Many of the best free iPhone apps cost 59p or more in their iPad incarnations, and the quality level of what's still free is often ropey. But among the dross lie rare gems – iPad apps that are so good you can't believe they're still free.
Of those we unearthed, here is our pick of the best free iPad apps. Note that apps marked 'universal' will run on your iPad and iPhone, optimising themselves accordingly.

Check out our video to see 10 of the best freebies in action:

1. AccuWeather for iPad

Annoyingly, some free iPad weather apps refuse to believe that the UK has any weather (or that the country exists), so AccuWeather gets props for merely working. Happily, AccuWeather also proves to be a decent – if quirky – weather app. The interface is odd (but fun) and there's a 'lifestyle' page that determines how your current local conditions might affect over 20 activities, including dog-walking and stargazing.

2. Facebook (universal)

Facebook remains the king of social networks, and while the app is occasionally laggy and buggy it still beats using the website. You get access to sets of high-res photos you can flip through, navigation is simple, and there's support for iPads with a Retina display.

3. Air Video Free (universal)

Despite naysayers whining about the iPad screen's 4:3 aspect ratio, it's a decent device for watching video, although it lacks storage for housing large video collections. Air Video enables you to stream video (converting it on-the-fly, if necessary) from your Mac or PC. The main limitation of the free version is that it only shows a few items (randomly selected) from each folder or playlist.

4. Beatwave (universal)

Beatwave is a simplified Tenori-On-style synth which enables you to rapidly build pleasing melodies by prodding a grid. Multiple layers and various instruments provide scope for complex compositions, and you can save sessions or, handily, store and share compositions via email. You can also buy more instruments via in-app purchases.

5. Bloomberg for iPad

With an eye-searing white-and-orange-on-black colour scheme that's a little like being repeatedly punched in the eyes, Bloomberg isn't an app you'll want to spend all day staring at. However, for business news, stocks and major currency rates, it's a usable and efficient app.

6. Comics (universal)

On the iPhone, Comics is innovative, but zooming each panel and constantly rotating your device gets old fast. By contrast, the iPad's screen is big enough to display an entire page without the need to zoom or scroll. And with dozens of free comics available via the bundled store, comic book fans should lap this app up.

7. Dictionary.com – Dictionary & Thesaurus – For iPad

We approached Dictionary with scepticism, since most free dictionary apps are sluggish interfaces to websites. That's certainly what this looks like, but it works offline, providing speedy access to over a million words and 90,000 thesaurus entries. The app's search is also reassuringly fast.

8. Dropbox (universal)

Dropbox is a great service for syncing documents across multiple devices. The iPad client works like the iPhone one (hardly surprising, since this is a universal app), enabling you to preview many file types and store those marked as favourites locally.

9. Evernote (universal)

Like Dropbox, Evernote (a free online service for saving ideas – text documents, images and web clips – that you can then access from multiple devices) works the same way on the iPad as it does on the iPhone. It benefits from the iPad's larger screen, which enables you to see and navigate your stored snippets more easily.

10. Feeddler RSS Reader for iPad

Feeddler RSS Reader for iPad is fairly basic as RSS readers go, but once you've pointed it at your Google Reader account it's efficient, stores text offline, enables you to browse by feed and has a built-in browser so you're not booted to Safari when you want to visit a link.

11. The Guardian Eyewitness

A showcase for engaging photography, The Guardian Eyewitness provides a daily, visual reflection of global events. You get access to the most recent 100 photos, which can be viewed full-screen or with a caption and 'pro tip'. You can also save photos to your iPad or share them via email.

12. iBooks

Going head-to-head with Kindle, iBooks is a decent ebook reader, backed by the iBookstore. As you'd expect from Apple, the interface is polished and usable, with handy cross-device bookmark syncing, highlighting, and various display options. It's also a capable PDF reader, for your digital magazine collection.

13. IM+ (universal)

Although the iPad enables a certain amount of basic multi-tasking, anyone who constantly juggles a number of instant messaging services will soon be tired of leaping between apps. IM+ is a good solution, enabling you to run a number of IM services in a single app, and there's also a built-in web browser for checking out links.

14. Kindle (universal)

Amazon's Kindle iPad app for reading myriad books available at the Kindle Store is a little workmanlike, and doesn't match the coherence of iBooks (you buy titles in Safari and 'sync' purchases via Kindle). However, Kindle's fine for reading, and you get options to optimise your experience (including the ability to kill the naff page-turn animation and amend the page background to a pleasant sepia tone).

