This review is for iPad 2 owners trying to decide whether to upgrade. It also might be helpful for people deciding between the now cheaper iPad 2 and the "new iPad" (iPad 3).
I was perfectly happy with my iPad 2, a wifi-only model with 32gb. When Apple announced the new iPad, I typed up a long list of reasons why I shouldn't buy it. And then I bought one anyway. (I'll be giving my iPad 2 to my parents.)
You've probably already read up on the new iPad and know the list of new features it has, and how the specs compare to the iPad 2's specs. But comparing specs on paper is different than comparing the actual experience of using the two products, and the experience matters more than the specs. I can tell you which of those features, at least to me, really makes the experience of using the new iPad better. And there's only one: the display.
I do a lot of reading on the iPad, and this is where the retina display really matters. Text is very sharp, even for very small fonts, and this makes reading on iPad much more comfortable. I've been reading Steve Jobs on my iPad 2 (using the Kindle app); I read the next chapter on the retina iPad and then tried to read the following chapter on the iPad 2 again, and going back to the iPad 2 was unpleasant. I had similar results when I compared reading articles on websites using Safari and when reading a few pages of War and Peace in the iBooks app on the retina iPad vs. iPad 2. After reading on the new iPad, you just won't want to go back to reading on iPad 2.
If you read a lot on your iPad, this to me is a compelling reason to upgrade, and perhaps the only compelling reason.
What about photos? Videos? Games? Here, you can tell the difference, and the retina display is better. But in terms of how much the retina display increases my enjoyment of viewing pictures, video, and games, it is not enough to justify the cost of upgrading.
On both iPads, I compared hi-res pictures I took at the Chicago Botanic Gardens using a DSLR with a good lens. On iPad 2, your eye can indeed discern individual pixels if you look closely enough, whereas on the retina iPad, it's like looking at a real print of the photo. But after looking at the pictures on the retina iPad, and even noticing the differences, it was still quite nice to view them again on the iPad 2. Similarly for video: I watched a scene from the Breaking Bad season 4 finale on both devices, and while it looked a bit better on the retina iPad, it still looked great on iPad 2. Streaming hi-res movie trailers looked better on the retina iPad, but still looked great on iPad 2. For streaming video from Netflix, I could not tell any difference, most likely because the resolution of the source material isn't any higher than the iPad 2's display.
I'm less of a gamer than most iPad users, but I did try Sky Gamblers: Air Supremacy (a game supposedly optimized for the retina display) and Plants vs. Zombies HD (an older game). PvZ looks exactly the same on both, Sky Gamblers looks better on the retina iPad but it still looks very awesome on the iPad 2.
In short, you can notice the difference the retina display makes for photos, videos, and games. Yet, the experience of using the iPad 2 is still quite excellent. The fact is that, even at a lower resolution, the iPad 2's IPS display is exceptional.
What about the other specs? Is it worth upgrading to get a newer processor, for example?
No. I really don't notice a difference in performance. The retina iPad is super fast, but so is iPad 2. Some apps load a little faster, others I can't tell. But the speed difference, if any, isn't enough to make the retina iPad more enjoyable to use than iPad 2.
I haven't had the new iPad long enough to tell you about battery life. Here is where I have to rely on specs. The new iPad is more resource-hungry, but it has a much bigger battery inside. This is why Apple says battery life is about the same.
What about the improved camera? Sure, it takes better pictures than the joke of a camera on iPad 2. But do most people use their iPad for photography, anyway? If you have an iPhone 4 or 4S, your camera is just as good or better, and it's more convenient for taking pictures than using the iPad. Ditto for most smartphones. And only the rear-facing camera was improved; the front-facing camera is just as crappy as before. And that's a shame, because the front camera is the one I'd actually use (for skype and facetime).
What about dictation? I find it works about 80%, less in a noisy room. And it is easier to dictate and then edit the few errors than typing something from scratch on the iPad's on-screen keyboard. But I don't think most people will use it enough for it to matter in the upgrade decision. People who write a lot on the iPad will already have an external keyboard (or should get one).
So, for me, the only new feature that matters enough to justify the upgrade is the retina display.
But there's one other reason you might upgrade: If your iPad 2 is a wifi-only model and you think it would be handy to also have 3G/4G connectivity. (Or, if you bought an iPad 2 with 3G and you never use the 3G, now is your chance to buy an iPad without it and save $130.) I bought a new iPad with 4G so that I could use it when I'm traveling and away from a hotspot. Which isn't very often, but I figured it would be handy to have.
What about 3G vs. 4G? If you have an iPad 2 with 3G, should you upgrade to enjoy the faster speed of 4G? The answer is only if you use it a lot.
4G on the new iPad is very fast. My iPad 2 doesn't have 3G, so I can't say how much faster. My phone has 3G and it's way slower than a wifi connection, but 4G on the new iPad is at least as fast as a good wifi connection.
That said, the cellular service is not cheap, so most people use it only when wifi is not available, which is not very often. You have wifi at home, at work perhaps, at most coffee shops and libraries and hotels. The exception would be people that have an expensive plan with a high data allowance; if that's you and you use cellular connectivity a lot, then you have a good reason to upgrade. 4G is crazy fast.
The bottom line:
Upgrading is a tough call, because it's expensive. The difference between what you'll get if you sell your iPad 2 and what you'll spend for a similarly configured retina iPad is probably around $250. And if you upgrade, you might want more memory since apps designed for the retina display take up more space than standard apps.
I suggest that upgrading from iPad 2 is only worth it if you really want/need the retina display, especially if you do a lot of reading on iPad. Or, if you bought a wifi-only iPad 2 and always regretted not getting cellular internet.
Otherwise, stick with your iPad 2. It is still an absolutely great device, better than the hordes of competing tablet computers.
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