iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch game recommendations

[quantum]

I say spend the extra and get the new iPad. You won't be disappointed with an iPad 2 (they are bloody great machines) until you see the new retina screen in action. Then you will always regret not spending the £70 extra.

I agree. Unless you genuinely cannot afford a new iPad, there's now no point in going for the iPad 2. Personally, I'd recommend a 32 GB, because apps are getting a wee bit bigger these days. On the new iPad, it's all down to the screen, as StickHead. It totally changes things when it comes to reading (websites, Instapaper, comics, etc.), and it's also beneficial when running iPhone apps/games (which now use 'Retina' assets and therefore don't look like utter crap).

Hmm, ebuyerexpress now has an iPad 2 for £289 on eBay... Is the new screen worth £110 extra?

[Mire Mare]

I say spend the extra and get the new iPad. You won't be disappointed with an iPad 2 (they are bloody great machines) until you see the new retina screen in action. Then you will always regret not spending the £70 extra.

I agree. Unless you genuinely cannot afford a new iPad, there's now no point in going for the iPad 2. Personally, I'd recommend a 32 GB, because apps are getting a wee bit bigger these days. On the new iPad, it's all down to the screen, as StickHead. It totally changes things when it comes to reading (websites, Instapaper, comics, etc.), and it's also beneficial when running iPhone apps/games (which now use 'Retina' assets and therefore don't look like utter crap).

Hmm, ebuyerexpress now has an iPad 2 for £289 on eBay... Is the new screen worth £110 extra?

The iPad 3 screen is very impressive! But, I have an iPad 2, bought last November, and have no desire to change/upgrade to an iPad 3 whatsoever. iPad 2 is still an amazing piece of kit and it does all I want it to. I suppose you have to think about whether or not you will see the new screen and be disappointed with the lower res of iPad 2. Personally I'm not disappointed, but I do still use an iPhone 3GS and I'm still very happy with it!

[quantum]

Good point. I've not seen the new iPad 3 screen, but have seen an iPhone 3 and 4 side by side and there's a big difference.

Thanks. Think I'll go with an iPad 3...

[CraigGrannell]

I'd agree with both of the previous posts, for what it's worth. iPad 2 owners should probably wait for whatever Apple brings out next year. Everyone else: get the new iPad. The iPad 2's survival is purely to grab lower-end market-share—it's not 'current' tech. And the new screen is very nice, comparable to the leap between the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4.

[DreamcastRIP]

... And the new screen is very nice, comparable to the leap between the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4.

I've not seen the new iPad's screen for myself yet but is that really the case? I've read a fair bit on the 'net (including side by side pictures for comparison) that suggests the new iPad's screen isn't the big step up in quality that Apple are claiming it to be. The 'retina display' that's not really a true retina display, as has been pointed out several times.

From what I've read and seen the new iPad's screen is an improvement over iPad 2 but certainly doesn't appear to resemble the seismic improvement that iPhone 4's retina display screen was over iPhone 3GS.

[Commander Jameson]

... And the new screen is very nice, comparable to the leap between the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4.

I've not seen the new iPad's screen for myself yet but is that really the case? I've read a fair bit on the 'net (including side by side pictures for comparison) that suggests the new iPad's screen isn't the big step up in quality that Apple are claiming it to be. The 'retina display' that's not really a true retina display, as has been pointed out several times.

From what I've read and seen the new iPad's screen is an improvement over iPad 2 but certainly doesn't appear to resemble the seismic improvement that iPhone 4's retina display screen was over iPhone 3GS.

It REALLY is the case! I've got an iPhone 3G and an iPad 3 - the difference is astounding and MORE noticeable than the jump between the 3GS display and the iPhone 4 (due to screen size). I've had my 3rd Gen Ipad next to my mate's iPad 2 and it is far from a subtle difference, especially on text -you can get far more website onto the screen with the smaller text and it will be more readable than the iPad 2.

Having said that, the difference isn't enough to make iPad 1/2 owners want to get rid and upgrade - those are still marvellous peices of kit worth keeping.

My advice - anyone new to the iPad game should spend that little bit more to get a screen that's much nicer and will not be outclassed for a while yet. Existing owners of older iPads - as said above, wait for the NEXT big iPad launch then buy that, or the lowered-price 3rd gen.

[CraigGrannell]

[I've not seen the new iPad's screen for myself yet but is that really the case? I've read a fair bit on the 'net (including side by side pictures for comparison) that suggests the new iPad's screen isn't the big step up in quality that Apple are claiming it to be.

