Apple CEO Steve Jobs took to the stage in Cupertino today to announce the second version of the iPad, the follow up to the first version that’s sold over 15 million units. As the press has long speculated the iPad 2 will be thinner and faster, will come equipped with two cameras, and will boast the same 10 hour battery life. It will also feature the next version of the iOS that will boost the device’s performance.
The iPad 2 with Wi-Fi will be available on March 11 in the U.S. for a $499 for the 16 GB model, $599 for the 32 GB model and $699 for the 64 GB model. The 3G will cost more: $629, $729 and $829 respectively. The device will be available on March 25 in Mexico, much of Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.
The Hardware Specs
On stage, Jobs touted the new design for the iPad 2:
- It’s 33% thinner and 15% lighter than the original iPad, but the screen size remains the same.
- Apple says the battery life will be unchanged – up to 10 hours.
- It will feature a dual-core A5 processor.
- The iPad 2 will have two cameras. The front-facing VGA camera for FaceTime and a rear-facing camera that will capture 720p HD video.
- The new device will come in 2 colors. Oh yes. The mythical white iPad will be available on the first day of sales, says Jobs.
- The iPad 2 will run on both AT&T and Verizon’s 3G networks.
- It includes a new Smart Cover that offers screen protection and doubles as a stand.
- A built-in gyro.
- HDMI video mirroring, which will let you mirror your iPad screen on an HDTV.
The Operating System
The iPad 2 will come with iOS 4.3, the latest version of Apple’s mobile operating system. Its features include:
- Faster Safari mobile browsing performance.
- iTunes Home Sharing (finally).
- Better AirPlay.
- The choice to use the side switch as either a mute button or to lock the screen rotation.
- A personal hotspot to share an iPhone 4’s data connection over Wi-Fi (provided it’s supported by your carrier, of course).
New Apps
Apple introduced two new apps for iPad too: iMovie and GarageBand. Both will cost $4.99 and will bring the movie and music editing capabilities to the mobile device.
Is all this enough to make you want to buy the iPad 2? Our poll of ReadWriteWeb readers shows they aren’t so sure.
