Apple has introduced the new iPad, the third generation of its tablet, featuring a Retina display, new A5X chip with quad-core graphics and a 5 megapixel iSight camera with advanced optics for capturing photos and 1080p HD video.
iPad with Wi-Fi + 4G connects to networks worldwide, including AT&T’s and Verizon’s 4G LTE networks, and still delivers the same all-day 10 hour battery life while remaining amazingly thin and light, according to Apple.
“The new iPad redefines the category Apple created less than two years ago, delivering the most amazing experience people have ever had with technology,” says Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “The new iPad now has the highest resolution display ever seen on a mobile device with 3.1 million pixels, delivering razor sharp text and unbelievable detail in photos and videos.”
The new iPad’s Retina display delivers four times the number of pixels of iPad 2, so dense that the human eye is unable to distinguish individual pixels when held at a normal distance, making web pages, text, images and video look incredibly sharp and realistic, he adds. The 3.1 million pixels in the Retina display are more than one million more pixels than an HD TV, and with 44% increased color saturation the new iPad displays colors that are unbelievably richer, deeper and more vivid, according to Schiller Movies are now capable of playing at full 1080p HD-resolution.
The new A5X chip with quad-core graphics was specifically designed by Apple to deliver a fast, responsive user experience while supporting the Retina display. With double the graphics performance of the A5 chip, the A5X provides a superb balance between performance and power efficiency so users can enjoy all the benefits of the stunning new display while experiencing a smooth Multi-Touch interface, immersive gameplay, incredible visual depth and all-day battery life that iPad is known for delivering, says Schiller.
The 5 megapixel iSight camera features advanced optics for taking pictures and recording full HD video. Backside illumination allows you to take photos in low-light conditions and a new video image stabilization feature purportedly removes the bumps and shakes typically seen when filming with a hand-held device. Images can be enjoyed on the large Retina display, then edited, enhanced and easily shared with friends and family using the built-in Photos app on iPad.
iPad Wi-Fi + 4G with built-in next generation 4G LTE has support for fast networks worldwide including HSPA+ and DC-HSDPA; now both CDMA and GSM iPad users have the ability to roam internationally. Personal Hotspot can be used to share the fast network connection on your iPad with up to 5 other devices using Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or USB.
With iOS 5.1, the new iPad has a number of new features and enhancements including: a redesigned Camera app with video stabilization technology; the ability to delete photos from Photo Stream; support for dictation in English, French, German and Japanese; and Personal Hotspot. iOS 5.1 also works with iCloud, a set of free cloud services including iTunes in the Cloud, Photo Stream and Documents in the Cloud, that works seamlessly with your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac or PC to automatically and wirelessly store your content and push it to your devices. When content changes on one of your devices, your other devices are updated automatically.
The new iPad also supports dictation, another way to get things done just using your voice. Instead of typing, tap the microphone icon on the keyboard, then say what you want to say and the new iPad listens. Tap done, and iPad converts your words into text. You can use dictation to write messages, take notes, search the web and more. Dictation also works with third-party apps, so you can update your Facebook status, tweet, or write Instagram captions.
The new iPad purportedly runs almost all of the over 585,000 apps available on the App Store, including more than 200,000 native iPad apps, from a wide range of categories, including books, games, business, news, sports, health, reference and travel. The iTunes Store boasts a catalog of over 20 million songs, over 90,000 TV episodes and over 15,000 movies.
The new iBooks 2 app for iPad lets users experience an ebook that’s dynamic and interactive. iBooks created with Apple’s new iBooks Author offer fullscreen ebooks with interactive animations, diagrams, photos, videos, unrivaled navigation and much more.
The new iPad Wi-Fi models will be available in black or white on Friday, March 16 for a suggested retail price of US$499 for the 16GB model, $599for the 32GB model and $699 for the 64GB model. iPad Wi-Fi + 4G for either AT&T or Verizon will be available for a suggested retail price of $629 for the 16GB model, $729 for the 32GB model and $829 for the 64GB model.
The iPad will be sold in the US through the Apple Store (http://www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores, and select Apple Authorized Resellers. It will also be available in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Switzerland, UK and the US Virgin Islands on Friday, March 16.
Customers can begin pre-ordering their new iPad today. The iPad 2 is now offered at a more affordable price of $399 for the 16GB Wi-Fi model and $529 for the 16GB Wi-Fi + 3G model. iOS 5.1 and iTunes 10.6 are available today as free software updates.
By the end of March the new iPad will be available in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Macau, Mexico, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.