15. Movies by Flixter (universal)

One for film buffs, Movies figures out where you are and tells you what's showing in your local cinemas – or you can pick a film and it'll tell you where and when it's on. The app is functionally identical on iPad and iPhone, but again the extra screen space improves the experience.

16. PaperDesk Lite for iPad

Effectively a souped-up digital notepad, PaperDesk Lite for iPad enables you to combine typed words, scribbles and audio recordings in user-defined notebooks. Pages can be emailed (typed text is sent along with a copy of the entire page as a PDF), although be mindful that this free version restricts you to three pages per notebook.

17. PCalc Lite (universal)

PCalc Lite's existence means the lack of a built-in iPad calculator doesn't bother us (in fact, we'd love to replace the iPhone Calculator app with PCalc Lite as well). This app is usable and feature-rich – and if you end up wanting more, in-app purchases enable you to bolt on extras from the full PCalc.

18. Reuters News Pro for iPad

Spurious anti-competition complaints meant the BBC News app took a while to come to the UK; in the meantime, Reuters offered the next best free news app for iPad with its Reuters News Pro for iPad. It's a little US-centric, but can be skewed towards UK coverage via the Settings app, and it's worth downloading for a more international take on news coverage than BBC News provides.

19. Twitterrific for Twitter (universal)

The iPad version of Twitterrific marked a new beginning for the app, which the developers decided had become too complicated. On iPad, it was reworked into a simpler form, and this has resulted in Twitterrific becoming a simple, good-looking and usable Twitter client. Multiple-account functionality is available via IAP.

20. Wikipanion for iPad

The Wikipedia website works fine in Safari for iPad, but dedicated apps make navigating the site simpler and faster. We went back and forth between Simplepedia and Wikipanion, eventually plumping for the latter, largely due to its efficient two-pane landscape view with excellent bookmarking and history access.

21. eBay for iPad

Use eBay for iPad and you'll never touch eBay in a web browser again. It's fast and efficient, beautifully showcasing important details and images in its main results view. The app also enables quickfire sorting and drag-based definition of price-ranges.

22. Soundrop (universal)

Soundrop is a minimal generative sound toy that offers an endless stream of balls, which make noises when they collide with and bounce off user-drawn lines. The overall result is surprisingly fun and hypnotic. For more advanced features – save, multiple instruments and gravity adjustment – there's an in-app 'pro' purchase option.

23. Granimator

Wallpaper apps litter the App Store, but are mostly dull, offering photos of brick walls or bored animals. Granimator is a bonkers art tool, enabling you to choose a background and spray all manner of shapes around. Compositions can be fine-tuned by dragging objects, and then shared to Flickr, Twitter or your device's Photos app.

24. Google Earth (universal)

It's not the smoothest app in the world, and it lacks some elements from the desktop, but Google Earth is nonetheless a joy on the iPad. Touch gestures are an intuitive means of swooping around the planet, and the optional layers enable you to display as much or as little ancillary information as you wish.

25. Explore Flickr (universal)

Explore Flickr provides an engaging way to discover new photography. On launch, your iPad screen fills with a grid of thumbnails, drawn from Flickr.com's top daily images. Tap one to view (and, if rights permit, download to your device), or just leave the app lazily updating (every now and again, a thumbnail spins to reveal a new image) while your iPad charges in its dock.
As a special bonus, you can check out T3's favourite five iPad apps:

One for budding iPad DJs, Rj Voyager enables you to choose from a selection of bundled tracks, turn parts on and off and edit parameters in real-time via an intuitive, futuristic interface. Play through headphones or a decent sound system and the result is infectious.

27. BBC News (universal)

Although the BBC News website works nicely on the iPad, BBC News is still worth downloading. Rather than trying to provide all of the news, it instead concentrates on the latest stories, with inline video. Categories can be rearranged, stories can be shared and the app's layout adjusts to portrait and landscape orientations.

28. Epicurious (universal)

Tens of thousands of recipes at your fingertips (as long as you have a web connection) ensure Epicurious is worth a download for the culinary-inclined. The app even composes a shopping list for recipes; it's just a pity it doesn't include measurements for those of us who use that new-fangled metric system.

