By Rishabh Prasad:
In the past few months, we got to witness a lot of hassle in the Electronics market due to the extensively rumoured iPad 2. Finally, the wait is over and the new iPad is out. Ailing Apple Inc. CEO Steve Jobs briefly emerged on Wednesday to unveil the second generation of the popular iPad in its GDC press conference in San Francisco.
The new thinner and lighter iPad 2 has the same 9.7-inch LED-backlit LCD screen. “The new iPad 2 is actually thinner than your iPhone 4,” Jobs said. It is much faster than the previous version as it comes equipped with a new A5 dual core processor. The rumour of iPad 2 coming with two cameras is no more a rumour. Two cameras are on the iPad 2, one facing the front and one facing the rear. It will run on both Verizon and AT&T’s 3G network. It possesses 10 hours of battery life with 30 days of standby battery life.
With other tablet manufacturers laying their hands upon Google’s Android operating system, Apple iPad 2 features iOS 4.3, the latest version of Apple’s mobile operating system which supports a faster Safari mobile browser, iTunes Home Sharing, enhancements to AirPlay, the choice to use the iPad side switch to either lock the screen rotation or mute audio, and Personal Hotspot to share an iPhone 4 cellular data connection over Wi-Fi.
The new iPad 2 Smart Covers are smart indeed. These flap-like covers attach to the iPad using a magnet. These covers provide protection for the iPad screen while maintaining its thin and lightweight profile. The new iPad 2 Smart Cover automatically wakes iPad 2 when it is opened and puts it to sleep when it’s closed. It can also be folded and can serve as a stand for the iPad. Unlike iPad 1, iPad 2 comes in two colours, black and white. Apple also introduced two new apps. New apps included FaceTime, for video chatting; Photo Booth, for taking self-portraits; iMovie, for capturing and editing video; and GarageBand, for creating and editing music.
iPad 2 with Wi-Fi will be available on March 11 for $499 for the 16GB model, $599 for the 32GB model, and $699 for the 64GB model. iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G will be available for $629 for the 16GB model, $729 for the 32GB model, and $829 for the 64GB model. iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G compatible with the Verizon network will be available in the US only for $629 for the 16GB model, $729 for the 32GB model and $829 for the 64GB model.
“We think 2011 is clearly going to be the year of iPad 2,” said Jobs. But my curiosity would still demand some rumours regarding iPad 3 later this year.
Check out the iPad 2 slideshow below:
