laptop screen and then introduced to an imac, the change is rather stark and everything looks better. Eventually, your eyes get used to it and that is what you expect to see.

Then if you suddenly go back to 13 inches, everything seems crappy. But what I noticed is that your eyes get used to the smaller screen and everything is fine again.

The new iPad's display is just much better. And going back to the iPad 2 will suck. But then your eyes get used to that "crappy" screen, which is still a great display, and after a couple of days you will love it all the same.

I got a used 64gb + 3g for $450 on ebay and the extra storage and 3g trumps what the screen offers. That is a better value proposition considering that the iPad 2 is just as fast and have the same battery life.

 

[xraytech]

I need some help…

I have an iPad MD368C which is a black iPad 3 + 64 GB + 4G / LTE…I Googled the model number and it matches what I bought / ordered (feel free to Google it yourself)…

I was at work today and a colleague of mine who had his iPad 2 at work wanted to compare the screen on his iPad 2 to the screen on my iPad 3…we placed the iPads side by side and visited the same web sites, looked at the same photos, etc...

To the surprise of both of us we could not see the difference which leads to the questions what is the best method / test for highlighting the difference between the iPad 2’s non-retina display and the iPad 3’s retina display…

Thanks in advance…


Joel

I can see a difference. Even comparing Springboard Icons I can see the difference.

And to answer your question,

Run a Non Retinized iPhone App on an iPad 2 & 3 and you will definitly see a difference.

 

[moonman239]

It sounds to me like the consensus on the retina display is that the difference isn't obvious to the user until after he or she has spent a lot of time on a device that has a retina display.

I remember last year, people justified Apple's failure to include a retina display in the iPad 2.

 

[617aircav]

I purchased my iPad 3 off Craigslist. It did not come with box. I knew it was an iPad 3 by using google maps and seeing how good the resolution was.

 

[Judas1]

It seems when comparing the two side by side, or going from the retina to the iPad 2, you notice a big difference. Otherwise its a minor difference. Solution: Get an iPad 2, save some money, and never ever look at the iPad 3 screen.

 

[Beta Particle]

It seems when comparing the two side by side, or going from the retina to the iPad 2, you notice a big difference. Otherwise its a minor difference. Solution: Get an iPad 2, save some money, and never ever look at the iPad 3 screen.

The iPad 2 screen never impressed me, I did not enjoy using the device for reading books or magazines at all for example, and ended up avoiding that content on it. (ended up buying a Kindle 4)

Now with the iPad 3 I do a lot more reading because the screen is better than the Kindle's indoors. (much crisper text, and you don't need to be under a 200W lamp for good contrast—the Kindle sucks when you're not out in sunlight)

I don't think it's a minor difference at all, whether you're comparing it to an iPad 2 or not. It's more the case that if you're used to the quality of an iPad 2 screen and were relatively happy with it, initially you might not think it's a huge leap at a glance until you've spent some time with it.


The iPad 2 is going to be out of date much sooner as well, with half the RAM of the iPad 3 and a slower graphics chip.

 

[Markdek]

The iPad 2 is going to be out of date much sooner as well, with half the RAM of the iPad 3 and a slower graphics chip.

The iPad is out of date EVERY YEAR....kind of obvious. Personally, I think the 2 will have the longest run of any iPad, past or future.

 

[applesorange]

Just to add my two cents for any readers looking into purchasing an iPad for the first time.

For me the $200 price difference was substantial enough to make the debate between an iPad 3 and 2 a one month battle. I looked at both of them side by side and noticed a difference but for me it wasn't that large. Reading was the primariy reason why i wanted an ipad so i focused on the text. While i could see that reading would be adequate on the 2, I did notice that I had to do a lot more zooming and adjusting of the text to make it comfortable both with websites and PDFs, while on the 3 you could read on first load. The iPad 2 screen effectively felt too similar to reading on my Mac, while with the 3 the text looked almost paper quality.

In the end I went with the 3, and immediately had buyers remorse. That changed after the first week. I put in very long reading session with both PDFs and ebooks, reading on the iPad for up to 6 hours in a sitting. Normally doing this on the computer would give me eye strain after only a couple of hours, but with the iPad 3 the tired strained eyes never came, and reading ebooks was especially awesome and true to life with this screen. I love the iPad 3 and certainly do not regret the purchase, but I would be interested in trying a long reading session on an iPad 2 to see if my assumption about eye strain on it is true.

 

[Beta Particle]

The iPad is out of date EVERY YEAR....kind of obvious.

I would expect the iPad 2 to have support dropped in a future iOS version a year before the iPad 3 due to having half the RAM and a slower graphics chip. That's what I mean when I say "out of date."

In the end I went with the 3, and immediately had buyers remorse. That changed after the first week. I put in very long reading session with both PDFs and ebooks, reading on the iPad for up to 6 hours in a sitting. Normally doing this on the computer would give me eye strain after only a couple of hours, but with the iPad 3 the tired strained eyes never came, and reading ebooks was especially awesome and true to life with this screen. I love the iPad 3 and certainly do not regret the purchase, but I would be interested in trying a long reading session on an iPad 2 to see if my assumption about eye strain on it is true.

I'm glad to hear your experience, because this is exactly what I've been saying on the forums for a while now.

Many people claim that LCDs cause eye strain due to the backlight, but that's nonsense. They cause eye strain due to the low resolution "pixel grid" over the display, which the iPad 3 almost eliminates.

I have no problem reading my iPad 3 for as long as paper or a Kindle, when I would have to put my iPad 2 down after a while or suffer from eyestrain. I actually got rid of my Kindle after having the iPad for a month because I hadn't picked it up since getting it.

That reason alone has had me considering replacing my computer with a Retina MacBook Pro, even though it would be a big downgrade from my current PC in every aspect but the display.

 

[LittleGwen]

To be honest, I see a big difference between the first iPad and iPad 2, but not much between iPad 2 and iPad 3, mostly because of the size and weight. I wouldn't mind buying an iPad 2 for a cheaper price now that the iPad 3 is out but I would not consider buying the iPad 1 over iPAd 2 even with the cheaper price.

 

[urkel]

The iPad 2 is going to be out of date much sooner as well, with half the RAM of the iPad 3 and a slower graphics chip.

What exactly are you doing where the RAM and graphics chip is affecting your workflow so badly?

As an iPad3 owner who got sick of carrying a purse then I sold mine early in order to cash out at maximum value and eventually get an iPad Mini. So I'm using an "old" iPad2 while my wife still has an iPad3 and in all honesty the difference isn't nearly as large as it seemed back when we first got it. So I believe much of the "OMG, my eyes will bleed if I ever use an iPad2 screen again" is just people being overly dramatic. That iPad2 screen isn't retina but considering all the other limitations of using a tablet then the screen is far more than adequate.