29. WordPress (universal)

This official WordPress app has a reputation for being a bit clunky, but it's fine for authoring the odd blog post on the go, along with making quick edits to existing content and managing comments. It also offers both text-based and visual approaches to crafting posts, so you're not stuck with HTML.

iPad 2 vs iPad 3 with Video

2012-10-18T14:04:00.001-07:00

ipad 3 ipad2

Display	High-resolution Retina display 2048-by-1536-pixel resolution at 264 pixels per inch (ppi) Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating Support for display of multiple languages and characters simultaneously	1024-by-768-pixel resolution at 132 pixels per inch (ppi) Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating Support for display of multiple languages and characters simultaneously
Camera	iSight camera: 5-megapixel with autofocus; tap to focus; face detection in still images; video recording, HD (1080p) up to 30 frames per second with audio; video stabilization FaceTime camera with VGA-quality photos and video at up to 30 frames per second Photo and video geotagging	Back camera: Video recording, HD (720p) up to 30 frames per second with audio; still camera with 5x digital zoom Front camera: Video recording, VGA up to 30 frames per second with audio; VGA-quality still camera Tap to control exposure for video or stills Photo and video geotagging over Wi-Fi
Weight and Dimensions¹	Wi-Fi Height: 9.50 inches (241.2 mm) Width: 7.31 inches (185.7 mm) Depth: 0.37 inch (9.4 mm) Weight: 1.44 pounds (652 g) Wi-Fi + Cellular Height: 9.50 inches (241.2 mm) Width: 7.31 inches (185.7 mm) Depth: 0.37 inch (9.4 mm) Weight: 1.46 pounds (662 g)	Wi-Fi Height: 9.50 inches (241.2 mm) Width: 7.31 inches (185.7 mm) Depth: 0.34 inch (8.8 mm) Weight: 1.33 pounds (601 g) Wi-Fi + 3G for AT&T Height: 9.50 inches (241.2 mm) Width: 7.31 inches (185.7 mm) Depth: 0.34 inch (8.8 mm) Weight: 1.35 pounds (613 g) Wi-Fi + 3G for Verizon Height: 9.50 inches (241.2 mm) Width: 7.31 inches (185.7 mm) Depth: 0.34 inch (8.8 mm) Weight: 1.34 pounds (607 g)

Wireless and Cellular	Wi-Fi Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n) Bluetooth 4.0 technology Carriers Wi-Fi + Cellular for AT&T 4G LTE (700, 2100 MHz)²; UMTS/HSPA/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz) Data only³ Wi-Fi + Cellular for Verizon 4G LTE (700 MHz)²; CDMA EV-DO Rev. A (800, 1900 MHz); UMTS/HSPA/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz) Data only³	Wi-Fi Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n) Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR technology Carriers Wi-Fi + 3G for AT&T UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz) Data only⁴ Wi-Fi + 3G for Verizon CDMA EV-DO Rev. A (800, 1900 MHz) Data only⁴
Battery Life⁵	Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi-Fi, watching video, or listening to music Up to 9 hours of surfing the web using cellular data network Charging via power adapter or USB to computer system	Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi-Fi, watching video, or listening to music Up to 9 hours of surfing the web using cellular data network Charging via power adapter or USB to computer system
Price	Wi-Fi $499 16GB $599 32GB $699 64GB Wi-Fi + Cellular $629 16GB $729 32GB $829 64GB	Wi-Fi $399 16GB Wi-Fi + 3G $529 16GB

ipad 3

iPad3 (2012) review

best free apps for ipad

1. AccuWeather for iPad

2. Facebook (universal)

3. Air Video Free (universal)

4. Beatwave (universal)

5. Bloomberg for iPad

6. Comics (universal)

7. Dictionary.com – Dictionary & Thesaurus – For iPad

8. Dropbox (universal)

9. Evernote (universal)

10. Feeddler RSS Reader for iPad

11. The Guardian Eyewitness

12. iBooks

13. IM+ (universal)

14. Kindle (universal)

15. Movies by Flixter (universal)

16. PaperDesk Lite for iPad

17. PCalc Lite (universal)

18. Reuters News Pro for iPad

19. Twitterrific for Twitter (universal)

20. Wikipanion for iPad

21. eBay for iPad

22. Soundrop (universal)

23. Granimator

24. Google Earth (universal)

25. Explore Flickr (universal)

27. BBC News (universal)

28. Epicurious (universal)

29. WordPress (universal)

The iPad Mini is Coming!

iPad mini Announcement – Bring on the Smaller Apple Tablet (Video)

gamnig on ipad 3

ipad 3 photos

Apple iPad 3 vs Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1

iPad 2 vs iPad 3 with Video

Display

Camera

Weight and Dimensions1

Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi + Cellular

Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi + 3G for AT&T

Wi-Fi + 3G for Verizon

Wireless and Cellular

Wi-Fi

Carriers

Wi-Fi + Cellular for AT&T

Wi-Fi + Cellular for Verizon

Wi-Fi

Carriers

Wi-Fi + 3G for AT&T

Wi-Fi + 3G for Verizon

Battery Life5

Price

Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi + Cellular

Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi + 3G

Weight and Dimensions¹

Battery Life⁵