Apple iPad 4 review: is this the best tablet money can buy?

Apple iPad 4 review updated: 18th June 2013
Apple released the fourth-generation iPad back in November 2012, and a 128GB version went on sale in February 2013. But while we wait for a fifth iPad to be launched, is this the one to buy?
See also: iPad 3 review and iPad 3 vs iPad 4 comparison review.
There's no firm date set for an iPad 5 launch, but a new iPad is extremely likely in September, October or November. Given that Apple hasn't changed the design of the iPad since the iPad 2 in 2011, there's every chance the iPad 5 will be thinner, lighter and adopt the styling of the iPad mini.
If you can wait that long, it's surely worth it as the new tablet PC is almost certain to be faster and have more features (maybe better-quality cameras, too). If you can't wait, read our iPad 4 review before you flex your credit card.

Apple iPad 4: Design and build quality

The fourth-gen iPad looks no different from the iPad 3 (and even iPad 2) with Apple sticking to the same rectangular shape with rounded corners and chamfered edges.
There's no change in dimensions so it's 186 x 241 x 9.4mm and it weighs 652g (662g for the cellular model). Of course if you don't like the size of the iPad, there's always the iPad mini as a smaller option.
As we've come to expect from the iPad and iPhone, and the Mac range for that matter, the build quality is exceptional. Attention to detail is paramount and the iPad feels as premium as it always has.

So if the iPad 4 look and feels the same as the previous generation what's different? We'll there's only one visual change to the design which comes in the form of the Lightning connector, the rest is all buried inside.

Apple iPad 4: Hardware

As usual Apple has updated the hardware of the tablet. First and foremost is a new processor, the A6X. This dual-core processor with quad-core graphics is supposedly twice as fast as the A5 chip found in the iPad 3 with twice the graphics performance.
Naturally we put these claims to the test. Apple doesn't publish clock speeds and such like but the GeekBench 2 app states the A6X is 1.39GHz and the iPad 4 has 1GB of RAM – 988MB for our exact sample.
The numbers are certainly impressive. In GeekBench 2 we saw a new record of 1769 (the iPad 3 scored in the region of 750) and in the SunSpider JavaScript test the iPad 4 managed a speedy average of 854ms.
While the numbers can amaze and astound, it's the real life user performance which is important. The iPad 4 is a nippy device but the overall impression is that it's not much quicker than the iPad 3, certainly not twice as fast.
We did find graphics performance impressive with a frame rate of 39fps, the iPad 3 managed 22fps. So it's the graphics improvements which are the more noticeable. We could see no difference in general navigation but more noticeable in more demanding tasks. In Apple Maps, for example, pinch zooming is a little bit smoother.
Price and storage options are the same as previous iPads - £399 for 16GB Wi-Fi only ranging all the way up to £739 for 128GB with Wi-Fi and 3G/4G cellular data. If you can afford the price tag, there's an iPad to fit your needs. Be wise with your storage option since, as usual, there's no microSD card slot for expansion.
There's no change when it comes to the screen – it's still 9.7in in size with the stunning 1536 x 2048 Retina quality resolution. There's really no faulting the LED-backlit IPS display.
There are a few important changes when it comes to connectivity. The first, as we mentioned earlier, is the Lightning connector. It's smaller, reversible and means you need to buy an adaptor if you want to plug it into any existing 30-pin accessories.

The other big change is 4G connectivity. The iPad 3 was marketed as 4G capable but didn't suit the UK's 4G frequencies so Apple removed the claim. If you want, and can afford, 4G mobile broadband, then this iPad will cater for your needs. The iPad mini also supports 4G in the UK. See also: What is 4G? A complete guide.
Connectivity like Bluetooth remains the same but Apple has upgraded the Wi-Fi. We not sure sure the channel bonding is going to make much difference but we'll update this review when we've had more time to conduct some tests.

iPad 4: Cameras

There's not a great deal of change when it comes to the iPad's cameras. Those hoping for an 8Mp rear camera will be disappointed to find it's still the same 5Mp iSight camera found on the iPad 3.
It's unsurprising then that results are similar – a useful camera if you don't mind using a device as large as an iPad for taking snaps. The only change is the addition of a back-illuminated sensor which should help in low light situations.
The bigger, and more useful change is the front facing camera which is now a 1.2Mp FaceTime HD shooter capturing up to 720p footage. This offers a much higher quality picture than before making your Photo Booth pictures better and, provided broadband speeds are fast enough, improved Skype and FaceTime calls.

