Here it is, folks, the iPad 2.
Announced at an event currently taking place in San Francisco, California, the iPad 2 has been made official and will be available in two colors (black and white) when it launches Friday week (March 11).
Aside from having a 33 percent slimmer design (it's thinner than iPhone 4), the iPad 2 packs a new chip that Apple is calling the A5. It’s dual-core, packs twice the speed and nine times faster graphics but retains the same low power consumption as the A4. It’s got that same 10 hour battery life; two cameras, one on the front and one on the back; a built-in gyroscope; and HDMI out via a small adapter that allows you to charge at the same time.
It’s available on both AT&T and Verizon and Apple is keeping the same $499 base price for the 16GB WiFi-only model. From there, prices go up as far as $829 (that’s for the 64GB 3G model). However, Apple was quick to point out that five out of six of the iPad models are priced at under $799, which seemed to be a sly little dig at the $799 Motorola Xoom.
Apple also revealed something called Smart Covers. This is a line of covers that clip onto the side of the iPad 2 and magnetically stick to the front of the device. Peeling it away will wake up the device and it can be folded up in a number of different configurations for multiple ‘standing’ options. The Smart Covers come in a range of colors in either polyurethane or leather and will cost $39 (poly) and $69 (leather).
O_o
Anyways, I'm not a fan of Apple to begin with so the iPad is lame to me. With Apple devices you can only do what Apple wants you to do with them.
No, thanks.
Big effect of multi tasking and general operations. :\
When Apple learns how to set it's users free from a closed system WITHOUT resorting to jailbreaking then I'll be interested.
Until then, Here's my thoughts.
Seems like a fine product but I think 9x increase in graphics performance is a bit of a lie, I'm a person who needs to see it to believe it, that would make it powerful enough to play the PC version of UT3 on medium which is a hell of a lot of power.
Minor upgrades? Single core to dual-core is minor? 2X the processor and 9X the graphics is minor? Keeping the same battery life is minor? Adding two cameras is minor? Making it slimmer and lighter is minor? Keeping it at the same price is minor?
Yeah, you're right. It's barely an improvement on the old one.
Go ahead and buy a competitors tablet. But don't complain at the lack of (and poor selection) of accessories like docks or cases. Don't whine when developers shy away from 30 different tablets, each with slightly different specs. Don't start bitching when, after less than a year, they drop out of the tablet market due to poor sales and you're stuck with an obsolete product.
I hate apple but can't wait to see what they are going to do with the iPad 3
damn i must be getting old but i remember when magnets and electronic devices were a no no.....
because having to buy custom overpriced docks/cases/accessories makes sense (as opposed to using something like USB maybe....), i guess it's just too much to ask for a tablet that runs mainstream apps cause you know all these clouds apps beat them hands down right......, and your telling me the iPad released 1 year ago is not obsolete......