For text, it's the difference between seeing pixels and knowing you're looking at a computer screen and seeing print-like text. For apps that have been upgraded, the smoothness is similar; for those that haven't, there's no noticeable decline in quality.

The 'retina display' that's not really a true retina display, as has been pointed out several times.

Given that 'Retina display' is an Apple brand, I find it odd that anyone could claim the new iPad doesn't have a 'true' Retina display. That's like saying Walkers releases a new flavour of crisps and they're not true Walkers. In the sense of the 'science' behind it, these displays are simply about resolving pixels. Unless you've amazing eyesight (i.e. better than 20/20), it's almost impossible to resolve pixels on the iPhone 4/4S in normal use, and the same is true of the new iPad.

From what I've read and seen the new iPad's screen is an improvement over iPad 2 but certainly doesn't appear to resemble the seismic improvement that iPhone 4's retina display screen was over iPhone 3GS.

It's precisely the same improvement—doubling the resolution horizontally and vertically. And as Commander Jameson says, the effect is actually more noticeable on the iPad, because the screen is much bigger. The only real negative is it makes my iMac's display look like crap by comparison.

[DreamcastRIP]

@ CJ,

Fair enough then! I bow to your hands-on experience.

[DreamcastRIP]

@ CraigGrannell,

That's fair enough but you've omitted to mention one crucial factor. While the screen resolution of the new iPad may well have increased, the pixel density, iirc, isn't a patch on iPhone 4/4S's retina display.

I do appreciate for why Apple are branding new iPad's screen a retina display but for some people at least the claim is a little far fetched given the inferior pixel density.

[thingonaspring]

i haven't seen the ipad 2 in awhile, but when i saw my brothers ipad 3, i didn't notice any immediate difference. i'm sure if i'd used the ipad 2 in the last couple of months, or seen them side by side i would have noticed some kind of difference...

[CraigGrannell]

That's fair enough but you've omitted to mention one crucial factor. While the screen resolution of the new iPad may well have increased, the pixel density, iirc, isn't a patch on iPhone 4/4S's retina display.

Which makes no difference. The point is that it's about resolving pixels during normal use, and therefore comparisons across devices are largely irrelevant. Unless you use an iPad a few inches from your nose, you're not going to resolve pixels on the screen. Similarly, televisions are designed to be used at a much greater distance away from you than a smartphone, hence you can get away with much lower resolutions without being able to see individual pixels.

There's a good overview of this kind of thinking here, and it's also worth noting that the PPI on the new iPad—263.9—is actually greater than the DPI you get in some print magazines.

i haven't seen the ipad 2 in awhile, but when i saw my brothers ipad 3, i didn't notice any immediate difference. i'm sure if i'd used the ipad 2 in the last couple of months, or seen them side by side i would have noticed some kind of difference...

Yup. My wife couldn't see the difference, but then I put my iPad next to the new one, and she instantly saw the higher quality in the new model. But it was the same with the iPhone 3GS—it was a really great screen, right up until the iPhone 4 arrived.

[DreamcastRIP]

Thanks for the link as that certainly helps put things in context.

[Commander Jameson]

CraigGrannell's quite correct - in normal use, you would never notice the pixels, and I've strained with my 20/20 vision to see pixels in text for example, and you just can't IMO.

The iPhone 4 packs more Pixels per inch too - looking around the devices currently availablem it looks like it's in the top couple of percent display-wise, and is higher than the 3rd gen iPad (the iPhone 4's screen is REALLY a thing to behold!)

As said earlier, anyone with a 1/2 gen iPad isn't suddenly going to want to bin them for a 3rd gen - but if you're coming into this for the first time like I was, and if you can afford it - spend a bit more. I nearly bought an iPad in february until I was told I should hang on for the new screen, and it was worth the wait. Especially for websites/book, which I found the older models to be not so great for.

@Dreamcast - no worries mate,here to help

[CraigGrannell]

On reading: agreed. the previous iPad was acceptable for comics, magazines and PDFs, but the new one isn't a million miles away from paper. Give it a couple of years of Apple wizardry in removing some of the weight and the e-ink Kindle won't be worth bothering with either, due to the iPad.

[yasw]

I own a 1st gen iPad and we have just gotten a couple of the new iPads in the office, and I am glad I didn't buy one myself. Yeah the screen is nice, but not that amazing. And the weight is probably what bothers me the most. It weights almost as much as the old one and I would defiantly want a lighter one. So I am also waiting for the next batch, where they have hopefully gotten the weight down a bit more.