There are other changes in the new, third-generation iPad—called simply "iPad," with no number, which goes on sale on Friday at the same base price as its predecessor, $499. Weirdly, though, speech-to-text is the only piece of Siri, Apple’s smart voice-control software, that the new iPad inherits from the iPhone 4S. But this display is a big leap forward. Enlarge Image Close Apple Letters that seemed sharp on the iPad 2, far left, suddenly felt fuzzier when compared with the new iPad's 'retina' display, left. And that's on top of the 55 million collectively Apple has sold since the original iPad was introduced in 2010, spawning imitators and redefining an entire category of computing. But the new iPad snatches the crown from its predecessor as the finest tablet you can buy. That means the company can't claim to have the thinnest and lightest tablet, as it boasted last year with the iPad 2.  The new iPad offers fast speed and one of the most spectacular displays ever seen in a mobile device, Walt Mossberg discusses on digits. Apple did all this without sacrificing much battery life or jacking up prices. The iPad 2 will now be available starting at $399, with just one choice of storage capacity—16 gigabytes. An iPad 2 with 3G wireless capabilities from AT&T Wireless and Verizon Wireless goes for $529, plus a data plan if you choose to add one. For the weight conscious, and for those who can't swing the $499 entry cost, there is an out. The optional, extra-cost, 4G LTE cellular-data capability made it feel like I was always on a fast Wi-Fi connection. The new iPads are the first iPads that access the 4G or 4th generation data networks being deployed nationally (but not everywhere) by AT&T and Verizon Wireless, each with variations on how wireless is delivered. The test machine, a Verizon model that taps into the company's 4G LTE network, was really zippy in a week of testing in San Francisco and Austin. It's hard to illustrate on a Web page or in print how brilliant this new display is. So those apps will eat up the same extra space, pointlessly, on older iPads, too — and even on iPhones, since many apps are written to run on both the tablet and the phone. To update their apps for the new display, software companies must redo their graphics at much higher resolution, which means much larger files. There’s no Steve Jobs “one more thing” moment here; Apple just took its white-hot iPad and added the latest screen, battery and cellular technologies. Apple explains that with a resolution of 2048x 1536, and 3.1 million pixels (four times the number on the iPad 2) the screen on the new iPad is sharper than your high-definition television. Similarly, high-definition videos look dazzling. And if you already have the iPad 2, here’s an even brighter side: At least this time around, you don’t have to feel quite as obsolete as usual. There's an autofocus, 5-megapixel iSight camera, which unlike the camera on the iPad 2 can capture high-definition video up to the 1080p standard. You can do minor edits inside the built-in Photo app and easily tweet images you've shot from within the app. Apple is also pushing a custom $4.99 iPad version of the iPhoto software that is familiar to Mac owners 
 
 If you shoot video and are prone to shake, you'll appreciate the built-in video-stabilization feature that helps steady your footage. But more often than not the accuracy was decent enough that it wouldn't take long to manually fix errors. In my standard battery test, where I play videos back to back with both cellular and Wi-Fi on, and the screen at 75% brightness, the new iPad logged 9 hours and 58 minutes, compared with 10 hours and 9 minutes for the iPad 2. The iPad got through an entire day of being worked hard with no battery problem. Mostly to make room for a larger battery, the new iPad weighs about 8% more and is about 7% thicker than the prior model. If you already own an iPad 2, and like it, you shouldn't feel like you have to rush out to buy the new one. In more normal use, the new iPad lasted more than a full day, though not as long as the iPad 2 did. The same photos I had enjoyed on the older model looked much better on the new one, not only because of the increased resolution, but because Apple claims it increased color saturation by 44%. Yes, the new screen is spectacular, and 4G and the improved cameras are welcome upgrades. Bottom Line 
 
 Since it launched in 2010, the iPad has been the best tablet on the planet. Stunning screen, 4G speeds (on certain models), decent dictation and improved camera optics. The recognition is fast and accurate, at least when you have a strong Internet connection (the transcription is actually performed by faraway servers). Tests performed by Macworld.com revealed that the graphics in Retina-ready apps consume two to three times as much of the iPad’s nonexpandable storage than pre-Retina apps. The Rear Camera 
 
 Like the iPad 2, the third-generation iPad has front and rear cameras.
– Tech reviewers are seeing the light when they check out the eye-popping high-definition display of the new iPad. Lucky columnists with preview models of the iPad's third version are gushing about the screen's brilliant display—with a million more pixels than HDTV—and its processing speed. "These upgrades are massive," writes Walter Mossberg in the Wall Street Journal. "Using the new display is like getting a new eyeglass prescription—you suddenly realize what you thought looked sharp before wasn't nearly as sharp as it could be. It has the most spectacular display I have ever seen in a mobile device." The new iPad even manages to keep its long battery life despite the upgrades. Some of the tradeoffs? The new iPad weighs about 8% more, and is about 7% thicker than the last version. And the high-def displays eat up lots of storage. But it hardly seems to matter. "The display is spectacular. Apple also improved the camera, added dictation and, on some models, the ability to tap into the speediest available cellular networks," notes Edward Baig for USA Today. If you still don't get the picture, here's what the New York Times' David Pogue says: "It's a very, very sharp screen, four times as sharp as the iPad 2," making maps, photos, videos, and text in apps rewritten for the new device look "jaw-droppingly good." The public was sold even before the reviews: Apple expects to sell at least a million new iPads the first day.