iPad 2 has run its course, now it’s time for the 2012 model to take its place

Mar 18, 2014 10:37 GMT  ·  By

Apple has re-launched the fourth-generation iPad with Retina display with a $399 / €379 price tag for the WiFi-only version and $529 / €499 for the WiFi+Cellular model. The move marks the discontinuation of the second-generation (non-Retina) iPad 2.

Apple’s current iPad lineup now includes the flagship iPad Air, the iPad mini with Retina Display, the iPad with Retina display (the one we’re discussing), and the original iPad mini.

Customers now have an extensive range of options to choose just the right tablet computer for their needs, though none of the configurations can be considered too cheap.

Starting at $399 in the United States and at €379 across Europe, the fourth-generation iPad with Retina display was introduced in October 2012, alongside the very first iPad mini.

In its October 23 press release, the Cupertino giant stated, “Apple today also announced the fourth generation iPad featuring a gorgeous 9.7-inch Retina display, new Apple-designed A6X chip, FaceTime HD camera and ultrafast wireless performance. Both iPad mini and fourth generation iPad come with iOS 6, the world’s most advanced mobile operating system with over 200 new features.”

Apple’s decision to make the iPad 4 its entry-level large iPad is the A6X processor, which is capable of handling most (if not all) of the features iOS 7 has to offer for tablets.

With iOS 8 on the way, iDevices need a powerful processor to support all the new features that keep trickling in, making the iPad 4 a logical choice for some users who don’t necessarily want the latest and the greatest iPad.

The fourth-generation iPad is also the first large iPad to come equipped with the Apple-designed Lightning connector, which the EU wants phased out (and replaced with one of the more ubiquitous USB standards available today) in the next three years.

“The new fourth generation iPad features the amazing 9.7-inch Retina display and includes a new Apple-designed A6X chip that delivers up to twice the CPU performance and up to twice the graphics performance of the A5X chip, all while delivering an incredible 10 hours of battery life in the same thin and light iPad design,” Apple says.

“Other new features include a FaceTime HD camera, twice the Wi-Fi performance when compared to previous iPad models and support for additional LTE carriers worldwide,” reads the company’s marketing.

Visit Apple’s online store in your country to check out the iPad 4 up close and review all its features.