The iPad 3G or the third generation iPad 3 was a much anticipated release by Apple as the successor to iPad 2, part of the Apple tablet series. It was launched in March 2012 in more than 15 countries including the United Kingdom and the USA. In the next 2 months it was released in more than 60 countries and really took the world by storm.
The front glass panel was available in two colours, black and white. There were three storage capacities 16 GB, 32 GB and 64 GB. As far as connectivity was concerned the tablet had two variants, a Wi-Fi model and a WiFi+Mobile Internet (Sim card) model. The SIM card model was made available mostly through a contract with a local internet service provider and was available in a select few countries only.
Operating System and Firmware
A week before the release of the iPad 3 Apple announced that the iPad 3 would contain the iOS 5.1 its latest operating system and launched it. Another major feature was that it had 4G connectivity. The iPad 3G ran on an Apple dual core processor and had a superior quad core graphics processor to provide excellent graphic support. The rear camera was 5 Megapixels and had the option of a HD (i.e 1080p) video recording. The front camera for facetime/skype was a VGA camera.
LCD Retina Display
The most stunning feature though was the “Retina Display” which captured the attention of most users around the world. It had a scratch resistant glass and 3.1 MP screen. Multi-touch touch screen capability and a 3 axis gyroscope continued like in the iPad 2. The screen and display were stylish and sharper than most other mobile devices, let alone the other tablet models that were available then.
The “App Store” still was the application to download all applications available in the iTunes Store. “Safari” as the browser and “iTunes” for computer sync continued. But iOS5 provided users with an option to back up the data internally or externally without using iTunes or a computer. “iBooks” was another application which became a hit. It was an ebook reader and at the time when Kindle was becoming famous among the avid readers, Apple wanted to compete with that as well. Apple provided users with an option of downloading ebooks from the “iBookstore” through iTunes.
Voice Recognition and Dictation
The iPad 3 also introduced for the first time in Apple’s tablets, a voice recognition feature called “Dictation” which types out data as the user speaks. The battery was an issue though as it only used to stay only for around 8 hours during normal usage.
Conclusion
The iPad 3 had an excellent reception and positive reviews in the United Kingdom. People were seen waiting for days in queue to get their hands on the new iPad 3G. London’s Regent Street Apple store witnessed great crowds who gathered days before the release to be the first to get their hands on the hot new gadget. The price was between £399 and £659 and that did not have seem to have any effect on the customers. There were lots of agents and middlemen who sold their iPads at a higher price immediately after they bought them making a quick profit.
The iPad 3 was discontinued only 222 days after its release in October 2012 after the launch of iPad 4.
