So you’ve waited in line patiently, or perhaps got your order in early and waited for the courier to arrive, and now you have your shiny new iPad. There’s hundreds of thousands of apps out there, but are there any that will really show off that stunning new Retina Display?
Thankfully app developers have been working hard since the announcement of the new iPad, creating new versions that will look beautiful in the Retina Display’s 2048 x 1536 resolution. And to make things easier, Apple has picked out 25 apps that are optimised for the new iPad, and grouped them together on the App Store.
You’ll find some excellent apps for the new iPad in Apple’s new ‘Great apps for the new iPad’ category, and here are some of the best.
Infinity Blade II – £4.99
The original Infinity Blade was demonstrated alongside the iPad 2 last year, and it blew us away. With the new iPad’s Quad-Core graphics chip and double-resolution display, the developers behind Infinity Blade have been able to create something truly special. This app really gets the best from the iPad’s hardware, and is, in our mind, the best app to demonstrate its ability. Monsters, epic scenery and sword-slashing action – this app has it all.
Real Racing 2 HD – £1.99
Real Racing 2 is another game that impressed when it launched last year, and now its developers Firemint have updated it to support the beautiful Retina Display graphics. New iPad users get exclusive new features such as Photo Mode, which allows you to create stunning high-res images of your cars, and a new night-themed menu screen.
Tweetbot – £1.99
Tweetbot is a brilliant Twitter client for iPhone and iPad, and it now supports the new iPad with Retina Display-quality graphics. The latest version also brings a host of tweaks, bug fixes and general improvements to make it one of the best iPad Twitter apps around.
Sketchbook Pro for iPad – £2.99
Sketchbook Pro is an amazing app aimed at digital artists and designers everywhere. Using just your fingers and a host of tools you can create a masterpiece right on your iPad. With the latest update you have a larger canvas size of 2048 x 1536 to suit the iPad’s Retina Display, and up to six layers, which the Quad-Core graphics chip will cope with aptly.
Kindle – Free
Amazon got in early with an update to its Kindle app yesterday, so now your eBooks benefit from Retina graphics. Text is much sharper with virtually no aliasing or visible ‘edges’ on each letter. While the iPad won’t be rivalling the Amazon Kindle’s e-ink screen for reading in sunlight, it’s almost on a par for a comfortable reading experience with the new iPad and Amazon app.
There are many other apps out there for you to try out in the App Store, so head over there on your new iPad or by PC or Mac and check out the ‘Great apps for the new iPad’ category. Many more will join the current selection of 25 (while writing this blog Apple has added an extra app), so let us know if you find a new favourite.
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