Thinner, Lighter, Faster iPad 2 Announced

It comes as no surprise that during today's Apple press event the new iPad 2 was announced. What may be a surprise is that it is supposedly going to be available next week. Yes that's right, Apple said you'll be able to get your geeky little hands on the new iPad 2 March 11th.

The breakdown

The new iPad will be shrink in thickness some 33% from13.4mm down to 8.8mm. It will also shed some weight dropping from 1.5lbs down to 1.3 lbs and it now comes in two colors, traditional black and a new white version that will be ready on the first day of shipments.

Specs wise there are some pleasant surprises and some not so pleasant ones. You'll now get that front facing VGA camera for FaceTime you've always wanted. You'll also get a new three-axis gyroscope to work in conjunction with the accelerometer and compass to sense which direction your iPad is heading and how it’s moving. So games, maps, and other apps know your every twist, turn, tilt, and 360. The best part might just be the addition of a new dual core Apple ARM Cortex-A5 processor for 2x the speed and up to 9x the graphics power.


iPad 2 comes with iOS 4.3 preinstalled, with all the new features including faster Safari mobile browsing performance; 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. Additional iPad 2 features include HSUPA support for enhanced 3G upload speeds on iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G on AT&T, and HDMI Video Mirroring that lets users mirror their iPad screen on an HDTV using an optional adaptor.

What is surprisingly missing is the rumored retina display and SD ports as well as a very questionable rumor of a price drop. Apple has decided to keep the prices unchanged despite some rather minor updates.

Pricing & Availability
iPad 2 with Wi-Fi will be available on March 11 for a suggested retail price of $499 (US) for the 16GB model, $599 (US) for the 32GB model, $699 (US) for the 64GB model. iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G will be available for a suggested retail price of $629 (US) for the 16GB model, $729 (US) for the 32GB model and $829 (US) for the 64GB model. iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G compatible with the Verizon network will be available in the US only for a suggested retail price of $629 (US) for the 16GB model, $729 (US) for the 32GB model and $829 (US) for the 64GB model. iPad 2 will be sold in the US through the Apple Store (www.apple.com).

For more information see the Apple press release or visit Apple.com/iPad.

Update: For those of you that want to view the entire keynote Apple has posted the video online.