iPad 4 review: Software

There's not a great deal to say about the software on the iPad 4. It comes pre-loaded with iOS 6 including Siri which is also available on the iPad 3. Some recent and notable changes to the operating system include the switch between Google Maps and Apple's own mapping system – the firm's own-brand app has received heavy criticism for its many failings. Luckily there are alternatives out there in app form, or you can use Google Maps in Safari. Apple has also ditched the YouTube app but the service is available via the web browser.
Something to bear in mind is that apps supporting the Retina resolution take up considerably more space than previous ones. You may find yourself filling up 16GB of storage faster than you expected.
For a more in-depth look, check out our iOS 6 review. Don't forget, too, that you'll be able to update the iPad 4 with iOS 7 when it is realeased in the autumn.

iPad 4 reivew: Battery life

Once again Apple touts a double digit battery life of 10 hours for the iPad 4 when browsing the web over Wi-Fi. It's difficult to give you a 'typical' usage figure since everyone will use their iPad for different tasks for various periods of time.
We found that using the iPad 4 heavily meant we needed to charge it at the end of the day. If you predominantly use a smartphone and use the iPad occasionally then it will stretch much further, a few days' worth is likely.
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From:http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/reviews/tablets/3406695/apple-ipad-4-review/

Dockable Toshiba Android tablet leaks with Tegra 4 chip

Toshiba may not be the first name that comes to mind when you think of Android tablets, but maybe that’s due to change. The company’s unannounced  Tegra 4 powered AT10LE-A might change that.
It’s a 10.1-inch slate with Nvidia’s latest and greatest under the hood clocked at 1.8GHz. Like the Asus Transformer series, the AT10LE-A can be docked into a keyboard accessory. There’s no pointing device on Toshiba’s keyboard, but that’s not a complete surprise. While a keyboard definitely enhances productivity in certain situations on Android, a mouse doesn’t. Pointer duties are still best left to a finger.

The lack of a trackpad isn’t necessarily a big deal, but it’s also not known whether this keyboard includes a secondary battery. Many Android tablet makers have gone that route so they can offer all-day unplugged use. It would be surprising to see the AT10LE — which looks like a premium device — launch without one. Like the Tegra 3, the quad-core Tegra 4 does include a fifth low-power core that helps boost endurance, but a second battery would still be a nice touch.
Toshiba isn’t skimping on ports, at least. The AT10LE includes HDMI and USB ports as well as a micro SD expansion slot — something you don’t always find in a high-end Android device.

As for the OS, the leaked Toshiba unit is running Android 4.2.1. That could always change before the AT10LE launches, of course, particularly if it’s not going to hit store shelves until after Google I/O.
There could very well be a new version announced in San Fran, and a tablet PC with a cutting-edge Tegra 4 chip shouldn’t ship with anything but the latest and greatest software, right? Then again, that hasn’t stopped manufacturers from shipping outdated Android versions on tablets before.

Expect a second-gen Microsoft Surface announcement on June 26

Microsoft is expected to introduce the second generation of the Surface tablet at its Build Developer Conference beginning June 26. But don’t expect more of the same.
The supply chain, which inevitably gets to know about new devices before anyone else, is stating that Microsoft is sticking with the same component manufacturers as with the first Surface tablets, but the 2nd gen device will only sport a display size between 7 and 9-inches. The original used a 10.81-inch panel.Microsoft’s recent tweaks to Windows 8 hardware requirements also suggest a smaller device will be released.
The smaller display is thought to have been chosen because smaller is more popular. I’m not sure that’s entirely true. Microsoft has only sold around half of the 4 million tablet PCs it set as a target for the first-gen Surface, but 2 million units is still pretty good for a first attempt. Those sales are split down into 1.5 million Surface RT and 500,000 Surface Pro devices.

A smaller Surface does mean it will be cheaper to manufacture and could allow Microsoft to lower the price of the device for the consumer. Sticking with existing component companies and Pegatron Technology as the main tablet manufacturer, and continuing to use as many of the same components as possible, should also help keep costs to a minimum.
Alongside launching a new Surface Microsoft is continuing to role out the existing RT and Pro to new territories around the world. Malaysia just got the Surface RT and Mexico, Korea, and Thailand get it before June is over. The Surface Pro is heading to Australia, Austria, Korea, Malaysia, Russia, Singapore, and Thailand in the same timeframe. So sales will continue to happen, but probably not as fast as Microsoft 6 months on from launch. 745TDBanty 130620

One day in, iOS is the biggest platform for Google Now

With the flip of a switch, Google has made one of their most interesting apps available to millions of users. They didn’t do this by making it available to more of their own OS, but instead by making it available to Apple customers.
If you’re a frequent user of Google’s free services, Now is an incredible tool to take advantage of. Even if you’re not a fan of talking at your phone (unless there’s a human being on the other end), Google Now’s contextual awareness is significant. The service spans your entire Google account, pulling traffic information from location searches as easily as it does movie showtimes. The more ways you use Google, the more you get out of Now.

