Current Apple iPad and iPad 2

The current Apple iPad remains the tablet to beat

Although it is facing more competition from Android slates made by Samsung, Asus and others, the Apple iPad (*Est. $500 and up) remains the tablet computer to beat. The current iPad isn't a must-have upgrade for owners of the iPad 2, according to reviews, but experts say Apple made enough improvements to keep the iPad at the top of the list for those looking to buy their first tablet computer.

The iPad comes in black or white, but the most important visual element is what's happening on its 9.7-inch multitouch display, which boasts a 2,048-by-1,536-pixel resolution. That's comparable to high-end 30-inch computer monitors, but it's packed more tightly at 264 pixels per inch; most eyes cannot pick out individual pixels with that kind of density, prompting Apple to call it a Retina display. (High-end smartphones, such as the Apple 4S and the HTC ReZound, sport displays with even higher pixel densities per inch.) Every single reviewer calls the display a sight to behold, offering unprecedented levels of sharpness. PC World reports that it is the first tablet to score a Superior rating in the magazine's screen quality testing, with excellent results in both greyscale and coloration. In fact, a handful of critics say that the iPad's on-screen colors are so rich and vibrant compared to the iPad 2 that pictures sometimes seem on the verge of being over-saturated.

That isn't the only minor quibble experts have with the iPad's Retina display. Some wish the updated iPad had the 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio found on Android tablets, rather than continuing with the 4:3 ratio found in the previous iPads. PCMag.com's Sascha Segan reports that the glossy screen can still run into reflection problems outdoors -- an issue carried over from the iPad 2 -- and several critics point out that apps and webpages that haven't been optimized for the iPad's sky-high resolution can look "disappointingly fuzzy and overblown," as Melissa J. Perenson puts it at PC World.

Retina-optimized apps and content take up more hard drive space than what was previously normal, and high-definition content also uses more space than standard-definition content. That leads some experts to bemoan the current iPad's continued lack of an SD card slot, leaving owners who underestimate their storage needs at the time of purchase out of luck if space in the built-in memory gets tight. The iPad trails its Android competitors in overall port support as well, offering only a 3.5 mm headphone jack and a single 30-pin connector. However, optional adapter cables and Apple's wireless AirPlay technology help to stream video and audio to external sources.

The iPad is powered by twice the RAM of the iPad 2 by the current A5X processor, an upgrade to the dual-core A5 Cortex processor found in that previous version. The A5X features the same central processing unit as the original A5, but it integrates an improved quad-core graphics processor. Experts report that the iPad feels more responsive and snappier than most Android-based tablets, and it handles games with aplomb. Testing has shown that the lower-left corner of the iPad can become hot enough to be mildly uncomfortable during prolonged – about 45 minutes-plus -- gaming sessions. Additionally, while the A5X is plenty powerful, PCMag.com's Segan found that a couple of Retina-optimized 3D games ran into frame rate issues when displaying complex scenes.

Experts say the iPad's 5 megapixel camera, which can shoot 1080p video, is an improvement over the iPad 2's much maligned 3-megapixel one. The front camera is still a basic VGA low-resolution shooter, however. Siri isn't onboard, but the current iPad has a voice dictation feature for folks who want to shy away from the virtual keyboard. However, the feature is powered by Apple's servers, so you'll need to be connected to the Internet to use it. Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity is also included.

Along those lines, a 4G LTE radio is another optional feature, allowing U.S.-based users access to the speedy 4G networks offered by Verizon and AT&T. Critics say that 4G works great, although there's no way to quickly and easily check your data usage. An iPad with 4G capabilities comes at a premium compared to the Wi-Fi only versions, however, starting at $630 and moving up if you want a larger hard drive. AT&T data plans range from 250 MB (*Est. $15 per month) to 5 GB (*Est. $50 per month), while Verizon offers packages starting at 1 GB (*Est. $20 per month) and topping out at 5 GB (*Est. $50 per month). Neither company requires iPad users to lock themselves in to a long-term contract, and Verizon tosses in mobile hotspot capabilities for free.

In addition, 4G has yet to be deployed nationwide, though AT&T and Verizon are rapidly expanding their coverage areas. Still, you should make sure that you'll be able to access 4G networks in your area before spending the extra cash on a 4G iPad.

Apple has been slow to adopt 4G because of the technology's reputation as a battery hog. The current iPad compensates for the extra power requirements of the improved processor and display, as well as the 4G radio, by using a larger battery than the iPad 2. That makes the updated iPad thicker and heavier than the iPad 2 and the top Android tablets, a difference that experts say is slight, but noticeable. Wired's Jon Phillips says text looks "sharp and coherent with an almost molecular level of precision," which lends itself well to using the iPad as an eBook reader, but reviewers say the extra heft can make holding the iPad with one hand uncomfortable for prolonged reading sessions. Critics also warn that fully recharging the iPad can take up to seven hours, although the fully charged battery lasts up to 10 hours, something few tablets can claim. Some reports of Wi-Fi issues with Wi-Fi only versions have cropped up.

Don't let the minor quibbles dissuade you, however. Reviewers love the iPad. "Let's be clear: the iPad is in a class by itself, just as its predecessor was," Joshua Topolsky writes at TheVerge.com. Vivek Gowri and Anand Lal Shimpi of AnandTech.com agree. "It has the fastest and best of nearly every component inside and out. It's got everything but the kitchen sink."

iPad 2 still a strong contender at a lower price

The Apple iPad 2 was the tablet to beat right up until the launch of the iPad; it's still a strong option at its reduced price point. Only 16 GB models are being offered, in both Wi-Fi (*Est. $400) and Wi-Fi plus 3G (*Est. $530) versions. The 3G tablets require a subscription to one of the AT&T or Verizon data plans outlined above.

The iPad 2 sports a 9.7-inch glossy multitouch display with 1,024-by-768-pixel resolution, 512 MB of RAM, a single speaker, microphone, headphone jack and built-in (and nonreplaceable) rechargeable battery. The slim and light design is the same as the iPad's, but as previously mentioned, the iPad 2 weighs slightly less and is slightly skinnier than the newer model. (Reviewers still say it can still feel heavy after prolonged one-handed use, however.) The low-resolution cameras find few fans. Although the iPad 2 doesn't have the same high-powered components as the current iPad, critics say it nevertheless feels faster and more responsive than most Android tablets.

Most get more than 10 hours of battery life between charges in testing, even when playing video and using Wi-Fi. "The tablet lasted a whopping 11 hours and 11 minutes on our web surfing test, which involves loading 50 of the most popular sites over Wi-Fi with the device set to 40-percent brightness," says Mark Spoonauer at Laptop Magazine.

Apple's software plays a role in its dominance

Both the iPad and the iPad 2 ship with iOS 5, an updated operating system that's also available as a free upgrade for owners of older iPads and iPad 2s. Apple says the update offers more than 200 changes compared with its predecessor, including Twitter integration, a Newsstand app for periodical reading, the Apple-device-to-Apple-device iMessage instant messaging program, a revamped Notification Center and much more. Reviewers say iOS remains one of the most intuitive operating systems for tablets, although experts appreciate some of the features found in alternative operating systems.

Of course, the iPads still smoke the competition in tablet-specific apps. The app store has more than 200,000 apps designed specifically for the iPad, while the Google Play Store used by Android tablets such as Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 and Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime lags far behind. Additionally, Apple holds apps to rigorous quality standards; Google doesn't qualify Android apps before they're released in the Play Store. Reviewers say that as a result, iOS apps have a higher general overall level of quality than Android apps, although top-tier apps are available on both platforms.