iPad 3 Releasing Wednesday? Does Your iPad 2 Really Need an Upgrade?

With Apple set to take the wraps off its third generation iPad aka iPad 3 Wednesday, Apple enthusiasts around the world are eagerly waiting for something that the company thinks they really need to see. And touch.

Rumors are rife that iPad 3, or whatever Apple would finally prefer to name it, would come with some key features including a Retina Display with a resolution of 2048 x 1536 (264dpi), a faster processor, 4G LTE data speed, much improved camera and the voice recognition personal assistant Siri.

Let' assume that iPad 3 does come with all these new features, but you have already been using an iPad 2. Will you put another $500 on a second iPad? If you will, don't you think your iPad 2 is still a really excellent product?

High Resolution Retina Display

It's difficult to say whether Apple will include IGZO (indium gallium zinc oxide) flat panels in iPad 3, but one thing is very likely that the new iPad will feature a new, high-resolution Retina Display with rumors suggesting that it will clock in at a resolution of 2048 x 1536.

Given that the current iPad 2 has a display of 1024x768 pixels and a pixel density of 132 ppi, the same in the new iPad would be four times higher. It does sound amazing. But the question is - Are you really disappointed with your iPad 2 display?

Think about iPad's poor battery life - about 10 hours of heavy use and about a week of standby. With the supposed screen improvements for the next iteration, the older battery is simply not good enough to take the load.

Yes, there're again rumors that the new iPad will make way for a larger battery. But remember iPhone 4S's 100-hour drop in standby time, plus reports of serious usage shortcomings?

iPad 3 Would be Quad-Core, iPad 2 is Not; So What?

I am pissed off with this slow iPad. I wish my iPad had a quad-core processor - If you really think so, then go for the new iPad. Even if it's not sure whether iPad 3 would be dual-core or quad-core, the device is highly expected to sport a faster processor.

But again, are you doing something with your iPad that requires an even higher-speed processor? Or, are you just like the majority of iPad users who browse the Web, watch YouTube, use Flipboard and play Minecraft?

Does an Improved Camera Mean a Lot?

Apple hasn't played much with the camera on the iPad. The original iPad featured a nondescript camera while iPad 2 came with a mediocre VGA camera.

If rumors are to be believed, Apple will provide an 8 megapixel camera on iPad 3. Will you go for serious photography with your new iPad now? Or will you continue using your genuine camera that you've been using for a while?

It's 4G LTE, So Let's Dump iPad 2 with WiFi?

iPad 3 is expected to be compatible with long-term evolution (LTE). Will you need it while the WiFi connection in your iPad 2 works just fine? What about your AT&T 3G connection in iPad 2? Is it disgustingly not worth paying for?

Siri May Speak, Do You Want to Hear?

Siri has become a darling of iPhone 4S users. Therefore, it's very likely that Apple would love to leverage on Siri's popularity by adding it to iPad 3. But do you really want her on your iPad?

Siri, the virtual voice-controlled assistant, does make sense on a smartphone since there are many cases when users use their smartphones while walking or driving. But will you take out your iPad and talk to Siri?

Of course, the third generation iPad will be a much improved version than the current model and the points discussed above may not be the only ones you would consider when the device is finally out on March 7. But the attempt made here is to help you make an apt decision.

After all, your current iPad model matters a lot.

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