When the service was released alongside the latest version of Android, a significant chunk of the Google ecosystem was left to wonder what it would be like to experience Now. Their latest update reaches out to a whole new audience, and in doing so increased their total possible user base exponentially.
Google Now for iOS has been a long time coming, complete with a brief public finger pointing from Eric Schmidt himself to help bring it to market. Now that it’s finally available on iOS, the addition to Google Search is available to every iPhone from the 3GS to the iPhone 5, every iPod Touch, and every iPad. Nearly every iOS device since 2009 has the ability to access Google Now. Compared to Android where only 25% of the total ecosystem, almost every phone or android tablet released in the last year has access to Now. The other 75% of Android users will only see Google Now when their phones update to the latest version of Android or they move on to a new phone to tablet PC.

This isn’t a new problem for Android users. In fact, it’s been the same story from Google for a little while now. The core of Android’s ecosystem will tell you that if you want the latest and greatest from Google you should get a Nexus device. Unfortunately, the Nexus 4 pales in comparison to Android titans like the HTC One and the Samsung Galaxy S4, so that’s not really an answer. It turns out, if you really want the latest and greatest from Google and you don’t want to shell out for a new phone every year you should just get an iPhone. Any iPhone but the very first one will do. 745TDBanty 130619

Nexus 11 tablet coming from Samsung with octa-core chip, microSD slot

Google I/O is just around the corner, and some are predicting that a Samsung-built Nexus 11 android tablet will be shown off at the event. Why? Because a set of hardware specifications have made their way onto the web courtesy of a leaked Samsung 2013 product roadmap.
Three reported features of the Nexus 11 stand out. You’ve probably guessed one already: an 11-inch display. It might sound like a big change, but it’s really not. Screens are measured on the diagonal, so an 11-inch Nexus won’t necessarily be any harder to handle than the Nexus 10. Samsung will probably trim off a little excess bezel (but not so much as to make gripping tricky), and consumers will barely notice the difference.

Next is the fact that the Nexus 11 is rumored to pack an Exynos 5410 processor. That’s the Samsung chip based on ARM’s big.LITTLE spec, and it features 8 total cores. Four are ARM Cortex-A15 powerhouses and the other four are efficient little Cortex-A7s. This should allow the Nexus 11 to deliver an excellent balance of power and performance — much better than the Nexus 10′s dual-core A15 chip.
Here’s the real kicker: SamMobile is reporting that the Nexus 11 will have a microSD expansion slot. Yep. A Nexus device with a microSD slot. That’s enough to get Android die-hards salivating on its own. But let’s not get carried away: this is all speculation until we actually see a Nexus 11 and someone shows us where the card goes.
Will the Nexus 11 actually show up at I/O? It’s hard to say. The original big screen Nexus slate — the Nexus 10 — wasn’t in attendance in 2012. It wasn’t announced until October and then went on sale in November.
That’s not to say Google has a rigid release schedule to stick to. The Nexus 7 and 10 were launched at different times and the Nexus 7 was later refreshed with very little fanfare. 745TDBanty 130618

Why Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 3 might not be as boring as it sounds

Samsung announced the Galaxy Tab 3 today, and the new android tablet hasn’t enjoyed the same warm reception as the Galaxy S4. There are two big reasons why some folks are yawning. First, the third generation GTab sports the same 7-inch, 1024×600 display as the Galaxy Tab 1 and 2. Second, it’s only running a 1.2GHz dual-core processor.
But neither of those necessarily make this a boring tablet. Yes, just about every 4.5-inch or larger smartphone on the market is shipping with a 1080p display. And, yes, the Nexus 7‘s panel has a higher native resolution and pixels-per-inch (PPI). Then again, 1024×600 is pretty close to the iPad mini’s 1024×768 — and no one seems to have a problem with its display.

Samsung might have opted out of the PPI race here to keep the retail price of the Galaxy Tab 3 down. It’s not like shoppers that want a more premium version from Samsung don’t have another option — they can buy the Galaxy Note 8.0. If the goal here is to ship a tablet that can compete with the Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire in terms of price while still offering a solid user experience, Samsung’s display choice makes sense.
As does that dual-core processor. Right now, a multitude of cores doesn’t necessarily yield huge performance gains on Android — the OS and apps just don’t take full advantage of multi-core chips. Clock speed doesn’t tell the whole story when it comes to performance, either.
Samsung hasn’t specified exactly which chip it’s going to use in the Galaxy Tab 3. If it’s an Exynos 5, then even at just 1.2GHz and with half as many cores as the Nexus 7 it will perform just fine. The Exynos 5 is an ARM Cortex-A15 SoC, and it can run rings around Cortex-A9 chips. It’s got a faster GPU and double the memory bandwidth.
If an in-house chip and a serviceable display let Samsung keep the price of the Galaxy Tab 3 down, it could be a big hit with consumers. If, however, it turns out that Samsung just phoned this update in and the GT3 is just another yawn-inducing me-too slate, well… let’s hope it falls flat and someone else (hello, Asus!) steps up with an awesome new 7-incher. 745TDBanty 130617

Archos 7 8GB Home Tablet with Android

Archos 7 8GB  Description
    ARCHOS New ARCHOS 7 8GB Home Tablet bridges the gap between smartphone and desktop PC offering access to the Internet, through the customization of Android applications, and multimedia content delivery - all in a seven-inch widescreen.  

