iPad 2 benchmarks show impressive gains over original model
One of the first things many iPad 2 upgraders noticed was that the new device seemed very fast in comparison to the original iPad. Over at GigaOM, blogger Geoffrey Goetz ran benchmarks on an iPhone 4, an iPad and an iPad 2 (all running iOS 4.3) to show how speedy the new iPad really is.
As you can see in the chart above, the iPad 2 consistently outperformed the Apple A4-powered iPad and iPhone 4 in every test. Using the Geekbench tests from Primate Labs, the iPad 2 was about 64 percent faster than its predecessor in overall results. Likewise, the Gague benchmarks showed an overall performance gain of about 56 percent, while BenchTest clocked in with a 63 percent improvement.
Goetz noted that he personally believed that his iPhone 4 was faster than his original iPad, a belief that the benchmarks proved to be incorrect. He also compared iOS 4.3 benchmarks submitted by a large sampling of Geekbench users, all of which supported his assertion that the iPad 2 performance gains are "stunning."
The Geekbench numbers show the iPad 2 to be roughly as powerful as a G4-based 15" PowerBook or Mac mini, but as Goetz summarizes in his post, "I really don't think that raw performance alone is where the focus needs to be anymore."
