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Photo of me playing with the iPad 2 before heading into the office
It’s funny how we’re giving away a brand new iPad 2 on our website yet I don’t have one myself to review. Last night I sought to fix this by venturing into a place called Mong Kok in Hong Kong to buy one. For those who are aware of the iPad 2’s official release dates, you would know that Hong Kong is not listed as one of the first countries to get them this Friday. Those on sale in Mong Kok are therefore sold at a premium with markups of up to $300-$400 on the higher spec’d model!
Be Prepared
To Spend The Big Bucks In Mong Kok
So back to my adventure in Mong Kok: I found the placed called Sin Tat where the iPad 2 was reportedly on sale. As I entered the building, I was surprised and overwhelmed by all the handmade signs indicating availability and pricing of iPad 2s. Delighted at the prospect of being to able to take one home for myself I quickly decided that I would settle for a non-3G version since I carry my iPhone 4 everywhere I go and it has an unlimited data plan thanks to 1010 CSL, the premier telco in Hong Kong. In terms of data capacity, I settled with 32GB as I wanted it large enough to store at least 5-10 movies for my daughters.
After much haggling and jostling, I was able to purchase a 32GB WiFi model for a reasonable price. Yes, I still paid a premium but please remember that I do run a gadget business and it’s a business related expense Image may be NSFW.
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My Thoughts On The iPad 2
I’ll be brief with my review and say that the changes to the new iPad are not huge or ground-breaking. Rather, they’ve taken a good product and made it better. As I pointed out from my previous post, here’s a summary of improvements:
- 15% lighter than iPad 1
- 33% thinner
- Dual-core A5 Processor
- Still achieves 10 hour battery life
- Screen size is the same (9.7 inches)
- Front facing and rear camera that can shoot 720p HD video
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Feels So Good
For me, the biggest improvement is the whole feel of the device. It feels a lot slimmer and is more comfortable to hold in your hands for longer periods of time. While the increased performance is noticeable, it doesn’t suddenly transform the device into a crazy speed demon. Don’t upgrade if your decision is based on the latter alone.
Is It Worth Upgrading From an iPad 1? In Short, No
It makes more sense for someone who hasn’t purchased an iPad yet, to buy the iPad 2. What they’re getting are most of the features that people were wanting to see in the first iPad. And for those not too fussed about having a camera and a slightly chunkier device, pick up an iPad 1 now while shops are trying to get rid of them to make way for the new.
Lastly, one of the best things I like about the new iPad is that all the old accessories fit!
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Oh if you’re an Australian resident, enter our iPad 2 Giveaway here!
