The iPad 2 is here, and developers are already starting to make the most of the refreshed tablet’s dual-core A5 processor, twin cameras and superior graphics processing. But are apps optimized for the iPad 2 really so different than the same ones on the iPad?
A full week hasn’t elapsed since the iPad 2 landed in stores and into the arms of the masses waiting to get their hands on one (and potentially thousands more unable to buy one). That’s more than enough time for a handful of savvy iOS developers to have iPad 2-ready updates available in the App Store for the March 11 launch date.
We decided to take five such apps for a quick test drive and see if their claims of being “optimized for iPad 2” were accurate, or merely a smokescreen to get new tablet owners to cough up hard-earned money.
Gameloft, Version 1.1.8, $6.99
While developer Gameloft claims that Asphalt 6: Adrenaline HD 1.1.8 is “twice faster than on the original iPad,” in a side-by-side comparison running the app on both an iPad 2 and the original iPad, we saw a pretty modest difference in both launch and load times with the new tablet -- nowhere near being “twice faster,” although overall the game is fairly zippy to begin with.
Truthfully, the graphics also look about equal on both tablets, despite Gameloft’s claims of “real time reflections on cars, specular and bump mapping for richer surface textures, more realistic shadows, cinematic blur effects for boots and crashes, deeper draw distances, improved particle effects for smoke, collisions & more and antialiasing for smoother edges on all 3D objects.” That’s a mighty lengthy list of improvements and they’re certainly all welcome -- but we didn’t see anything that stood out as spectacular while playing the game on an iPad 2.
Perhaps the most iPad 2-specific feature that’s new in the updated Asphalt 6 is the use of the gyroscope -- but even then, it only works in the Garage, where you can turn your device and “check out your cars as if it was your real garage.” Meh.
Electronic Arts, Version 1.0.2, $9.99
Claiming “enhanced graphics for the iPad 2,” we have to confess a little disappointment with Dead Space for iPad 1.0.2. While the frame rate definitely gets a boost over the original iPad thanks to the dual-core A5 processor, to our eyes the graphics don’t appear to be significantly improved on the refreshed tablet. Electronic Arts claims you’ll “get pulled deeper into the horror and suspense” on the iPad 2, but we’d say the improvements are modest at best.
Be that as it may, playing Dead Space on the iPad is still a rip-roaring good time, but if you’re looking for something that will offer a better side-by-side comparison, Chair’s Infinity Blade actually lives up to the marketing hype -- and it’s cheaper by four bucks to boot.
Dinh Ba Thanh, Version 1.5, $1.99
Lengthy app name aside, Pica HD 1.5 is essentially yet another so-so attempt at a native Facebook app for the iPad, boasting the ability to switch between five different themes, engage in Facebook chats and most of the usual stuff we all do on the social network, including photo uploading and downloading.
One curious change with the March 10 update to Pica HD is a line of the description which reads: “Optimized for iPad 2! Run even faster now!” So we took it for a spin on both the original iPad and the new iPad 2, and for the most part we’d say the “optimizations” are mostly marketing hype -- the developer is likely just touting the advantages of Apple’s A5 dual-core processor and the subtle speed boost it brings to all iOS apps, rather than anything specific they’ve done.
Otherwise, Pica HD is a capable app, even if it’s yet another in a long list that simply reworks the mobile Facebook website and doesn’t bring much in the way of new features for its $1.99 asking price. We were a bit skeptical that none of the screenshots on the App Store showed a full view of how the app actually looks, and now we know why.
Chair Entertainment Group, LLC, Version 1.21, $5.99
Perhaps one of the most anticipated upgrades for the iPad 2, Infinity Blade 1.21 comes packing high-resolution graphics that truly take advantage of Apple’s updated slate with “enhanced visual capabilities.” The A5 dual-core processor has a few things to bring to the table as well, with the iPad 2 launching the app in a mere 12 seconds versus the original iPad’s 21 second launch time -- not quite twice as fast, but it certainly puts you in the game that much quicker.
So what about those optimized graphics? Chair tells no lies here, because the game is immediately cleaner, sharper and more vivid on the iPad 2. Antialiased edges are far slicker than on the original iPad, which wasn’t exactly a slouch in the first place. Visual cleanliness aside, the frame rate on the iPad 2 easily matches that of standalone game consoles, while Infinity Blade on last year’s iPad really feels like it’s struggling to keep up at times.
Infinity Blade looks so nice on the iPad 2, we’re kind of hard-pressed to imagine what it might look like with a Retina Display-equipped iPad (should one truly exist). There’s a good reason everyone is talking up this game, and if you want to see what your iPad 2 is capable of, look no further.
Cisco, Version 2.5.0, Free (Requires service, two-week free trial available)
If there’s one particular group clamoring for the iPad 2’s twin cameras, it’s likely road warriors who would love nothing more than to leave their bulky notebooks at home, yet still be able to get some work done. Thankfully, with Cisco’s WebEx for iPad, that reality just got one step closer.
To correspond with the March 11 launch of the iPad 2, Cisco has updated WebEx for iPad to take advantage of the front and rear cameras on the tablet, which now allows for two-way group video conferencing. Best of all, the company hasn’t completely shut out original iPad users, who will still be able to participate in two-way audio conferences -- but sadly, there’s currently no way for them to even receive video.
We attempted a conference between an iPad 2 and an original iPad, and while audio worked just fine, the iPad 2’s camera icon remained dimmed in the app. Moving the conversation from the original iPad to a MacBook Air, we had no problems jumping right into a two-way video conference call, and the results were pretty slick. We were even able to switch between front and rear cameras without a hitch, with full-screen video that switches dynamically based on who’s talking.
Video aside, WebEx for iPad appears to run about the same on both the elder and current iPads, and we’re sure to see a lot more of this kind of use now that Apple has blessed the second-generation device with cameras.
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vito55
March 16, 2011 at 7:50pm
I held off on buying Asphalt 6 on my original iPad because a lot of the reviews for the game say that it looks great on the iPad 2 but terrible on the iPad 1.
