When the Apple iPad entered the market, people were amazed at the technology this small device offered. No tablet could beat the technology, and most products were several steps behind Apple's tablet. With the new iPad, they made themselves even more difficult to beat.

The new iPad features the iOS 5 operating system and the dual-core A5X chip

There is no USB 2.0 port on this tablet

The anticipation for a new gadget can often be more exciting than getting the actual product in your hands. Apple's new iPad definitely offers some nice updates with the Retina display, 4G and improved camera, but is it a worthy upgrade for someone that already has an iPad 2?

Gorgeous display; Improved camera; 4G option; Fits in most iPad 2 cases you may already have; Bluetooth 4.0 will use less power and be a lighter drain on the battery

Thicker and heavier; Runs a little warmer than the iPad 2

Apple just made the new iPad official and it comes with a Retina Display that goes up to 2048 x 1536 resolution with a pixel density of 264ppi. Apple's existing apps will be scaled up to the high-res display and will be encouraging developers to do the same

+ Retina Display; + Tried and true design; + Good Battery life

- No LTE for most of us; - No major changes; - Apple iPad; - USB Dock Connector; - Charger; - 3.5mm headphone

With the new iPad Apple has once-again upped the ante in the tablet market, and pretty much ensured that every other tablet manufacturer is relegated for at least another year. Much has been written about the new iPad , and many reviews have focussed 'quite rightly' on the marvel of the Retina...

Fantastic Retina display, excellent 3G internet speeds (even without 4G), 10 hour battery life; still one of the most beautiful and functional devices on the market

Takes longer to charge up; no 4G network in the UK

Apple iPad, Act 3. Stripped of its model number, Apple's newest tablet raises several questions, especially, what exactly the point is.

Retina display stands head and shoulders above the rest for onscreen image quality; Astounding resolution for unrivalled viewing comfort; Good 4G/3G+ connectivity and network speed; Rich iOS ecosystem; Battery life

Memory can't be expanded; Proprietary port / Closed ecosystem may put some users off; No 128 GB model; 'Good' graphics processing still to be confirmed in practice; Not all content is adapted to the ultra-high screen resolution

There's something intimate about using an iPad, and the real-life quality of that retina display enhances it even further. "Well, it's got a new screen" isn't a ringing endorsement of what makes the new iPad great – but actually, that's exactly why you want this tablet.

Incredibly sharp; realistic display super-enhances movies; gaming; web and photos; gorgeous hardware and software design; 200,000 iPad-optimised apps; upgraded camera

Comparatively little on-board storage; especially for a HD-media-oriented device; front-facing camera still only VGA quality

launches: hilarious, aren't they? The whole world (it can seem) works itself into a tizzy about when they're going to be and what's going to be unveiled.Jumping from the iPad 2's 1024x768 screen to one with a stupendously large 2048x1536 resolution makes a huge difference to just about everything...

Truly stunning screen; exceptionally user-friendly; excellent audio; unbeatable selection of apps; movies and music; flawless build quality

A touch heavier and thicker than iPad 2; charging takes ages; more internal storage would be nice

Let's face the elephant in the room first. The 'New iPad Wi-Fi + 4G' as Apple calls it - I'll use iPad 3 - may be branded 4G but that's eff-all value to us Brits. The tablet's cellular radio doesn't work with the frequencies being proposed for UK 4G communications.

Third time lucky – the New iPad is the best of the lot – with a wonderfully sharp Retina display and HD snapper

Super-sharp screen makes viewing games, films, photos and the net vastly improved; improved snapper; wonderful software and hardware design; a choice of 200,000 apps optimised for iPad

Not much storage included; front-facing VGA snapper

Although LTE of little use in the UK for now, the Retina display still makes the new iPad a highly desirable tablet, though it may a short while for apps and web sites to fully exploit it.