The Apple iPad 2: Thinner, Faster, Two Cameras, Two Colors

GADGETS

Apple has announced the second-generation of its best-selling tablet.  Simply called the iPad 2, the slate gets some serious hardware upgrades while managing to keep prices within the range of its predecessor.

Physically, it wears the same general aesthetic as the first iPad.  What’s impressive, though, is the slate’s newfound physique — 33% thinner than the original at only 8.8mm and slightly lighter at just 600 grams.

Despite the smaller dimensions, the Apple iPad 2 maintains the  same stunning 9.7-inch LED-backlit LCD touchscreen (1024 x 768 resolution) and even beefs it up in a number of areas.  New details include a 1GHz dual-core A5 processor, a camera module in the rear with unspecified optics (with 720p video shooting), a front-facing VGA webcam, a bigger speaker grille and an HDMI out.  The previous connectivity package stays intact  for both the WiFi and 3G models.  Here’s a neat surprise: battery life supposedly stays at the same 10 hours, even with the more powerful hardware.

Apple also introduced a new cover, called Smart Covers, that users can buy separately.  A foldable flap that attaches to the tablet via magnets,  it can be used as a protective cover for the display and front bezel, as well as a stand (when folded).  Designed right alongside the iPad, the tablet will automatically go to sleep when the smart cover is closed and wake up when it’s opened.

Slated to start shipping this March 11 in both black and white colors, the iPad 2 will come with iOS 4.3, the latest incarnation of Apple’s mobile platform.  As with last year’s iPad, pricing starts at an  attractive $499 (16GB WiFi version).

[Apple]

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9 Responses

  1. The sleep and ‘no nonsense, pure eye-sense’ look of the Apple iPad unfailingly captures my senses, each and every time I look at its image (too bad, I don’t own one as yet). And taking into account the fact that the new avatar of the game changing gadget downsizes by one third, the Apple guys seem to have bettered the best. I have used many high end tech tools myself, and some of them do succeed in satisfying my particularly demanding aesthetic muscles, but none comes close to the impression cast by the broad black border and the shimmering screen combo of the iPad. I guess the thin iPad might just be the driving force that leads me to the nearest Apple store.

  2. My kids haven’t left many pebbles unturned in their quest to make me agree upon buying the Apple iPad. It was after due deliberation and research that we reached consensus, that of buying a used iPad. And now, we have a whole period of war waging ahead, courtesy the announcement of the launch of the overloaded version of the tablet, the iPad 2. Quite logically, there hasn’t been much depreciation to fuel the second hand sales market for the iPad, and the fact the new version retains proximity to the price of the predecessor adds on to the weights in the balance pan that points to a brand new purchase! Put simply, I am gong all out for the iPad 2.

  3. Thinner, the better! Quite remarkably, the Apple design team is bent at making the Moore’s Law hit top gear! A size reduction of thirty three percent, despite the fact that there is a lot of hardware enhancement to the gadget is simply WOW. I guess there isn’t anything quite close to what the iPad offers in its mammoth 9.7 inches touch screen (that is mammoth for tablet category). It is a sight to witness the crystal clear display churning out your favourite movie scenes.

  4. That is an 8.8 mm thick, 600 grams weighing power bomb right there. If I had learnt of the size reduction from any other source, the first thought to come into my mind would have been – ‘No doubt, they sliced the screen.’ Thankfully, this is not the case. On the contrary, they have included a camera at the back, and a webcam in front (I feel it would be a bit awkward trying to click images with the iPad). The 1 GHz dual core A5 processor and the HDMI out are the two other most electrifying additions to the iconic iPad. And if you thought that the surprised end here, take note of the sustained battery performance, despite the concrete hardware and functionality additions. The iPad 2 is here to stay.

  5. Really impressed with the Smart Covers feature. Additional security for the iPad, with smart management of the battery, the smart covers are true to their name. Ten hours worth of battery life could well seem like a lot more with the aid of the Smart Covers. I hope there are options in the colours of these covers. Who minds adding a personal flavour to the iPad!

  6. $500 for a super sleek iPad that integrates the who’s who of modern technology features into the stylish black and white frame is a real good bet. So many times we see even the big guns disappoint with the second and numbered versions of their special products. It is heartening to see that Apple has ensured that consumers have a well defined incentive list if they go for iPad 2. The performance of the iOS 4.3 platform would be interesting to observe.

  7. Alright, how many of you out there are fed up of companies trying to grab attention and making a ridiculously pathetic attempt at glorifying their so called upgrades by harping on the colours of the gadget? C’mon, is this a candy shop or something? For all I care, let them come up with a burgundy and turquoise colour combination if they want to, but they better put in some serious stuff before I acknowledge it as an upgrade. I would mellow down a little here and put my concerns in a less irritated manner. What counts as an upgrade? Something fresh, agreed? Two cameras is nothing new. And since I mention this, let me ridicule it a bit further. Do you think you could participate in a video conference using the front camera, and the iPad in your lap? And how about shooting videos holding the iPad like a slate in both your hands? And then, where’s the SD card slot? That should have made tings interesting. Disappointing is the verdict, downright disappointing.

  8. The dual CPU and the reloaded graphic muscle auger well for the gaming freaks out there. There is a lot more scope of enjoying better games on the iPad now. I am not exactly jumping out of my shoes as far as the two cameras go. And I thought the iPad was already thin; don’t know exactly how much of a difference it would make to have an even thinner version of the same.
    What’s all this noise about the Smart Covers? I am tempted to drub them as a new gimmick. Look at it this way. Did any of us desire such a product while we were using the first version of the iPad? Apart from appealing to the colour connoisseurs inside buyers, I don’t think these Smart Covers offer any real service. The dual CPU sounds a lot more interesting and valuable than this smart cover trash.

  9. Just when I thought that it couldn’t get any thinner, iPad 2 comes over and proves me wrong! The iPad 2 is such a perfect replacement for the laptop. All those who have undergone the rigorous security checks at the airports, with their laptops manhandled and left under a real danger of theft, the super sleek iPad shall provide the ideal alternative in the tablet form. However, I was looking for a lot more than what has actually been offered in the name of an upgrade. I heard rumours that there would be an SD Card slot and an HDMI slot as well. It is double shock treatment by Apple people. No HDMI, no SD slot. Still, iPad is behind the resolution meted out by its competitors that were launched almost 3 to 4 months back. It would have been saner to call it iPad slim rather than iPad 2. An upgrade is too strong a word to be using for the almost perfunctory brush ups performed by Apple on the iPad. I really hope that better sense prevails while they decide to work on an iPad 3.

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