Apple iPad 2 (Wi-Fi)

It started as something of a laughing matter. Back in January 2010, as we reported from the theater in the Yerba Buena Center in San Francisco, Apple's Steve Jobs divulged the details of what he termed a “magical” new computing device. To be sure, there were more than a few snickers at that term. But on that morning, something of a tech revolution welled up…and its rumblings haven't subsided one bit.

At the time, though, within hours, tech pundits everywhere had dissected the details to the nth degree. Online forums were abuzz with vitriol...who really needed a device like this? And plenty of wisecracks were made about Apple’s choice of the product’s name: iPad. Really? "iPad?"

No one’s laughing now.


Approximately 15 million iPads later, this iconic, lusted-after gadget is either the most successful mass-impulse buy in the history of modern electronics, or it struck a genuine chord with plenty of users. We're putting our money on the latter. It has spawned thousands of iPad-exclusive apps; a slick daily newspaper from News Corp. (The Daily); radically new forms of content consumption, such as ad-hoc mashups like Flipboard; and money for the countless developers, small and large, creating the iPad's universe of apps. All the while, a storm of innovation and disruption have swirled around this impassive slab of glass and metal.

Here in March of 2011, it’s time for the slab itself to see some changes of its own. We got our hands on the Wi-Fi edition of the Apple iPad 2 on the day of its release (March 11), and our team put it through a regimen of hands-on trials, timing tests, benchmarking, and much more. We looked at it next to the original iPad (see our deep-dive review of the original Apple iPad), as well as in light of several competitors on the market now (the Samsung Galaxy Tab, the Motorola Xoom).

Bottom line? Make no mistake: The iPad 2 keeps the iPad family cemented in place as the tablet models to beat—and in many ways, emulate—here in early 2011. We’re not convinced, though, that the iPad 2 is a must-have upgrade for most current owners of the original iPad. But we think the second-gen tablet is a no-brainer choice over the first version, given a choice between the two. (The first-gen model remains available, at least for now, at reduced prices.) If you’re a first-time buyer, or someone looking for a second iPad for spouse or house, this is the one to get.

Worth noting: The unlimited “all-you-can-eat” data plan that AT&T offered for the original iPad is no longer an option, and Verizon doesn’t offer any such thing. As a result, if you’re considering a 3G-capable iPad, you’ll need to estimate your monthly data usage in megabytes. Of course, everyone consumes media differently (streaming video, uploading pictures, and the like), so that number will be different for everyone. AT&T offers a handy Data Calculator that will help you estimate your monthly consumption; it’s useful as a gauge for either carrier’s plans...

When considering whether to get a Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi-plus-3G model, you need to consider a few X-factors. AT&T’s iPad data plans include access to the carrier’s nationwide network of Wi-Fi hotspots; using your iPad on one of those doesn’t deduct from your data usage. If you know you have one of these nearby, you may be able to get by with a lesser data plan. And if you already own an iPhone 4, both carriers also offer $20-a-month iPad Wi-Fi “tethering” plans. You can add one of these to an existing iPhone plan for use with a Wi-Fi-only iPad 2. With tethering, you would use your smartphone as a Wi-Fi hotspot, and your iPad 2 would connect to it. In a nutshell, the tethering plans include 2GB of iPad data access, and you can save some bucks on the iPad purchase itself if you go this route, since the Wi-Fi-only iPads are cheaper.

Consider all of these factors as you look at the panoply of iPad 2 models, since only you can gauge your own usage patterns, locations, and frequencies. Our one firm caveat: The 250MB AT&T plan seems woefully inadequate if you’ll be streaming basically any video or many media files over the cellular signal, and its overage charge is steep. We’d recommend this plan only if you know you’ll be using the iPad's cellular connection for e-mail and light Web browsing, and not much more.

We tested the least expensive model of the iPad 2, the $499 16GB Wi-Fi-only version (incidentally, in black). Here are our impressions.

Posted in: Apple,Tablet