The latest version of Apple’s revolutionary iPad was unveiled earlier this month and it comes packed with lots of tempting new features. No doubt, the Apple faithful will be flocking to the retail stores carrying this new model when it hits stores this weekend, but there are other tablets out there. How do they stack up next to the third-generation iPad?

After months of speculation, Apple finally unveiled the third version of its iconic iPad at their media event on March 7, and it’s everything that was expected of it. The biggest news is the Retina Display that packs 3.1 million pixels into a 9.7-inch screen offering the highest resolution in any tablet on the market, while the 2048 x 1536 display also delivers improved color saturation. According to Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing Phil Schiller, “You all have an HDTV at home, 1080p — an iPad has more pixels. That’s incredible.” The changes on the inside are equally impressive, with an A5X processor and quad-core graphics chip that Apple claims to have four times the performance of a Tegra 3.

Also getting a much-desired upgrade is the iPad camera, which has been replaced by an iSight camera that is similar to that of the iPhone 4S, and has five megapixels with a backside illuminated sensor, plus a new five-element lens can take 1080p video. Another advance for the latest iPad is in connectivity, with the addition of an LTE radio that can deliver 73Mbps on Verizon and AT&T, plus other carriers outside the U.S. Unfortunately, there will still be separate models for Verizon and AT&T. The size remains roughly the same, with a 9.4 mm thickness and slightly heavier 1.4 lbs. Apple has managed to hang on to the expected 10 hours of battery life, despite the added power, enhanced display and LTE. The new iPads go on sale March 16 and start at $499.

Apple is still indisputably at the top of the tablet market, but the next iPad faces a host of competitors that are clamoring after their own little niches. There is no tablet out there that surpasses the iPad 2 on every level, but there several tablets that are worth consideration of you’re shopping for a tablet and aren’t convinced the iPad is exactly what you want. Here are some current tablets to choose from: