Does the New iPad Live Up to the Hype?

The new iPad has finally been unveiled. Is it everything we wanted and more? Perhaps the more important question to ask is this: is it everything the world anticipated? James D. Ragan, Senior Equity Analyst at Crowell, Weedon & Co., told Benzinga that he expected Siri to be supported on the new iPad. “I think they're gonna do it,” he said. “They've got the technology already – so why not?” But that wasn't all he anticipated. Ragan also spoke about the rumored upgrade to the Apple TV, which he said would make it “perfectly compatible with the iPad so that it would support streaming onto your television a little bit more.” Most significantly, Ragan expected the new iPad to provide a more significant upgrade than the iPhone 4S. “[The iPhone 4S] was characterized as disappointing initially, but then became – I think because of Siri – much more of a significant upgrade than people originally gave it credit for,” said Ragan. “It sounds like the new iPad will have meaningful increases – a more powerful processor, much better high-definition screen, perhaps will support 4G LTE on the cellular side. And that seems to be where a lot of the rumors are focusing right now.” He was right. However, Ragan had some concerns about whether or not the iPad's upgrades would raise the retail price. “I think that's the issue – where is the cost?” he questioned. “Maybe they offer more bells and whistles at a higher-priced model, but that's generally not the way they like to do it. So I'm not sure about the battery. I haven't heard a lot of complaints about battery life in general on the iPad 2. That would be a surprise if they had that on there.” Elsewhere in the world, Twitter was buzzing with links, rumors, and a plethora of hype. But you'd have to look hard to find any actual comments from people who may or may not be interested in buying the device. There were, however, random tweets of amusing sarcasm: “The iPad 3's battery lasts for 27 hours, but can only be recharged by a direct lightning strike,” @ashens tweeted in anticipation of the new iPad unveiling. Ironically, when searching for the new iPad on Twitter, this was the first tweet that appeared: “PlayStation Vita is about to change everything you know about gaming: bit.ly/xlHJk1 #gamechanger” “Promoted by PlayStation” I suppose this means that Sony's SNE PS Vita is somehow in competition with the iPad. Who knew!? Inevitably, Twitter users could also find comments from those who were determined not to love the device, no matter what: “iPad 3 event tomorrow?” @weemundo tweeted. “Can't wait to not buy it.” On Tuesday, CNET drew some criticism for writing an article entitled, “iPad rivals catching up: Can iPad 3 keep them at bay?” in which the author, Roger Cheng, said, “Apple should be blowing us away with the iPad 3, but it probably won't.” Any tech blogger worth his salt knows that you can't prematurely question the quality of an Apple product without risking a backlash. Of course, some people don't believe in bad press, only free press, so Cheng might have been pleased to see articles like this, in which tech bloggers (Apple enthusiasts?) happily mock Cheng's remarks. And yet despite the back-and-forth hype regarding what features people expected the new iPad to have (or not have), few actually spoke about the things they personally wanted most from the new tablet. Frankly, Iwanted a battery with twice the capacity. According to a survey by PriceGrabber, many other consumers felt the same way. But that's not all the wanted. The Next Web provided the full list of features that consumers wanted most from the next-generation iPad:

• 54% indicated cost reduction
• 53% indicated better battery
• 49% indicated SD card to store data
• 44% indicated better camera with flash
• 44% indicated new A6 processor
• 41% indicated built-in HDMI port
• 36% indicated wireless synchronization facility

The real test, however, will be when the lines begin to form. If consumers aren't satisfied with the product that Apple announced today, they won't line up to get one. If they aren't able to stomach the price tag, they'll buy another tablet or do without. But this is Apple we're talking about. While there may have been a brief backlash against the iPhone 4S for not being, well, the iPhone 5, it ultimately went on to become the fastest-selling smartphone in history. Does anyone expect anything less of the new iPad? The most important thing to remember is that the hype for this device was most painfully felt by a small number of enthusiasts (on both sides of the fence – Apple fans and Apple haters) who will not make or break this particular product. In the end, it's the mainstream market that will turn the new iPad into an international success. And while the mainstream might wonder about each new Apple product and occasionally think about their potential for innovation, very few of those consumers are on the lookout for daily rumor updates. Instead, they go about their daily lives, enjoying the Apple products they already own, and when the hype for the next one finally hits them, they respond by rushing to the nearest Apple Store. Follow me @LouisBedigian