iPad 2 With Smart Cover
iPad 2 With Smart Cover

Apple announces iPad 2 at yesterday iPad event. I was too tired to catch the event live via live blogging, so I only checked it this morning. It seems that most if not all the rumors are true, Facetime, dual camera, Photobooth, Dual Core A5 and available in white.

The hardware difference between iPad 2 and iPad is the upgrade to dual-core Apple A5, back and front camera, three-axis gyro and of course the support for CDMA network. In terms of physical design, it is about 100 grams lighter but 50% thinner. iPad 2 is now available in white as well, looks like they solve the problem of painting in white. iPad 2 prices is the same as the iPad, Apple did not make it cheaper this time.

iOS 4.3 will come bundled with iPad 2 and for the rest of us, iOS 4.3 will be available for our iPhones, iPads and iPod Touches on 11th March 2011. You need to install iTunes 10.2 in order to upgrade to iOS 4.3 which is available right now.

Apple also announce a new cover for the iPad 2 called Smart Cover which I have totally no interest in and a new Apple Digital AV Adapter for the 30-pin connector.

Specifications

  • 1GHz dual-core Apple A5 custom-designed, high-performance, low-power system-on-a-chip NEW
  • 9.7-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit glossy widescreen Multi-Touch display with IPS technology
  • 1024-by-768-pixel resolution at 132 pixels per inch (ppi)
  • Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating
  • Back camera: Video recording, HD (720p) up to 30 frames per second with audio; still camera with 5x digital zoom NEW
  • Front camera: Video recording, VGA up to 30 frames per second with audio; VGA-quality still camera NEW
  • Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n)
  • Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR technology
  • UMTS/HSDPA (850, 1900, 2100 MHz) (Wi-Fi + 3G model)
  • GSM/EDGE (850, 900,1800, 1900 MHz) (Wi-Fi + 3G model)
  • CDMA EV-DO Rev. A (800, 1900 MHz) (Wi-Fi + 3G Verizon model) NEW
  • Digital compass
  • Assisted GPS (Wi-Fi + 3G model)
  • Cellular (Wi-Fi + 3G model)
  • 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB flash drive
  • Three-axis gyro NEW
  • Accelerometer sensor
  • Ambient light sensor
  • Built-in 25-watt-hour rechargeable lithium-polymer battery
  • Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi-Fi, watching video, or listening to music
  • Weight: 241.2 mm
  • Width: 185.7 mm
  • Depth: 8.8 mm
  • Weight: 0.601 kg (Wi-Fi model); 0.613 kg (Wi-Fi + 3G model); 0.607 kg (Wi-Fi + 3G Verizon model)

Full Specifications: http://www.apple.com/ipad/specs/

Wi-Fi
16GB: US$499 = S$633
32GB: US$599 = S$760
64GB: US$699 = S$887

Wi-Fi + 3G
16GB: US$629 = S$798
32GB: US$729 = S$925
64GB: US$829 = S$1,052

iPad 2 will be available from 11th March 2011 onwards (next Friday) ONLY in the US. For theses 26 countries (Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK), it will be available on 25th March 2011. For the rest of us here in Singapore, we just have to wait!

Official Website: iPad
Engadget: Live from Apple’s iPad 2 event

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