Apple unveils iPad 2 - Thinner, Lighter, Faster

Apple iPad 2 - Thinner, Lighter, Faster

Today [March 2, 2011] Apple unveiled the newly re-designed iPad 2. iPad fans will be pleased to know that a lot of previously rumored features have found its way into the 2nd generation device. From our earlier post titled "2nd generation Apple iPad 2 rumors" we outlined the following rumored features. Lets see which ones made it and which did not:

- [YES] same 9.7 inch display size
- [YES] front and rear facing dual cameras for Face Time video chat
- [YES] a bit slimmer case than the original
- [YES] multi-axis gyroscope
- [YES] new faster A5 processor (similar to ARM Cortex A9 - 1GHz dual-core processor)
- [YES] slightly slimmer screen bezel (3mm)
- [YES] more memory (512MB)

- [NO] flat back covering instead of a slightly rounded as on the 1st gen
- [NO] new super high-resolution display technology (alike iPhone 4's Retina Display)
- [NO] built-in dedicated SD slot
- [NO] a dual Qualcomm GSM/CDMA chipset (enabling data support for other carriers like Verizon)
- [NO] a larger, wide-ranged speaker protected by metal mesh
- [NO] 3 different versions of iPad that support Wi-Fi, UMTS and CDMA
- [NO] will likely release in Spring 2011 (around April)


Here are the iPad 2 features at a glance:

- Has a new dual-core A5 chip, which is about 2X faster than its predecessor, with the same power requirements as A4.
- 9x faster graphics
- Sports front(VGA) and back-facing(720p HD) cameras that support FaceTime.
- Three-axis gyroscope is now standard in the tablet.
- It’s 1/3 thinner, very curved back, and only 8.8 mm thick.
- Lighter at 1.3 lbs (compared to 1.5 lbs for previous model)
- Available in black and a white version. White version is shipping day one.
- 3G models work on AT&T and Verizon networks starting day one (GSM and CDMA).
- Same 10 hour battery life as before thanks to engineering improvements.
- Pricing remains the same as the previous model. Starts at $499, goes up to $829.
- The new iPad 2 ships March 11 in the U.S. and two weeks later in 26 more countries.
- New available accessory cable that supports HDMI out at 1080p resolution and costs $39.
- New smart cover bends and folds to allow for different viewing angles when acting as a stand. The new cover wakes the iPad when opened, and puts it to sleep when closed. Comes in five polyurethane[$39] and five leather[$69] colors.

[iPad]