    Access the information you need, such as news, weather, news or local businesses. Enjoy your favorite videos on YouTube or look for a quick fix of entertainment.  

    Or just relax and listen to music. With Wi-Fi for a fast and easy file transfer, and until 7:00 video/44 hours of music on a single charge, this affordable tablet will keep you entertained - and connected - all day.

Multimedia Master

    With its widescreen high resolution (800 x 480), The ARCHOS 7 Home Tablet  is the ideal device to enjoy and share media files.  

    8 gigabytes of internal flash memory which has space for up to 7 movies, photos, 80,000 songs or 4,000, micro SDHC slot for memory cards with the exchange of content even more.  

    Lithium-polymer battery provides up to 7 hours of video or 42 hours of audio on a single charge.

Videos, Photos and Music

    If you want to watch the video, share photos or play your favorite music, the ARCHOS 7 is compatible with an impressive number of file formats.

    You can watch videos in popular formats, including HD (720p). H.264, MPEG-4 and RealVideo are compatible with AVI, MP4, MKV, MOV, and FLV file formats.  

    You can share your favorite videos with friends on the TV via composite video output cable (sold separately).

    Send your photos directly on the device via USB or micro SDHC slot. You can view and share all your photos on the bright screen of 7 "or play on your TV as with movies.  

    Combine your favorite photos with your favorite songs and play a slideshow of your friends and family. JPEG, BMP, GIF , and supported.

    ARCHOS 7 Home Tablet also allows you to store your favorite songs and create playlists with up to 40 hours of music.  

    And unlike many players out there, you can enjoy all kinds of different formats with support for MP3, WMA (unprotected), WAV, APE, OGG, FLAC, AAC.


Android Applications

    Enjoy a selection of applications pre-installed ready to use the right of the box. Moreover, as the Archos 7 is a system based on Android, you can customize your deck at home by sending your favorite applications. 

    Choose from many available in the Android Market. You can also access a wide range of applications for free and can be purchased directly from the shop AppsLib. These applications are classified by type, size and date to help you find the one you want.

Constant Companion

    The ARCHOS 7 Home Tablet is the epitome of the everyday device, with features to suit your whole family's daily needs.

Fast & Easy Access to the Latest News

    Use your Web browser or the many applications available in the store AppsLib to keep you informed of breaking news. Access your favorite news, sports and financial information directly from the tablet at home.

Save Time by Consulting Instant Information Services

    The ARCHOS 7 Home Tablet offers easy access to information services such as business directories and local climate. 

    Can also configure the various services and widgets appear live on-screen, always-on view of the information that matters most.

Who Needs a PC?

    Use the USB connection to connect a mouse, keyboard or external mass storage device so you can surf the Internet or access their Office documents quickly and easily.  

    With the tablet house, which does not even have to turn your PC at home.

    And with its slim and elegant - only 12 mm thick and weighs 350 grams (0.8 pounds) - the ARCHOS 7 Home Tablet is highly portable at home.

Stay Connected

    The ARCHOS 7 Home Tablet keeps you up to date on all your web destinations, emails, and social networking sites.

Fast & Convenient Web Surfing

    With a screen resolution of 800 pixels wide and seven inches, you can easily surf the web. No need to zoom in and out, because web pages are fully displayed on the ARCHOS device.  
    In addition, Wi-Fi (802.11 b / g) gives you the opportunity to enjoy in every room of your home (or head down to the coffee).

Social Networking & Chat Applications

   Thanks to social networks and chat applications, this new tablet lets you keep in touch with friends and family throughout the day.  

   With its comfortable keyboard is very easy to write messages on the ARCHOS 7 homeTablet.

Email Application

    Once connected to a WiFi network,ARCHOS 7 Home Tablet allows you to manage your email whenever you want.  

    You can configure a series of e-mail account, providing a quick and easy access to each family member their own messages. 
 

Technical Details

• 8GB capacity for about 4000 songs, 80,000 photos, or seven full-length movies
• Seven hours of video or 42 hours of audio on a single charge
• 7-inch TFT LCD touchscreen with 800x480 pixel resolution, 16m colors
• Supports H.264/MPEG-4/Real video codecs in AVI, MP4, MKV, MOV, and FLV file formats; MP3, WMA, WAV, APE, OGG, FLAC
• One-year limited  745TDBanty 130614